Down the River unto the Sea

Starred review from November 13, 2017
Former NYPD detective Joe King Oliver, now the owner-operator of King Detective Service, investigates two cases of gross injustice in this excellent standalone from MWA Grand Master Mosley (Charcoal Joe and 13 other Easy Rawlins novels). Thirteen years earlier, Oliver was convicted on bogus assault charges, which ended his police career and his marriage. He spent nine months in jail before the charges were dropped and he was released without explanation. Oliver now learns that a crooked cop was behind the frame. Meanwhile, he is approached by Willa Portman, an intern for the lawyer representing Leonard Compton, a militant journalist who’s on death row for the murder of two policemen three years earlier. Portman says the killings were self-defense. Oliver, who faces a corrupt world with unflinching honesty and ruthlessness, enlists the aid of Melquarth Frost, a hardened career criminal, to even the odds in both cases. The novel’s dedication—to Malcolm, Medgar, and Martin—underlines the difference that one man can make in the fight for justice. Agent: Gloria Loomis, Watkins Loomis Agency.

Think rich, dark, smooth red wine--each sip revealing different tones. That is Dion Graham's voice performing Mosley's P.I., Joe King Oliver. His voice projects the violence, fear, and frustration that Oliver, an honest cop, experienced 10 years ago, when he was thrown in jail on fabricated charges. Now as a P.I., he's given the opportunity to get to the truth behind that setup and to help free a black man accused of killing two corrupt police officers. For assistance, Oliver turns to a criminal he busted years ago, Melquarth Frost. Graham is skilled at delivering female voices. The dialogue between people of different races, levels of education, and types of work flows flawlessly, making for highly engaging listening. E.Q. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

Starred review from May 28, 2018
Graham’s low, whispery voice is a perfect match for the protagonist of Mosley’s standalone about a former NYPD detective turned private eye whose police career unraveled after he served nine months in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Joe King Oliver lives in the shadows as he tries desperately to clear his own name while seeking justice for his client, a black journalist who been framed for supposedly killing two cops. Graham is totally convincing as the perpetually scared and often drunk Oliver, who, despite all his sordidness and depression, also manages to sound kind and caring, especially when interacting with his teen daughter. Graham gives her and each of the other secondary characters—Oliver’s violent enemies, his loyal friends, and his ex-wife and love interest, among others—a subtly identifiable voice. Graham, like Mosley, is a master of depicting the complexity of the human spirit. Both author and actor work to enthrall listeners in Oliver’s story. A Mulholland hardcover.

May 1, 2018

The first thing Mosley (Charcoal Joe) devotees will want to know is whether Joe King Leonard is getting a series of his own. That future seems currently unclear, but should King proliferate on the page, then Dion Graham must be conscripted to continue his glorious aural interpretation. A former cop, King now runs King Detective Service with office coordination provided by his smart, savvy, 17-year-old daughter. Nine months in prison for a crime he didn't commit means King has experienced plenty he'd rather forget. Although charges were mysteriously dropped, King's badge is forever gone, but he has other connections--both legal and not--to continue his crusade for justice. Two cases keep him up at night--finding out who really sent him to Rikers and exonerating a militant journalist on death row for killing two corrupt cops. Prostitutes, dealers, addicts, and "vicious criminal" Melquarth Frost prove to be King's most reliable allies and informants. Graham's vocal range shows no limits, regardless of gender, race, age, occupation, or other attributes. His richly resonating narration, infinitely capable of effortless chameleonic adaptations, never disappoints. VERDICT Libraries should prepare for high demand. ["Mosley fans will welcome another imaginative page-turner from a mystery grand master": LJ 12/17 review of the Mulholland: Little, Brown hc.]--Terry Hong, Smithsonian BookDragon, Washington, DC

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