It's Chicago in the 1920's complete with the King of prohibition-era Chicago, Al Capone, and jazz great Louis Armstrong. Dead man's Blues is the second of four planned jazz- inspired mobster stories each set in a different U.S. city. The author, Ray Celestin, does an incredibly great job of catching the era and offering dense multi-layered characters from the pair of Pinkertons relocated from New Orleans, to mob fixer Dante who served his family poisoned alcohol - a common problem in backyard brewing prohibition time - and carried his guilt with him every step he takes, to the syphilis infected madman Capone. The story is told from several different points of view - that of the Pinkertons investigating a missing heiress, that of Dante the fixer ordered back to Chicago to find out who poisoned a political banquet, to that of Jacob police and news photographer hobbled by a bum foot. The Chicago illustrated here is complex and runs the gamet. This book is far more than just another gangster novel - although those are fun too. There is just so much here - so well researched - and so much depth and color too. Terrific work! Many thanks to Pegasus Books for providing a copy of the book for review.