Dixie Noir (Five Star First Edition Mystery) [Hardcover]

Kirk Curnutt (Author)

Book Description

Series: Five Star First Edition Mystery | Publication Date: December 2009

Five Star Mysteries are standard print, first editions from award-winning authors as well as up-and-coming authors of the Mystery genre. These hardcover first editions will consist of new novels and short story collections plus novels that have been restored from original typescripts.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

College football star Ennis Skinner, whose reckless love affair with a drug addict, Alice Faye James, ruined his gridiron career, hopes for another shot at happiness in literary critic Curnutt's dark crime drama set in Montgomery, Ala. After Ennis, the son of a white civil rights hero, serves a 10-year prison sentence for drug dealing, High C, a former meth king who now peddles books like The Hit Man Handbook on the Web, asks Ennis to locate his missing, mentally challenged 19-year-old daughter, Dixie, whose mother was the now deceased Faye. Adding heat is the Montgomery mayoral race between white incumbent Amory Justice and African-American Walk Compson, who may have a link to Dixie. The author sensitively explores still simmering racial tensions in the South and inserts a lovely tribute to Zelda Fitzgerald, but a murky ending and an unconvincing twist to do with Dixie dissatisfy. This is Curnutt's second novel after Breathing Out the Ghost (2008). (Nov.)
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 291 pages
• Publisher: Five Star (ME) (December 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159414821X
• ISBN-13: 978-1594148217
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,373,438 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kirk Curnutt's first novel, Breathing Out the Ghost, was named Best Fiction in the Indiana Center for the Book's 2008 Best Books of Indiana Competition. It also won a bronze IPPY from the Independent Publishers Association and was a finalist for ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year Awards. Among his other eleven books are the thriller Dixie Noir (2009; also a ForeWord finalist); Coffee with Hemingway (2007), an entry in Duncan Baird's series of imaginary conversations with great historical figures; and the story collection, Baby, Let's Make a Baby (2003). Forthcoming in late 2011 is Icons of Pop: Brian Wilson, a study of the Beach Boys mastermind from Equinox/Indiana University Press. The winner of the gold medal in nonfiction writing in the 2008 William Faulkner-William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition sponsored by the Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society, Curnutt was previously awarded three consecutive Hackney Awards for short-story writing (2004-2006) and is past finalist for the Peter Taylor Prize/Tennessee Book Award. A passionate devotee of all things F. Scott Fitzgerald, he is vice-president of the International F. Scott Fitzgerald Society, managing editor of The F. Scott Fitzgerald Review, and a board member of the Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum in Montgomery. His website is www.kirkcurnutt.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent writing!, December 23, 2011

By 

L. Dennis (Millbrook AL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dixie Noir (Kindle Edition)

I would highly recommend this book. It has all kinds of twists and turns to hold the reader's interest throughout the book. The details about Montgomery, Alabama and its historic roots intertwined with the plot truly makes this a must read. Very good weekend reading material!

5.0 out of 5 stars Not a gimmick!, November 4, 2011

By 

Katherine "reader for the joy of reading" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dixie Noir (Kindle Edition)

Read this novel for the hard boiled southern story. The interactive is cool, I guess, but the writing and story are engaging. I was expecting cheesiness bc of the " interactive" concept, but I was happily surprised. It's been a long time since I've read something that I felt was worth praising on amazon.....

5.0 out of 5 stars Interactive Tourism Novel, June 1, 2011

By 

Patrick Brian Miller (Alabama) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dixie Noir (Kindle Edition)

At the end of this Kindle novel, readers can click on the author's website and browse the websites of the real places in the story, including the El Rey Lounge and F. Scott Fitzgerald Museum. This makes Dixie Noir one of the only interactive Kindle tourism novels on the market because it is set in real places and provides readers (through the Links section of the author's website) a place to learn about how to visit those real places.

The antogonist, High C, makes this story worthwhile. The character Red has one of the sexiest tattoos I've ever heard described, but you'll have to read to see what I mean--well worth it!