Tishomingo Blues: A Novel

“Leonard delivers a certifiable masterpiece of such twisted ingenuity that he transcends even his own bad self….Tishomingo Blues is that good.”

—Baltimore Sun

Crime fiction Grand Master Elmore Leonard heads to the Deep South for a bracing dose of Tishomingo Blues—a wild, Leonard-esque ride featuring gamblers, mobsters, murderers, high divers, and Civil War re-enactors that the New York Times Book Review calls, “Leonard’s best work since Get Shorty.” Sparkling with trademark “Dutch” Leonard dialogue so sharp it could cut you, Tishomingo Blues is classic mystery, mayhem, and gritty noir fun from “the coolest, hottest thriller writer in America” (Chicago Tribune).

Daredevil Dennis Lenahan has brought his act to the Tishomingo Lodge & Casino in Tunica, Mississippi—diving off an eighty-foot ladder into nine feet of water for the amusement of gamblers, gangsters, and luscious belles. His riskiest feat, however, was witnessing a Dixie-style mob execution while atop his diving platform. Robert Taylor saw the hit also. A blues-loving Detroit hustler touring the Southland in a black Jaguar, Taylor's got his own secret agenda re the "Cornbread Cosa Nostra," and he wants Dennis in on the game. But there's a lot more in Robert Taylor's pocket than a photo of his lynched great-grandfather. And high-diver Dennis could be about to take a long, fatal fall—right into a mess of hoop skirts, Civil War playacting . . . and more trouble than he ever dreamed possible.

“God bless Elmore Leonard. Grade: A.” - Entertainment Weekly

“America’s greatest crime writer.” - Newsweek

“Pure reading pleasure.” - Playboy

“Elmore Leonard . . . has been imitated by many but remains the original.” - Wall Street Journal

“The coolest, hottest thriller writer in America.” - Chicago Tribune

“Typical Elmore Leonard. Who could ask for anything more?” - Los Angeles Times

“Leonard says Tishomingo Blues is his favorite of all the books he’s written. Amen, brother. The bestseller lists should be singing these blues for quite some time. - New Orleans Times-Picayune

“Only Leonard could pull off such a tale, straddling the profane and the profound.” - Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Funny and fast–moving.” - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette