Blood Red Blues: A Devil Barnett Novel [Paperback]

Teddy Hayes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 6, 2004 | Series: Devil Barnett

Devil Barnett a CIA agent with a talent for eliminating special problems a talent he used for fifteen years. But when his father is killed in his own bar the Be-Bop, Devil leaves the Company to come home to run the Be-Bop and finds Harlem greatly changed from his boyhood home. Overrun with drugs, gangs, and self-serving politicians.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Devil Barnett may have quit the CIA to run his dead father's bar in Harlem, but the quiet life remains elusive. He's only been home a few months when the police ask him to lend a hand investigating a drug-den massacre with political repercussions. Barnett is an interesting sleuth. His disenchantment with the CIA seems to have been more the "glass ceiling" than the gruesome "wet work" he was asked to perform. He has sickle-cell anemia, a condition that demands he keep his stress levels down--not easy when chasing a killer. He's also a jazz fan and an excellent tour guide to a Harlem that is politically complicated, steeped in history, and rich in sensual extremes. But while Hayes' debut shows promise, it has marked flaws. Barnett's involvement in the case is poorly established, and the ending uses a point-by-point plot recap worthy of Scooby-Doo. Most frustrating, the prose itself is marred by a reliance on cliches. Still, there's some of Chester Himes' magnetism here. Stick with this one; it just might get a lot better. Keir Graff
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Justin, Charles & Co. (May 6, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932112219
• ISBN-13: 978-1932112214
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #472,200 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)