A review by ajnel
Dead Man's Blues by Ray Celestin

informative mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Celestin's ability to weave US early to mid twentieth century into crime fiction is unmatched.  Dead Man's Blues tells the story of a complex whodunit intertwined with the late 1920s Chicargo gang land wars.  It's a rich layered novel and one of the best US examples of historic crime fiction.