Bluebottle (A Lew Griffin Novel) [Paperback]

James Sallis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 23, 1999 | Series: A Lew Griffin Novel

From the author of BLACK HORNET, EYE OF THE CRICKET and DEATH WILL HAVE YOUR EYES, a crime novel weaving one man's search for identity with a portrait of the people and places that define New Orleans.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The multi-talented Sallis writes not only mainstream literary fiction (Renderings) but also books about jazz, science fiction and French literature. Most notably, though, he's the author of the splendid Lew Griffin mystery series (Eye of the Cricket, 1997, etc.). Griffin is an African American writer, occasional PI and New Orleans college teacher. His fifth outing takes readers back to an earlier, more troubled time in his life, when he was drinking heavily. But, as in the earlier novels, time moves back and forth (sometimes abruptly and disconcertingly) as Griffin tries to make sense of his own personal history. The story opens with Griffin recovering from gunshot wounds. He is temporarily blind and can't remember any details about the night that he was shot. All he knows is that he and a white woman, Dana Esmay, were leaving a seedy bar when they were gunned down. As Griffin, aided by his old friend Don Walsh, looks for the truth about who shot him and why, he undertakes a parallel search for a missing writer who has been researching a group of white supremacists. In this haunting tale, Griffin's first-person narrative abounds with literary quotes and allusions as readers are transported on a tide of evocative language into an impressionistic story of the year that Griffin spent recovering from his wounds. Sallis's voice is unique among mystery writers, and this novel, like previous ones in the series, is unforgettable.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Leaving a 1960s New Orleans bar with a white woman he has just met, black series sleuth Lew Griffin (Eye of the Cricket, LJ 11/1/97) is wounded by gunfire. When he awakens nearly a year later, he tries to reconstruct events and finger a perpetrator. More fine work from a talented writer.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 154 pages
• Publisher: No Exit Press (March 23, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1901982068
• ISBN-13: 978-1901982060
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,605,161 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fifth Griffin mystery is simply great, November 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Bluebottle (Lew Griffin Mysteries) (Hardcover)

New Orleans resident Lew Griffin awakens from an almost year-long coma caused by a gunshot wounds head. He remembers nothing about the incident, but quickly learns that he had been leaving a club accompanied by an older white woman when he was shot. Lew does not recall the incident, his healing in the past year, let alone the identity of the woman.

Lew needs to know who wanted him dead and why. With the help of his friend Don Walsh, he begins to investigate who the white

woman is, who was the sniper, and why did they target him? While seeking the truth, Lew also searches for a missing writer, who was looking into a white supremacist group.

The fifth Griffin mystery, BLUEBOTTLE, is a fantastic tale that is highlighted by James Sallis literary and exciting prose. Lew tells his story ashe deles into his own past providing insight into his life. The who-done-it is fabulous as expected by the great Mr. Sallis, who deserves reader recognition. This

series is one of the best on the market.

Harriet Klausner

3.0 out of 5 stars Typos galore, January 6, 2012

By 

Kim Kirk - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bluebottle (Lew Griffin Mysteries) (Kindle Edition)

James Sallis is a careful, thoughtful writer. His words are chiselled out of granite. There is nothing casual about his writing. I have read many of his books, with unfailing pleasure. This particular book is ruined by countless typographical errors, which completely spoil the reader's involvement. On almost every page, you have to stop and try to figure out what the author was trying to say. The early days of Kindle were like this. It is hard to imagine how proofreading standards could get so low.

3.0 out of 5 stars A disjointed departure from the usually outstanding Lew Griffin novels, December 15, 2008

By 

Chris Greenwood "Tree" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bluebottle (Lew Griffin Mysteries) (Paperback)

The fifth book published of the Lew Griffin novels, Bluebottle begins with Lew having just been shot and taken to the hospital. Over the next year as he slowly recovers from his injuries and temporary blindness, Lew is attempting to reconstruct the events of the shooting, but his memories of the shooting and the year after are clouded and unclear. This part of the book is highly disjointed and frustrating to read. It lacks the purpose and poetry present in the other Lew Griffin novels. The novel starts to get back on track after Lew recovers, but even at that point there's not much to compel the reader. As Lew investigates his own shooting, he uncovers the involvement of a white supremacist group, but even when we finally learn what happened on the night of the shooting, it's neither very touching nor satisfying. There are some emotionally powerful moments but not nearly as many as I expected after reading the other Lew Griffin novels. And although many of the same themes are present, they are not as well developed as in the other books. If I had not already been a fan of these books, I would have been even more frustrated. Although I was pleased and eager to learn more of Griffin's past, this book simply does not live up to expectations created by Sallis' other novels. My score would actually be a 3.5 because Sallis' writing still has a charming quality to it even when he's not at his best.