Member Reviews
Lagniappe...........Cajun-French for just a little extra.
Ooh-rah!
And that's exactly what James Lee Burke promises in Robicheaux. Always a step ahead of the others, Burke lines this one with his particular eloquence of shape-shifting words and his big bangin' storylines. "We don't hide the crazy. We parade it down the street."
And the the blaring beat of that same crazy staccato of Zydeco music, Burke marches in the likes of grifters, shylocks, hacks, and hustlers revolving between the dark waters of New Orleans and the deep bayous of St. Bernard Parish. Characters like Tony Nine Ball, Pookie the Possum, and Smiley tip their hats in response.
Dave Robicheaux is now a semi-retired sheriff's detective still living near Spanish Lake. He carries himself through each day surrounded by the weight of ghosts of the past and the often visiting phantoms of the present. Robicheaux has more inner battles than a two-ton steel pot of boiling lobsters. He recently lost his wife, Molly, in a car accident that may not have been an accident at all. To escalate the tension, Robicheaux is fighting the gaze of the relentless demon held captive in a booze bottle. He's on direct dial to the local AA meetings.
The wheels start moving on this one when Robicheaux is contacted by Tony Nine Ball. Tony came across a Civil War sword that belonged to the great-grandfather of New York Times author, Levon Broussard. Broussard and his wife, Rowena, live in an ol' plantation home in the area lined with Spanish moss and stately tall pillars. Robicheaux passes along the makings of this deal. The cut of that Civil War sword is going deep once it is out of that scabbard. And there's more than just a line drawn in the sand here.
Dave Robicheaux feels like a big fish in a dirty pond at times. There's plenty of bottom-feeders that come to the surface. Even Robicheaux will be accused of a murder that he may or may not have committed. With Clete Purcel and his daughter, Alafair, by his side, make sure your seatbelt is clicked tight. Gonna be a rough ride, cher.
Robicheaux can be read as a standalone if you are new to this stellar series. The dialogue is clever, crisp, and nail sharp. Burke's "side-bar" explanations and fill-ins are priceless. Leave it to Burke to get beneath the forming scar tissue of this rough surface. James Lee Burke, sincerely, is one of the most talented and inventive authors in American literature. Believe me, after this, you'll be tossin' back more of his novels.........guar-oooon-teeeed!
I received a copy of Robicheaux through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Simon & Schuster and to James Lee Burke for the opportunity.
James Lee Burke is a great author. I have read as many of his novels as I could. In the Dave Robicheaux series we often see a battle between good and evil. The author does not shy away from getting right in the face of evil, and he brings us right along with him. In the current novel, our lead detective is facing inner demons, and the novel turns darker as he does. One can become overwhelmed by all of the evil in the world, and Burke's characters all bear their wounds, some better than others. It may be a safe place for a reader who wants to vicariously confront the darkside, but the danger is in getting too close. Burke isn't really about protecting his readers, so be warned.
Thanks, NetGalley for the ARC.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: James Lee Burke is one of the finest fiction and mystery writers of our time. Ever since I read my first Burke novel in the late 1980s, I have been an enormous fan, and he continues to leave me in awe with his ability to create some of the most vivid, memorable characters I've ever read about (every time one of them appears in his books, I can immediately recall details about each), along with tremendously evocative, almost poetic imagery.
He is one of my favorite authors of all time, and having met him at a book signing, he's a warm, gracious, and friendly guy, too. Simply put, I'm a fan.
My favorite of Burke's characters is Dave Robicheaux, the Louisiana police detective. He is fiercely loyal, sensitive, and immensely flawed, which makes him one of the most fascinating (and at times depressing) characters to read about. In Robicheaux, Burke's 21st novel featuring his most popular character, Dave is struggling with the death of his wife Molly in a car accident. Her sudden loss has ratcheted up his alcoholic cravings, his nightmares of his time in Vietnam, and his visions of Confederate soldiers.
"Why should an old man thrice widowed dwell on things that are not demonstrable and have nothing to do with a reasonable view of the world? Because only yesterday, on a broken sidewalk in a shabby neighborhood at the bottom of St. Claude Avenue, in the Lower Ninth Ward of St. Bernard Parish, under a colonnade that was still twisted out of shape by Katrina, across from a liquor store with barred windows that stood under a live oak probably two hundred years old, I saw a platoon of Confederate infantry march out of a field to the tune of 'Darling Nelly Gray' and disappear through the wall of a gutted building and not exit on the other side."
When the crushing sadness wrecks his prized sobriety, suddenly Dave becomes more of a danger to himself and others, as his anger at his wife's death threatens to overwhelm him. Then, in the midst of a murder investigation, he discovers that he may have been the one who killed the victim, the man who was responsible for Molly's death. As his boss and former partner, Sheriff Helen Soileau, fights to figure out whether to pity Dave or fire him, Dave and his best friend, the irascible Clete Purcel, try to figure out Dave's whereabouts during the murder, and whether his melancholy was strong enough to turn to violence.
As with any Robicheaux novel, Dave and Clete find themselves entangled in a web of unsavory characters, each one with a grudge against Dave and/or Clete, and each one burdened with their own baggage. From Mafia enforcer and aspiring film producer Fat Tony Nemo and his enforcers, novelist Levon Broussard and his troubled wife Rowena, to the enigmatic and possibly dangerous local boy-made-good (or did he) Jimmy Nightingale, who aspires to political power, Dave and Clete need to figure out just exactly how far each is willing to defend themselves from those who appear to be encroaching on what they believe to be theirs. Throw in a dangerous contract killer and a police detective with his own issues, and you have a mess of epic proportions, which the infamous "Bobbsey Twins from Homicide" will be lucky to survive.
Burke does an excellent job of depicting characters whose good qualities are often outweighed by their flaws, but he doesn't immediately condemn everyone. Dave struggles with questions of morality, mortality, and loyalty, and while he is sworn to uphold the law, if those he cares about are harmed, he isn't above enacting his own code of justice. While it seems as if everyone out there has an axe to grind with Dave and Clete, issues which often get visited upon those the two care about, their first thoughts are always protecting those they love and the city they care about.
"Like most of us who subscribe to the egalitarian traditions of Jefferson and Lincoln, I did not want to believe that a basically likable man could, with indifference and without provocation, commit deeds that were not only wicked but destroyed the lives of defenseless people."
While I've enjoyed nearly everything that Burke has written, I love his books featuring Dave Robicheaux the most. These characters have come to feel like family through the years, and reading about them again and again is so pleasurable. And not a book goes by without Burke's imagery taking my breath away. When I first visited New Orleans years after I started reading his books, it felt so real, so accurate to the portraits he has painted through the years.
Robicheaux isn't a quick-moving caper packed with action and thrills. While there is some terrific suspense and a little bit of gruesome violence, this is a book that makes you think and makes you feel rather than raises your pulse. None of Burke's characters are perfect, but they are so complex, so thought-provoking, it doesn't matter that you may be troubled by some of their actions.
Once again, it is an immense pleasure to read a book by James Lee Burke. While at times he switches between the different series he has created, I hope another Robicheaux book is imminent, but I'll be happy to read whatever the master delivers next.
NetGalley and Simon & Schuster provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!
James Lee Burke is a marvel. The latest is as strong as ever, and to make Robicheaux go out and get drunk, was a brilliant idea. To see him fragile and human, only adds to his complexity. The books are always so well-written, good and evil so well described. Reading his books is like an experience you never want to end. He’s one of our greatest voices, and should be treasured for his talent.
Poetic, cynical look at the recent events in Robicheaux's life. If you ever wonder if everythings connected, wonder no more. I love the characters and plot twists, excellent read.
Robicheaux by James Lee Burke- James Lee Burke's twenty-first David Robicheaux novel finds the recently widowed Sheriff's detective still morning his lost love and trying with all his might to keep on the straight and narrow, away from the drink that once ruled him and the people who were no good for him. It's a daily fight but we cheer him on despite his human frailties. As with all Burke's books, there is a lot going on here and each character has their own story. Clete Purcel, a long time friend of Robicheaux, has taken in a young boy with hopes of offering him a better life or at least better odds. Another acquaintance has dreams of public office, Senator to be exact, but has a dark checkered past that is slowly catching up with him. Alafair, Robicheaux's daughter, writes a screen play for a local author and suddenly the Confederate soldiers David always sees in the mist are marching through the bayou on a surreal film set. Burke's descriptions are so lyrical and poetic that all the grass, trees, and skies are brought into the real and we see this story played out on the big screen in our head. The setting here is as much a character as any living being could be. A sublime journey
I have to admit - when it comes to James Lee Burke, I am biased. He is one of my favorite authors and his new novel Robicheaux was not a disappointment.
HIs writing is so visually descriptive and as colorful as a painter's palette When reading Robicheaux, you can hear the dead leaves blowing in the wind and across the ground, smell the particulates carried by rain and taste the salt blown into the air.
Burke's characters are three dimensional and complex and often times, Burke purposely leaves the full meaning of their spoken words somewhat ambiguous, forcing the reader to develop his or her own interpretation of their full meaning.
Characters from all walks of life - the mob, religion, politics, the sewer and upper society - are thrown in, often with murky motives and often not what they seem or purport to be.
How to describe the plot? In one way, it's difficult and that is part of the appeal of Robicheaux. The story starts when a dying mobster asks Dave Robicheaux to return a family heirloom, Confederate sword to a man of status in hopes of entering into a filmmaking venture with the man.
From here, an odd assortment of characters start to emerge and then people start dying. The villains in this novel include corrupt law enforcement officers, people of means and a deadly, enigmatic hitman named "Smiley."
As the story unfolds, the many plot lines start to merge leading the reader to a satisfying ending.
Burke brings along Robicheaux's daughter Alafair, close friend Cletus Purcel and Sheriff Helen Soileau for the ride. When needed, he also provides nuggets of backstory from previous novels so that the reader can easily remember past events.
Burke's writing is also sprinkled woven in historical facts and mysteries of the Southern past that adds additional layers to the complexity of the Robicheaux character's life. As in past novels, Robicheaux is in a constant battle with his violent ways and horrifically, destructive alcoholism.
If you need a nudge to help you remember why you love Dave Robicheaux, Clete Purcell, New Iberia and a cast of unforgettable, even when unlikable, characters, then do not miss James Lee Burke's "Robicheaux." Mr. Burke's latest will also remind you why he's so often referred at as "a master of his craft," and why he's a two time Edgar award winner as well as Grand Master of the MWA. While giving us one hell of a story with his lush and poetic use of language, he also gives us a mirror into which we can look at ourselves and our country. It was hard not to look away, but a must read, indeed.
I remember reading the first Dave Robicheaux novel years ago, and the powerful way it affected me. It's a rare thing for a character in a novel to insinuate themselves into your life, but that what Dave Robicheaux did to me. I have since followed every aspect of his life from volume to volume, thanks to James Lee Burke and his magnificent creation. I love Clete Purcell, alafair, and Dave like they are family, and that's due to the magic of the author and his ability to imbue his fictional characters with such realistic traits and attributes. It's just simply magic,and I for one love it. I can't think of a better storyteller than James Lee Burke, and he has unfailingly brought me immense pleasure throughout the years with the Robicheaux books. Each new volume is another welcome chapter in the life of my old friends in New Iberia,and this latest just continues to tradition. Long live Dave Robicheaux!!!!!