The Dying Crapshooter’s Blues

Murder and music in 1920s Atlanta

Down a dark alley, a shot rings out and gambler Little Jesse Williams is left for dead. On the same night, a holiday party at one of the most prestigious homes in Atlanta is interrupted by the theft of a cache of jewelry.

It so happens that Joe Rose, a slick thief and rounder, has just arrived in the city and so suspicion of the theft points to him and to Pearl Spencer, his lovely sometime-paramour and a fair bandit in her own right.

Joe and Pearl do their best to dodge “The Captain,” a brutal police officer who has tagged them for the crime. At the same time, Joe begins digging into the shooting of Jesse, who now lies on his dying bed. Along with these characters are Daniel Collins, a straight-arrow policeman, Pearl’s ex-con brother Sweet, and music legend Blind Willie McTell, who keeps vigil at Jesse’s side as he fades away and writes a song in his memory: “The Dying Crapshooter’s Blues.”

It’s all set in a raucous 1921 Atlanta as it begins its rise as the busiest and one of the most corrupt cities in the South.

The novel was originally published in 2007 to superlative reviews. Paste gave it “Four Stars,” while Crime Spree said, “Fulmer brings us a novel dripping with detail, environment, and character.” Booklist called it, “Rich in historical detail, infused with atmosphere, suspenseful and action-packed.”  Finally, The Washington Post said: “The novel is distinguished by a level of detail that makes a vanished world live again.”