One of my very favorite things about this novel was Mosley's way with genre conventions as refracted through a non-white perspective. The usual unmarked-white world of noir becomes unmarked-black. In a moment that's hilarious if you've read enough old racist mysteries in which the hero thinks something like, "That's the third time a Chinaman has been mentioned in relation to the murder - something is up!" Rawlins becomes suspicious when white people keep turning up.

This is something that I found so eye-opening and wise about this book--as a white reader myself, it was a welcome kick in the ass.

I think this is one of the great American private-eye series of all time, right up there with Chandler and Hammett. Though I think Devil in a Blue Dress is an outstanding book, I loved White Butterfly and Black Betty even more.