Joe King Oliver was one of the NYPD’s finest investigators, until, dispatched to arrest a well-heeled car thief, he is framed for assault by his enemies within the NYPD, a charge which lands him in solitary at Rikers Island. A decade later, King is a private detective, running his agency with the help of his teenage daughter, Aja-Denise. Broken by the brutality he suffered and committed in equal … committed in equal measure while behind bars, his work and his daughter are the only light in his solitary life. When he receives a card in the mail from the woman who admits she was paid to frame him those years ago, King realizes that he has no choice but to take his own case: figuring out who on the force wanted him disposed of — and why.
Running in parallel with King’s own quest for justice is the case of a Black radical journalist accused of killing two on-duty police officers who had been abusing their badges to traffic in drugs and women within the city’s poorest neighborhoods.
Joined by Melquarth Frost, a brilliant sociopath, our hero must beat dirty cops and dirtier bankers, craven lawyers, and above all keep his daughter far from the underworld in which he works. All the while, two lives hang in the balance: King’s client’s, and King’s own.
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I read about 10 books a month since I retired in May of 2010. I read for entertainment and information. I love fiction, history and science. It’s rare I find an author that I truly enjoy and keep his books for my library. However Walter Mosley is an exception to that statement. His books have joined my treasured library. Reading this book was like eating eat at a five star restaurant. His vocabulary is excellent. His character development is among the best and since his story lines occur mostly in the African-American society, they are illuminating and inspirational. As Tolstoy said ” Everyone thinks of changing the world. No one thinks of changing himself”. Walter Mosley is helping me change my thinking. I am currently reading the Leonid McGill series and love every one of his books.
Oh my goodness. Now, the question is where to start. Very few authors have such complicated, gritty plots, such a wealth of characters with fully fleshed-out backstories. In ‘Down the River Unto the Sea’, the reader is drawn into disgraced ex-cop, now private investigator, Joe Oliver’s shocking and tragic fall, his sufferance, his obscure release and attempts to re-build a life, a life full of unanswered questions and haunting suspicions which don’t seem willing to loosen their grip any time soon. As this complicated plot unravels, the reader is left in awe of Mosley’s ability to take you places you definitely didn’t see coming. He manages to descriptively and subjectively touch on so many aspects of New York life with a lightness of touch that ends up packing one hell of a punch; whether it be the politics of race, class, gender, or pure geography. This latest offering had me thinking, and thinking ‘hard’ LOL, trying to work through the multiple twists, to not miss anything. Mosley’s penmanship is not only masterful, it’s all-consuming that way. He keeps the reader plugged in, not simply on their toes, but clinging to the edges of their seat. Excellent writing.
A man can live his whole life following the rules set down by happenstance and the cash-coated bait of security-cosseted morality; an entire lifetime and in the end he wouldn’t have done one thing to be proud of.”
― Walter Mosley
Down the River unto the Sea is a private eye tale told as only Walter Mosley can tell it. PI Joe King Oliver has had a run of bad luck. Thirteen years earlier, while a detective with NYPD, the black detective was framed for the rape of a white woman. After spending three months in solitary confinement at Rikers, the charges were dropped, but by this time his life was smashed. He lost not only his wife and his job, but something of himself. When he gets the chance to find out who was responsible for the frame, he musters his courage and the story takes flight.
I loved every page and I especially loved this soft-spoken PI who finds his way through a racist reality with grace and humor.
Really good.
Loved the character of Joe Oliver. There are a lot of characters and two different plots going on. Therefore I had a difficult time keeping things straight. I do enjoy a good PI story and misery in my stories but this one was too difficult to follow.
This new book is a Great Read by My Favorite
Author. New characters, A plot that keeps U intersted & wondering what gonna happen next.
This is Mosely’s latest. This story would make a damn good movie.
If you Like Walter Mosely, you will Love Down to yhe River & Unto the Sea!
Reminds me of Moseley’s EASY RAWLINGS SERIES !
This feels more personal than any other Mosley novel. I’ve been waiting for this and it is as good as I hoped.
Best book to date by Walter Mosley. New Character introduced- kept my interest throughout the book.
Walter Mosley has done it again with a flawed character that you will love to pieces. Joe King Oliver is removed from NYPD after he is arrested for a crime he did not commit. He is sent to jail, his family torn apart and Joe is hanging on with a thread. Years later while working on a case as a private detective, Joe reads a letter he just received from the woman who placed the complaint against him, saying she is sorry and that she was paid to frame him. This is the beginning of Joe’s life change as he tries to piece together who framed him while working on another case of someone else who appears to also been a victim of a frame up. A great book in wonderful Mosley form with snippets of New York along the way.
As enjoyable as his LA detective series.
Very interesting read. I’ve read all the Easy Rawlins books and most of Mr. Mosley’s other works. Thought-provoking. I would think that this would appeal to philosophy majors!
Mosely’s Characters are always flawed and seeking redemption. I am a sucker for the good bad man.