Blues Highway Blues by Eyre Price
[Las Vegas, NV]; Thomas & Mercer [2012]
978-1612183534; $11.95
Daniel Erickson has lost his way in more ways than one. His wife has divorced him for their son’s former girlfriend’s brother, taking him to the cleaners financially. He is estranged from his son, Zack, a wannabe musician, and his career in the music business in on a precarious downhill slide. His gorgeous house above the ocean in Malibu is on the market. And he’s attempted suicide unsuccessfully. As we meet him, he is being dangled over the edge of a penthouse balcony 65 stories up in Las Vegas by the large economy sized enforcer of a Russian Mafioso, who is demanding he pay up.
He realizes that he still has a cool million stashed in his Malibu home safe, along with a handgun. He could take out the big thug, Moog, and the little thug, Rabidoso, in the same sweep and be home free, still with the cash, and able to keep himself from the all-seeing eyes of Filat Preezrakevich. No problem. He offers cash to the greedy Russian, and the need for him to stay alive to get it – because the safe is voice-activated. The Russian gives him 24 hours to get to Malibu and return, and off they go. It is not a pleasant drive. The 2 bad guys bicker a lot, and Rabidoso keeps mentally honing his knife – he is obviously a little crazy.
When they get to Malibu, Daniel discovers a shock awaiting him. The safe is empty – except for the Ruger he’d locked away as suicide prevention, and a jewel case holding a CD by an unknown band called Dockery Plantation. He’s too slow on the uptake to get the gun out, but he does take the CD and jump off of his balcony, where he rolls and rolls on down to the Pacific Coast Highway. There he causes a snarl in traffic and hijacks a man’s Lotus, which he drives to his ex-wife’s house, where he talks to his ex and her live-in boy toy, Randy. He borrows their Kia, since Randy needs the Escalade and Connie needs the Jag. He takes off, to find out where his money has gone and why he was left with “The Blues Highway Blues,” which he has listened to on the way over.
He doesn’t know it, but the two bad guys are just a few steps behind him. When they get to Connie’s, she’s gone and only Randy is there. They assume that Randy is Daniel’s kid, and, when Moog goes out to get food, Rapidoso kills him gruesomely and playfully. They decide to follow Daniel and see where he is going.
Daniel realizes that the song is sending him to find answers. There is no satisfaction at Graceland, and he realizes that the first place to look is the legendary crossroads, where Robert Johnson was supposed to have sold his soul. This sends him to Highway 61, the Blues Highway, which connects the Mississippi Delta with the greater world of Memphis, Nashville, and Chicago. The name of the musical group is the name of the place Charlie Patton called home. The crossroads is close by, where Daniel gets the next installment of the song from a strange character, who just happens by and calls himself Mr. Atibon. He joins Daniel in his drive to New Orleans. There they encounter Moog and Rapidoso, but manage to get away. They also have a conversation about “Today music,” which turns out to be a major learning for Daniel, although he doesn’t know it yet.
Next stop: Memphis, then Nashville, and then Chicago. Daniel has adventures on his, while the other two are trying to find him. On the south side of Chicago, they run into each other, quite literally, while Daniel is escaping the law, which is just one step behind him after Memphis. Together they visit Detroit and Cleveland. The next destination is Philadelphia, where Daniel is separated from the other two and meets a former punk rocker. Then he goes to New York, where he sees a photo of the complete band Dockery Plantation, and he recognizes one of the players. They have one more concert, in Seattle. He has to get to Seattle.
Redemption happens in Seattle, until Moog and Rapidoso show up. Their arrival creates several fights, including one in which Moog puts down the Mexican, whom they leave there. They return to see the Russian in Vegas. Daniel has acquired some money to repay him, but he still wants his pound of flesh. He has enforcers from the New Orleans motorcycle gang, who are delighted to mix it up with our guys, as they have been doing ever since the Crescent City. Rapidoso, left for dead, comes in with Zack, whom he is looking forward to taking apart. But Daniel has learned lessons on the road. He imparts them to all, but the only one who understands is Moog, who has had some epiphanies of his own. The bad guys are killed. Zack gets away. The Feds, who have been tracking them, get to pick up the pieces, and Daniel and Moog start a beautiful relationship. In the Blues Highway Blues lies redemption. A most surprising book. Highly recommended. ~lss-r
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Library book.
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