Besides wishing they were longer, I love these Percy Jackson/Kane Chronicles crossovers.

This was interesting. At the beginning, we have Ptolemy Grey, a 91-year old, musing. Or rather trying to muse. He suffers from dementia, and can't think straight much of the time. He struggles to remember people from his recent past. He struggles for coherent speech, coherent responses to questions. He lives alone. Once a week or so, his grand nephew, Reggie, drops by. But suddenly Reggie has stopped showing up. Another grand nephew, Hilly, shows up to take Reggie's place. But, even demented, Ptolemy can tell that Hilly robbed him after he'd taken Ptolomy shopping and to the bank.

Hilly then takes Ptolomy to Niecie's house. Niecie is Hilly's mother, and obviously, Ptolomy's niece. They're having a wake for Reggie, which Ptolomy didn't realize until he saw Reggie lying in state, so to speak. But, Ptolomy meets Robyn, who has moved up from Georgia after her parents die to be under Niecie's guardianship. Robyn takes over the care of Ptolomy.

They go to a doctor, a slightly shady one, who is willing to try an experimental drug on Ptolomy that has some promise of restoring his cognitive abilities. The downside is that the drug won't work for long, and that Ptolomy will likely die within a few months. Ptolomy figures he's making a deal with the devil, but the devil, i.e. the doctor, only wants his body after Ptolomy's death, not his soul. The drug does work after a fashion, and Ptolomy gains a few months of clarity during which he, with Robyn's help, settles his affairs, including finding and "settling" with Reggie's killer.

That's sort of the story, but the fascinating parts are the story that keeps going on in Ptolomy's head. He remembers snatches of his childhood and snatches of wisdom imparted to him by a local character, Coy Dog. Mosley does an amazing job, I think, of probing the mind and thought processes of one suffering from mild dementia. Some of the things going on reminded me of some of the issues going on with my mother in her final years as a centenarian. Also, it's always interesting to read Mosley to get some insights into the African American experience.

Spectacular. A race to the perfect ending, full of challenging, troubling, redemptive action and character development. Unflinching, subtle and heartbreakingly real

This series feels like a get-together with friends. I enjoy the characters’ company as much as I enjoy the plots. The intelligence and humor make every page shine, as Hubie steals for the greater good with insights inspired by Ptolemy’s study of the motion of planets. The mystery includes not only ancient and valuable pots that have gone missing but Hubie’s unexpected encounter with a woman who finds him irresistible, his friend Susannah’s latest attempt at romance, and an obscure eastern European group seeking to establish their national identity. A great story served with wisdom, wit and margaritas.

 

This is the first book I've actually read by Walter Mosley, and it did not disappoint. His writing is tight and sturdy; I knew from early in that I was in good hands. Mosley draws an exquisite internal portrait of a man whose mind is a blur; we get to watch in fine detail as the haze clears and he takes control of his life in its final days.

 

The characters are probably the strongest part of this book. Ptolemy himself, and the people he interacts with routinely, are portrayed with a masterful realism. There are more mythical characters as well, or perhaps I should say mythical relationships, and they are powerfully and beautifully rendered. I'm thinking especially of the time Ptolemy spends with his long-gone mentor Coydog McCann, and also of the acidic relationship Ptolemy develops with the doctor who treats him. There is so much color and light in these spaces, you can't help but be drawn in.

 

I enjoyed this immensely, and can't wait to dive into some more of Mosley's work.