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Title details for Crossroad Blues by Ace Atkins - Available

Crossroad Blues

25th Anniversary Edition

#1 in series

by Ace Atkins
Dion Graham
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
Nick Travers is back where it all began.
25 years after The Philadelphia Inquirer proclaimed Crossroad Blues "an impressive debut by a promising new talent," the acclaimed crime novel is back.
A modern, Southern reinvention of The Maltese Falcon, Crossroad Blues won noir fans with its nod to the masters and thrilled readers with a wild ride along Highway 61. It's here that we first meet Nick Travers, an ex–New Orleans Saint turned Tulane University blues historian. Nick searches for the lost recordings of 1930s bluesman Robert Johnson—and a missing colleague—and finds trouble at every turn.
The cast of characters includes a red-headed siren, an Elvis-worshipping hitman, Johnson's ghost, and the Mississippi Delta itself. Crossroad Blues still sings.

  • Creators

  • Series

    Nick Travers

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    November 28, 2023

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9798890597540
      • File size: 207900 KB
      • Duration: 07:13:07

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from September 28, 1998
      The legendary blues guitarist Robert Johnson has been used for fictional purposes before (e.g., in Walter Mosley's RL's Dream), but Florida journalist Atkins takes full, fresh advantage of Johnson's life, music and strange death in his first mystery. Despite the weight of two overused genre staples (the New Orleans setting and an ex-sports star as hero), this lively debut sparks hope for an ongoing series. It wasn't an injury that turned Nick Travers, who played for the New Orleans Saints, into a part-time detective and full-time expert on the blues. "Nick had been thrown out of the NFL for kicking his coach's ass during a Monday Night Football game," the third-person narrator tell us. Now he teaches the occasional blues history class at Tulane, works on his biography of Guitar Slim and plays his harmonica at JoJo's Blues Bar--a place so deftly described that it should be real even if it isn't. When a Tulane colleague disappears on a quest for a hitherto unknown Johnson recording in the Mississippi Delta town of Greenwood, Travers goes to look for him--and walks into a murderous mess of colorful sociopaths. Among them are a deadly teenage Elvis lookalike and a slimy record producer who not only orchestrates violent crimes but, worse, dares to use the blues as a marketing ploy. This tale's a pleasure for both mystery and RL fans.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      In the Mississippi Delta locals would gather in "juke joints" to listen to traveling blues players like the now legendary Robert Johnson. As the story goes, Johnson traded his soul to the devil just so he could be the best. Then he died a very strange death. Current legend claims there are priceless Robert Johnson original and unissued recordings hidden in the Delta. A group of profiteering scoundrels battles Nick Travis, Tulane University blues historian, for this musical treasure. Ace Atkins blends a contemporary mystery and the intrigue surrounding Johnson's death. Best of all, Tom Stechschulte blends his many vocal skills to paint a vivid word picture of people and places. His phrasing, tone, and tempo completely embody those of the characters. Wonderful writing and a beautiful narration create a true tribute to the music, history, and engaging characters of the Mississippi Delta. T.J.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrator Dion Graham, with his ability to tap into a wide variety of voices, is the right pick for this blues-heavy novel, first published in 1998, featuring music, violence, sex, and a psychopath. Nick Travers is a former pro football player turned blues historian at Tulane University in Louisiana. He is sent to find a music professor who went missing while researching the legendary 1930s blues musician Robert Johnson. The mission gets messy. There are many characters involved in the story, and Graham's stellar work helps the listener keep them straight. He goes beyond giving them different voices and pacing; he varies entire dialects. He is also nicely expressive in the narrative portions of the audiobook. This is simply a first-rate performance by a first-rate narrator. G.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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