There is a LOT of backstory in this story, which the author weaves in through the first person narration of Joe, the former cop and now PI looking for redemption and answers. The plot moves very slowly at first, with more backstory than story, but eventually things start to make sense. They payoff at the end is a bit abrupt, but at all points along the way the writing is languid and compelling.

This is a classic hard-boiled noir detective story and Mosley leans into it, complete with the very flawed lead character, his love for his daughter, his estrangement from his wife, his occasional drinking problem, and his legion of contacts from his days on the police force and from the underworld who are always there for him in times of need. don’t think too much and just let the prose wash over you.

My copy of the paperback and a manufacturing glitch that cut out 30 pages, but I was able to piece together everything by the end. Joe has a lot of friends, and a lot of enemies. In the end, a cop’s moral compass is subject to change when the circumstances are right. It’s worth the trip, even if sometimes the detours make it longer and more convoluted than necessary.