Nancy Jacobs

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Ace Atkins

(b.1970)

A former journalist who cut his teeth as a crime reporter in the newsroom of The Tampa Tribune, Ace Atkins published his first novel, Crossroad Blues, at 27 and became a full-time novelist at 30.

While at the Tribune, Ace earned a Pulitzer Prize nomination for a feature series based on his investigation into a forgotten murder of the 1950s. The story became the core of his critically acclaimed novel, White Shadow, which earned raves from noted authors and critics.

Atkins, lives on a historic farm outside Oxford, Mississippi with his family.

Genres: Mystery

New and upcoming books

April 2025

Kudzu
(Quinn Colson)

December 2025

Everybody Wants to Rule the World

Series

Nick Travers Mystery
   1. Crossroad Blues (1998)
   2. Leavin' Trunk Blues (2000)
   3. Dark End of the Street (2002)
   4. Dirty South (2004)
   4.5. Last Fair Deal Gone Down (2012)

Quinn Colson
   1. The Ranger (2011)
   2. The Lost Ones (2012)
   3. The Broken Places (2013)
   4. The Forsaken (2014)
   5. The Redeemers (2015)
   6. The Innocents (2016)
   7. The Fallen (2017)
   8. The Sinners (2018)
   9. The Shameless (2019)
   10. The Revelators (2020)
   11. The Heathens (2021)
   Kudzu (2025)

Novels

   White Shadow (2006)
   Wicked City (2008)
   Devil's Garden (2009)
   Infamous (2010)
   Don't Let the Devil Ride (2024)
   Everybody Wants to Rule the World (2025)

Series contributed to

Spenser
   40. Lullaby (2012)
   41. Wonderland (2013)
     aka Spenser Confidential
   42. Cheap Shot (2014)
   43. Kickback (2015)
   44. Slow Burn (2016)
   45. Little White Lies (2017)
   46. Old Black Magic (2018)
   47. Angel Eyes (2019)
   48. Someone to Watch Over Me (2021)
   49. Bye Bye Baby (2022)

Amazon Original Stories
The Havana Run (2024)

Books containing stories by Ace Atkins

The Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2024 (2024)
(Best Mystery Stories of the Year, book 4)
edited by
Anthony Horowitz and Otto Penzler

Birds of Prey (2022)
The Harlan Coben Challenge
edited by
C J Box and Harlan Coben

Tampa Bay Noir (2020)
(Akashic Noir)
edited by
Colette Bancroft

More books

Award nominations

	2013 Shamus Award for Best PI Novel (nominee) : Lullaby
	2013 Edgar Award for Best Novel (nominee) : The Lost Ones
	2012 Edgar Award for Best Novel (nominee) : The Ranger
	2010 Macavity Award for Best Mystery Short Story (nominee) : Last Fair Deal Gone Down
	2010 Edgar Award for Best Short Story (nominee) : Last Fair Deal Gone Down
	2010 Anthony Award for Best Short Story (nominee) : Last Fair Deal Gone Down
	2007 Barry Award for Best Novel (nominee) : White Shadow

Ace Atkins recommends

Saint of the Narrows Street (2025)
William Boyle
"You don't read a William Boyle novel as much as you inhabit his intricately drawn world. Saint of the Narrows Street is on par with the best of Pete Dexter, Richard Price, and William Kennedy. This is a tour de force, knockout book; an immediate classic that will stay with you long after you finish the last perfect chapter."

Lake County (2024)
Lori Roy
"Lake County is an irresistible slice of Florida noir fashioned of great American mythmaking. James M. Cain meets Harper Lee. The story excels as both an exciting crime novel and a fine example of Southern literature."

Holy City (2024)
Henry Wise
"Holy City is a hell of an impressive debut by a great new voice in crime fiction. Henry Wise balances a bold literary voice with authentic storytelling in the kind of gritty Southern thriller that's right down my alley. From page one, you'll be absolutely hooked into this evocative world."

Malibu Burning (2023)
(Sharpe & Walker, book 1)
Lee Goldberg
"An inventive, twisty, and funny caper from one of crime writing's true pros. Elmore Leonard and Donald Westlake would've loved this wild heist."

The Stolen Coast (2023)
Dwyer Murphy
"The morally ambiguous rogues, con artists, and thieves of The Stolen Coast would've most surely brought a smile to the late, great George V. Higgins. There is so much to love here, including a setting that reminded me of the broken coastal towns with dark, dirty secrets that Robert B. Parker often wrote about. This is a terrific, atmospheric crime novel by a writer with a deep love and appreciation of the form."

The Good Ones (2023)
Polly Stewart
"Sharp, smart and often sexy, The Good Ones is a knockout. Lauren Ballard's disappearance may be the core of this story, but it's the many raw secrets of Tyndall County that make this novel unique, clever, and compelling."

The Sweet Goodbye (2022)
(Danny Barrett, book 1)
Ron Corbett
"Small town secrets and big time corruption. The Sweet Goodbye is a throwback to the days of moody, flawed heroes and fun, complex bad guys. Compelling classic noir that plays out in a forgotten America."

Don't Know Tough (2022)
Eli Cranor
"Eli Cranor knows the underbelly of Friday night lights in this stunning debut that bleeds authenticity and raw emotion. This young author is a new voice of the South to watch."

The Fields (2022)
(Riley Fisher, book 1)
Erin Young
"Fast, smart and authentic. Riley Fisher is a bold new character on the crime scene, grounding this eerie and engaging thriller. The Fields is one of the best procedurals I've read in a good long while."

Hello, Transcriber (2021)
(Black Harbor, book 1)
Hannah Morrissey
"An edgy and haunting crime novel with a complex and world-weary heroine at the center. Hannah Morrissey writes with passion, razor-edged prose, and most importantly, authenticy. A former police transcriber herself, she knows the cops and criminals and those who bridge the worlds between. No doubt destined to become one of this year's best debuts."

No Badge Required (2021)
(Jake Morgan, book 2)
W L Ripley
"Tough, exciting, with a tricky mystery at its core."

Graveyard Fields (2021)
(Graveyard Field Mystery, book 1)
Steven Tingle
"Lovely North Carolina scenery, plenty of good beer and classic rock 'n roll, and a hell of a fun and clever mystery to follow, Graveyard Fields is right down my alley. If you don't have a blast reading this book, I really can't help you."

Godspeed (2021)
Nickolas Butler
"A fast-moving, highly addictive novel of ambition, obsession, and long-festering dreams of the haves and have nots. I loved this book from start to finish and marveled at the expert construction and storytelling."

The Vow (2020)
(Black Lotus , book 2)
K'wan
"Like a cool, hip, and fun evening at a vintage drive-in, Black Lotus 2: The Vow takes me back to a time when Jim Kelly, Pam Grier, and Fred Williamson graced the big screen. Throw in some Bruce Lee and a little The Last Dragon and you have a hell of a butt-kicking, action-filled ride."

The Cabin on Souder Hill (2020)
Lonnie Busch
"Like an episode of The Twilight Zone set in the Appalachians, Lonnie Busch delivers an exciting, surreal, and mind-bending mystery. Michelle Stage's tumble down the mountain and into a different reality is a haunting trip that I couldn't put down. The perfect summer read."

Of Mice and Minestrone (2020)
(Hap and Leonard Collections)
Joe R Lansdale
"An absolute treasure trove for Hap and Leonard fans. Going back to the beginning only deepens our love and appreciation for these guys. This collection proves once again why Joe Lansdale is one of our very best."

That Left Turn at Albuquerque (2020)
Scott Phillips
"A hilarious, twisty, dark, and profane romp deep into a modern noir world. The people in a Scott Phillips novel are so damn authentic, they remind me of folks I met while covering the crime beat. Phillips proves once again why he's one of the best crime writers out there."

Bearskin (2018)
James A McLaughlin
"An intricately written thriller."

Country Dark (2018)
Chris Offutt
"A lean, mean meditation on family, boundaries, and what a good man will do to protect the ones he loves. In this blood-and whiskey-soaked landscape, I'm reminded of both Faulkner and Steve Earle. A morality tale where grit and heart hold equal weight."

The Fighter (2018)
Michael Farris Smith
"One of those wonderful and rare books that's both a page turner and a novel of great depth and emotion. The Fighter is Southern Noir at its finest."

Gone to Dust (2017)
(Nils Shapiro, book 1)
Matt Goldman
"Goldman brings the heat with a moody and wry Midwest elegy. A modern, clever voice in these most cynical of times."

Dangerous Ends (2017)
(Pete Fernandez, book 3)
Alex Segura
"A real throwback to the kind of books I love. Segura captures the spirit of modern Miami with itscomplicated past and conflicted present. Pete Fernandez is the perfecthero to walk the mean streets of both worlds."

Knottspeed (2017)
Jeff Johnson
"As hip and cool as the neon rain-slicked streets of Portland. Darby Holland is a modern hero in the mold of Sam Spade and Marlowe only with more tattoos and in steel-toed boots. A funny and very gritty book with cool folks, cool music, and wonderful sense of place."

The Far Empty (2016)
(Sheriff Chris Cherry, book 1)
J Todd Scott
"A haunting, gritty novel of modern Texas that brings to mind John Sayles's seminal film, "Lone Star." As a real-life federal lawman, Scott not only knows the battered terrain but the wounded people who call it home. I loved the authenticity of this forgotten wasteland and the last breaths of the Code of the West."

Murder at the 42nd Street Library (2016)
(42nd Street Library Mystery, book 1)
Con Lehane
"Raymond Ambler is the perfect character to show off Con Lehane's deep love and almost Encyclopedic knowledge of crime fiction. The New York City librarian truly knows both his fictional and real mean streets. I'm looking forward to seeing where Lehane takes Ambler next."

Where All Light Tends to Go (2015)
David Joy
"Where All Light Tends to Go is deeply rooted in place, written in an assured, authentic voice. David Joy manages to be both lyrical and gritty, loving and horrifyingly violent, funny and grim. His picture of modern Appalachia is rich and evocative, with bold storytelling not often seen in a first novel. This book is an amazing start to a career that could make Joy the Larry Brown of the Appalachians."

The Boy Who Shoots Crows (2011)
Randall Silvis
"Gripping, heartbreaking... a most impressive achievement."

The Big Goodbye (2011)
(Soldier , book 1)
Michael Lister
"Tough and violent with snappy dialogue, great atmosphere, and beautiful women with hidden agendas. A suspenseful, romantic, historic ride."

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