Overview

As America staggers through the Great Depression, death stalks the pioneer blues musicians. In the depths of the Great Depression, father and son musicologists John and Alan Lomax make several eye-opening-at times menacing-journeys through the Jim Crow South. Assigned to record pioneer blues artists for the Library of Congress, they visit plantations and penitentiaries, rural crossroads and bustling cities. During their travels, they encounter a series of bizarre killings. Among the victims are country blues giants Charley Patton and Robert Johnson, along with leading female singers Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith. The police show little interest in investigating the deaths of these seminal black performers, so the Lomaxes decide to look into the murders. They learn that the crimes are the work of a single deranged killer, and as they come closer to identifying the madman, they become targets themselves. Their discovery of who committed the murders, and why, carries with it the threat of imminent death.

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9781947915985

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Reviews

""Author Paul Martin doesn't know the meaning of the word boring."" -San Francisco Book Review ""Paul Martin knows his stuff. This is a fascinating tale of music and race during the Great Depression. There's a lot of great history of Blues packed into this murder mystery."" - Kelly Oliver, bestselling author of the Fiona Figg Mysteries ""This rich, atmospheric thriller follows musicologist detectives into the heart of the blues on the trail of a murder.... The music jumps off the page."" -Publishers Weekly BookLife Reviews ""Captures the atmosphere of the period perfectly, and the dialogue rings just as true.... Makes for an intriguing and enlightening read from start to finish."" -San Francisco Book Review (4.5 Stars) ""Martin's knowledge of and admiration for the talented, mostly self-taught musicians earning a few dollars against great odds shows through.... An honest page-turner."" -Historical Novels Review ""A revelation. Brings the early blues greats and their times to life. I can't wait to read Martin's next book!"" -Jeffrey Meyerriecks, renowned classical and jazz guitarist

Author Paul Martin doesn't know the meaning of the word boring. -San Francisco Book Review Paul Martin knows his stuff. This is a fascinating tale of music and race during the Great Depression. There's a lot of great history of Blues packed into this murder mystery. - Kelly Oliver, bestselling author of the Fiona Figg Mysteries This rich, atmospheric thriller follows musicologist detectives into the heart of the blues on the trail of a murder.... The music jumps off the page. -Publishers Weekly BookLife Reviews Captures the atmosphere of the period perfectly, and the dialogue rings just as true.... Makes for an intriguing and enlightening read from start to finish. -San Francisco Book Review (4.5 Stars) Martin's knowledge of and admiration for the talented, mostly self-taught musicians earning a few dollars against great odds shows through.... An honest page-turner. -Historical Novels Review A revelation. Brings the early blues greats and their times to life. I can't wait to read Martin's next book! -Jeffrey Meyerriecks, renowned classical and jazz guitarist

Author Paul Martin doesn't know the meaning of the word boring. -San Francisco Book Review Paul Martin knows his stuff. This is a fascinating tale of music and race during the Great Depression. There's a lot of great history of Blues packed into this murder mystery. - Kelly Oliver, bestselling author of the Fiona Figg Mysteries

Author Information

Paul Martin is a former book and magazine editor with the National Geographic Society. His writing assignments have taken him to Cuba, Jamaica, England, India, Vietnam, and many other destinations. In the course of his travels, he has walked the Great Wall of China, explored the tombs and temples of ancient Egypt, and run the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon in a wooden dory. The author of ten books of fiction and nonfiction, he has also edited or contributed to more than a dozen other books on history, culture, and science. A Mensan, amateur luthier, and onetime vineyard owner and winemaker, Paul lives near Washington, D.C.

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