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Leonid McGill #2
Known to Evil
Leonid McGill knows something suspicious is going on as soon as the phone rings—no one calls him at this number. Alphonse Rinaldo, New York City’s ultimate fixer, the one man with a hand in every dark decision made in the five boroughs, has a problem that he needs McGill’s help to handle. What Rinaldo can’t accomplish on his own, McGill doesn’t really want to know. But Rinaldo’s not a client a Manhattan private eye can say no to, so McGill runs uptown to check on the young woman Rinaldo is worried about. McGill’s hardly pleased, but not especially surprised, when he walks into the middle of a murder scene—and, thanks to his nefarious past, winds up as the NYPD’s prime suspect.
Everyone’s motives are murky in McGill’s world; that, he’s used to. What he’s not quite accustomed to is his own recent commitment to the straight and narrow, a path that still seems to lead him directly to the city’s crookedest corners and down its darkest alleys. When Rinaldo won’t let McGill drop the case, or reveal his connection to the young woman in question—simply insisting that she must be found—McGill strikes a dangerous deal with himself: he’ll find the girl, but he’s not going to hand her over until he knows all there is to know about her, and why exactly Rinaldo’s so interested.
And so McGill plunges deep into contemporary New York City as only Walter Mosley can expose it, navigating an underworld that—just beneath the glitz and glamour, hidden behind the safe, clean streets—pulses with danger and violence. This is where McGill plies his trade, and it’s from this that he’s determined to protect all that he’s come to love: his family, his friends, his soul—all of which seem determined to put themselves in harm’s way. To achieve all of this, he’ll have to make new alliances with the darkest, most dangerous acquaintances of his past. And if he can survive both his friends and his enemies with his charm and charisma intact, Leonid McGill will truly have earned his designation as the twenty-first century’s iconic noir hero.
Everyone’s motives are murky in McGill’s world; that, he’s used to. What he’s not quite accustomed to is his own recent commitment to the straight and narrow, a path that still seems to lead him directly to the city’s crookedest corners and down its darkest alleys. When Rinaldo won’t let McGill drop the case, or reveal his connection to the young woman in question—simply insisting that she must be found—McGill strikes a dangerous deal with himself: he’ll find the girl, but he’s not going to hand her over until he knows all there is to know about her, and why exactly Rinaldo’s so interested.
And so McGill plunges deep into contemporary New York City as only Walter Mosley can expose it, navigating an underworld that—just beneath the glitz and glamour, hidden behind the safe, clean streets—pulses with danger and violence. This is where McGill plies his trade, and it’s from this that he’s determined to protect all that he’s come to love: his family, his friends, his soul—all of which seem determined to put themselves in harm’s way. To achieve all of this, he’ll have to make new alliances with the darkest, most dangerous acquaintances of his past. And if he can survive both his friends and his enemies with his charm and charisma intact, Leonid McGill will truly have earned his designation as the twenty-first century’s iconic noir hero.
326 pages, Hardcover
First published March 23, 2010
209 people are currently reading
1201 people want to read
About the author
Walter Mosley
202 books3,888 followersWalter Mosley (b. 1952) is the author of the bestselling mystery series featuring Easy Rawlins, as well as numerous other works, from literary fiction and science fiction to a young adult novel and political monographs. His short fiction has been widely published, and his nonfiction has appeared in the New York Times Magazine and the Nation, among other publications. Mosley is the winner of numerous awards, including an O. Henry Award, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, a Grammy, and PEN America’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He lives in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 313 reviews
January 19, 2019
My favorite Mosley work has been Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned. It is about a ex-con who is barely surviving in L.A. He does so by keeping to a strict regimen. The 14 stories in that book make a very enlightening read. Mosley is better known for his Rawlins mystery series. This new series perhaps combines the best of both in his P.I., Leonid McGill. With the setting (as I mentioned in my review of book 1, The Long Fall https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) based in New York City, there is an extremely broad possibility for encounters.
McGill has a literal headache. It follows him throughout this second book in Mosley’s new series. His trump card is always that he “never expects to die of old age.” Thus, he is always able to show no fear and push back against the forces arrayed against him. Abandoned as he became a teen by his father, Trotsky McGill, he is both angry at him and very influenced by him. We see the world through LT’s eyes. This mechanism is wonderful for Mosley, who finally has a protagonist who allows the author to show his erudition and his highly refined powers of observation. Thus, every character that we meet is described both physically (in some detail) and also as to their personality quirks.
McGill also has figurative headaches. In this book, we follow his domestic life, back with his unfaithful wife and 3 kids, and with his “business” where he has tried to distance himself from the dark work he used to do for the underworld. McGill is up against powers political, criminal, and bureaucratic that could smash him or put him away with no hope of survival. How he not only survives but succeeds is the juice that powers this narrative.
I like what Mosley is showing me about NY City. Lots of it not available to the average tourist
And I like how well grounded Mosley makes McGill. He has deftly mixed one part Philip Marlowe "knight errant" with the part of Sam Spade that cautioned: "Don't be too sure I'm as crooked as I'm supposed to be. That sort of reputation might be good business, bringing high-priced jobs and making it easier to deal with the enemy..." To this he has added Easy Rawlins' world of color. Well done.
20Falcon/page/0.htm#ixzz1IVLpMxRg
McGill has a literal headache. It follows him throughout this second book in Mosley’s new series. His trump card is always that he “never expects to die of old age.” Thus, he is always able to show no fear and push back against the forces arrayed against him. Abandoned as he became a teen by his father, Trotsky McGill, he is both angry at him and very influenced by him. We see the world through LT’s eyes. This mechanism is wonderful for Mosley, who finally has a protagonist who allows the author to show his erudition and his highly refined powers of observation. Thus, every character that we meet is described both physically (in some detail) and also as to their personality quirks.
McGill also has figurative headaches. In this book, we follow his domestic life, back with his unfaithful wife and 3 kids, and with his “business” where he has tried to distance himself from the dark work he used to do for the underworld. McGill is up against powers political, criminal, and bureaucratic that could smash him or put him away with no hope of survival. How he not only survives but succeeds is the juice that powers this narrative.
I like what Mosley is showing me about NY City. Lots of it not available to the average tourist
And I like how well grounded Mosley makes McGill. He has deftly mixed one part Philip Marlowe "knight errant" with the part of Sam Spade that cautioned: "Don't be too sure I'm as crooked as I'm supposed to be. That sort of reputation might be good business, bringing high-priced jobs and making it easier to deal with the enemy..." To this he has added Easy Rawlins' world of color. Well done.
20Falcon/page/0.htm#ixzz1IVLpMxRg
February 4, 2020
The first Leonid McGill private eye novel was so good, I found myself reaching for the second right away. There's still loads to love about the series, with its protagonist's almost unbearable home life, troubles getting away from his past, and attempts to do the right thing in the present.
That said, I didn't enjoy the pacing quite as much as in the first book. This one felt looser—almost as if we were really just following a day-by-day account of a hard-boiled P.I.'s work and life. This culminates in a climax that didn't entirely feel climactic for me. Nonetheless, Mosley's writing is so good that I never felt like abandoning the book—something I do all too often with mystery fiction lately. In fact, I might just have to check out the third book in the series right away . . .
That said, I didn't enjoy the pacing quite as much as in the first book. This one felt looser—almost as if we were really just following a day-by-day account of a hard-boiled P.I.'s work and life. This culminates in a climax that didn't entirely feel climactic for me. Nonetheless, Mosley's writing is so good that I never felt like abandoning the book—something I do all too often with mystery fiction lately. In fact, I might just have to check out the third book in the series right away . . .
February 26, 2022
I kept forgetting who's who and what's what during this somewhat convoluted tale- my attention kept drifting. I thoroughly enjoy most of Mr Mosley's creations but this one just never fully grabbed me. Oh well. Life goes on...
2 1/2 Stars
2 1/2 Stars
July 31, 2013
I've long been an avid fan of Walter Mosley's Easy Rawlins series which was set in L.A., and which I think is one of the best and most inventive P.I. series that anyone's ever done. I confess that I'm not as knocked out by Mosley's new P.I., Leonid McGill, who is based in New York. But perhaps this is simply because I have such high expectations of Mosley based on the earlier series.
Leonid McGill is a man with a past, much of which he'd like to forget. He's done some things of which he's not proud, but he's now trying to live right. It's not all that easy, especially when people from his past keep attempting to draw him back into his old life. Things are complicated by the fact that his wife is unfaithful, his relationship with his lover is unsettled, and his sons are a source of worry.
In this, McGill's second case, a powerful New York fixer who labors behind the scenes, insists that McGill track down a missing young woman. The fixer won't explain his relationship to the woman and he insists that McGill not contact her, but he wants him to find her nonetheless.
McGill's first efforts to find the woman lead him to the scene of a double homicide and immediately, the police are on his case. He assumes that the missing woman was present at the time of these crimes and quickly discovers that, for whatever reason, a lot of shady characters seem determined to find her. If she's going to survive, McGill needs to get to her first.
In and around this assignment, McGill has to fend off an accountant who wants to throw him out of his luxurious office suite and he's got to track down his two sons, one of which has become involved with a very dangerous woman. All of this will lead to some very long days and nights for our intrepid hero.
Part of my problem with this book is that McGill spends an awful lot of time philosophizing about his life and the world around him. After a while, this gets a bit monotonous and takes the reader away from the action. Also, for an unattractive, middle-aged man, McGill has a great track record with the ladies. Attractive women seem drawn to him like a magnet, although the author never explains why this should be the case.
Additionally, there is absolutely no obstacle that McGill cannot overcome. If he needs to track down someone or something, all he has to do is call the greatest computer wizard in this history of computer wizardry who is at McGill's beck and call and who can break into any computer system anytime, anywhere and extract the information that McGill needs. If he needs to get into a building, the world's most talented locksmith is at his command and has armed him with keys that will enable him to open any lock on the planet. McGill is also one of those guys who can take a vicious beating for hours on end and still be good to go ten minutes later, as long as the bad guys are still at large.
This is not to say that Known to Evil is a bad book; it's not. But in the end, credulity gets stretched well beyond the breaking point here, which is really too bad. Mosley continues to be a very gifted writer and this book has real potential. But again, my reservations about the book may simply result from the fact that my expectations going in were so high.
Leonid McGill is a man with a past, much of which he'd like to forget. He's done some things of which he's not proud, but he's now trying to live right. It's not all that easy, especially when people from his past keep attempting to draw him back into his old life. Things are complicated by the fact that his wife is unfaithful, his relationship with his lover is unsettled, and his sons are a source of worry.
In this, McGill's second case, a powerful New York fixer who labors behind the scenes, insists that McGill track down a missing young woman. The fixer won't explain his relationship to the woman and he insists that McGill not contact her, but he wants him to find her nonetheless.
McGill's first efforts to find the woman lead him to the scene of a double homicide and immediately, the police are on his case. He assumes that the missing woman was present at the time of these crimes and quickly discovers that, for whatever reason, a lot of shady characters seem determined to find her. If she's going to survive, McGill needs to get to her first.
In and around this assignment, McGill has to fend off an accountant who wants to throw him out of his luxurious office suite and he's got to track down his two sons, one of which has become involved with a very dangerous woman. All of this will lead to some very long days and nights for our intrepid hero.
Part of my problem with this book is that McGill spends an awful lot of time philosophizing about his life and the world around him. After a while, this gets a bit monotonous and takes the reader away from the action. Also, for an unattractive, middle-aged man, McGill has a great track record with the ladies. Attractive women seem drawn to him like a magnet, although the author never explains why this should be the case.
Additionally, there is absolutely no obstacle that McGill cannot overcome. If he needs to track down someone or something, all he has to do is call the greatest computer wizard in this history of computer wizardry who is at McGill's beck and call and who can break into any computer system anytime, anywhere and extract the information that McGill needs. If he needs to get into a building, the world's most talented locksmith is at his command and has armed him with keys that will enable him to open any lock on the planet. McGill is also one of those guys who can take a vicious beating for hours on end and still be good to go ten minutes later, as long as the bad guys are still at large.
This is not to say that Known to Evil is a bad book; it's not. But in the end, credulity gets stretched well beyond the breaking point here, which is really too bad. Mosley continues to be a very gifted writer and this book has real potential. But again, my reservations about the book may simply result from the fact that my expectations going in were so high.
October 20, 2012
The second Leonid McGill crime novel. Leonid McGill, still haunted by the guilt of the bad things he used to do (or so he says, but the examples given of his supposed misdeeds seem very mild), is asked to track down a woman for “the most powerful man in New York.” He is also consumed with helping out a former victim who has just been arrested on baseless terrorism charges, rescuing his son’s girlfriend from her violent pimp, and managing the tightrope between his loveless marriage and the women he beds. As he puts himself in more and more danger for his son, his victim, and the missing girl, he unravels a strange story of corporate corruption.
I called the first McGill novel, The Long Fall, a mixed bag; this one is even less impressive, sadly (as I have enjoyed Mosley’s books before). The plotlines are barren of drama, because the supporting characters aren’t fully developed, because McGill is too introspective and fearless for the reader to feel any tension when he is captured and worked over, and because finally the reasoning behind the various plots is so outlandish. McGill moves in lush, wealthy circles as well as shady, underground ones, but the tone of the novel is so closed in by McGill’s constant ruminations, there’s little difference between the two. The ending is awkward and poorly explained (the villain of the piece is, simply, “insane,” lacking any real motive), but even if it weren’t, the book would still be uninteresting. Mosley writes good terse prose, but the world of McGill is rendered sadly cartoonish in its absolutes: McGill knows no fear, but constructs spy-worthy escape plots. He has a target on his back painted by everyone from police captains to hired thugs, yet he snarls insults at everyone who threatens him, and never gets comeuppance, no matter how over-powered. He is retired from the crime game, but keeps up with an extensive network of criminals and stone-cold killers who apparently owe him unwavering loyalty. He’s short and ugly, but women throw themselves at him. And Mosley’s portrayal of the world of power is simply so cartoonish it’s absurd. One crowning unintentionally funny moment comes when McGill gives a friend a “special 911 line” that is used by the ultra-rich, that brings a squad of SWAT agents coming double-time; I was reminded of Homer in “The Simpsons,” being told to use the “real” emergency number – 912 – when he is admitted to the world of the Stonecutters.
I called the first McGill novel, The Long Fall, a mixed bag; this one is even less impressive, sadly (as I have enjoyed Mosley’s books before). The plotlines are barren of drama, because the supporting characters aren’t fully developed, because McGill is too introspective and fearless for the reader to feel any tension when he is captured and worked over, and because finally the reasoning behind the various plots is so outlandish. McGill moves in lush, wealthy circles as well as shady, underground ones, but the tone of the novel is so closed in by McGill’s constant ruminations, there’s little difference between the two. The ending is awkward and poorly explained (the villain of the piece is, simply, “insane,” lacking any real motive), but even if it weren’t, the book would still be uninteresting. Mosley writes good terse prose, but the world of McGill is rendered sadly cartoonish in its absolutes: McGill knows no fear, but constructs spy-worthy escape plots. He has a target on his back painted by everyone from police captains to hired thugs, yet he snarls insults at everyone who threatens him, and never gets comeuppance, no matter how over-powered. He is retired from the crime game, but keeps up with an extensive network of criminals and stone-cold killers who apparently owe him unwavering loyalty. He’s short and ugly, but women throw themselves at him. And Mosley’s portrayal of the world of power is simply so cartoonish it’s absurd. One crowning unintentionally funny moment comes when McGill gives a friend a “special 911 line” that is used by the ultra-rich, that brings a squad of SWAT agents coming double-time; I was reminded of Homer in “The Simpsons,” being told to use the “real” emergency number – 912 – when he is admitted to the world of the Stonecutters.
July 4, 2017
Any chance you get to risk your life for the Cause is as close to a blessing as a modern man can, my father's words had no political meaning for me but there truth out shown there intent.
Reading Mosley Mysteries will have you looking at news stories much differently, especially those concerning city, state, and/or government officials drama and scandals.....Or is it just Mi....lol...we all know that Art imitates Life.
Reading Mosley Mysteries will have you looking at news stories much differently, especially those concerning city, state, and/or government officials drama and scandals.....Or is it just Mi....lol...we all know that Art imitates Life.
January 19, 2019
Enjoyable read featuring a PI who proves rather hard to kill. Interesting family dynamics continue, LT gets a receptionist and a new assignment from Rinaldo. This leads into deep waters with the safety of a young woman at stake.
January 5, 2024
Its always interesting to see how a character evolves. Having read the latest installment of this series, I felt it important to learn the character's roots. In the latest book, we witness a chameleon like PI who's able to disguise vocabulary, appearance and identity with ease as well as 'box' his way out of difficulties. And while there are some of these elements with this one, its not at all what I'd hoped for.
We find Leonid T. McGill, a NY private investigator hired by a Alphonse Rinaldo, a 'connected' figure in NY hierarchy to track down Tara Lear an 'acquaintance'. With a healthy stipend, McGill heads to her address and finds a herd of police hovering. He learns there have been two murders and becomes a suspect due to an adversarial detective. LT tends to ignore this behavior since he's well acquainted with how the NYPD 'functions', aka pointing fingers without evidence.
Huddling with Hush, Gordo and others in his circle, while dealing with guilt, lovers and wife Katrina and two sons, the hunt for Tara sends him on a downward spiral where he encounters a variety of characters.
Unlike the fifth installment, the plot and premise pale in comparison And while nicely paced, its predictable and a disappointing. That said, it fills in blanks about his radical father, death of his mother and current family situation and for that I am grateful. LT is an interesting character so I'll be reading what installments the library has since I'm a fan of Mosley's storytelling. If you enjoy detective stories, you may find this one engaging.
We find Leonid T. McGill, a NY private investigator hired by a Alphonse Rinaldo, a 'connected' figure in NY hierarchy to track down Tara Lear an 'acquaintance'. With a healthy stipend, McGill heads to her address and finds a herd of police hovering. He learns there have been two murders and becomes a suspect due to an adversarial detective. LT tends to ignore this behavior since he's well acquainted with how the NYPD 'functions', aka pointing fingers without evidence.
Huddling with Hush, Gordo and others in his circle, while dealing with guilt, lovers and wife Katrina and two sons, the hunt for Tara sends him on a downward spiral where he encounters a variety of characters.
Unlike the fifth installment, the plot and premise pale in comparison And while nicely paced, its predictable and a disappointing. That said, it fills in blanks about his radical father, death of his mother and current family situation and for that I am grateful. LT is an interesting character so I'll be reading what installments the library has since I'm a fan of Mosley's storytelling. If you enjoy detective stories, you may find this one engaging.
April 19, 2010
When last we talked about Leonid McGill, I worried that he and his world were too similar to those of the Easy Rawlins mysteries set on the opposite coast and 50 or 60 years prior. I had none of those concerns here. LT's his own man and, in Known to Evil, Mosley seems to forgo the familiar rhythms of his most famous character completely, learning a new way to play these songs.
I won't repeat what I said in my review of the first novel. What strikes me about Leonid in this tale is that, despite his past, he's obviously a good man. This internal battle between good and evil he talks about constantly seems, at least to me, to have become a creation of his own mind. He's created a narrative for himself that says he doesn't deserve the good in the world. That he must pay a penance. What man with such a will for protecting those in need and a natural desire for knowing the truth deserves that?
He has done right by the world, if not made peace with it, and that struggle is compelling. What comes for this man once he realizes he deserves more? In the meanwhile, he'll keep taking cases that toe the line between the light and the dark. He'll keep company with bad men. He'll keep his hands and his eyes hard even as his heart softens.
And I'll keep reading.
Highly recommended.
I won't repeat what I said in my review of the first novel. What strikes me about Leonid in this tale is that, despite his past, he's obviously a good man. This internal battle between good and evil he talks about constantly seems, at least to me, to have become a creation of his own mind. He's created a narrative for himself that says he doesn't deserve the good in the world. That he must pay a penance. What man with such a will for protecting those in need and a natural desire for knowing the truth deserves that?
He has done right by the world, if not made peace with it, and that struggle is compelling. What comes for this man once he realizes he deserves more? In the meanwhile, he'll keep taking cases that toe the line between the light and the dark. He'll keep company with bad men. He'll keep his hands and his eyes hard even as his heart softens.
And I'll keep reading.
Highly recommended.
January 15, 2017
Leonid McGill is becoming one of my favorite characters ever written by any author. The network of contacts he has at his disposal is amazing. His strength never wavers and he endures whatever comes his way. He understands his faults and wrongdoings and trying to take steps to correct them. His M.O. is bartering; you don't have to pay him, just don't forget you owe him a favor.
There are multiple daggers coming towards Leonid. From his wife returning after leaving him for a banker, his sons' getting entangled with Russian mobsters, his best friend dying from stomach cancer, his girlfriend breaking up with him because she wishes to date another guy to being summoned by Alphonse Rinaldo to do some sleuthing.
This book will grip you after a few chapters and will wait until you're at the edge of your suspense and wondering how Leonid will get out of the trouble he always puts himself into.
There are multiple daggers coming towards Leonid. From his wife returning after leaving him for a banker, his sons' getting entangled with Russian mobsters, his best friend dying from stomach cancer, his girlfriend breaking up with him because she wishes to date another guy to being summoned by Alphonse Rinaldo to do some sleuthing.
This book will grip you after a few chapters and will wait until you're at the edge of your suspense and wondering how Leonid will get out of the trouble he always puts himself into.
October 28, 2021
The main plot of this novel just doesn't work. The who-done-it and why is almost ridiculous. The reader is dragged through a mire of too many characters and meandering subplots, toward an undramatic (Ho-Hum) conclusion. Along the way, Mosely tells you the hue of every character's skin, even if said character is only in the book for one paragraph.
Sometimes it's just as simple as:
"His skin was not quite as dark brown as mine."
or
"...a black man..."
or
"...a white woman..."
or
"...a lanky brown man..."
or
"...a white stranger..." (Wow!)
Sometimes, Mosely gets more specific:
"very dark-skinned"
or
"Ethiopian skin"
or
"Golden-brown skin"
There's the poetic:
"He had a New World Hispanic tint to his skin."
And, there is also the political/poetic/stupid:
"The big white guy read my smile the way Barack Obama read the hearts of the American people."
These descriptions, at first laughable, eventually became highly annoying. Come on, Mosely--you're a better writer than that!
If you're a fan of the "Easy Rawlins" novels, you'll wonder if this is the same author. Although there were some really well-written scenes, this novel, as a whole, was a mess.
Sometimes it's just as simple as:
"His skin was not quite as dark brown as mine."
or
"...a black man..."
or
"...a white woman..."
or
"...a lanky brown man..."
or
"...a white stranger..." (Wow!)
Sometimes, Mosely gets more specific:
"very dark-skinned"
or
"Ethiopian skin"
or
"Golden-brown skin"
There's the poetic:
"He had a New World Hispanic tint to his skin."
And, there is also the political/poetic/stupid:
"The big white guy read my smile the way Barack Obama read the hearts of the American people."
These descriptions, at first laughable, eventually became highly annoying. Come on, Mosely--you're a better writer than that!
If you're a fan of the "Easy Rawlins" novels, you'll wonder if this is the same author. Although there were some really well-written scenes, this novel, as a whole, was a mess.
February 15, 2024
Still a good PI novel, but inferior to the first in just about every way. The characters regress into a repeat of the backstory rather than progressing. Still loads of great sentences and interesting voice. Leonid Mcgill is a great character, Mosely a great writer, and this is still a page turner, but I was disappointed by the drop in quality after the first.
June 9, 2017
I had pretty much no idea who was who, what was going on, or why any of it mattered at any point during this audio book, but I did appreciate the hard-boiled noir aspects. :-D
P.S. my favourite part was when the reader - whose Norwegian accent sounded Bahamian, and whose Russian accent sounded like a toddler with a mouth full of marbles - read a line uttered by the main character (who himself had just perpetrated a bad accent during a sneaky phone call) that "accents were hard." bwahahahaha
P.S. my favourite part was when the reader - whose Norwegian accent sounded Bahamian, and whose Russian accent sounded like a toddler with a mouth full of marbles - read a line uttered by the main character (who himself had just perpetrated a bad accent during a sneaky phone call) that "accents were hard." bwahahahaha
June 3, 2012
Walter Mosley may be a phenomenon, according to the Houston Press, but I can safely admit that Leonid McGill, the main character in Known To Evil, is a phenomenon in his own right. He’s a man with his own demons, multiple love interests, and an anvil for a fist. Leonid’s demons make him a character that practically bleeds off the page and into your living room, even though he’s a man that isn’t prone to do so. Much like the author, he gives everything he has, and then he adds a bit more. He puts others ahead of himself, and he takes to the streets with reckless abandon.
The dialogue proved snappy and witty, and it practically popped of the page. Different characters stuttered in their speech, with commas in place to provide an added emphasis, which often gave the dialogue an added sense of realism, and it’s a writing technique not used by many writers, or at least ones that I’ve read. As a lover of noir crime fiction, books overflowing with action, and strong, male protagonists that can tie words into knots, I’ll be sure to add this author to my ever-growing list of treasured writers and seek out another Walter Moley novel in the not-so-distant future.
This is a macho read from the first page to the last, but there’s a heart to it that would intrigue the opposite sex, further proving that Walter Mosley, as well as his relatively new protagonist, are forces not easily ignored. If you avoid this book and what could be a MANfiction label, you’ll do so at your own peril.
The dialogue proved snappy and witty, and it practically popped of the page. Different characters stuttered in their speech, with commas in place to provide an added emphasis, which often gave the dialogue an added sense of realism, and it’s a writing technique not used by many writers, or at least ones that I’ve read. As a lover of noir crime fiction, books overflowing with action, and strong, male protagonists that can tie words into knots, I’ll be sure to add this author to my ever-growing list of treasured writers and seek out another Walter Moley novel in the not-so-distant future.
This is a macho read from the first page to the last, but there’s a heart to it that would intrigue the opposite sex, further proving that Walter Mosley, as well as his relatively new protagonist, are forces not easily ignored. If you avoid this book and what could be a MANfiction label, you’ll do so at your own peril.
May 4, 2010
Walter Mosley's PI Leonid McGill series really hits its stride. Great back story and intricate subplots only add to the appeal of the protagonist.
November 4, 2010
PROTAGONIST: Leonid McGill, PI
SETTING: New York
SERIES: #2 of 2
RATING: 3.0
Walter Mosley has had a long and illustrious career as a crime fiction writer. Best known for the Easy Rawlins series which followed the protagonist from the 1940s to the late 60s, Mosley concluded that series after eleven books. He flirted with a few other series (e.g., Paris Minton, Socrates Fortlaw) but now seems to be dedicating his time to a character introduced in 2009, Leonid McGill. McGill is a somewhat timeworn PI. THE LONG FALL was an excellent introduction to the character; KNOWN TO EVIL is the second in a projected 10-book series. Set in contemporary New York, Mosley has exhibited a keen sense of life on those mean streets.
In his fifties, Leonid McGill has learned some lessons from life and is determined to benefit from his own wisdom. At one time, he was a fixer for the mob. It’s not that easy to disentangle himself from their tentacles, but he is striving to follow an ethical path. He is approached by a very powerful man, Alphonse Rinaldo, who wants him to find and protect a young woman who disappeared from a murder scene. Rinaldo won’t tell McGill what his interest in Tara Lear is, but it seems that he is not making the request out of any prurient desires.
McGill’s life is always complicated, most especially by his dysfunctional family. His oldest son, Dimitri, with whom he has a contentious relationship, has disappeared with the aid of his youngest (and very loved) son, Twill. It turns out that they have rescued a girl from a sex slave ring run by Eastern Europeans. All is not well on the home front with his Scandinavian wife, Katrina. Although married for 23 years, they have long been estranged. Their relationship was explored in some depth in THE LONG FALL; it remains a mystery to me why they remain together. In fact, this was one negative aspect of the book in that they haven’t moved toward resolving their issues one way or another. In fact, Leonid is so remote from her that he seems to be encouraging her to find solace with another man. At the same time, Leonid realizes that he is in love with his girlfriend; but she has moved on to be with someone else.
I really enjoyed THE LONG FALL and was eagerly awaiting this second book, as I envisioned a series set in contemporary times that would have the legs that the Easy Rawlins series does. However, I was very disappointed in the second installment. In addition to the marital problems, I found that McGill just wasn’t all that interesting this time around. He has formidable boxing skills, a talent that was vastly overused in the book. Because he is middle aged and not very tall, he is consistently underestimated by the lowlifes who he encounters, which almost invariably ends with him pummeling them. I also found his constant musings about life detracted from the plot and pacing of the book.
It’s hard to imagine where Mosley is going to take the series from here. There was very little forward movement in McGill’s life from the first to the second book. Something dramatic needs to happen as far as his marriage goes, and he needs to move on from his constant harping on his regrets into a more positive life attitude. Although I wanted to like KNOWN TO EVIL, it just didn’t measure up for me. Leonid is no Easy.
SETTING: New York
SERIES: #2 of 2
RATING: 3.0
Walter Mosley has had a long and illustrious career as a crime fiction writer. Best known for the Easy Rawlins series which followed the protagonist from the 1940s to the late 60s, Mosley concluded that series after eleven books. He flirted with a few other series (e.g., Paris Minton, Socrates Fortlaw) but now seems to be dedicating his time to a character introduced in 2009, Leonid McGill. McGill is a somewhat timeworn PI. THE LONG FALL was an excellent introduction to the character; KNOWN TO EVIL is the second in a projected 10-book series. Set in contemporary New York, Mosley has exhibited a keen sense of life on those mean streets.
In his fifties, Leonid McGill has learned some lessons from life and is determined to benefit from his own wisdom. At one time, he was a fixer for the mob. It’s not that easy to disentangle himself from their tentacles, but he is striving to follow an ethical path. He is approached by a very powerful man, Alphonse Rinaldo, who wants him to find and protect a young woman who disappeared from a murder scene. Rinaldo won’t tell McGill what his interest in Tara Lear is, but it seems that he is not making the request out of any prurient desires.
McGill’s life is always complicated, most especially by his dysfunctional family. His oldest son, Dimitri, with whom he has a contentious relationship, has disappeared with the aid of his youngest (and very loved) son, Twill. It turns out that they have rescued a girl from a sex slave ring run by Eastern Europeans. All is not well on the home front with his Scandinavian wife, Katrina. Although married for 23 years, they have long been estranged. Their relationship was explored in some depth in THE LONG FALL; it remains a mystery to me why they remain together. In fact, this was one negative aspect of the book in that they haven’t moved toward resolving their issues one way or another. In fact, Leonid is so remote from her that he seems to be encouraging her to find solace with another man. At the same time, Leonid realizes that he is in love with his girlfriend; but she has moved on to be with someone else.
I really enjoyed THE LONG FALL and was eagerly awaiting this second book, as I envisioned a series set in contemporary times that would have the legs that the Easy Rawlins series does. However, I was very disappointed in the second installment. In addition to the marital problems, I found that McGill just wasn’t all that interesting this time around. He has formidable boxing skills, a talent that was vastly overused in the book. Because he is middle aged and not very tall, he is consistently underestimated by the lowlifes who he encounters, which almost invariably ends with him pummeling them. I also found his constant musings about life detracted from the plot and pacing of the book.
It’s hard to imagine where Mosley is going to take the series from here. There was very little forward movement in McGill’s life from the first to the second book. Something dramatic needs to happen as far as his marriage goes, and he needs to move on from his constant harping on his regrets into a more positive life attitude. Although I wanted to like KNOWN TO EVIL, it just didn’t measure up for me. Leonid is no Easy.
November 16, 2011
Walter Mosely is is highly praised for a number of things: 1) for being a bad-ass black writer, 2) for writing about horrific crimes and 3) for being one of the best American writers of all time.
I can confirm that all three of these praises are true! Known to Darkness features a black detective named Leonid McGill who straddles the line of legality dangerously. Involved with the deepest, darkest (I’m not referring to skin colour) criminals, Leonid also has friends in the police and enemies everywhere.
Mosely goes where no one dares go by actually talking about being black. Leonid plays into the stereotypes where it’s convenient because people love when their expectations are reconfirmed. Only Leonid uses all his criminal skills (lying, beating and smiling) to save a girl that a mob boss has asked him to protect at all costs. The twist is that Leonid has no idea how this mob boss knows this girl or if he will hurt her. Oh, and he’s also not allowed to speak to the girl.
What makes Mosely an amazing writer is that he can write well about horrific murders, underworld criminals and the every day nuances of life. From describing a mutilated body to how his cheating wife’s lipstick is smudged, Mosely does it with such care and flair. I will definitely read another book in the Leonid McGill series.
I can confirm that all three of these praises are true! Known to Darkness features a black detective named Leonid McGill who straddles the line of legality dangerously. Involved with the deepest, darkest (I’m not referring to skin colour) criminals, Leonid also has friends in the police and enemies everywhere.
Mosely goes where no one dares go by actually talking about being black. Leonid plays into the stereotypes where it’s convenient because people love when their expectations are reconfirmed. Only Leonid uses all his criminal skills (lying, beating and smiling) to save a girl that a mob boss has asked him to protect at all costs. The twist is that Leonid has no idea how this mob boss knows this girl or if he will hurt her. Oh, and he’s also not allowed to speak to the girl.
What makes Mosely an amazing writer is that he can write well about horrific murders, underworld criminals and the every day nuances of life. From describing a mutilated body to how his cheating wife’s lipstick is smudged, Mosely does it with such care and flair. I will definitely read another book in the Leonid McGill series.
November 19, 2019
Walter Mosley is such a versatile writer. While most famous for his Easy Rawlins mystery series, he’s worked in just about every genre one can think of: noir, hardboiled, scifi, fictional bio. The guy can do it all.
The Leonid McGill series is the first series of his I’ve ventured from Easy Rawlins in his oeuvre. And it’s like they were written by two different people.
Mosley got his writing start in the 80s. His books would get progressively better. As much as I enjoy Devil In a Blue Dress, his latter Rawlins novels are far superior in plot and pace (I’d love to see him write that one nowadays). By the time he sat down to pen the Leonid McGill novels in the mid-to-late aughts, he was at the top of his craft.
Just as the Rawlins novels are less of a mystery and more of an examination of what it meant to be black in post-WWII Los Angeles, the McGill novels, while still featuring mysteries, is more of a tale of what it means to be consistently remorseful and desiring reconciliation. Leonid McGill is trying to right the wrongs of his past life as a mob fixer but he can’t do that without trafficking in Manhattan’s murky underworld. Hence books one and two.
There’s no way to know what’s coming in these novels, either in McGill’s personal life or with the case he’s working on. Mosley throws so much at you, it’s hard to keep up. There are three threads that the protagonist is dealing with. But as I got deeper, I once again felt less interested in the mystery and more interested in the world Leonid operates in. It’s the underworld but it’s the underworld controlled by mysterious men. Mosley is essentially pulling back the curtain to let you see the show.
This is not a conventional mystery whodunnit, although the case looms over everything and has a resolution. This is an exploration of a man’s life and his city. Make sure you know that going in.
The Leonid McGill series is the first series of his I’ve ventured from Easy Rawlins in his oeuvre. And it’s like they were written by two different people.
Mosley got his writing start in the 80s. His books would get progressively better. As much as I enjoy Devil In a Blue Dress, his latter Rawlins novels are far superior in plot and pace (I’d love to see him write that one nowadays). By the time he sat down to pen the Leonid McGill novels in the mid-to-late aughts, he was at the top of his craft.
Just as the Rawlins novels are less of a mystery and more of an examination of what it meant to be black in post-WWII Los Angeles, the McGill novels, while still featuring mysteries, is more of a tale of what it means to be consistently remorseful and desiring reconciliation. Leonid McGill is trying to right the wrongs of his past life as a mob fixer but he can’t do that without trafficking in Manhattan’s murky underworld. Hence books one and two.
There’s no way to know what’s coming in these novels, either in McGill’s personal life or with the case he’s working on. Mosley throws so much at you, it’s hard to keep up. There are three threads that the protagonist is dealing with. But as I got deeper, I once again felt less interested in the mystery and more interested in the world Leonid operates in. It’s the underworld but it’s the underworld controlled by mysterious men. Mosley is essentially pulling back the curtain to let you see the show.
This is not a conventional mystery whodunnit, although the case looms over everything and has a resolution. This is an exploration of a man’s life and his city. Make sure you know that going in.
February 5, 2018
I did not particularly enjoy this book. I know that Walter Mosley wrote a novel which was turned into a Spike Lee-directed movie called "Devil in a Blue Dress." I never saw this movie although it was a big hit and my older brother had. So when I saw this audiobook, I said, I should definitely read it. If Spike Lee made a movie from a Walter Mosley book, then he should be great. I was wrong. Well, maybe it was THIS book or perhaps it was because of the arrogant cockiness of the lead character McGill or douchebaggery of it all. I did not have a liking for the lead character at all. I was bored. I wanted to hurry up and get through the story. I know it was a mystery and I usually don't read mystery but nothing interested in me and I did not care enough. I also don't know if it was the actor's voice I didn't like which sounded flat in some parts. I finished listening to the whole story though since I always like to give a story a chance. I did not feel any suspence in the story. The fight scenes were described with such arrogance it almost mocked the lead character. I didn't take any of the story seriously. And I wasn't sure if McGill had an open relationship with his wife or was everyone just straight up cheating on the others. The fact that McGill risked his life to save a girl and hence also the girlfriend of his son seemed a little cliche and a bit stereotypical when it comes to the roles of women. And speaking of cliches, this novel was full of them. Walter Mosley, I will give your books a second chance but not with this one.
July 30, 2020
This is the second in the Leonid McGill series and it cleared up some of the questions I had in his later books. Leonid continues to try to forget his criminal past and the associations he made, but they keep pulling him back in.
He is asked by a very powerful man to find a young woman and make sure she is ok. The instructions are specific. Leonid is not to contact the man, just make sure she is ok. However, like so many of his cases this turns into far more than just a simple wellness check. Soon he is following leads that bring him into more danger and into the offices of people so powerful that they are unknown to the ordinary citizen.
At the same time he has a problem with one of his sons, Dmitri. He has fallen for a beautiful young Russian prostitute who is trying to get out of the life and graduate from college. He is in love with Aura, the building manager where his office is located, but she has a boyfriend. He also discovers his wife who has been unfaithful to him through most of his married life is carrying on an affair with a young man who is a friend of her son’s.
To complicate things even further he has to help a man he once set up for a crime he didn’t commit to get exonerated for a crime he has been set up for by someone else. As usually, Mosley sets up a situation that is both amazing and terrifying at the same time. This was really a terrific read as always. I’m waiting for my turn at the ebook of the latest Leonid McGill and a new Easy Rawlings comes out in February.
February 10, 2024
As always with Mosley’s detective stories, this one is a great ride. Leonid McGill is a mythical hero; he is strong, brave, noble, smart, humble, cunning, loyal, a little tragic, and the ladies love him. The cast of characters which surround him are like the creatures which Luke encounters in the bar in the first Star Wars movie - each one exemplifies some peculiarity of character and appearance, on a scale of grotesque to vavavoom and everything in between.
There are at least three plot lines running through the novel. The central mystery’s denouement does not live up to its breathless anticipation. However, I find this is often the case with the best mysteries; reading Michael Crichton, say, I’m just panting to find out: Who Did It? What’s Going On? But then I put the book down with no sense of satisfaction or having enjoyed the read. With Mosley (and also, for example, Ian Rankin), by the end of the book I’m thoroughly confused by all the characters and plot details, and when the solution arrives, I’m just, like, well I’ll take your word for it. But the pleasure is not in finding out whodunnit but in following our gallant hero as he hacks his way through the jungle, slaying giant two-headed serpents, and making witty and intelligent observations as he goes.
There are at least three plot lines running through the novel. The central mystery’s denouement does not live up to its breathless anticipation. However, I find this is often the case with the best mysteries; reading Michael Crichton, say, I’m just panting to find out: Who Did It? What’s Going On? But then I put the book down with no sense of satisfaction or having enjoyed the read. With Mosley (and also, for example, Ian Rankin), by the end of the book I’m thoroughly confused by all the characters and plot details, and when the solution arrives, I’m just, like, well I’ll take your word for it. But the pleasure is not in finding out whodunnit but in following our gallant hero as he hacks his way through the jungle, slaying giant two-headed serpents, and making witty and intelligent observations as he goes.
February 10, 2023
Three and a half stars. As gripping as Walter Mosley's writing is, the world where Leonid McGill dwells is the darkest, most vile society of ruthless scions, felons, pimps, serial killlers, high-tech wizards, and precocious teenage sons and where it's hard as a reader to keep bearings. McGill knows everyone, has access to remarkable tools of surveillance, hidden lairs, emergency hotlines, and more. He lives as if he's doomed, and he probably is. It's a faced-paced story here in this second of a series. Become I come back to McGill world, I think I'd like to try some Mosley's other detectives and see what they are up to.
December 2, 2018
In the second Leonid McGill mystery, he still walks the virtuous path staked out in The Long Fall when he gets a call. A notorious fixer asks him to check in on a young woman. McGill finds not the girl but a murder scene. Now he must find her while simultaneously searching for the reason his client cares about her. This book builds on the promise of the first McGill book, developing both the mystery and the lead character in the ways all us Mosley fans expect.
May 21, 2017
My man Mosley always writes a good plot. Now that I'm on about the 35th book of his I miss the simpler times when the protagonist didn't have to have a superty-duperty electronic gizmo all handy for every deadly situation. So much for being current.
March 29, 2020
I also really liked the second volume of the Leonid McGill series.
This time Leonid has to protect a young woman on the one hand, help his sons uncover a girl trade and help a former victim out of trouble. He also reveals other corrupt government employees and finds that his wife has a much younger lover.
Fortunately, he can always fall back on old friends, but cannot avoid getting involved in various physical battles and has to find out that he is no longer the youngest.
This time Leonid has to protect a young woman on the one hand, help his sons uncover a girl trade and help a former victim out of trouble. He also reveals other corrupt government employees and finds that his wife has a much younger lover.
Fortunately, he can always fall back on old friends, but cannot avoid getting involved in various physical battles and has to find out that he is no longer the youngest.
February 8, 2022
typical story but Too many characters, who also used other names.
April 29, 2023
Not as good as the first, and the ending felt more than a little too neat, but I love Leonid and the whole world built up between these first two books. The audiobook narrator is absolutely perfect, to the point that I don’t think I’d like these nearly as much without his gruff voice.
July 19, 2020
I'm so glad I found this series. Nothing is traditional in this PI tale, and everything is edge of your seat reading. Love the characters and the city.
May 16, 2010
Walter Mosley is one of my favorite storytellers in any genre—I’m excited when any new title of his appears. Known to Evil only partly rewarded my eager anticipation. It follows up on The Long Fall, a noir novel that introduced Leonid McGill, a New York City-based criminal operative extraordinaire (a fixer-for-hire who frames the innocent and provides alibis for the guilty) who has gone straight. McGill is trying to function on the sunnier side of the boundary between good and evil (but not always on the sunny side of the boundary between legal and illegal). He’s haunted by harm that he’s caused others in the past and tries in the present to repair whatever damage he can.
This time a highly placed shadowy associate of the mayor hires McGill, for reasons that are unclear, to find and surreptitiously keep an eye on a young woman. Meanwhile, a hired gunman murders the woman’s close friend. The gunman, in turn, is simultaneously killed by someone else, who has fled the scene. Meanwhile the young lady McGill is seeking, who cannot be found, is herself the target of shady individuals.
On the plus side, McGill is a complex and intriguing figure who relies on his wits and emotional intelligence to get innocent people to trust and him and to thwart the bad guys. He also utilizes the strength, endurance and self-confidence that he has developed over years of training at Gordo’s gym. At the core is anger-fueled energy that threatens to boil over at various points. The story offers many twists and turns. Mostly on the plus side, McGill’s determination to atone for past wrongs adds to his emotional burden and creates plot complications.
On the minus side, while entertaining, the book didn’t seem to break any new ground beyond what was explored in The Long Fall. McGill has the same tzuris-filled family life. Some of the characters are familiar types from Mosley’s earlier books: his buddy the assassin, his buddy the electronics whiz, a cruel and mendacious cop, a straight arrow cop; McGill’s ingenuity at giving the cops what they are looking for. Also, despite the complexity of McGill’s character, there’s a certain simplistic and cardboard comic book quality to the plot (e.g., why the young woman is pursued), in Mosley’s depiction of the bad guys, and in McGill’s reliance on advanced electronics wizardry to gain information
This time a highly placed shadowy associate of the mayor hires McGill, for reasons that are unclear, to find and surreptitiously keep an eye on a young woman. Meanwhile, a hired gunman murders the woman’s close friend. The gunman, in turn, is simultaneously killed by someone else, who has fled the scene. Meanwhile the young lady McGill is seeking, who cannot be found, is herself the target of shady individuals.
On the plus side, McGill is a complex and intriguing figure who relies on his wits and emotional intelligence to get innocent people to trust and him and to thwart the bad guys. He also utilizes the strength, endurance and self-confidence that he has developed over years of training at Gordo’s gym. At the core is anger-fueled energy that threatens to boil over at various points. The story offers many twists and turns. Mostly on the plus side, McGill’s determination to atone for past wrongs adds to his emotional burden and creates plot complications.
On the minus side, while entertaining, the book didn’t seem to break any new ground beyond what was explored in The Long Fall. McGill has the same tzuris-filled family life. Some of the characters are familiar types from Mosley’s earlier books: his buddy the assassin, his buddy the electronics whiz, a cruel and mendacious cop, a straight arrow cop; McGill’s ingenuity at giving the cops what they are looking for. Also, despite the complexity of McGill’s character, there’s a certain simplistic and cardboard comic book quality to the plot (e.g., why the young woman is pursued), in Mosley’s depiction of the bad guys, and in McGill’s reliance on advanced electronics wizardry to gain information
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