The City Blues Quartet is a series of novels plotting the intertwined history of Jazz and the Mob through six decades in the 20th century.
I’ve written two of the books so far (links below), with the final two on their way.
In an Oulipo-inspired writing constraint, each of the four parts will be based around a different city, decade, season, weather, song and theme. These (excluding the theme) are outlined below…
| Book | City | Decade | Season | Weather | Song |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Axeman's Jazz | New Orleans | 1910s | Spring | Rain | The Mysterious Axeman's Jazz by Joseph John Davilla |
| Dead Man's Blues | Chicago | 1920s | Summer | Sunshine | West End Blues by Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five |
| The Mobster's Lament | New York | 1940s | Autumn | Snow | Relaxin' At Camarillo by Charlie Parker |
| ? | Los Angeles? | ? | Winter | ? | ? |
Winner of the CWA John Creasey Dagger for Best Debut Crime Novel of the Year — Winner of the Swedish Crime Writers’ Academy Best Crime Novel of the Year Translated into Swedish — The Independent Newspaper Crime Book of the Year — Shortlisted for the Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year Award — Shortlisted for […] Winner of the Historia Magazine Best Historical Crime Thriller of the Year — The Daily Mail Books of The Year — Shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger for Best Crime Novel of The Year — Finalist for the Académie du Jazz’s Prix Du Meilleur Livre De Jazz — Shortlisted for the Swedish Crime Writers’ Academy Best […]The Axeman’s Jazz
Dead Man’s Blues
