Best books ... chosen by Al Roker

Al Roker has just made his debut as a novelist with The Morning Show Murders, a mystery co-authored by Dick Lochte. Below, the Today show weatherman names six of his favorite works of

Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley ­(Washington Square, $14). Set in 1940s Los ­Angeles, this great noir thriller features an African-American protagonist who has an outlook not seen before in the genre. A smart, valiant war veteran who defended his country but now has trouble landing a job, Easy Rawlins can go places a white policeman or detective can’t go. For this first Rawlins mystery, Mosley created an unforgettable supporting cast, led by a psychotic killer named Mouse.

The Emperor of Ocean Park by Stephen Carter (Vintage, $15). A terrific twist on the legal thriller. A young African-American professor learns that his recently deceased father, a ­former Supreme Court nominee, was not the man his son thought him to be. A story of satisfying complexity.

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