Three decades ago, young Socrates Fortlow murdered a man and woman in cold blood with his huge "rock-breaking hands" while in a drunken rage. 27 years of hard time in an Indiana prison followed. Now he is out, living in a cramped two-room apartment in an abandoned building in Watts, scavenging bottles and delivering groceries for a supermarket. The tough, brooding ex-con is determined to understand the violence and anarchy in the world around him- and in his own soul. A series of related stories make up this lyrical novel that explores the issues of morality, crime, poverty and racism through the eye of the most unforgettable character since Easy Rawlins.

WALTER MOSLEY is the author of 12 books and the creator of the acclaimed Easy Rawlins mystery series. Devil in a Blue Dress was made into a film starring Denzel Washington and Jennifer Beals. He is the first artist-in-residence at New York University, and his work often appears in GQ, The New Yorker, and USA Weekend.