Walter Mosley is one of America's leading novelists, particularly in the genres of detective fiction and mystery. His reputation is also one of prominence as an African-American writer, particularly as his work encompasses primarily African-American characters and he has taken an active role in the continual struggle for social and literary equality. His detective writing has been compared to that of Raymond Chandler, for its prose, its look at the underbelly of L.A in the middle of the century, and for its heros.
