Crossroad Blues (Nick Travers Book 1): 25th Anniversary Edition Paperback – 21 April 2023

I read a paperback copy of this book quite a few years back and rated it three stars. If I’m honest I can’t remember too much about that experience. So much so that I honestly didn’t realise I’d already taken one run through this tale when I sought out the opportunity to listen to this audio version.The first thing that struck me was just how brilliantly it was narrated by Dion Graham. He has a voice I could listen to all day, with the ability to vary pitch and timbre to represent a whole range of characters. The story itself is woven around the fact that unpublished recordings of the legendary blues musician Robert Johnson might have surfaced deep in the Mississippi Delta. It seems that a number of colourful characters are seeking out this priceless treasure and they’re joined by ex-pro football player Nick Travers, whose adventure we are to follow.Set largely in the Delta (the place Johnson actually met his mysterious death) and Southern Louisiana, this is a busy, pacey and atmospheric tale. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, but I do think a good portion of this was down to the silky skills of the narrator. Great job, Dion.