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Author David Fulmer is well known for his interesting take on mystery writing by combining his love of music with a well told tale. THE DYING CRAPSHOOTER’S BLUES is no exception. Indeed, the minor character Blind Willie McTell (who pens and performs the tune of the book’s title) is one of the most intriguing figures in the book. He is also one of the first figures on the scene when Little Jesse Williams is discovered, shot and left for dead by a white police officer. Joe Rose, a sometime jewel thief and ladies man, also arrives shortly thereafter. Meanwhile, across town, at one of the city’s premier Christmas gatherings at an Atlanta mansion, a jewel heist is going on, and Joe Rose becomes the prime suspect fingered by a corrupt police officer despised throughout the city and known to all as the Captain. As the pimp and gambler Little Jesse lies dying, his friend Joe Rose (once a police officer himself before he moved to the other side of the law) vows to find out who shot Little Jesse and why. However, with the Captain gunning for Joe for the jewel theft, it won’t be easy for Joe to determine what exactly is going on or who he can trust, including Pearl Spencer (a woman scorned with whom Joe has an on-again, off-again relationship). Fulmer has created an interesting portrait of Atlanta in the 1920s while giving his readers an adequate mystery to follow along. However, it is his characterization and setting that are the real reasons to read this book. From singers to gamblers to cops, Fulmer’s populated this novel with an interesting group of individuals and illustrates well the race relations of the time. Joe Rose is an odd character, part hero and part villain, neither black nor white, a man who operates on both sides of the law at the same time. This is the type of rich character development that makes the book worthwhile. It seems a shame then that Fulmer hasn’t quite developed a story worthy of those characters. Although there are the makings of a good mystery, it’s perhaps too easy for the reader to predict where things are headed and who the bad guy really is. There are sections of the book that seem to let the reader down, like the incomplete story and behavior of the Captain’s wife, where it seems that Fulmer could have used the potential of his plotting to much better ends. In the end, it’s hard to know whether to recommend this book or not; for those who love music and enjoy some unlikely characters, this book may be just the thing. For those who thrive on a strong plot, it is likely to leave the reader disappointed. As a Shamus Award winner, it is clear that Fulmer can write well, but it’s also likely that THE DYING CRAPSHOOTER’S BLUES isn’t his best effort.
Reviewed by Christine Zibas, December 2007
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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