Jury was surprised to see the window festooned with scraggly blue and brassy-orange tinsel, the sad remains of the passing season. God did the lighting for Macalvie. What you get is fine writing, not just fine crime writing. Grimes decodes contemporary morals, educating as she entertains. Mosley plays Balzac, illuminating social change by showing that people have always been the same.
Crime is the language, but the human condition is what's examined.
For the former, all you need is an honorable loner walking the mean streets, preferably an ex-cop or a disaffected war vet, equally adept at cracking wise and cracking heads. It helps to add good looks, a pal on the police force, fearlessness, and instant-on sexual prowess. Generic blondes are a good idea, and turning down cash from bad guys never hurts. Booze is a plus, but drugs are taboo. Sara Paretsky is just one of several outstanding women writers carving out a distinctive niche on that turf.