Richard wrote:
"I find it of interest that he is teaching a class in noir at
Ole Miss and I noted several authors mentioned in the article
that I hope to explore such as Ace Atkins."
I've read two of his. Both featured an ex-football player who
tracked down old blues singers and the stories behind their
songs (also taught part time in a college folklore
department). These stories inevitably lead to murders he must
investigate. That's an interesting premise and the blues
tracker is a likeable character.
The first book dealt with Robert Johnson's death (may have
changed his name) and was a pretty good read. The second
dealt with the diaspora of the blues from the Mississippi
delta to Chicago. The mystery involved a woman rotting in
jail for the murder of Billy Lyons. However, anyone with any
knowledge of blues (or roots country, the two of which had a
huge overlap the first half of the 20th century) knows who
really killed Billy Lyons. And without the whodunnit, the
book didn't have a whole lot to offer. I haven't picked up
any more books by Atkins.
Mark
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