He’s a mess, but he’s Dave Robicheaux’s best friend.

They’ve been friends since their days as “The Bobbsey Twins” when as cops they patrolled the French Quarter. Clete is a mainstay in this venerable series, one of the overall best in mystery fiction. He’s Sancho Panza to Dave’s Don Quixote, Watson to Dave’s Holmes, Laurel to his Hardy, but he couldn’t be more different. Where Dave drinks Dr. Pepper, Clete loves watching a shot sink to the bottom of a beer mug then slugging it back. Dave still mourns his deceased wife, while Clete gets caught up in the swirl of many a skirt. Dave eats a small sandwich, Clete can demolish the morning menu of a diner in one sitting. They have always had one thing in common, however—they both despise evil, and fight it wherever they find it, be it in the in the swamps of New Iberia, or the swamp of the French Quarter.

Now, in this 24th book in the series, they have something else in common—Clete narrates the action. For the first time, we get to see inside Clete’s thoughts, while getting the first external perspective on Dave. Burke does a remarkable job in not making the shift jarring at all.

The story starts when thugs strip Clete’s Cadillac convertible, looking for what turns out to be a plague-like version of fentanyl, maybe transported in Clete’s car while it was at the detail shop . Clete immediately takes up the challenge when he figures it out—his grandniece was a victim of the drug. Soon he and Dave are chasing a pack of bad guys who include a dirty cop, a virulent anti-Semite, and the nation’s most famous Ponzi scheme promoter. Their confrontations pulse with the usual violence Burke brings to his prose.

Burke paints a nuanced portrait of Dave through Clete’s eyes. In many ways Dave seems quieter, but Clete contributes a perspective on the power of the violence contained (most of the time)by Dave. Burke also brings out the difference in the role of women in their lives. Clete gets involved with four women—a Bourbon Street pole dancer, a trafficked Chinese woman, the wife of the Ponzi promoter—and Joan of Arc. Yes, once again, the barriers between time periods break down in this series, and the French martyr shows up on Clete’s personal battlefield to guide him through many sticky situations. The numerous episodes include a marvelous moment when Clete chases a villain over a levee on the Mississippi into the plains of France in the fifteenth century.

Justice takes place, bad guys get taken down, and the good guys and girls win—but not in a courtroom. Burke has produced a refreshing change to a venerable series, with all the passion and skill he has maintained these many years.

Burke allows Clete to tell and to drive the story in the newest entry in this series. Clete finds his caddy ruined at a car wash and finds that somewhere someone is dealing dangerous drugs. Clete is determined to put a stop to this no matter the cost. Clete has a myriad of problems but his good heart prevails amidst his ptsd, hallucinations and anger. Clete's voice drives this novel. He tells his own story with his best friend Dave in the supporting cast. Clete leaves the reader wanting to hear more from he journeys through life as a private investigator and concerned person. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

A good friend has been recommending James Lee Burke novels, but she was not pleased to hear that I have started with the 24th novel in his Dave Robicheaux series, Clete. I reassured her that I would go back and read novels 1-23, as soon as possible. Clete is a novel narrated by Dave's best friend and former partner, Clete Purcell. As a narrator, Clete does not provide a straight-forward narration. There are digressions and hallucinations, which Clete believes are real, and perhaps they are. Clete has a conscious and cares deeply about people, whom he wants to save, even if they do sometimes include visions of the past.

Burke's novel is rich is characterization and in complexity. Many of the characters are compelling, while others range from heartbreaking to irrevocably damaged. The plot is filled with digressions of all kind, some of which are background, while other suggest a complexity of plot that is sometimes not deserving of so much detail. Clete begins with a small thing--the vandalization of Clete's recently detailed car, which eventually seems to have developed into its own character in this novel. Burke takes that vandalized car and turns it into a wildly crazy multilayered plot.

I did enjoy this novel, which can certainly function as a stand alone novel. I did think that Joan of Arc had made perhaps too many appearances. The plot sometimes seemed to reply too heavily on these apparitions as a way to move the plot forward. Thank you to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for providing this ARC. My review reflects my own ideas and response to Clete.. I will begin tackling the first of the Robicheaux novels next.

I’m a big James Lee Burke fan and have thoroughly enjoyed his novels, especially those starring police detective Dave Robicheaux. They’re beautifully written, feature compelling characters, and excel at imparting to readers the sights, sounds, aromas, and auras of New Orleans and Louisiana’s bayou country.

His latest offering, “Clete,” is probably my least favorite of the “Robicheaux” series. While it has many of the strengths of its preceding volumes, the actual story seemed rushed, disjointed, and altogether confusing. Additionally, it has a speculative element to it that left me wondering what was real, what was not, and what actually happened.

The story is told by Robicheaux’s best friend and former NOPD partner, Clete, a troubled soul who has always wanted to do good but has often been compelled to commit bad, even heinous acts. Indeed, he’s so distressed that he believes that he’s in communion with 15th-century heroine and patron saint of France, Joan of Arc, who has a part in the novel and guides some of Clete’s decisions.

Clete and Dave find themselves pitted against a variety of villains: a Ponzi scheme runner and the filmmaking wife he’s tortured, drug traffickers, antisemitic white supremacists, and purveyors of a substance so dangerous it threatens to cause a worldwide disaster. All these characters and plot lines make for a mystery, or mysteries, I found very confusing; and none of which struck me as ever being truly solved. I also thought some of the characters, especially the people Clete and Dave seek to protect were not as fully or deeply drawn as they could have been.

Nevertheless, Mr. Burke’s prose and his depictions of Louisiana life remain stellar.

My thanks to NetGalley, author James Lee Burke, and publisher Grove Atlantic, Atlantic Monthly Press for providing me with a complimentary ARC. The foregoing is my independent opinion.

Clete Purcell and Dave Robicheaux go back a long way together. They're the Bobbsey Twins from Homicide, working the mean streets of New Orleans. Clete grew up in the Irish Channel and Dave grew up in New Iberia Parish, but their worldview is the same, honed by their experiences in Vietnam and on the streets. Dave, however, stayed in the police, moving back to New Iberia from New Orleans, but Clete went on the do some bad things, including killing a federal witness and gun running with the guerrillas in Central America. Now, Clete works as a PI and when his brand new, restored pink Caddy is vandalized, he is livid and vows to discover what is going on. Turns out, the brother of the guy who runs the car wash where Clete gets his car detailed is running drugs and some of the Aryan Nation think his car has been used for trafficking. Then, Clete is hired to deal with the husband of a beautiful woman seeking a divorce. Clete has a very soft spot for women in distress. And then, Clete starts experiencing hallucinations of Joan of Arc, who he swears is trying to protect him. James Lee Burke is a great American author who can write a description so well the reader can feel the swamp and humidity of southern Louisiana. Recommended, as always.

Clete is a first person look at Dave Robicheaux’s best friend and ride to die former homicide cop partner. To this point, (this is the 24th book in the series dating back to the late 80’s. Clete has always been the secondary character to Dave and somewhat of a lost soul. Like many of my generation, haunted by scenes of Vietnam and all of it’s horrors. Like snakes that only come out at night all of a sudden pop up whenever they feel like it.
Clete leaves his Caddy at a local car wash and when he returns some goons are ripping it apart. Apparently looking for some hidden drugs. Clete takes this personal and the fight is on.
The next thing you know a lovely divorcee, Clara Bow hires him to look into her gnarly ex’s activities and before he knows it, Clete is drawn into a very ugly story that cannot end well for anyone involved.

Clete is usually a supporting character in the Robicheaux series by James Lee Burke. This time he's in the driving seat with the first book with him as a main character. Don't worry, all the usual and unusual people in and around Iberia parish and New Orleans are there as well. Mr. Burke is probably one of the top American writers of all time. At least in my mind. I have never come across an author that can tell a tale as well as him. This book is no exception. It's southern noir at it's finest and it is a pure joy reading the books by this author. I have never been let down and I hope we all get many more like this. I can really recommend that you try something from James Lee Burke. I must thank Grove Atlantic and Netgalley for letting me read this advance copy.

Clete (available June 2024) is the latest in a long string of Dave Robicheaux novels by Burke. Told in Clete Purcell's narrative voice, it is a dark tale. Indeed, as it begins, Clete tells us that "Southern Louisiana is heaven, as long as you keep one eye closed and don't dwell on the corruption that's a way of life here." Clete is a former Vietnam Vet, suffering from PTSD, which now seems to manifest itself in a real-life Joan of Arc sitting there with him in her armor and medieval world. Purcell is a private eye since being forced out of the New Orleans Police Department. He has few allies, but Dave is his best friend.

The story starts small with Purcell waking up to find three low lifes tearing apart his 1959 lavender-pink Eldorado, looking for something, which turns out to be a new drug that will destroy the world. As if we needed more of those. He spends his time thereafter trying to figure out what the lowlifes wanted and pursuing them across the bayou. He rescues Chen from another lowlife and tries to wean her off heroin with the help of a stripper friend. He agrees to take on a case from a neighbor with an abusive husband, one who seems to be the front money behind a new hate movement in the area.

What makes this novel sing out loud is the depth of emotional turmoil Clete is put through. Wondering throughout if he is losing his mind or someone has drugged him, he is often barely in touch with reality, but still stands up against the evil that is lurking in the bayou.

Starts out a great pulpy page flipper, written by a total pro with glistening prose and giving voice to a fun character. Then, about a third of the way through, it starts getting weird, the plotting looser. The fan service references to early books about a different lead character come fast and furious, slowing the already directionless (but eventful) narrative and taking me out of Clete's voice and into Burke's.

And then it gets weirder and looser. The Mcguffin so vague and broad as to be preposterous, the villains' actions less and less coherent. The heroes' investigation is mainly a leisurely reaction to dead bodies and assaults, with the occasional trip to a new character -- not inferred by the plot so much as the need to get things going -- who conveniently turns out to be a part of the conspiracy.

Burke is such a good writer, and Clete's drift between reality and hallucination and maybe the supernatural kind of fun, that I almost forgive the slapdash nature of the actual crime plot. Big almost though, for me.

The language in this book is special, but I like it, and it fits the setting and the excellent characters. The story is a little long for the plot, but the descriptions are very interesting. The thing I really don't like, is the touch of paranormal.

This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope There is more to come from this author! I am totally hooked!

Clete is the best , and this was the best of Clete AND JLB. Thanks so much for the opportunity to read this one.

I am a new James Lee Burke fan. I love the Dave Rocicheaux books. Clete Purcel is a private investigator and ex-member of the New Orleans Police Department, and is Dave Robicheaux’s longtime friend and partner in detective work. When Clete leaves his car at the local car wash, only to find it destroyed by a group of thugs tied to the drug trade from Mexican cartels to Louisiana. This is a trigger for Clete because his grandniece died of a fentanyl overdose.

Clara Bow, a woman with a dark past hires Clete as a detective to investigate her scheming, slippery ex-husband, and a string of brutal deaths. Clete is having shockingly lifelike hallucinations involving Joan of Arc and questioning Clara’s motives when he and Dave start to hear rumors of a dangerous substance with potentially catastrophic effects.

Clete brings a fresh perspective to a truly iconic series. This book helps to personalize Clete even more. Great book.

Burke finally did it. We get a story straight from long time friend of Dave's, aptly named Clete. Don't worry Burke doesn't lose a step and the flame throwers are all there . Great novel. And finally Clete!! Highly Recommended.

Count me among the many fans of James Lee Burke. I am always excited to see a new title from him. Clete is usually a companion to Dave Robicheaux, but here speaks for himself as the lead character. Burke's novels are famously about the battle between good and evil, and his Robicheaux series prominent among his titles.
If it were my choice, I would have stuck with Dave as the lead character, but Clete works well enough so that the novel is another good work in the Burke catalogue.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I have been reading Burke from day one but I have to say his latest seems to be a retread of so many of his other books that I’m getting bored. Of course there’s the great prose but the plot doesnt go anywhere(or make much sense) and Cleve’s dream/hallucinations wear thin after a while. Go back and read Burke’s earlier books. You’ll like them more than this one.

James Lee Burke returns to the 1990’s and tells the story from Clete Purcel’s point of view instead of Dave Robicheaux’s. It has the same mysticism and violence of this series, but we really get to know Clete beyond the stories of his behavior. James Lee Burke has the art of a painter and a poet in the descriptions of southern Louisiana, the weather and the history as well as in his characters. I love this series even when I have to take a break. F you haven’t read any of the Dave Robicheaux series, start at the beginning. You won’t regret it.

A few years back, I reviewed another of James Lee Burke’s Robicheaux novels, and got the opinion of one of the biggest Robicheaux fans on the planet – my husband. I gave it four stars, and noted that “My husband found it well-written, as expected. He also enjoyed the repetition of familiar characters in the series. One thing he just doesn’t get with this series is why the rich and famous people meekly turn the other cheek over and over and over and continually take so much crap from Robicheaux. The things he does appreciate about the series in general and this title in particular include the beauty of the language used by Burke and the literary and historical allusions (to things including Vietnam, the life of a reformed alcoholic, and the contrast between the incredible beauty and the grime and misery of Southern Louisiana). “ (I am including this quote because it applies to Clete just as it does to other books).

Clete is the latest in the series, and thanks to Grove Atlantic and Netgalley, both my husband and I got to appreciate it (in exchange for this honest review). My husband says Clete is Robicheaux’s “gorilla” – like Hawk is for Spenser (Robert B. Parker) and Joe Pike is for Elvis Cole (Robrt Crais). Clete Purcel is Dave’s longtime friend and sometime partner. Clete is hired by a woman named Clara Bow and soon there is a storyline revolving around drugs.

As expected, there is action galore and the continuing story of Robicheaux and Clete, together and singly. Four stars.

Oh my, I've waited so long for another Dave Robicheaux thriller from James Lee Burke. "Clete" does not disappoint.
Set in the mid-90's and seen from the perspective of Dave's closest friend, ex-New Orleans cop and PI, Clete Purcell, "the Bobbsy Twins of Homicide" enter a savage world of Nazi's, racists and murderers.
And it all starts at a car wash.
Clete discovers his Cadillac Eldorado being trashed by three henchmen outside his French Quarter home. After meeting a tire iron head on, Clete wakes up in the hospital.
He calls his old pal Dave Robicheaux, now a New Iberia detective, to help figure out "what's the haps."
When Clete travels to his satellite office in New Iberia, he's approached by a beautiful woman named Clara Bow, who puts Clete's services on contract. Clara wants to be free of her wealthy husband, a Ponzi schemer, who may be mixed up with terrorists.
Burke brings the bayou back to vivid life as nature and history collide with the corrupt.
Is Clete's ghostly helper really Joan of Arc? Will memories of Vietnam finally destroy both Clete and Dave? And will a ham and onion sandwich really solve all the world's problems?
Find out in James Lee Burke's latest visit to bayou country. Atmospheric, haunting, beautiful and deadly, "Clete" is a feast for the eyes and soul.
Add a bit of Sauce Piquant and you've got heaven.

James Lee Burke has taken us through another chapter in the lives of Crete Purcell and Dave Robicheaux in this story. As with many of his novels, Burke weaves ghosts of the past into the present day, with Joan of Arc appearing to Clete and helping him to stop a criminal enterprise pushing a dangerous new drug.. Southern Louisiana, its unique climate, flora and fauna are as much a part of the story as the characters. Take all this history and mystery, and mix it together with criminals and fatally flawed heroes and you get classic JLB. I enjoyed the story told from Clete's unique point of view. In Clete's telling of the story, we get a clearer sense of who he is and what drives him. Another great read for JLB fans.