Ace Atkins

Ace Atkins

Ace Atkins at a reading in Natick, Massachusetts in 2013
Born (1970-06-28) June 28, 1970
Occupation Novelist
Language English
Nationality United States
Genre Crime fiction, mystery

Ace Atkins (born June 28, 1970) [1] is an American journalist and author. Atkins worked as a crime reporter in the newsroom of The Tampa Tribune before he published his first novel, Crossroad Blues, in 1998. He became a full-time novelist at the age of 30.

Career

While at the Tribune, Atkins earned a Pulitzer Prize nomination for a feature series based on his investigation into a forgotten murder of the 1950s.[2] The story became the core of his critically acclaimed novel, White Shadow, which was commented on positively by noted authors and critics. In his next novels, Wicked City and Devil’s Garden, Atkins continued this kind of story-telling, a style that was compared to that of Dennis Lehane and George Pelecanos.[2]

Devil’s Garden, Wicked City, and White Shadow are personal books for Atkins, all set in his former homes: San Francisco, where he lived as a child; Alabama, his family’s home and where he was born and went to college; and Tampa, where he embarked on his career as a writer. Each novel contains bits of himself – friends and colleagues he once knew, people he respected or admired, family members, and personal heroes. In Devil’s Garden, Atkins explores the early life of one of those heroes: Dashiell Hammett, the originator of the hard-boiled crime novel. As a Pinkerton Agency detective, Hammett investigated the rape and manslaughter case against early Hollywood star Roscoe Arbuckle, one of the most sensational trials of the 20th Century.[2] Atkins' 2010 novel Infamous is based on the 1933 Charles Urschel kidnapping and subsequent misadventures of the gangster spouses George "Machine Gun" and Kathryn Kelly.

In 2011 Atkins was selected by the estate of Robert B. Parker to take over writing the Spenser series of novels.[3]

Atkins lives on a historic farm outside Oxford, Mississippi with his family. He graduated from Auburn University in 1994 and lettered for the Auburn University football team in 1992 and 1993.[4] He was featured on the Sports Illustrated cover commemorating the Tigers' perfect 11-0 season of 1993. The cover shows Atkins celebrating after sacking future Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel of the Florida Gators. Atkins wore number 99 for the Tigers.

Novels

Nick Travers

  1. Crossroad Blues (1998)
  2. Leavin' Trunk Blues (2000)
  3. Dark End of the Street (2002)
  4. Dirty South (2004)

Quinn Colson

  1. The Ranger (2011)[5][6][7][8]
  2. The Lost Ones (2012)[9][10]
  3. Broken Places (2013)[11]
  4. The Forsaken (2014)[12]
  5. The Redeemers (2015)[13]

Robert B. Parker's Spenser

Stand Alone Novels

References

  1. ↑ http://www.aceatkins.com/About/QuickFacts.html
  2. 1 2 3 DeSilva, Bruce (April 20, 2009). "'Devil's Garden' is a remarkable book". Associated Press. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  3. ↑ "Parker's series live on" by Mark Shanahan & Meredith Goldstein, Boston Globe April 28, 2011
  4. ↑ Barnes, Brad (April 14, 2008). "A Q and A with author Ace Atkins". Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
  5. ↑ Anderson, Patrick. "Review of Ace Atkins’s ‘The Ranger’". Washington Post. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  6. ↑ MARTINDALE, DAVID. "Author interview: Ace Atkins talks about ‘The Ranger’". Dallas News. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  7. ↑ Kardos, Michael. "Book review: ‘The Forsaken’ by Ace Atkins". Clarion Ledger. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  8. ↑ Gill, Leonard. "Summer Book Roundup". Memphis Magazine. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  9. ↑ Weaver, Kendal. "Book review: Second Quinn Colson novel features romance, dark family secret". News Sentinel. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  10. ↑ Bancroft, Colette. "Review: Ace Atkins' 'The Lost Ones' has Quinn Colson searching on the mean streets". Tampa Bay. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  11. ↑ Noble, Don. "Books:The Broken Places: A Quinn Colson Novel and Robert B. Parker’s Wonderland". APR. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  12. ↑ Anderson, Lanie. "Atkins pens new novel, signs Wednesday". Oxford Citizen. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  13. ↑ "Review: ‘The Redeemers’ by Ace Atkins". October Country. Retrieved 2 August 2015.

External link


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