Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins, an African-American war veteran, loses his job in 1948 Los Angeles and reluctantly accepts a seemingly simple task: finding a missing white woman known to frequent Black jazz clubs.

This seemingly simple case quickly plunges Easy into a complex web of murder, blackmail, and political corruption.

Mosley's novel is a groundbreaking work of hard-boiled fiction, introducing a Black protagonist into a genre traditionally dominated by white characters.

It explores themes of race, class, and injustice in post-war America, offering a powerful and nuanced perspective.