Easy Rawlins salió bien librado de sus encuentros con un demonio vestido de azul y, además, con un buen puñado de dólares. Los invirtió muy sabiamente, y ahora es dueño de varias casas de apartamentos, y vive de las rentas. Nadie sabe que él es el propietario, pues Easy hace de portero, se encarga de la limpieza y el mantenimiento de los edificios y también se hace el tonto, y deja que el gordo señor Mofass, el administrador, se ocupe de cobrar la renta y apremiar a los inquilinos. Easy, no obstante, sabe que para los negros éste es un mundo muy difícil, sobre todo para los negros pobres que aspiran a serlo un poco menos. Los impuestos le acosan y, para defender sus propiedades, se ve obligado a aceptar el «trabajo» que le proporciona el F.B.I., que consiste en infiltrarse en la Primera Iglesia Baptista Africana, espiar a sus pastores y feligreses, y al rojo Chaim Wenzler, un judío superviviente de los campos de concentración nazis, que ahora hace beneficiencia para la muy negra iglesia baptista.

I always started sweeping on the top floor of the Magnolia Street apartments. It was a three-story pink stucco building between Ninety-first Street and Ninety-first Place, just about a mile outside of Watts proper. Twelve units. All occupied for that month. I had just gathered the dirt into a neat pile when I heard Mofass drive up in his new '53 Pontiac. I knew it was him because there was something wrong with the transmission, you could hear it singing from a block away. I heard his door slam and his loud hello to Mrs. Trajillo, who always sat at her window on the first floor - best burglar alarm you could have.

I didn't like this as much as the first one, but it was still a good read. It was a bit complicated, especially for an audiobook, but not bad.

What I like most about both so far is that it takes me to a world that is very different; a different time, different place, and a different culture. It's still very accessible and understandable, though. ( )

Segunda novela de Easy, buena. Evidentemente la traducción ha pulido el lenguaje de los personajes pasandolos a un castellano neutro, ya que en la anterior en inglés estaba llena de modismos. Easy evade impuestos y el FBI lo extorsiona para que averigue sobre unos comunistas. es interesante ver como veían los negros el macartismo de la época ( )

It's been five years since Ezekiel (Easy) Rawlins began his informal detective business, and he has amassed two apartments in addition to his small home. He now works as the cleaner/maintenance man and pays Mofass to collect the rent.
Easy "had a reputation for fairness and the strength of (his) convictions among the poor." Unfortunately, his reputation is not held by the IRS who are demanding an accounting for his wealth which, since it was all garnered under the table, will pose a difficulty, or, as Mofass says, "They got you by the nuts, Mr. Rawlins,"
Easy's life is made more difficult when Etta, wife of Raymond (Mouse) Alexander, Easy's violent, murderous friend moves with her son LeMarque uninvited into Easy's home. He finds an apartment for Etta and LeMarqe to avoid being killed by Mouse. Then he meets with IRS Agent Lawrence to face his tax difficulties. He goes to the meet armed and prepared to murder the IRS agent but is met there by FBI agent Craxton who offers to solve his tax problems if he gets close to Caim Wenzler, a union organizer, and inform on him. Wenzler's current associate, Lavender, has gone missing, and Craxton also wishes Rawlins to find Lavender so he can be questioned. Easy does not like nor trust Craxton, but he sees no alternative and agrees.
What ensues is tangled, usually violent, and always surprising. It ends with Easy without friends and a woman but with a step-son, who, though mute, loves him.