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The Dark End of the Street
Last to Die: A Novel
Deadman's Throttle
Hotshoe
Ten Little Blood Hounds
Swimming to Catalina
The Butler Did It
Already Dead
Word Made Flesh
Katastrophe
Perfect Circles
Hello to the Cannibals
Best Defense
Angel of Montague
The Body in the Library
Death on the Nile
Rocking the Cradle
Shattered Silk
Do Not Go Gently
Fatal Convictions: A Novel of Revenge
Malice Intended
No Human Involved
Under the Lake
The Gazebo
The Benevent Treasure

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Danger in Memphis
Blues Mystery Thriller III
Don't let your personal politics fool you...
complex
Unlikely characters and events

Dark End of the Street
Ace Atkins
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Similar Items:

Leavin' Trunk Blues: A Nick Travers Mystery
Dirty South
White Shadow
Chasing the Devil's Tail: A Mystery of Storyville, New Orleans
Pegasus Descending: A Dave Robicheaux Novel (Dave Robicheaux Mysteries)

ASIN: 0060004606
Release Date: 2002-10-08

Amazon.com

Jazz historian and wannabe PI Nick Travers comes to the aid of a young woman in trouble and gets in a lot more as a result in this lively caper involving the Dixie Mafia, a decades-old murder, political skullduggery, and a hit man who thinks he's Elvis's younger brother. A strong narrative and excellent sense of place pervades the newest outing in this good--and getting better--series, but what matters almost as much is the music both the author and his hero love, which reveals itself in the nicely cadenced prose and a plot featuring the old Delta blues men Atkins admiringly portrays. It all makes for an enjoyable evening of reading that would have been even better if they'd shipped a CD of the music Nick and his creator like best along with it. --Jane Adams

Book Description

The plan is simple. A favor really. All Nick Travers, a former professional football player turned professor, has to do is drive up Highway 61 from New Orleans to Memphis and track down the lost brother of one of his best friends. But as Travers knows, these simple jobs seldom turn out smoothly.

His friend's brother is Clyde James, who, in 1968, was one of the finest soul singers Memphis had to offer. But when James's wife and close friend were murdered, his life was shattered. He turned to the streets, where, decades ago, he disappeared.

Travers's search for the singer soon leads him to the casinos in Tunica, Mississippi, and converges with the agenda of the Dixie Mafia, a zealot gubernatorial candidate linked to a neo-Confederacy movement, and an obsessed killer who thinks he has a true spiritual link to the late Elvis Presley.

Welcome to Ace Atkins's new South, where you won't find a single southern belle or dripping magnolia. With a precise eye for detail, Atkins takes Travers on a journey into the hidden pockets of New Orleans, the battered roadhouses and truck stops of Mississippi, and the streets of Memphis that only an insider could know.

Download Description

"A unique suspense writer for the next generation delivers and electrifying thriller. The plan is simple. A favor really. All Nick Travers, a former professional football player turned professor, has to do is drive up Highway 61 from New Orleans to Memphis and track down the lost brother of one of his best friends. But as Travers knows, these simple jobs seldom turn out smoothly. His friend's brother is Clyde James, who, in 1968, was one of the finest soul singers Memphis had to offer. But when James's wife and close friend were murdered, his life was shattered. He turned to the streets, where, decades ago, he disappeared. Travers's search for the singer soon leads him to the casinos in Tunica, Mississippi, and converges with the agenda of the Dixie Mafia, a zealot gubernatorial candidate linked to a neo-Confederacy movement, and an obsessed killer who thinks he has a true spiritual link to the late Elvis Presley. Welcome to Ace Atkins's new South, where you won't find a single southern belle or dripping magnolia. With a precise eye for detail, Atkins takes Travers on a journey into the hidden pockets of New Orleans, the battered roadhouses and truck stops of Mississippi, and the streets of Memphis that only an insider could know. Ace Atkins, an Alabama native, earned nominations for the Pulitzer Prize and the Livingston Award for his work covering crime at the Tampa Tribune. He now lives on a century-old farm outside Oxford, Mississippi, with his faithful mutts Elvis and Polk Salad Annie. And yes, Ace is his real name.

Customer Reviews:

Danger in Memphis.......2004-10-11

In this 3rd book in the Nick Travers series, Ace Atkins sends his blues historian to Memphis and incorporates a little soul into his series. One night while sitting in his long-time friend Jojo's bar, Jojo's wife Loretta drags Travers aside to ask him to find her brother for her. She had recently received a visit from a couple of men looking for him and wanted to make sure he was alright. However, the word was that her brother, broken down soul legend Clyde Jones had died recently in Memphis where he had been living as a homeless shell of a man. No one could confirm Clyde's death for him when Travers asked around, in fact, his questions made some people downright uncomfortable.

Meanwhile in Tunica a young woman by the name of Abby who is still trying to come to grips with the murder of her father and mother is being stalked by Perfect Leigh. Perfect works for Levi Ransom a member of the Dixie mafia and a very dangerous man. Abby is eventually captured and is in the process of being interrogated, none too gently, when Nick's path crosses hers in dramatic circumstances, immediately casting him as her knight in shining armor and Ransom's bitter enemy.

The story quickly progresses from a missing person's case to a fight for survival as Nick gets caught between the Dixie mafia and a white supremist group who call themselves the Sons of the South. Apart from a small continuity problem towards the end where we seemed to jump from scene to scene without any logical reason, this is another enthralling music-base mystery.

Ace Atkins is starting to make a habit of coming up with some very off-beat characters to play his villains, rather reminiscent of James W. Hall and his unique portrayal of rogues. In his previous book, LEAVIN' TRUNK BLUES, Atkins introduced us to Annie and Fannie, a couple of killer prostitutes with a love of Archie comics and, in Annie's case, a special relationship with her knife. Now, in DARK END OF THE STREET we get a hit man who is not only a devotee of Elvis Presley but who believes Elvis is a divine being. Although the man is obviously an efficient and remorseless killer it's rather difficult to take a man seriously when he's kneeling and praying to his higher being, Elvis Presley.

He has also done a terrific job of capturing the atmosphere of Memphis through the style of music Travers recalls, the bars he frequents on Beale Street and the house styles that are noted as he moves through the city. I enjoyed experiencing the feeling of visiting Memphis almost as much as the story around which the visit was based.

Blues Mystery Thriller III.......2004-09-07

This is the third novel in the adventures of Nick Travers, who is supposed to be teaching the history of the blues at Tulane University in New Orleans, but spends his time solving mysterious deaths linked to blues musicians instead. In this escapade, Loretta, Nick's sort of foster mother, asks Nick to locate her estranged brother Clyde James, a blues singer. Loretta lost track of Clyde when he degenerated and dropped out of sight after someone killed Clyde's wife and another musician. The murders are unsolved.

In addition to Loretta and her husband Jojo, Elvis worshiper and antagonist Jesse Garon, a.k.a. Jon Burrows, continue from Ace Atkins first novel. There are several new three-dimensional characters. Perfect Leigh is a beautiful, young, ex-beauty queen cum scam artist a la mistress auditioning for killer. Perfect is stalking Abby MacDonald, a tomboy who doesn't shave. Perfect works for Levi Ransom, the owner of the Magnolia Grand casino and member of the Biloxi mafia. In his search for Clyde, Travers goes to the Magnolia and, in the nick of time, saves Abby who is getting waxed by Perfect. Thereafter, the story gets complicated.

DARK END OF THE STREET has a complex array of interrelated subplots. It requires some leaps of faith and the ending, from around chapter sixty on, seems disjointed, as if the author were pressed by a deadline. Nevertheless, it's a good read.

Don't let your personal politics fool you..........2003-02-15

Whether one is a dyed-in-the-wool Southern liberal like me or a conservative like my fellow reviewer from Savannah (see below), this book resonates. One should not let one's personal politics get in the way of recognizing that Atkins is one of the best thriller writers of his generation. Actually, if he continues to improve, he'll be one of the best writers of his generation, regardless of genre. To insinuate that he employs a "plastic construction of unbelievable characters" is absolutely ludicrous. The plot of Dark End of the Street is nuanced, its characters completely based in reality and richly realized.
Here in Mississippi, my friends at all ends of the political spectrum loved this book for its ability to bring our home to life, in all its wounded glory. In Dark End of the Street, I see the abiding love all Southerners, black or white, have for this region as well as the deep-rooted shame of slavery and racial oppression that still permeates the landscape.
Many people will never understand the dichotomy of the modern South. Ace Atkins does.
READ THIS BOOK.

complex.......2003-01-15

This mystery contains a nice complex mix of characters and
locales. The "detective" is a minor staffer at a major southern
university who is researching early blues performers, and one
of his friends and benefactors asks him to try to find her brother, who, a blues man himself, disappeared about 30 years
before. Since he has been gone so long, he is presumed dead,
but as Nick, the searcher, looks into that disappearance, he is
surprised, under unpleasant circumstances, to learn that others
are also looking for the same 30-year-missing man.
His search brings Nick into contact with other blues performers,
gamblers, politicians, and some unsavory characters in the employ of the "Dixie Mafia."
As the search goes deepr, and becomes more complex, the action
heats up, and the violence becomes more pronounced.
Rather puzzling, though, is Nick's love for the "Old South,"
which couldn't have been that good for many people, especially
the old-time musicians he listens to and admires, because of
racial segregation, but he conforts himself with thoughts and
visions of the "Old South," while he continues his search for
the present missing brother.
His search uncovers many unpleasant truths about both the past
and the present, and he is only able to keep alive due to luck
and the "help of a few friends."
The reader will be engaged by the need to follow 30 years of
southern social and music history, while Nick fights some of
the nastiest psychopaths in print today.
Interesting reading.

Unlikely characters and events.......2003-01-13

It is hard to believe that an investigative reporter that had done much real life investigating could picture a bailbondsman/bounty hunter as a co-hero rather than a real (low) life bloodsucker. It may fit, however, a "yellow dog" writer that blames all bias on "R's" and omits the likes of Robert Byrd, Lester Maddox, Jesse Jackson, etc.
If you enjoy plastic construction of unbelievable characters that are fit into an unlikely stream of events in a weak plot, this is just the novel for you.

Catwoman Vol. 1: The Dark End of the Street (Batman)

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Very nice magazine.
Good read
Outstanding!
Gritty and Intelligent Crime Noir and Pulpy Comics FUN!!!
Actually, this is the BEST Catwoman

Catwoman Vol. 1: The Dark End of the Street (Batman)
Ed Brubaker , Darwyn Cooke , and Mike Allred
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Catwoman Vol. 2: Crooked Little Town (Batman)
Catwoman Vol. 3: Relentless (Batman)
Catwoman Vol. 4: Wild Ride (Batman)
Catwoman: Selina's Big Score
Catwoman: When in Rome (Batman)

ASIN: 1563899086

Customer Reviews:

Very nice magazine........2007-05-14

Nicely made magazine, drawings are of a classic style. Good but not outstanding.

Good read.......2007-01-10

I find comics to be a visual art form and so, while good writing is obviously important, if the pictures aren't appealing, IMO there's little point to a comic book. That being said, while there have been many various incarnations of Catwoman over the years, I really like Darwyn Cooke's version, and bought this graphic novel to see more of his work. It's a decent enough read, but really, nothing they've done recently measures up to Selina's Big Score.

Outstanding!.......2005-06-07

This comicbook is a great read... I've been an on-again, off-again comicbook reader since about 1970, and recently fell into the graphic novel habit... A friend who's a diligent DC fan recommended this series to me, and I gotta say, he was totally right.

The first volume of this revamped Catwoman series is quite impressive -- the partnership of writer Ed Brubaker and artist Darwyn Cooke ripples with energy and inspiration, evoking the perfect moody noir atmosphere... Great to see a 1930s B-list star like Slam Bradley back in action as well...! All in all, a really fun series... Recommended!

Gritty and Intelligent Crime Noir and Pulpy Comics FUN!!!.......2003-09-06

This book picks up after the previous trade paperback book, "Selina's Big Score," (which is also well worth buying). Compared to that prior book, "The Dark End of the Street" is printed on cheaper, more pulpy paper, but it is less expensive and has 25% more pages than the glossy-papered "Selina's Big Score."

Where "Dark End" really beats "Big Score" is all in the cool, new Catwoman costume, which debuted here in these stories in "Dark End of the Street." This costume is probably the coolest looking costume that Catwoman has ever worn. It looks very practical and utilitarian for a cat burglar and social vigilante, that is the new and improved Selina (Catwoman) Kyle.

This book retains and continues the retro, private eye feel of "Selina's Big Score," and then this book improves upon that foundation by having lots of exhilarating costumed Catwoman action! She comes alive in her element of a rough & tumble, dog-eat-dog underworld! She swings around the rough parts of Gotham City like that is where she feels most at home in her life. She solves crimes like a rookie detective who has the skills of a master, crime fighting hero.

This book starts with a few short stories of private dick, Slam Bradley, trying to figure out the mystery of the missing Catwoman; which leads into the retelling of the first 4 issues of the new, monthly Catwoman comic book series, in which Catwoman hunts down a serial killer.

The final face-off with the killer is the only weak part of the book, it being amusing, but it does not live up to the previous 100 pages of gritty intrigue (it kind of gets less realistic at the very end of this book). But don't let that discourage you from getting this book. The trip is more fun than the final destination, but it's a really fun trip!

"The Dark End of the Street" is well worth buying! If you have any interest at all in the Catwoman comic book series, you will love this book.

Actually, this is the BEST Catwoman.......2003-08-01

I don't know how anyone can think that Brubaker's depiction of Catwoman is misogynist unless they don't actually know what the word means. This is the Catwoman who is a strong-willed woman finding her own place in Gotham, who fights the good fight and has real conflict within herself. This is one of the best comics on the stands these days and Brubaker is one of the best writers working in comics. And the art in this collection, by the talented Darwyn Cooke is to die for.

Dark End of Dream Street (Lesley Choyce Kids/YA Novels)

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Dark End of Dream Street (Lesley Choyce Kids/YA Novels)
Lesley Choyce
Manufacturer: Formac
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0887802966
Release Date: 1994-01-01

Book Description

Tara's life in Halifax is about as good as it gets--she gets top marks in her class, her parents are cool, she has a good part-time job, her boyfriend Ron edits an alternative paper.

Her life is especially good compared to her friend Janet's. Janet fights with her parents whenever she sees them, which isn't often. She spends more time begging for change on the street and crashing at the dismal squat locals call Hell's Hotel.

Soon, however, cracks start to appear in Tara's perfect life. When Ron writes an exposé on the kids who live at the Hotel, Tara is forced to question his motives. Things start falling apart, one by one: her grades slip, her friends drop her, her mom leaves town. When catastrophe hits Hell's Hotel, however, Tara and Janet find themselves relying on each other more than either expected. Together they aim to make big changes, in their city and in themselves.

Set against a gritty, inner-city background, Dark End of Dream Street examines the challenges teenagers face every day, in their comfortable homes and on the streets.

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DARK END OF THE STREET
Ace Atkins
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEGPBA

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The end of dark street (Drumbeat novel)
Dibia Humphrey
Manufacturer: Longman Nigeria
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

The Dark End of the Street: Margins in American Vanguard Poetry (American Culture, Vol 7)

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A Poetic Experience
Fine Prose from a Poet
Good Grief!
high-end pc drivel

The Dark End of the Street: Margins in American Vanguard Poetry (American Culture, Vol 7)
Maria Damon
Manufacturer: University of Minnesota Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Criticism | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

A Poetic Experience.......2004-07-02

Reading Maria Damon's book is a poetic experience in itself. Her style allows the reader to listen to her thought processes, which are always fresh, subtle, and insightful. She plays an important role as an interpreter of Bob Kaufman and other poets who for various reasons find themselves in the margins.

Fine Prose from a Poet.......2003-12-01

The beauty of the Dark End of the Street: Margins in American Vanguard Poetry is the fact that with fine prose, almost poetic prose, Maria Damon enlightens areas of modern and post modern poetics that are not seen even in esoteric academic circles.
The construction of the book is of course center left with a feminist bent but it brings new light and new heat to these issues along with placing them in a context that is more akin the Kenner's Pound Era, or Bernstein's Content Dream than the normal academic study-- it is a must read for anyone interested in the vanguard of poetry in the USA.

Good Grief!.......2003-12-01

I've read Maria Damon's book and have used it in teaching and as a resource in my own work - and I hardly fall into either academia or a feminism of the type espoused in the other review. I don't even recognize the book from it!

Needless to say the book is important; it covers, literally, the margins of literary culture, recuperating women, Judaism, and other issues from the so-called vanguard. It's frankly too bad that such recuperation is needed - one only has to look, for example, at the usual adulation of Gertrude Stein to see the necessity.

Now what is of most interest here for me - that even the vanguard has margins - that there's a conservative core or backbone to what's generally considered 'avant-guard.' But there is, and it operates with the usual exclusionary principles...

Anyway, highly recommended - as I said above, I use the work.

- Alan Sondheim

high-end pc drivel.......2003-04-17

The usual preoccupations of the usual feminist critic are somewhat alleviated here by an apparent intelligence that rises somewhat above the usual drivel of the usual feminist critic. Still, these usual preoccupations are here: justice, inclusion, the sainthood of all minorities and women. Save your money. Even when this critic tries to be fair, it's all so much posing, as she attempts to get through the narrow labyrinth of thought permitted to feminists by other feminists. A completely awful book that is somehow made more awful by the obvious fact that this writer probably has intelligent things to say but is corralled by the Agenda.

The midnight patrol: The story of a Salvation Army lass who patrolled the dark streets of London's West End on a midnight mission of mercy

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The midnight patrol: The story of a Salvation Army lass who patrolled the dark streets of London's West End on a midnight mission of mercy
Phyllis Thompson
Manufacturer: Hawthorn Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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Dark End of the Street
Ace Atkins
Manufacturer: HarperAudio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OES8DI

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DARK END OF THE STREET
ACE ATKINS
Manufacturer: Harper
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HDJSPS

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Dark End of Dream Street
Lesley Choyce
Manufacturer: Formac Publishing Company, Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KL3L6E

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