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A review by jmatkinson1
Dead Man's Blues by Ray Celestin
5.0
Ida Davis and Michael Talbot have been working for Pinkerton’s Detective Agency in Chicago for several years. The city is in thrall to the gangsters, particularly Al Capone, with organised crime controlling alcohol supplies under prohibition. The detectives are asked to look into the disappearance of heiress Gwendolyn but someone high up is trying to block them. Meanwhile Dante Sanfilippo has been summoned back from New York by Capone to look into a fatal poisoning of a political party, the booze being supplied by Capone’s outfit. Dante’s own family were victim to this poison and he fears he is being set up. As the city gears up for the big boxing match between Tunney and Dempsey, all sides are looking to find out just who is behind a plot to destabilise organised crime in Chicago.
This is the second book by Celestin and it features the same central characters of Ida and Michael, with a little input from Louis Armstrong! It is an incredibly strong book, the plot is twisty and very clever. Celeste’s writing is really maturing, he understands the hedonism and paranoia that inhabited Chicago in the late 20s and has researched the links between organised crime and jazz music well. Ida is a great character – being both female and black, she suffers huge prejudice and more than a little self-doubt – yet Celestin has created a sympathetic and strong persona. I loved the little twists such as Jacob and Dante’s relationship and the set pieces are scary yet believable. A terrific read.
This is the second book by Celestin and it features the same central characters of Ida and Michael, with a little input from Louis Armstrong! It is an incredibly strong book, the plot is twisty and very clever. Celeste’s writing is really maturing, he understands the hedonism and paranoia that inhabited Chicago in the late 20s and has researched the links between organised crime and jazz music well. Ida is a great character – being both female and black, she suffers huge prejudice and more than a little self-doubt – yet Celestin has created a sympathetic and strong persona. I loved the little twists such as Jacob and Dante’s relationship and the set pieces are scary yet believable. A terrific read.