The Long Fall (Leonid McGill)

Leonid McGill (his father was a communist union organizer who changed his name to Tolstoy and named his brother Nikita) was first introduced to readers in this novel in 2009, now reprinted as a trade paperback. (His second appearance was in a hardcover issued in March of 2010.) A black private eye based in New York, Leonid lives with his wife and three children (two of whom were fathered by someone else) in a loveless marriage (although Katrina is a great cook and he is close to her son, but not his own).

Essentially, the plot revolves around Leonid's acceptance of a job to find four persons only identified by their boyhood nicknames, offered to him by a PI from Albany. It turns out the PI used a false name, making it hard to trace him after Leonid discovers the identities of the four men: One of them is dead, another in jail, the third is awaiting trial and the fourth appears to be a legitimate investment advisor. When they start dying off one by one, Leonid feels guilty and attempts to find the underlying client.

Meanwhile there are various side capers testing Leonid's resolve to give up his past shady activities and go somewhat honest in his endeavors. Many of his activities are amusing and offbeat, making him a colorful character. In fact, many of the personages he comes into contact with could inhabit a Jimmy Breslin or Damon Runyon column. This aspect of the novel alone is sufficient incentive to read the sequel.

Recommended.

Change is tough. When a favorite serial novelist introduces a new protagonist set in a different place, a reader departs from the familiar and either embraces or rejects the new character. I embraced Leonid McGill, the hero of Walter Mosley's new novel, The Long Fall. This 53-year-old former boxer is known as LT, and he is at a transforming period in his life: turning away from being a bad guy, and trying to become a good guy. The flawed hero provides ample opportunity for character development, and Mosley presents LT as the kind of complicated modern man formed by a past, and fighting to overcome that history and live better today. A police lieutenant works hard to put LT in jail; a teenage son, Twill, is on the verge of irreversible criminal acts; and he and his wife are in a loveless relationship. Following the successful completion of what seemed like a legitimate detecting assignment to find the identity and locale of four men, LT learns that he was used by somebody to exert revenge for something, and he became the unwitting accomplice to murder. Change is tough, and LT is a tough guy who readers will cheer on as he tries to change his life. As expected from Mosley, The Long Fall is well-written, and the characters are all memorable and come to life on every page.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)

Some of the reviews said this book starts a little slow and when compared to the Easy Rollins novels--which I love--that is true. There are more characters and more subplots but very few red herrings. I am not a regular reader of detective fiction and the Easy novels drew me in with the central character and his experience of LA. This one is set in New York City and while it lacks the visceral sense of landscape in the earlier novels, it's character development and narrative range go far deeper. Leonid is a great character but two months later I can still remember the qualities and nature of 20-25 other characters quite clearly. The plotting is dense and since I listened to the excellent audio book version, I occasionally wished I had the book to review a character but the gist was clear and the maze of plots did come clear at the end in a manner that was satisfying but not tidy. Mosley is working on a more ambitious canvas than ever and his confidence and trust in his readers allow him to tell his tale with patience and conviction. Can't wait for more LT.

Leonid McGill is a 53 year old private investigator, who's worked too long on the wrong side of the law and is now trying to fly straight. He's also a boxer who trains regularly, a practitioner of zen, a father of three, but only one "of his blood," a streetwise philosopher, trapped in a loveless marriage, and trying hard to pay his bills. Unfortunately he can't let go of the old ways as easily as he'd like. His last case--tracking down four boyhood friends at the request of a mysterious client--turns into a nightmare of complex subplots, multiple murders, and trying to stay alive (just barely).

As always Author Mosley spins a complicated yarn full of fascinating characters you'd never want to meet, an earthy, flawed, troubled hero with many regrets, a plot that is almost impossible to follow, too many names, too many twists and turns, but it doesn't matter. Just go with the flow and listen to the writing like music. Gone is the ghetto patois of the Easy Rawlins mysteries, but in its place a deeper, more reflective hero (or anti-hero), "LT" McGill.

I love this man's writing even if I can't keep all the characters straight. If you're a Mosley fan you'll love this one as well. I recommend it highly. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber.

2.5-Stars = I finished it. Mosley’s new “hero” is a deeply conflicted, highly intelligent, “family man” attempting to “turn over a new leaf” by leaving his brutal self behind. I suppose this novel fits the mystery definition of psychological—but I was unable to care for any character, including LT, throughout the novel. I did finish it but also found the ending a highly contrived “happy” ending involving stock characters with little or no depth. Much of description involves what exact shade of black and/or white a character is.

I made a mistake today. There are lots of things that need doing around the house. But early in the morning I thought I'd check on Walter Mosley's successor to Easy Rawlins and read a couple chapters in "The Long Fall".

It's hours later, there are still lots of things needing to be done. Well maybe tomorrow.

Mosley's new character, Leonid McGill, isn't a tough young stud like Easy Rawlins. He's a tough but aging, short man with a wife and three kids trying to quit smoking and working on the wrong side of the law. He is trying at least.

This novel is excellently written, with deeply interwoven stories that pull together neatly.

Other reviewers have complained about the complexity of the mid-novel. I found the threads to bring richness to the overall novel.

Enjoy, just don't start in on the novel if you have something you need to do.

THE SETUP
Black PI Leonid McGill, has a shady past, mostly having worked for the mafia in the past, finding and even framing individuals, and worse. But he is trying to go straight. McGill is offered a simple job---find four former childhood friends, and report on their current names and locations. When he discovers that they are being killed, he is upset, and investigates for himself. That's pretty much the setup.

CAVEATS AND VERDICT
Many of the characters are vivid and fascinating. But there are too many of them. Even though I read the novel in a single day, I soon lost track of who was who, and therefore of why who was doing what to whom. Most of the things McGill did made no sense to me, but I do not know whether that was due to sloppy plotting or my general confusion, or both. So, although I found the novel very enjoyable, and will look for other McGill novels, I cannot give the book a very high rating.

> Click on “Stoney” just below the product title to see my other reviews, or leave a comment to ask a question.

I really enjoy Walter Mosley's writing, the style, the insight into a world different than my own both in the background of physicality and in the background of race. The understatements of conversation, the ramblings of plot seemingly going at random, the fluid way he shows how true love can be built from actions between adult and youth, man and women, husband and wife with my said understatements of conversation, To me every book of his I read is a sheer joy of affirming how broken human beings can assemble their brokenness into a personage that you would want to have as a friend, an anchor, a lover. Mosley gives a classic prose to the man on the street.

In The Long Fall, Walter Mosely introduces Leonid McGill, an ex-boxer and formerly crooked PI trying to be a better person. Raised by old-time leftists, McGill has a sociologists eye for what’s going on; he’s also got a formerly unfaithful wife, three kids, a landlady/lover and various people who want a piece of him. When he gets a job to find some long-ago youth offenders, McGill finds himself a dupe in a plot to settle old scores. Mosely’s writing is taut and manages to be both leisurely and fast-paced. I’m as excited about Leonid McGill as I was when I first encountered Easy Rawlins in Devil in a Blue Dress.

Albany, New York private investigator Ambrose Thurman hires Manhattan based sleuth Leonid McGill to find four black men who were close friends to two decades ago. He gives Leonid their nicknames as that is all his client gave him. Leonid has turned over a new leaf about being morally correct when it comes to working cases to include no jobs for the mob and being straight with his wife Katrina to include no more affairs with Aura and raise his three children; two not sired by him.

He learns James "Big Jim" Wright is dead; Frankie "Jumper" Tork is in the Tombs awaiting sentencing for B&E; Theodore "Toolie" Nelson is doing 86 years; and Roger "B-Brain" Brown is a successful financier. He reports the information to Ambrose, but soon afterward Jumper and B-Brain are killed; Toolie is stabbed; followed by Ambrose whose real name is Norman Fell also being murdered. As NYPD Detective Kitteridge tries to nail him, Leonid works on finding who the client was as he feels he owes B-Brain for exposing him; he also works a case involving a mobster seeking an accountant hiding in Coney Island and his teenage son Twill planning to kill an abusive pedophile father.

This is an intriguing private investigative Noir starring a man who in his fifties has found scruples that makes his job that much more difficult. The prime investigation is action-packed as Leonid realizes he indirectly caused the murders and almost dies too; yet feels he must uncover the truth even flying in a prop to Albany to do so. The other two sleuthing subplots, some musings by the hero into his unprincipled past and his family drama are well handled and enable the audience to better understand Leonid's motives. Although the king of the city seems over the Empire State Building, fans will enjoy this Walter Mosley's fine opening Manhattan (and Albany) murder mystery.

Harriet Klausner

for nine filterless Camels and eight red-tipped matches."

Walter Mosley's newest novel, "The Long Fall", is full of this sort of short, terse nuggets that should assure any fan that while Easy Rawlins may be gone, Leonid McGill will fill that void very nicely.

Set in New York City, Leonid McGill is not as much a P.O. as he is an old-school fixer. You have a problem; Leonid's your go-to guy. The problem is that Leonid's client base has been historically filled with unsavory characters and the fixes made by Leonid have had some tragic consequences. Leonid is a man quite capable of self-reflection and he is haunted by his past. As a result, as the story opens, he has tried to walk away from that part of his work and decided to concentrate on cases that do not torture his newly invigorated sense of right and wrong. But, to paraphrase the only memorable line from the turgid Godfather 3 "just when he thought he was out... they pull him back in." The result is an excellent, fast-paced story.

There are three parallel plot lines in "The Long Fall". Leonid, named by his radical union-organizing father after Leonid Brezhnev), is asked by a shady P.I. from Albany to identify four men whose only connection is a decades old tragic event from their teenage years. As soon as their identities are revealed they start to die. At the same time, Leonid's step-son seems to have gotten himself mixed up in some bad business and Leonid tries to help his son out before the young teen digs himself a hole he can't crawl out of. Last, one of Leonid's former mob connections tries to get Leonid to locate a former mob-accountant. Leonid knows that finding this man will lead to his death. The story tracks each plot line until each one find some sort of resolution.

Two things stand out about "The Long Fall". First is the character of Leonid McGill. He's not a hero on a white horse. He's a flawed man, and some may say he's a bad man living in a bad world. But his saving grace is Leonid's self-awareness. He knows how flawed he is. In fact he is tormented by his past. His self-awareness and his strength in trying to steer a new course make him all the more human and it was impossible not to pull for him as the story progressed. Second is the quality of Mosley's writing. Since the genre came of age I think it fair to say that Chandler and Hammett are without peers. I'd put those two in a class by themselves. But Mosley has a terrific way with words and has the hard, sparse style that I've come to associate with the best `noir' writing. So while Mosley may not be Chandler or Hammett (who is?) I think he is one of the very few writers today who can be mentioned with them in the same sentence without embarrassment.

"The Long Fall" is an excellent piece of writing and will be enjoyed by fans of Mosley or for anyone looking for the next terrific `hard-boiled detective'. Highly recommended. 4.5 stars L. Fleisig

Walter Mosley is an extremely dependable writer who has the ability to make you feel the pain of family issues without having to resort to overblown dramatics.

This book is the first of a (hopefully long) series featuring Leonid McGill. The fairly bad guy turned fairly good. It is different to the much beloved Easy Rawlins series as McGill is a man who tries to shie away from the evil in the world while I think Easy is/was drawn to it.

The main strength in a Mosley book is not the mystery but the surrounding storylines to the mystery. In this novel, we get a look at McGill's family, his friends and get a feel for the environment he works in.

There are a lot of characters in this novel and if I had to nitpick at all, I would be pointing at this as something to be aware of.

Looking forward to more Leonid McGill.

I read Mosely for the writing. The plot's great, complex, bemusing; the characters deftly drawn. I love "Twill" - he's the "Mouse" in this series: a charming sociopath who beguiles our hero. Leonid is a complex, self-knowing man - always the best kind of protagonist; we know this crime novel will entertain and take us into dark, intriguing corners. The writing itself is extraordinary and instructive, with its brief, cadenced sentences, and labyrinthian ideas that start and stop and rise again. Reading Mosely is like examining a rich glass of the best wine - you swirl, sniff, taste deeply, and hope never to see the bottom of the bottle. Thank you, Mr. M. Hope this series continues and grows...can't get too much of your nourishing work.

I have read several book by Walter Mosley and this is another wonderful, complex and thoroughly enjoyable work of art! Great urban mystery with edgy detective Leonid McGill. McGill, a former criminal - who has decided to "go from crooked to slightly bent." This one line was worth the price of the book!

Mosley deals with real life. It is rough and honest in a way I find in very, very few authors are able to capture. While the book does have sexual situations and language - none are gratuitous. The plot is integrated and moves along nicely, with smart dialogue and realistic settings and situations. As in most of his books - there is a satisfying philosophical discussion and ethical tensions. For example, McGill has learned the hard way that: "Money does not make you rich. Education does not make you smart. Power does not make you strong."

McGill does not come from the "positive thinking" camp where all is sunshine and rainbows. He is a detective who "fights with no promise or inkling of victory." Can you name one other protagonist with this perspective? Fresh!!

Looking forward to reading the rest of this series!

The Long Fall by Walter Mosley introduces a new PI named Leonid McGill. A little background on McGill: He is African-American, average height, a boxer in a previous life, the son of a communist, married to a woman who had children by other men during their marriage and used to take on unscrupulous jobs if paid the right price. With all that said, McGill is trying to make up for his past by taking jobs that won't ruin the lives of others. But sometimes getting out of the life is hard to do.

Mosley weaved together a great story of personal redemption while maintaining an excellent mystery. McGill, with all his flaws, is a likable character that you want to see succeed. By using his experience as a former boxer and using his own interpretation of what his communist father was trying to teach him as a child, McGill fights his way through several dangerous scraps and uses insight that is uncommon in most mystery novels.

Lost Hours
The Friday House

Mosley is one of my favorite authors, but it seems like he might have only one character to write about. Move EZ Rawlins from LA to New York, and you have Leonid McGill. Not necessarily a bad thing, but not new.

It is difficult for me to imagine there may never be another Easy Rawlins mystery written by Walter Mosley. But in fiction, like life, sometimes it is time to move on. Enter Leonid McGill, a hardboiled contemporary PI, who works the mean streets of New York City. He may be the antithesis of Easy Rawlins. He's not smooth and handsome, but older and rugged. Perhaps too short and overweight. He's a man with a bad past. Leonid's life predicament is revealed in the novel's title. He is a character in search of redemption. Another significant difference between this book and the previous ones is the absence of colors: no blue, black, cinammon, scarlet, etc. That took some getting use to. A new Walter Mosley novel is always a welcomed treat. Enjoy this new protagonist's tale.

Once upon a time, Mr. Mosley was my favorite author. I never missed an Easy Rawlins or Fearless novel and I still long for their adventures. "Devil in a Blue Dress" is one of my favorite movies of all time and I have seen it at least 6 times. I adored Easy Rawlins so much, I bought the last few novels in hardcover for the full price!! I wanted Mr. Mosley to benefit from the hardcover royalties.

Now on to his new book, "The Long Fall". To put it bluntly, I don't like it. Hold on, let me back up a bit. I don't like any of the leading characters. Leonid McGill made a career of setting up innocent people and now he wants to change. Really, then get all of those people you set up OUT OF JAIL. The other major characters, his wife, favorite son, and friend (former assassin) are all despicable. Mr. Mosley, why didn't you make a good major character? Everyone in the book, except for the cop, are terrible people with terrible past. This book reminds me of the former show "Oz". There wasn't anyone in the show that you could call a good person. I feel the same way about this book. Mr. Mosley could have made his son a good person instead of a born criminal. His wife could have been good person. By the way, does Mr. Mosley have something against marriage? Easy Rawlins couldn't have a happy relationship either. I have been married happily for 16 years and MANY of my friends have been married longer. Mr. Mosley, there are people out there whose wife doesn't cheat on them at every opportunity.

Right now I don't know if I will read "Known to Evil". If I do decide to read it, I will definitely wait for the paperback or get it from a discount bookseller. I only gave this three stars because of my fondness for Mr. Mosley's previous works. I even bought "This year you write your novel" because he inspired me to write one. I feel so bad criticizing this book. I still adore Mr. Mosley's previous work and will think fondly of him because of it. Go back to writing about "Fearless" Mr. Mosley. At least he and Paris are a characters I can cheer on and if I am not mistaken, others share my opinion.

Other reviewers are quite right, Mosley has concocted a complex plot with very many characters - there is something of stream of consciousness, stream of events in this novel. Yet, the plot is really only one major case. Or on second thought, a few minor side cases as well. Characters and their role are not always clear when introduced.

Here is my suggestion. Keep a piece of note paper as your book mark. Whenever a new character walks on stage, make a note of name - and nickname, if relevant, - and page number. When you get confused, e.g. don't remember a character as you return to the book days later, you can reread the page where the name first appeared.

It's a fun book.

While I usually enjoy Walter Mosley, this book was the first exception. I can't put my finger on what it is exactly. Maybe it's because Dion Graham isn't the narrator, or the story was slow, I just can't call it.

Good Read! Keeps moving and the action is not unrealistic. Interesting point of view from the main character. Interesting main character! Sub-plots and family issues keep up the interest and fill out the main story line. This guy has a really complicated life.

...compared to his earlier work.

Sorry, but although I've read all of Mosley's books, love his work and recommend him often, this one was the worst of the bunch by far. (And yes, I realize all of the critics love it), but he's basically re-created his L.A. character in New York, along with all of the same secondary characters, but with new names. (His friend the computer geek, his friend the violent killer, his lover with problems, his kids who need his guidance, and in this case, about 20 other characters to thoroughly confuse the reader.)

His new protagonist isn't nearly as likable as Easy, and the constant boxing analogies related to literally everything that is said or done got old fast.

As much as I like Mosley, I really wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who has followed his many previous books.

Walter Mosley delivers another great character with Leonoid McGill. I love his dialogue and character development. Another great storyline with lots of twists and turns.. The wife is a piece- of- work though.. Mosley seems fixated with Race a little.. Loved the book..

I had a somewhat difficult time staying with the story. The characters, of which there are many, were not that interesting to me. The writing, at times, is witty and interesting just not enough to overcome the mediocre plot. It is an OK read.

Despite McGill many contrasts. Being in a marriage he no longer wants. A former killer who no longer kills. He a character who is easy to love. A man who lives by his own code. I'm looking forward to Walter Mosley developing McGill Series. But so far so good.

I am completely lost trying to follow the characters in this book. I was very disappointed as I loved the Easy Rawlins & Socrates Fellows novels Mr. Mosley wrote. I also think I could love these Leonid McGill stories just as much but there are just too many minor characters to keep track of. I'm not blaming Mr. Mosley as I know he is a great novelist... it may be that I need to put the book down and start all over, which I will probably do because I'm on page 135 right now and I feel like I get more lost with each page I turn.

I liked the character development in the story, but like another reviewer I was soon lost in the plot twists and the sheer number of characters. I too had to reread to try to follow the story, and that wasn't satisfactory. The resolution at the end of the book was contrived and unlikely, with multiple-named changes. I am sorry I wasted time on the book, and I've been a fan of his Easy Rawlins series.

It took me a while to complete reading this book. I kept getting stuck, but the mid and end was smoother. My daughter bought this book for me for my birthday and wants to buy me the second and third book in this series. I can't wait for I see the ratings are good for both.
I love Mr. Mosley and most of his books.

Instead of enumerating endless platitudes about The Long Fall by Walter Mosley, I'll simply say it's right at the top of my list of best novels ever read out of the hundreds I've read over my 67 years.

About half way through the book I was prepared to put it down but persisted to the end to see if I could make sense out of a convoluted story with numerous characters. I got to the end and was still confused about the story line. I'm a college graduate but not intelligent enough to figure out the plot. This style of writing is beyond my capabilities. Probably a great author but not of my understanding.

Not since Richard Price's latest has New York felt so real to me. And, not since The Wire have I encountered the kind of flawed hero that makes the action feel so real and so intense. Starting a series is difficult, but Mosely lays out the groundwork for what should be another intense series.