Delta Blues [Paperback]

Carolyn Haines (Editor), Morgan Freeman (Foreword), John Grisham (Contributor), James Lee Burke (Contributor), Charlaine Harris (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2010

A dollar donation for every book sold will be given to the Rock River Foundation, a charity dedicated to helping the arts and literacy in the Delta.

Contributing to the volume are Ace Atkins, Lynne Barrett, James Lee Burke, Suzann Ellingsworth, Beth Ann Fennelly, Bill Fitzhugh, Tom Franklin, John Grisham, Carolyn Haines, Charlaine Harris, Suzanne Hudson, Alice Jackson, Dean James, Toni L.P. Kelner, Michael Lister, Daniel Martine, Mary Saums, David Sheffield, Nathan Singer, and Les Standiford.

From the introduction by Morgan Freeman:

This collection of short fiction captures both the art of the tale and the power of the blues, and is a nod at the human condition that often inspires musicians to write and sing the blues. These stories tell about bad men and bad women who sometimes do good—or sometimes follow their true nature. Some of these characters know all about the dangers of making a bargain with the devil. And some know the power of redemption. These are characters who would not be out of place in a Honeyboy Edwards tune, and would be right at home alongside the desolate wail of Clarksdale, Mississippi, native Son House.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The blues are at home anywhere, but the epicenter is Clarksdale, Miss., the setting for at least a third of the 19 original stories in this virtuoso crime anthology. Despite the common theme, this diverse volume ranges from Tom Franklin and Beth Ann Fennelly's What His Hands Had Been Waiting For, a memorably redemptive story set during the 1927 flood of the Mississippi, to John Grisham's long, haunting Fetching Raymond, in which members of a dysfunctional family trek to notorious Parchman Farm, the state penitentiary. James Lee Burke's Big Midnight Special is a powerful story about a Parchman Farm inmate driven too far. Several tales play off the legendary crossroads meeting of the devil and Robert Johnson, including Michael Lister's Death at the Crossroads, Charlaine Harris's Crossroads Bargain, and Daniel Martine's Kidd Diamond. Other contributors include Les Standiford, Ace Atkins, Nathan Singer, Dean James, and Haines. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Theme anthologies are common in the mystery genre, but here’s one that distinguishes itself from the crowd. Haines brings together not only stories set in the Delta region of the South but also stories that draw on the rich traditions of the Delta blues. Naturally, the iconic saga of Robert Johnson selling his soul at the Crossroads turns up (in Charlaine Harris’ “Crossroads Bargain”), but even without the supernatural, these tales are rich in gothic overtones and in themes common to the blues: love lost, found, and betrayed; the inevitability of heartbreak; and, of course, the sense that evil is lurking right outside the juke joint. Haines gathers an impressive group of authors, including James Lee Burke, John Grisham, and Ace Atkins, all of whom deliver solid stories, especially Burke, whose “Big Midnight Special” is one of several entries set in a prison. Perhaps the standout story, though, comes from editor Haines, who typically writes southern cozies but proves more than capable of working dark in “The Sugar Cure,” about a prison guard’s wife who isn’t going to take it anymore. --Bill Ott --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 392 pages
• Publisher: Tyrus Books (May 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1935562061
• ISBN-13: 978-1935562061
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #982,293 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Delta Blues- short stories, April 27, 2010

By 

southernwriter (st. petersburg, fl) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Delta Blues (Paperback)

Delta Blues
Edited by Carolyn Haines
(Tyrus Books, 2010)

James Lee Burke, John Grisham, Les Standiford, Beth Ann Fennelly, and more--a total of twenty of the best Southern writers--link music, crime, passion, the Blues and the Mississippi Delta in this remarkable new collection of short stories.

Whether playing out in modern-day Tunica's gambling casinos or traveling back in time to forge an unexpected connection to the assassination of President Kennedy, each story has been carefully chosen by the editor, Carolyn Haines, herself one of the contributors.

In Suzanne Hudson's "All the Way to Memphis," two unlikely characters set out on a road trip, stopping at Buck's Diner, a place where time has stopped. A lone waitress saunters to the table offering more tea, calling them honey and sugar and baby, her "blood red fingernails clicking against heavy glass."

The characters in Lynne Barrett's "Blues for Veneece" uncover, quite literally, a crime scene one family had hoped was buried forever. In another story, the wife of a captain of the Parchman State Penitentiary dreams of any life but the one she has.

In fact, most of the characters in these stories seem to dream of elsewhere, singing their own Blues tunes to the beat of an ordinary life.

Often played out against a backdrop of murder and misappropriation, the stories tell of second chances and new beginnings, lives wasted and more than a few rescued. Moonlit nights, shape shifting, concealed and un-concealed weapons make appearances, leaving readers with chills running up spines or hearts beating faster.

As if reading this collection for the pure enjoyment of the writing isn't enough, a portion of the sales will be donated to literacy efforts in the Delta. Well done, on many counts.

Augusta Scattergood

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars High quality short stories., May 27, 2010

By 

Mae Doe - See all my reviews

This review is from: Delta Blues (Paperback)

I love the story collections that I have read in the past that are supernatural themed (Charlaine Harris fan). However, those tend to be written in a different style. This collection of short stories really reminds me of high quality literature that you were required to read in college lit class. I really like the caliber of the writers, and they did not disappoint. This collection lives up to its name, and it really is all about the blues and blues fans/singers/musicians. There is a mystic element to it, which satisfies my need to buy it for the Charlaine Harris short story inside, which was great. It's a great book to curl up with and read from cover to cover if you can take the intensity in one sitting.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Delta Noir, May 10, 2011

By 

Always a Critic (Midwest) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Delta Blues (Paperback)

I love Amazon, but buy from bricks and mortar too (you really want one around for times when you can't wait for shipping) and picked this collection up a few months ago. It took me a while to get around to opening it, but now I can't put it down. As a noir/mystery/crime/music fan, I'm finding Delta Blues very, very enjoyable - if you love one or more of these categories, pick it up yourself. Now I need to go listen to some blues and eat something with pepper vinegar on it.