Book Review: Dark End of the Street

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Dark End of the Street     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon US MSReader eBook Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Ace Atkins
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Private Investigator
Series: Nick Travers # 3
Morrow, Oct 2002, $23.95

Former professional football star Nick Travers teaches blues history at Tulane University. When his friend Loretta asks him to search for her lost brother, former blues singer Clyde James, Nick agrees though he suspects the man is dead after vanishing over two decades ago.

Nick travels from New Orleans to Memphis to begin his quest. However, Nick quickly realizes that several other soulless folks seek the missing Clyde too. These individuals and groups will stop at nothing including murder to find the former great blues singer. As Nick competes with amoral folks, clues send him scurrying to Mississippi where the final chord could be a coda of death.

Though some twists require acceptance, readers will enjoy DARK END OF THE STREET, the follow-up to CROSSROAD BLUES. The story line contains a wild ride throughout the Deep South due an eccentric cast of characters ranging from Dixie mobsters, Klan-like Sons of the South and a sleazy gubernatorial candidate. Nick remains a strong lead character who can carry a novel and a series like a lead singer of a quartet. Mr. Adams dealt an ace to the audience with readers singing the blues only to a climatic sting operation.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner