Murder At The Crossroads

by Debra B. Schiff & Doug MacLeod

A brief review by Johnny T. Petersen, November 2024.

“The dead cannot cry out for justice.

It is a duty of the living to do so for them.”

• Lois McMaster Bujold

Well, that little poem is really the only foreword that is needed as it clearly reflects the heart of this – in my humble opinion – excellent little mystery book. At the end, one wishes for it to continue….

The author, Debra B. Schiff has published a few mystery books before, so she knows how to build up a tensity in the tale. The bluesman Doug MacLeod contributes with the color of the music world, gathered from a 50+ years of being a pro in acoustic blues. It is a tale of how a modern-day blues guitarist is forced back to some dreadful events that took place in his youth when he is returning to his native village in the Mississippi. 

The story begins with relating the hard and often poor life of a local musician who didn’t “make it”. But, alas, it ends in joy and good feeling.

The title as well as the cited verse leads back to the well-known story of blues legend Robert Johnson, who is said to have met the devil at the crossroads and gave his heart in exchange for becoming an excellent guitar player and in who’s shadow, although it’s not mentioned, the young man grows up.

We can highly recommend this book to anyone with either an interest in the blues or in crime stories. It’s sold by Amazon, among others.