Rating: 
Summary: True Blue American!
Review: "Leavin Trunk Blues" by Ace Atkins kept my attention. Especially when I got half-way through. Despite the book's minor shortcomings, the plot and concept are brilliant. I will definitely get his first novel Cross Road Blues. FYI, I love the blues and play sax in a couple of bands. Blues music is an American art form that has many shapes and faces and Ace thankfully, is one of them. Reading the book made me appreciate the blues that much more. The story is based on Ruby Walker, a famous blues singer who was wrongfully sent to prison for a crime she did not commit. When she said, "Iam the Blues," I was hooked. In comes Nick Travers, blues historian and all-around good guy. Whose faced against a famous fictional evil character named Stagger Lee, made to be very real and throroughly hateful. As our hero digs up the past, bodies start dropping. Culiminating into a good read. Peopled with colorful characters you want to know more about. "Leavin", keeps you thinkin.I look forward to see more from this author. Thanks Ace!
Rating: 
Summary: Mediocre plotting and writing
Review: "Leavin' Trunk Blues" is Ace Atkins follow up to his highly acclaimed "Crossroad Blues". In this adventure, blues historian Nick Travers seeks the truth about a fictitious murder of record producer Billy Lyons and the conviction of Lyon's lover, Ruby Walker. During the investigation, Travers becomes convinced of the innocence of Ruby Walker and encounters some obstacles to finding the truth in the form of villains Stagger Lee and his two psychopaths, Fast Lovin' Fannie and Butcher knife totin', Annie. Set in the streets of Chicago around Christmas time, Atkins does a great job of breathing life into his characters and holding the readers attention to the very end. A worthy follow up to "Crossroad Blues" and a worthwhile read for blues fans everywhere.
Rating:
Summary: Another Good Read!
Review: "Leavin' Trunk Blues" is Ace Atkins follow up to his highly acclaimed "Crossroad Blues". In this adventure, blues historian Nick Travers seeks the truth about a fictitious murder of record producer Billy Lyons and the conviction of Lyon's lover, Ruby Walker. During the investigation, Travers becomes convinced of the innocence of Ruby Walker and encounters some obstacles to finding the truth in the form of villains Stagger Lee and his two psychopaths, Fast Lovin' Fannie and Butcher knife totin', Annie. Set in the streets of Chicago around Christmas time, Atkins does a great job of breathing life into his characters and holding the readers attention to the very end. A worthy follow up to "Crossroad Blues" and a worthwhile read for blues fans everywhere.
Rating:
Summary: True Blue American!
Review: "Leavin Trunk Blues" by Ace Atkins kept my attention. Especially when I got half-way through. Despite the book's minor shortcomings, the plot and concept are brilliant. I will definitely get his first novel Cross Road Blues. FYI, I love the blues and play sax in a couple of bands. Blues music is an American art form that has many shapes and faces and Ace thankfully, is one of them. Reading the book made me appreciate the blues that much more. The story is based on Ruby Walker, a famous blues singer who was wrongfully sent to prison for a crime she did not commit. When she said, "Iam the Blues," I was hooked. In comes Nick Travers, blues historian and all-around good guy. Whose faced against a famous fictional evil character named Stagger Lee, made to be very real and throroughly hateful. As our hero digs up the past, bodies start dropping. Culiminating into a good read. Peopled with colorful characters you want to know more about. "Leavin", keeps you thinkin. I look forward to see more from this author. Thanks Ace!
Rating:
Summary: True Blue American!
Review: "Leavin Trunk Blues" by Ace Atkins kept my attention. Especially when I got half-way through. Despite the book's minor shortcomings, the plot and concept are brilliant. I will definitely get his first novel Cross Road Blues. FYI, I love the blues and play sax in a couple of bands. Blues music is an American art form that has many shapes and faces and Ace thankfully, is one of them. Reading the book made me appreciate the blues that much more. The story is based on Ruby Walker, a famous blues singer who was wrongfully sent to prison for a crime she did not commit. When she said, "Iam the Blues," I was hooked. In comes Nick Travers, blues historian and all-around good guy. Whose faced against a famous fictional evil character named Stagger Lee, made to be very real and throroughly hateful. As our hero digs up the past, bodies start dropping. Culiminating into a good read. Peopled with colorful characters you want to know more about. "Leavin", keeps you thinkin. I look forward to see more from this author. Thanks Ace!
Rating: 
Summary: Cahsin' the sweet angel
Review: Ace Atkin's second Nick Travers mystery is an absolute great read. The book finds former pro football player now blues professor Nick travers going to Chicago to interview a woman convicted of killing her lover over forty years ago. Sounds simple? Its not when there are people who want this former Blue's singers story to remain buried in the jail cell. Atkin's gets better with each book and Nick Travers could become a classic mystery/ blues tracker. I highly reccomend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: More blues -- much more -- than plot or characters
Review: Ace Atkins' novels are labors of love for the blues, about which he evidences deep knowledge and overwhelming affection. He's a reporter first and a novelist a long way second: read to learn about one of America's most revered musical genres, but lower your expectations in terms of plot or character.
Rating:
Summary: More blues -- much more -- than plot or characters
Review: Ace Atkins' novels are labors of love for the blues, about which he evidences deep knowledge and overwhelming affection. He's a reporter first and a novelist a long way second: read to learn about one of America's most revered musical genres, but lower your expectations in terms of plot or character.
Rating:
Summary: Mediocre plotting and writing
Review: As the author said, "Blues is religion" with all the illogic that implies. The deities are a bunch of doped up, drunken, adultorous, murderous, thieving no-goods who spend their lives whining about the consequences of their actions. They can't sing worth a damn, either.
Rating:
Summary: Solid and moving.
Review: Atkins' story has a nice combination of solid writing, combined
with an engaging and moving story line.
Our hero, Nick, loves blues music better than anything, maybe
even better than his remembered girl friend, Kate, and when
he is given the chance to go to Chicago and root around in
the past, with the expectation of a revealing interview with
a former blues singer now in prison, he can't wait to get started. His trip north not only allows him to have that interview with a former blues great, whose career was cut
terribly short by a conviction of murdering her lover, but it
also allows him to re-united with that warm ex-, Kate.
When he attempts to learn the truth about the death of the long-
gone musician, for which Ruby was convicted, he encounters
one of the most nasty of fictional killers, and he also
runs into obstacles put up, mysteriously, by former friends
and fellow-musicians of the dead blues man.
The obstacles and problems only encourage Nick to further explore the decades-old murder, as well as the story told him
by the inmate convicted of killing him.
It's a moving and warm story, both intricate and straightforward, and Atkins does a very nice job of combining
the elements of a good read.
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