The novel is an important contribution to African-American and ethnic detective fiction in that it focuses on a black protagonist who falls into the role of detective, but by the series' end, has made both the profession and the identity that often comes along with it his own. Particularly noteworthy are Easy's use of African-American English and the emergence of "the Voice" (an inner voice that advises Easy during particularly stressful or dangerous situations).Genie Giaimo, "Talking back through ‘talking Black’: African American English and agency in Walter Mosley’s Devil In a Blue Dress", Language and Literature, August 2010, vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 235–247. Literary scholars of ethnic detective fiction have explored these qualities by means of genre study and gender identityMarilyn C. Wesley, "Power and Knowledge in Walter Mosley's Devil in a Blue Dress", African American Review, Vol. 35, No. 1 (Spring 2001), pp. 103–116. approaches.
