Man, does Ace Atkins ever know his delta blues history. In a story that weaves modern day NOLA together with the Mississippi delta blues scene from the 30's and 40's, I was mesmerized. Excellent read for any blues fan and your basic pot-boiler detective novel buffs should have some good fun as well. I can't wait for the next one. ( )

If you are interested in blues music, you may like this one. I raised my rating slightly because I do like the blues, and I learned a bit about Robert Johnson, a pretty well-known musician from the past that I didn't know about. I've heard some of his songs by other artists, including the Rolling Stones, but never realized how old it was.

But I didn't think the story itself was anywhere near my favorite series from him, the Quinn Colson series. But it was enjoyable, and New Orleans featured prominently. I've spent a bit of time there, and it was fun to revisit the place without actually going there. It's a nice place to have visited, but I wouldn't really want to go again. ( )

Writer investigates the history of the blues and finds a way to write a mystery. Lots of blues background. Anger at the House of Blues style of presenting the players. OK. ( )

This is Ace Atkins' first Nick Travers novel. Actually, I believe it's his first novel, period, and it shows. It has a wonderful premise and some very well drawn characters. It also has some wretched sentences, and other flaws. As the title suggests, we're dealing here with the perennial mystery of Robert Johnson's death and the possibility of missing recordings. Atkins clearly is passionate about his subject matter, and knows the history. He managed to create a story line that taps into the Johnson myth, expands on it, but does not presume to alter it in any fundamental way. I admire what he did here, if not the way he did it. The plot got a little loose and sloppy, the characters' motivations slightly obscure at times, and the denouement suffered a total failure of suspense. But it was good enough to reflect a lot of potential for a series featuring Travers. I will read more of Atkins, as I suspect he improves with age.

Review written July 2011 ( )

http://blogmybooks.blogspot.com/2007/08/crossroad-blues-by-ace-atkins.html ( )