Book Review: Off the Bookshelf

Walkin' the Dog

Back Bay Books, 272 pp., $13.95 (paper)

Socrates is a street philosopher. Squatting in between two buildings on the streets of L.A., he reflects on his old life as a murderer and his new life as a supermarket clerk, surrogate father, and man of integrity. The dog in the title is presumably Killer, the two-legged wreck of an animal whom Socrates loves unconditionally. Socrates, who first appeared in Mosley's previous book Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned, is, like his namesake, surrounded by adoring acolytes and almost alienated by his capacity for self-reflection. The isolation culminates, however, in a hero's life. Those more familiar with Mosley's elegant, hard-boiled Easy Rawlins mystery series may be disappointed by the at times heavy-handed lessons at play here. Socrates' late Aunt Bellandra appears repeatedly in waking dreams to offer illustrative tales about their slave ancestors. Socrates and his friends carry on extensive, eloquent discussions about police brutality and race in America. Socially relevant and a sure-fire candidate for book clubs (this edition has reading questions at the back), Walkin' the Dog artfully presents the next installment in the life of a character with so much depth and nobility that it hurts, often turning the ex-con poet into "a wild thing with a too fast heart."