Ace Atkins - Dirty South (2004)
Many authors incorporate music into their books; fewer can write with the rhythms and poetry of music itself. Ace Atkins proves with Dirty South he is one of the latter.
His latest book reads like a blues song brought to life. Moving to a lush, languid beat, it is a raw but fluid journey through the streets of New Orleans and the often troubled lives of his characters.
Of all the day jobs amateur detectives pursue, Nick Travers has perhaps the coolest of all: blues tracker. A former football player now a college professor, Travers spends his time tracking down the dying legends of the blues and recording their artists' stories as part of an oral history project.
All Nick is trying to do this time is help an old teammate who's in some serious money trouble, but he finds himself up to his ankles in alligators, fighting to save both himself and his friend.
Atkins has increased the energy of his plotting in Dirty South, taking Travers on a thrill ride through the ghettos of the Big Easy to the bayous of rural Louisiana. This is a trip you'll want to take.
Posted by David J. Montgomery in Book Reviews | Permalink
Comments
"This was a great book and it was one of the very best books I read in my wonderful life"
Posted by: Iris Twine | Jun 20, 2006 7:09:35 PM
I did not read Dirty South but I did read White Shadow. I lived across the street form Charlie and Audrey Wll.
The book was very accurate with the exceptiom that the very high woodem fence in the back yard to house hisDobies was not mentioned.
My address was 1301 Seventeenth Ave., and Charlie's was 1219 Seventeenthe Avenue. We both had corner houses and we both faced Seventeenth Avenue. My house faced 17th and 13th.( two entrances.)
I was actually in their house. My Dad's name was Louis S. Sanchez and he was a friend of Charlie's
I really enjoyed the book and hope to read others you have written.
Thanks for allowing me to write to you,
Diana Sanchez Cofield
Posted by: Diana Sanchez | Nov 11, 2006 9:14:05 PM
