Walkin' the dog - Walter Mosley

Socrates Fortlow, first introduced in Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned, is one of the essential fictional characters of our times. In Walkin' the Dog, the philosopher with 'rock-breaking hands' has come in from the cold and, once again, has to decide the point at which an individual must make a stand against the brutality and corruption that surrounds him.
Nine years after his release from prison, Socrates is still living in a two-room shack in Watts, but now with a lover and a steady job. Having responsibilities and people he cares about makes acting morally even harder - he has so much more to lose with the police watching his every move.