Fans of Burke's other Robicheaux novels will want to read this one as well. Other than that, there's not much to recommend this one. The story is a bit stale and his writing has gotten repetitive. His too frequent use of over the top metaphors and similes take the reader out of the novel. There's certainly something to be said for familiarity and beloved characters with repeating styles & mannerisms, but maybe it's time for a new editor to take a look at Burke's writing with fresh eyes and recommend some changes. Not awful, but just ho-hum.

This is the 21st book in this series, revolving around Dave Robicheaux, a man haunted by his past, by his time in Vietnam, his battle with his demons leading him to alcohol in the past, and sometimes still he strays from his promise of sobriety. As a detective in Louisiana, he is also surrounded, involved in the seedier side of life, it wears on him, making it harder for him to win his battle against the demons of his past that haunt him.

I have only read one other book by James Lee Burke, ‘The Jealous Kind,’ which is not part of this series, putting me at somewhat of a disadvantage in being as familiar with this character as those others who have read the 20 books that precede this one – but I still really enjoyed this. Burke falls into the category of natural born storytellers, with a gift of showing the many sides of life in Louisiana, from the social climate in an area still hurting economically and haunted by Katrina, from New Orleans to the lesser known towns and remote areas, Louisiana is culturally rich in a spiritual and historic sense even where poverty reigns, maybe even more so there.

It’s here in this place where the land and people seem to accept the ghosts of the past as well as the present, with a handful of less-than-completely honest politicians and a few slightly corrupt members of law enforcement. Nobody’s perfect, right? Add a touch of Hollywood to the scene, with a movie being made which may include some rather nefarious types, and one unforgettable character named Smiley.

This falls into the mystery / crime fiction category, which is really not high on my list of types of books I’m drawn to, but I love the characters Burke creates, they are all so perfectly imperfect, and Dave Robicheaux, especially, is a character that is easy to be drawn to. He’s a wonderfully complex character, a recovering alcoholic who gives of himself to those he loves – family, friends, and others who are also broken inside, filled with guilt and a deep feeling of shame and disgrace over his failures. Between Robicheaux and the setting, all of the additional characters, I loved this literary ride through one of my favourite places.


Pub Date: 02 Jan 2018

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Simon & Schuster

What can I say about a Burke novel that hasn’t been said before? Dave is getting older, mostly staying sober. Molly is dead and life is just not quite the same as it was in the past. The most common denominator, Clete, is even mellowing out somewhat. The plot is complex and full of the Southern way of life we have all come to expect. The characters are like no others we have come across in most of today’s fiction. People are being abused and murdered and Dave is working at learning who and why and incidentally hoping to arrest the culprit or culprits. Once again, Burke makes the reader feel like they are in the Bayous looking over Dave’s shoulder while he extends his kind of Justice. Great reading. Thanks to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster for an ARC for an honest review.

Probably the less said from me the better.     Having heard so many great things about Dave Robicheaux and really wanting to read JLB I can finally tick this one off the list.    Disappointed is probably an apt word to describe my reaction to this reading experience.     Disappointed because I fancied myself belonging to the millions of Robicheaux fans.   Disappointed that I didn't start at the beginning of the series, fall under his spell and follow his story in sequence.     Disappointed to realise that despite JLB's obviously great story telling ability this book just wasn't for me.     Perhaps it was the amount of violence, or the abundance of tough and somewhat impaired charaters but I cannot truthfully say I enjoyed this one.   Disappointed to have to post what is bound to be a highly unpopular, ungainst the trend review.    However, I'm still thankful for the opportunity of reading this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, a big thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read this before it came out. That was a real treat. I have been a big fan of the Robicheaux books for some time now. Literary and poetic as is all of Burke's writing, there is no flinching when it comes to grit. And this installment has grit, and violence and a well constructed plot that holds it all together. Smaller and newer characters are three dimensional and seem to resonate with a life beyond the page, and as for the back drop of Louisiana, she is truly a stellar performer. Burke knows how to weave a crime novel and yet adds depth, and layer after layer of nuance to it, making all of his writing stand far beyond the genre.

Dave Robicheaux Has many things he is dealing with in his life now and from the past. He works hard to stay away from the alcohol, still dealing with the death of his wife, Molly and then there are the nightmares of Vietnam. He wants to do his job with as honesty that is admirable with all going on around him. As the bodies stack up can they find who is doing the deed. Every time he gets close another body shows up. His daughter, Alafair getting involved in the movies making in the area is not good either. Who is being honest with him and who isn't. Then there is his buddy, Clete and making sure he is keeping out of trouble. Many twists and turns to get to the end of the story but well worth the trip.

There's so much to admire about any James Lee Burke novel: exquisitely poetic prose, deeply drawn characters, precise and evocative details about the landscape, crackling good dialogue, and labyrinthine plots that twist and turn and somehow come together in a satisfying fashion. The fact that Burke has continued to write about his most famous creations, Dave Robicheaux and Clete Purcell, for the length of this now 21-book series without the characters growing stale is the mark of genius. In the latest, simply title ROBICHEAUX, we find Dave battling a number of demons. He's contending with the sudden death of his wife, Molly, plus recurrent nightmares of his time in Vietnam, and a reemerging taste of the whiskey and such that has kept him in AA meetings throughout most of the series. Add to that stew a homicide investigation, of which Dave himself is a prime suspect, and you have the makings of an early best of the year contender for 2018. This is a gritty literary thriller replete with an assortment of characters you will love and hate. There's a possibly bent politician, Jimmy Nightingale; Mafioso and aspiring filmmaker, Fat Tony Nemo; novelist Levon Broussard and his unsettled wife, Rowena; and a shambling but very competent hired killer named Smiley. I won't bother with explaining how all of these characters link together, but trust that they do in Burke's cleverly plotted novel. I have to say it again, for emphasis: Burke is a genius. And you'll be blessed to hitch a ride for this literary tour de force when it becomes available in January 2018. (Thank you to Netgalley for the read. This is my unpaid, unbiased opinion of the novel)

Robicheaux by James Lee Burke
Robicheaux (Dave Robicheaux, #21)
by James Lee Burke
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Lou Jacobs's review
Nov 20, 2017 · edit

it was amazing

A master storytellers' Tour De Force. James Lee Burke signature character Dave Robicheaux returns for his 21st investigation ... I've enjoyed each outing since the beginning in "The Neon Rain" ....
reprising their roles as anchoring Dave to the "real world" are his adopted daughter: Alafair ... his close and personal quirky friend: Clete Purcel and lastly his bisexual boss: Sheriff Helen Soileau.
Through Burke's marvelous run-on sentences the mood and imagery of the tale emerges. As the story advances through a twisted complex of circuitous events , Robicheaux struggles with his sobriety and inner demons of morality. He experiences his recurrent nightmares of not only Vietnam, but also the richly textured history of the Civil War and antebellum South.
Dave braces the driver responsible for the death of his beloved wife, Molly. And, soon thereafter is involved in the investigation of the same rogue ..... wondering, if somehow, he is actually the culprit...with his memory addled by an alcoholic fugue.
A cast of character is introduced right out of Dante's Inferno... each more odious and conflicted than the one before. I would love to see Tommy Lee Jones reprise his role as Dave Robicheaux, and bring this story to the big screen. Thanks to Netgalley for providing an ARC of this marvelous book in exchange for an honest review.

Well, now I know why you make so many of my GR lady friends swoon, Mr. James Lee Burke! Or should I say Mr. Robichaux? You have a fine combination of deep troubled soul, unflinching loyalty to family, friends and the downtrodden, a deep moral compass that doesn't always match up with the law, and a crazy way with words. I imagine your face is weather worn, your voice is deep and a bit raspy, and you have a bit of a twinkle in your eye.

Ok, enough with the swooning! Seriously, JLB sure can write and tell a story. I'm late to the party and obviously started with the wrong book when I read The Jealous Kind last year. It was good, but I didn't really get the JLB fetish. Now that I've read Robichaux, I get it. Dave Robichaux is a police officer featured in a long standing series set in southern Louisiana. There was no issue with jumping in and reading this one out of order. There are a number of intertwined story lines and mysteries, featuring a corrupt demagogic senate candidate (sound familiar?), a film maker, the driver of the car who recently killed Robichaux's wife, a very odd serial killer and a cesspool full of other unsavoury characters. While the story is complex and entertaining, it's almost besides the point. What really got me were the writing, the rich characters, and the strong sense of place. The parts of the story featuring Robichaux are told from a first person point of view, and JLB sure knows how to spin the internal musings of a troubled man.

What can I say? I feel like I falling in line with many other swooners. At least, I'm in good company and, better yet, there's a whole stack of books featuring Robichaux I haven't read yet.

Thanks to my enthusiastic GR friends for pointing me towards JLB, and thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

A gritty and dramatic tale of murder and movie making in Louisiana. Burke manages to bring multiple colorful characters to life. This many characters can present challenges with the reader keeping up but Burke masterfully links them together and provides subtle summaries. I haven't read a Robicheaux novel in a while but I was able to pick up easily with some familiar and some new faces. This is a fast paced read but not a fast read. The description of the locations, food and traditions make place its own character. Philosophical and haunted, Robicheaux is a great character.

Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley

I had gotten away from Burke's books recently because his prose overcame his plot. However, this one is fantastic!! It reminds me of his earlier, leaner books. Highly recommended.

(3 1/2). Deep, dark Dave. That is what we have here. The evolution of Dave Robicheaux has been very interesting, and this latest episode takes us down to the point of almost depression. The flowery language is here, encompassing the incredible descriptions of nature, the Southern history and the culture and it all is a much of the ongoing storie In New Iberia as any homicide. Clete is large and confounding as always, a newish version of Alafair gets a fair amount of space and some of the usuals at the cop shop are here, too. At least this one is only half the length of a few of the last ones, making it worthwhile to plow through. The Darkness of Dave is the main overtone. I am really curious to see if the exalted Mr. Burke will keep future efforts at this readable length. I came back for this one, I will have to evaluate them one by one from here.

I hadn't read any of James Lee Burke's books in many years but decided this one sounded interesting and he used . to be one of my special authors. i made a good choice since Robicheaux is a thrilling book. Though it is a crime mystery novel personal relationships are a major part of the plot. Most of the main characters have strengths and weakness. This makes them interesting and therefore the book is worth reading. We see the main characters struggle with their personal demons and try to come out ahead.

I’ve seen James Lee Burke novels at every book store I’ve ever visited but never picked one up until now and boy what a find. As I’ve mentioned in a few previous reviews, the best thing about coming to an author later in their career is that you have a back catalogue already at your disposal. Robicheaux is the main character, has 20 previous outings and I’ll be searching them out. Robicheaux opens with the main character struggling with the death of his wife and with the demon drink. After a particularly heavy night, he blacks out only to awaken to the news that the drunk who killed his wife in a road accident was violently beaten to death. Robicheaux can not explain the cuts on his hands nor the bumps and bruises that cover his head. Is he capable of the murder? He cannot truly say. What follows is a battle for Robicheaux, not in the physical sense, but in the mental sense as he struggles to get to the bottom of the crime that he’s being accused of. A fantastic, violent, and raw novel that deserves a massive audience, and not only because of the nuttiest hitman I’ve ever come across.

James Lee Burke is a giant in the field of literary crime fiction, a writer whose Dave Robicheaux series I adore completely. This is his 21st book in the series, and it is still as compelling as the first. This speaks of Burke's unsurpassed gifts in storytelling, characterisation and in his social and political commentary on the US and Louisiana, a southern state still fighting the ghosts of the Civil War with its ugly racism. Louisiana is described as a place where demagoguery is a given, a mental asylum run by ExxonMobil, where misogamy, misogyny, racism, and homophobia have become religious virtues and self congratulatory ignorance is a source of pride. Now a semi-retired detective, Dave is tired, weary and alone, battling his need for alcohol. His wife, Molly, died in a accident that he has yet to get over and the ghosts of the past and the present refuse to leave him. Clete Purcel, an indomitable spirit in the fight for good, has racked up debts that threaten to destroy him, his livelihood and home.

Dave tries to help Clete by turning to Jimmy Nightingale, an ambitious personable populist politician with a shady past. Jimmy asks to meet with the reclusive writer, Levon Broussard and his troubled wife, Rowena, which Dave sets up. Later, Rowena makes rape allegations, a crime for which judicial justice is often a pipe dream. Both Jimmy and the dying gangster, Fat Tony, want to be in the movie business by bringing Levon's books to the big screen, and Alafair is writing the screenplay. Rumours abound of Jimmy's involvement in the unsolved killings of 8 women in the Jeff Davis parish. The murder of Dartez, who was responsible for Molly's death appears to implicate Dave, who having succumbed to the demon drink, cannot vouch for himself. Spade Labiche, suspected of being a dirty cop, seems determined to tie Dave to the murder. As there is a sharp rise in murders, we become acquainted with Smiley, a doughy assassin resembling Elmer Fudd, who loves children and rights wrongs through killing. Clete finds himself protecting a young boy, Homer. With ruthless forces at play, the Bobbsey Twins are stretched in several directions.

In a narrative with multiple storylines, Burke paints a detailed picture of the corrupt and damaged soul of Louisiana, its towns and backwoods, its poverty and inequality, its haunting history, its shame, Katrina, the Cajun culture, its geography and more. Amidst this are the flawed and damaged Dave and Clete, driven to fight the good fight, doing the best they can in a system, people and politics that work against them. It is good to see another raccoon enter Dave's life after the death of Tripod and the unwavering support of Helen Soileau and Alafair, his daughter. Burke takes us deep into the psyches of Dave and Clete, the horrors from their past that threaten to wreak havoc in their present, desperately in need of the humanity of each other, and other people, to hold themselves together, and to survive. I will read anything Burke writes, I have a particular love for this series, and if you haven't read him, you really are missing out. Highly recommended! Many thanks to Simon and Schuster for an ARC.

I always enjoy James Lee Burke. Robicheaux is the #21 David Robicheaux/ Clete Purcel novel and is a little more gritty, more of a downer than some have been. Still a very fast read, one you can't put down, and the good guys win in the end, though not without pain and memories to add to the nightly terrors suffered by these Warriors who have experienced the gritty side of life for many years, trying to keep our world safe

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, James Lee Burke, and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

5 plus, plus stars

Dave and Clete and the rest of the gang are back for another great addition to the James Lee burke legacy of fiction.

Dave Robicheaux is a detective in the New Iberia, Louisiana police department. Clete Purcell is his friend who drives vintage Cadillacs and a former partner both in Vietnam and on the force, but is now a private investigator and bail bondsman.

Dave is helping Clete out of yet another tight spot when he falls off the wagon. He blacks out and when waking up finds himself in bed with a bad hangover and scraped knuckles. He gets a call out to a dead body. It’s a man who has been beaten to death with what looks like bare hands. It’s also the man who hit and killed his wife Molly in an auto accident two years earlier. Dave doesn’t remember the night before. Did he kill the man? The case is given to an officer named Spade LaBiche for whom Dave has no respect, and Spade does not like Dave either. After speaking to the barmaid at the bar he was at the night the man was killed, Dave gets a germ of an idea.

Meanwhile, Dave must go about the daily business of the sheriff’s office. He investigates a complaint of rape and sodomy against a married woman. After speaking to the accused and the doctor who examined the woman, Dave is not sure whom to believe. He is also investigating a hot and run accident where a homeless man was killed. He goes to interview Rowena, the woman who claims to have been raped and sodomized. Davis is not looking forward to it. He knows the bad rap most women and girls get when they state they’ve been raped, but he knows Rowena.

Dave takes on another case of a person running amok in New Iberia. Someone is shooting people – including one questionable police officer and stealing trucks, later lighting them afire. The description of the shooter differs from witness to witness. Some can’t recall much at all except his red tennis shoes. But he is very good with his weapons. Meanwhile Clete rescues a child and falls in love.

Interspersed with Dave and Clete’s stories are snippets of the Old South illustrated by the Civil War years. Alafair, Dave’s daughter, is telling the tale of war. Levon’s grandfather was a confederate officer who taught a young slave girl to read and write. Soldiers, plantation owners and leaders of the Confederate Army all play a part. Mr. Buke peoples these parts of the novel colorfully and brilliantly.

The characters in this story are all intertwined. Relationships with both loved ones and enemies are altered, and some are beyond redemption. The reader is often reminded that in Southern Louisiana one is not truly sure in which century they are.

Dave’s “ghosts” never leave him. The ghosts of his dead wife, Vietnam, people in his past, criminals he has caught – and not caught, they’re all there. Dave tries his darndest to be a good man, but sometimes his demons come out to play. All this is set against a background of poverty of some and the wealth of others. The reader can smell the flowers, the rivers, the very air around New Iberia and New Orleans. This book is filled with pathos, nostalgia and rich feeling. It illustrates the dichotomy of having nothing or next to it and having it all – and still losing oneself.

This book is both well written and plotted as are all of James Lee Burke’s novels. I simply love his writing. He paints very evocative pictures with his words; illustrating all around the reader with brilliant color. His ongoing and nearly lifelong friendship with Clete is a wonder to behold. Cemented in friendship, the two men are inseparable. I enjoy their “talks” and like the way Mr. Burke uses the language to illustrate their thoughts. His use of the English language is a joy to behold.

I want to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for forwarding to me a copy of this most wonderful book for me to read and enjoy.

I am simply blown away. In every way it's as good as I hoped it would be.. Even heroes are human, and good, moral, and upstanding people can come in the strangest packages and while some people can be attractive, they are rotten at the core.. When the road to doing what's right gets confusing, there is always a moral compass in place to point the way, even though the compass gets shaky sometimes. The characters in the book are all people we KNOW in some aspect in our everyday lives. We can relate to them, good or bad. As with all his books, I'll read it more than one time, for sure. Mr. Burke's prose is addictive. His words are eloquent and convey the struggle between doing what's right, even when it may be the wrong thing to do.

I hope Mr. Burke never gets tired of Dave and Cletus because we never get tired of reading their stories.

After spending some post-Katrina time in Montana, Dave Robicheaux is back in his beloved New Iberia for this latest installment in the ongoing series. I've been reading Burke for 30 years now, looking forward eagerly for each addition. Dave, his daughter Alafair and best friend Clete Purcel are once again on the banks of Bayou Teche, eating po' boys and etouffee and getting embroiled in murder cases with tentacles that seem to ensnare every aspect of southern Louisiana life.

What makes these novels so compelling is how the effects of the Civil War still encompass the region so completely. Ghosts of the "boys in butternut" still fill the swamp, and the reappearance of a sword formerly belonging to the great grandfather of a local author sets off events that cannot be predicted. None of the motives are clearcut, none of the characters, one-sided. Each page sings with poetry and the rich cadence of cajun patois. Atmospheric, brilliant -- this novel could be read as a standalone, but in order to be fully enjoyed, some of the earlier books should have been read.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an early copy of this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review.

Robicheaux is an extraordinarily powerful novel, an absolute masterpiece of crime fiction. It is filled with the most incredible prose, thoughtful, violent, nasty, and just plain out great writing. It’s worth reading more than once -just that good.

Although I am a bit late to the party - starting with book 21 of the series that stretches back over many volumes, I fully intend to read each and every one of those other 20 books.

Robicheaux takes us to New Iberia, a Cajun town near New Orleans, haunted by unsolved murders, gangsters, corruption, slick politicians, and more. Police detective Robicheaux too is haunted by his past in Vietnam, by deeds we don’t speak of, and by his wife’s death in a car accident. Shootings, rapes, beatings, torture fill the book, but what makes it is the prose that is so haunting you want to highlight a passage in just about every page. It’s not a book of good guys and bad guys necessarily, but far more complex and interconnected. The characters are filled with motivations and depth.

What a fantastic read. Really can’t say enough about this book. Highly recommended.