I like the concept. A no-name church in a no-name place with an unordained minister. The congregation contains sinners of the worst kind who have left their lives of heinous deeds behind and are trying to walk the path of righteousness.
Our guy, the Parishioner, has done some terrible things. Murder not even being the chief among them. His real crime is not caring about the lives he's destroyed. But once the pastor of the church with no name recruits him, he is a disciple. It's almost as if he is in a trance. He leaves the life behind, becomes a newspaper delivery man and does everything the minister tells him in order to be delivered from his sins.
The story revolves around a mission the pastor gives the Parishioner. Help a fellow sinner atone for her sins by finding the now-grown boys she kidnapped and sold for adoption twenty three years ago. The Parishioner knows this mission is going to put him smack dab in the middle of the places and people that will temp him back into his evil ways. No matter, he's up for it.
There are several twists and turns. Everyone and their mother ends up being involved in the convoluted mystery of what happened to these boys. The Parishioner even dabbles in romance.
There are some attractive themes here: can people change; is redemption possible; what exactly is religion, or faith for that matter?
My problem with all this? This character feels like Mosley put Easy Rawlins, Socrates Fortlow and Leonid McGill in the blender and poured out a smoothie called The Parishioner. I was somewhat entertained and mildly interested in the outcome, but in the end, I was seriously underwhelmed, and just kept thinking that the people, plot and scenery felt a little recycled. I expect more from Walter Mosley. I expect something or someone as good as Easy Rawlins.
There was one part of the book that I LOVED. The last few pages contained an excerpt from the new Easy Rawlins mystery due out in 2013. That's right, Easy lives!
Are there books you have read by beloved authors that have let you down?
Photo credit: BugMan50
