House of the Rising Sun - James Lee Burke

My review of James Lee Burke's House of the Rising Sun first appeared as a starred review in Shelf Awareness for Readers. I am posting it today with their permission. Hope you enjoy...boy this is a good one!

First line: "The sun had just crested on the horizon like a misplaced planet, swollen and molten and red, lighting a landscape that seemed sculpted out of clay and soft stone and marked by the fossilized tracks of animals with no names, when a tall barefoot man wearing little more than rags dropped his horse's reins and eased himself off the horse's back and worked his way down an embankment into a riverbed chained with pools of water that glimmered as brightly as blood in the sunrise."

Whether modern day Louisiana or early twentieth century Texas, the worlds James Lee Burke (Wayfaring Stranger) creates crackle on his pages. The vivid sights, sounds and smells envelope readers experiencing the tormented lives of his troubled characters. House of the Rising Sun continues that exemplary standard for fiction with a captivating tale of family, faith, betrayal and redemption.

In this forth book of Hackberry Holland's story, the former Texas Ranger is searching for his estranged son, Ishmael, in Mexico when he wanders into the middle of an arms deal. Hack destroys the munitions but discovers a gem encrusted "cup" among the arsenal, which he tucks away and carries back to Texas.

Powerful businessman Arnold Beckman believes the artifact is rightfully his and will stop at nothing to take it back, including kidnapping war hero Ishmael who is recovering from serious leg injuries sustained at the Battle of Marne. Hack must fight his personal demons and outsmart the deadly Beckman in order to save his son.

Brimming with delectably evil villains and heroes whose white hats have grown dingy from the dirt they've rolled in, House of the Rising Sun is a masterstroke in Burke's exceptional body of work. He balances the characters' introspection with suspenseful action, keeping the momentum of the novel quick and engaging; packs insightful thoughts on humanity into colorful quips; and, despite the bleakness of the plot, interjects hilarious scenes like Hack learning to drive a motorcar.

Everyone should experience the beauty of James Lee Burke's fiction at least once. House of the Rising Sun is a perfect opportunity to do so.

House of the Rising Sun is available in hardcover (ISBN: 9780062319197) from Simon & Schuster and as an unabridged audio (ISBN: 9781442385702), narrated by Will Patton, from Simon & Schuster Audio.

   

   

The End of 2015 - Part 2

If you missed it, yesterday I summed up my reading stats and shared my favorite audiobooks, debuts and non-fiction works. Today I'm going to reveal my favorite crime novels of 2015 and my favorite overall reads of 2015, so let's not waste any time. As with yesterday's lists, these are in no particular order.

My favorite 2015 crime novels:

Hush Hush by Laura Lippman - This return of Tess Monaghan was just spectacular. Laura Lippman knows how to spin a good yarn, pull you into and make the hours just disappear.

Dry Bones by Craig Johnson - "Save Jen!" Walt, Vic and a dinosaur, what's not to love? This series remains in my all time favorite list and Dry Bones epitomizes why. The dialogue is exceptional, the sense of place is rich, the characters are dynamic and the plot is fascinating. Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones is tops this year!

The Gates of Evangeline by Hester Young - If you missed yesterday's post then you won't know that I picked The Gates of Evangeline as one of my favorite debuts. And yes, I think it's good enough to make my overall favorites list as well. This was a book that kept me glued to the pages, and I look forward to what Hester Young does from here.

The Investigation by J.M. Lee - This translation from the original Korean is stunning. The story revolves around a central murder and then just builds in exquisite layer after layer from there. The Investigation is an appreciation of the arts in all forms. It's beautiful, inspirational, heart-wrenching and I very much hope that more of Lee's work makes it way to the U.S.

Woman With a Blue Pencil by Gordon McAlpine - It is quite rare for me to feel like I've happened on a truly unique story concept. And maybe this one has been done before, but I've not experienced it. The creative blending of plot lines made this one fascinating book. Its themes are especially poignant given our own political current events. This is a short one, but boy is it ever powerful.

House of the Rising Sun by James Lee Burke - Sadly it's been a little while since I've had a chance to pick up a James Lee Burke so my return with House of the Rising Sun was that much more delectable. I savored every beautiful word of this unparalleled tale of family, faith, betrayal and redemption.

The Promise by Robert Crais - Elvis Cole, Joe Pike, Maggie and Scott James. That's almost too much wonderfulness for one book. We waited awhile for this one and it was certainly worth it.

The Long and Faraway Gone by Lou Berney - Berney stepped away from his series character Shake Bouchon and took on a darker tone for this standalone proving he has a wide range of talent when it comes to storytelling. The psychological elements of this novel were intense and effective. Even if Berney's next work is paranormal romance, you can rest assured I'll read it.

The Devil's Game by Sean Chercover - While I mentioned this book several times as I was reading it, I'm ashamed to say I never got my review finished. So if you haven't picked this one up yet, I hope you'll give it a go. The follow-up to The Trinity Game kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat. Daniel Byrne is a fascinating protagonist and I'm anxious to see where Chercover takes him next!

The Lake House by Kate Morton - In my interview with Kate Morton she told me that no one ever considers her a mystery writer. So here she is on my crime fiction list...officially a mystery writer. I guess I'm the late one to the Kate Morton party because this was my first experience reading her, and I was swept off my feet. She managed to surprise me (not easy) and envelope me in her grand fictional world...for almost 600 pages...and I never lost interest. Consider me now a Kate Morton evangelist!

So there you have my favorite crime novels and finally *drum roll* it's time for

My overall favorite reads of 2015:

Trigger Warnings by Neil Gaiman - This collection of short stories felt like the variety pack of chocolate candies. You know the commercial where the mom asks all the kids what they want and they all scream something different and she says, "I've got that!"? That's what Trigger Warnings is in literary form. Want poetry? He's got it. Want a crime story? He's got it. Want a love story? He's got that too. And of course the fantasy. Gaiman's talent is astounding and I'm embarrassed it took me as long as it did to discover it, but now that I have, there's no turning back!

Dry Bones by Craig Johnson - You can see above for my gushing, but I just can't resist repeating, "Save Jen!"

Woman With the Blue Pencil by Gordon McAlpine - Yep, another one you can reference from the first list.

House of the Rising Sun by James Lee Burke - I'm feeling like a broken record here.

The Investigation by J.M. Lee - Another one you can see above for my gushing...I'm a crime junkie through and through, even when I'm reading other stuff.

Mobile Library by David Whitehouse - Stop the presses, this one isn't repeated from the first list. This story was so delightful, packed with quirky and wonderful characters on a magical adventure. It still makes me smile even though I read it a year ago. If you missed it, find this one. So worth the read!

The Bassoon King by Rainn Wilson - This is a repeated title from yesterday's lists where I lauded Wilson in both the non-fiction and audiobook lists. He's written a smart, funny and inspirational memoir that you don't have to be a fan of The Office to completely adore. If you ARE a fan, you'll adore it as well, I'm sure.

Penguin Lessons by Tom Michell - Another repeat from yesterday, this one as a favorite debut and favorite non-fiction. Michell has just won my heart with his tale of Juan Salvador the penguin.

Wanted by Chris Hoke - I think I hit that groove in the record where I'm repeating myself again. Chris Hoke's book was on my lists for favorite non-fiction and favorite debuts as well. Wanted is masterfully written and so incredibly powerful. It's a book that will resonant with me for a very long time.

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman - If Backman needs disciples, I'd like to sign up. Last year I shouted from the rooftops about A Man Called Ove, this year I'm equally enamored by Grandmother. I described this book recently as fantasy wrapped in reality and while that sounds a bit ridiculous, I think it sums up the Escher-esque complexity of this wonderful book. It stole my heart and there was no doubt at all that it would be on this list.

So, there you have it! That sums up the great reads of my year. Of course there are a stack of books I really wanted to get to and haven't yet--I'm not giving up yet, but there are also fabulous books for 2016 starting to hit my pile as well. 2015 was great and I have high hopes for 2016 as well. Please, let me know what topped your reading lists this year. I'm excited to know.

Happy reading and happy end to 2015. May your 2016 be full of exceptional reading material.

Quote of the Week

Gosh, it's always such a joy to dig into a James Lee Burke book, isn't it? Today's quote is from his upcoming (and wonderful) House of the Rising Sun:

"The screams of the children and the women were like sounds one hears inside the wind. Or in a dream. Or in a burning building about to collapse. Or in a universe where you helped dim the stars and murder the voices of charity and pity that should have defined your soul."
   –James Lee Burke, House of the Rising Sun

Crime Writers as Adjectives

I saw this article last month and today I was doing some interview work and used the term Fitzgeraldesque, which got me thinking about what adjectivized versions of crime writers names would mean. Don't worry; I won't be anywhere near as focused on sex as the Flavorwire writer was.

The one that jumped to mind immediately was:

(James) Burkeian

Exceptionally atmospheric detail that entices all the senses.

And you know I absolutely had to have one for:

(Robert) Craisish

Characterized by loud shirts and funky socks.

or

Pertaining to intimate bonds between adult heterosexual males.

(Craig) Johnsonesque

Having desirable qualities. A Johnsonesque town is one everyone wants to visit; a Johnsonesque character is one everyone wants as their friend.

(Bryan) Gruleyian

Containing hockey metaphors.

(Lee) Childish...wait, maybe that one doesn't work so well, how about Lee Childian...Childesque???

Marked by a nomadic nature.

(Gregg) Hurwitzian

Having a whirlwind of emotion. If it makes you laugh, cry, scream, rejoice...it's Hurwitzian.

I haven't forgotten the criminal woman. Here we go with theirs:

(Sophie) Littlefieldesque

Of or pertaining to creatively smart women.

(Karin) Slaughterish

Marked by a dark, painful history.

(Rosemary) Harrisian

The quality of blossoming.

(Lisa) Ungerian
Of or pertaining to the psychological examination of one's actions.
(Cara) Blackesque

Marked by French couture.

I started with Burkeian and I'll finish with a Burkeish:

(Alafair) Burkeish

Of or pertaining to a love of Nutella

or

Having an incredible knowledge base of pop culture

O.k. so my creative genes aren't that strong. Help me out here. What crime writer adjectives would YOU add?

THE RAIN GODS - James Lee Burke

FIRST LINE: "On the burnt-out end of a July day in Southwest Texas, in a crossroads community whose only economic importance had depended on its relationship to a roach paste factory the EPA had shut down twenty years before, a young man driving a car without window glass stopped by an abandoned blue-and-white stucco filling station that had once sold Pure gas during the Depression and was now home to bats and clusters of tumbleweed."

Hackberry Holland is a Texas sheriff carrying around haunting ghosts from his past. Pete Flores is a young Iraq vet with ghosts of his own. The two men and their ghosts cross paths when Hackberry uncovers a shallow grave filled with nine murdered illegal immigrants. Hackberry's investigation and Pete Flores' knowledge of the crime bring both men into the cross hairs of a passel of criminals who will do just about anything to keep the mass murder buried.

James Lee Burke introduced Hackberry Holland back in LAY DOWN MY SWORD AND SHIELD. Hackberry still had a story to tell and thus he returns in THE RAIN GODS, where Burke remains at the top of his game.

As is par for the course in a Burke novel, the setting comes alive and takes on a character role in the story. And the human characters are haunted by the people and actions of their pasts. In addition to his masterful use of setting, Burke also has a gift with character development. And he doesn't relegate that development strictly to the protagonist. Burke's villains are as complex and layered as any other character in the novel. Preacher Jack Collins is a prime example of that complexity. The reader would be hard pressed to find a character from literature with a blacker heart or a more kaleidoscopic development, which makes him all the more intriguing.

What continues to baffle me as a reader of Burke's novels is how he can build up a villain to be repulsive and evil and yet there's always some element, sometimes very minute but still present, of sympathy. James Lee Burke has a way of tugging at the reader's every emotion. Maybe it's the beauty of the language, or his extraordinary talent with a tale. But sometimes I just choose to believe he has magic and he instills it in every book he signs his name to. He certainly didn't disappoint in THE RAIN GODS.

I listened to THE RAIN GODS on audiobook, read by Tom Stechschulte. Stechschulte also reads Craig McDonald's Hector Lassiter series, so I first had to get past thinking I was listening to Lassiter. Once I was able to do that, I thought Stechschulte did a nice job narrating THE RAIN GODS. His tone matched what I would imagine Hackberry's to be: slow, measured. I found myself imagining Sam Elliot. I think Stechschulte did an outstanding job with Preacher Jack Collins and bringing out a sense of judgment on the world. Overall a good narration.

THE RAIN GODS is published by Simon and Schuster (ISBN: 978-1-4391-2824-4). The audiobook version I listened to is published by Recorded Books (978-1-4407-2705-4). There is also a Simon and Schuster version, but that is read by Will Patton.

Monday Mystery Backlist - James Lee Burke

Tomorrow is the release date for James Lee Burke's RAIN GODS. This will be the 30th publication for Burke, the 28th novel (two books were collections of short stories). This is truly an amazing accomplishment, not so much because he's published 30 works but because the quality of those works has been consistently amazing. And that made today's backlist author choice a no-brainer, but the hard part was picking which title to highlight. RAIN GODS picks up Hackberry Holland, the character from Burke's 1971 novel, LAY DOWN MY SWORD AND SHIELD, so that might be a logical choice. I could also highlight his Pulitzer Prize nominated THE LOST GET BACK BOOGIE, which was rejected 111 times over the course of 9 years before it was published. And there are his two series: Dave Robicheaux and Billy Bob Holland. Finally, one of my favorite James Lee Burke books doesn't fit into any of those categories. WHITE DOVES AT MORNING is a historical novel. Oh choices, choices, choices! And no matter which I choose, I will not do it justice. If you haven't picked up a James Lee Burke novel before, you simply must. If there were ever a writer that I felt everyone should read at some point in their lives, this is the one. But, let me quit stalling and pick a book already.

You may be surprised that my choice to highlight is CIMARRON ROSE, the first book in the Billy Bob Holland series. This is probably the lesser known of the two series that Burke has written (with RAIN GODS I guess we need to say three series now), but this is the book that started me on my love of all things James Lee Burke. For some reason, it called out to me from the bookshelf at the library so I checked it out. I read it in record time and had to find out about the man who wrote this amazing novel. And from there I discovered Dave Robicheaux and the rest is history!

CIMARRON ROSE, as I mentioned, introduces Billy Bob Holland, a former Texas Ranger turned attorney, who finds himself defending his illegitimate son against charges of rape and murder. Meanwhile Billy Bob fights his own internal demons that stem from his family's history of violence and the fact that he accidentally shot and killed his best friend L.Q. Navarro. I'm a reader who often has trouble suspending belief, and yet I found the ghost of L.Q. Navarro to be one of my favorite characters in the book. The ghost is most definitely an element of Billy Bob that he needs to come to terms with, and that internal conflict manifested in L.Q.'s character is incredibly powerful. I wouldn't expect anything less from James Lee Burke.

CIMARRON ROSE was first published in hardcover (ISBN: 978-0786862580) in 1997 by Hyperion Books. It was published in mass market paperback by Hyperion (ISBN: 978-0786889303) in 1998.

And to Jim Burke, congratulations, sir, on book #30. Thank you for the gift of every single one of them!

Thursday's This and That

Wow! It's been a bit of a whirlwind week. I'm not even exactly sure how it got to be Thursday already. I guess time is distorted when one is up on Cloud 9!

Monday's author event with Craig Johnson was absolutely amazing! So, it definitely warrants it own post. That will be Saturday, so I hope you'll check back to hear about my visit to Mystery Lovers Bookshop hosting Craig. In the meantime, I would like to leave you with a few links that you can enjoy about Craig. I turned a colleague on to Craig's work and we've been talking about him a lot at work, so I shared the NY Times article with my colleague and he dug up this site that shows the original "kit" Craig bought to start his house - he built his home in Wyoming if you did not already know.

Someone asked Craig Monday if Walt Longmire looks like him. I said I wasn't sure if Walt looked like Craig but "he definitely sounds like George Guidall." George Guidall is to Walt Longmire what Mark Hammer is/was to Dave Robicheaux. In my humble opinion of course. But you can check out what Craig things about his books on audio here at this site.

And I would totally LOVE it if Penguin would make one of these for me with a Walt Longmire title! Actually, could I get a set? If anyone's looking for a gift for me...;)

So tonight I'll be thinking about my other favorite bookstore in the entire world, the Mystery Bookstore in LA. The super, wonderful folks on the Pacific Coast will be hosting Craig tonight. Lucky folks!

We had a pretty hefty line-up this week for the six-word memoirs. I don't know...maybe I shouldn't have stacked so many great authors in the first three weeks. Keepin' up this pace is gonna be a challenge. But, I'm up for it. Hope you'll keep checking back.

However, I do need to get caught up on reviews. Hopefully you'll get one or six of those in the very near future. June is just crazy on this blog! Isn't it? Well, crazy doesn't even begin to describe this blog post from the L.A. Times. They have a list of 60 new books to read this summer - have you seen this? THIS SUMMER? Now that's a lot of reading. Michael Connelly's SCARECROW made the list, and so did THE SILENT HOUR. THE ANGEL'S GAME is one I have and am hoping to get to. Donald Westlake's final Dortmunder made their list, as did Pat Conroy's SOUTH OF BROAD. If I was making the list these would all be there but so would THE DARK HORSE (Craig Johnson), THE SECOND DEATH OF GOODLUCK TINUBU (Michael Stanley), TRUST NO ONE (Gregg Hurwitz), MIND SCRAMBLER (Chris Grabenstein), and BREATHING WATER (Timothy Hallinan). But the most blatantly missing title? RAIN GODS? Really? It didn't make their list? Guess that's why no one asks ME to make those lists, huh?

O.k., so I don't want to forget to congratulate Lori from Kansas who won the signed copy of Lisa Unger's DIE FOR YOU. I will be getting that in the mail to Lori this week. Thanks to everyone who entered the contest. And stay tuned. I have some more contests planned for this month!

I don't think I've mentioned here yet that I've been reading the May/June 2009 CRIMESPREE Magazine. Do you have a copy of this? There are some fabulous articles in this magazine! If you don't have a copy; you need to get one!

I still have to wrap up the read-a-thon. There was a final meme that I was supposed to answer and just simply didn't get to it because of my trip to PA on Monday. I had a wonderful time on Sunday reading, though. As you know if you followed my posts then I finished up BREATHING WATER, which I will be reviewing for you later this summer. I also finished THE WAY HOME, George Pelecanos' most recent novel. That review will be forthcoming. It was a beautiful day and I spent most of it on my front porch swing or the lawn chair in the back yard - so the dogs could be outside, too. It was a great time, but if I do something like that again, I need to make sure I don't have a day trip planned the NEXT day, too. Too crazy!

I hope you will check back tomorrow. As I mentioned on Tuesday, I'll be hosting an interview with the author of THE SECRET KEEPER, Paul Harris. I have a feeling we'll be hearing a lot more from Mr. Harris down the road!

Until then...Happy Reading!

***Update 6:36 EST - I have fixed my major, major botch, but if you happen to be coming back to this post, Gregg Hurwitz's book is called TRUST NO ONE. It's due out later this month. TELL NO ONE is the first stand alone that Harlan Coben wrote and that I recently finished listening to on audio book. My sincerest apologies to both authors. Too bad spell check can't catch idiot mistakes!

You Have the Right to Six Words - Part I

As part of my author interviews I always ask each author to tell me what his/her six word memoir would be. The question came from the book NOT QUITE WHAT I WAS PLANNING: SIX-WORD MEMOIRS OF WRITERS FAMOUS AND OBSCURE. This question is always so much fun and I look forward to what each author is going to respond. I also noticed that I received the most comments from readers on that question. So, the little wheels started turning and I decided to make it a series.

I've been out pounding the pavement to solicit six-word memoirs from writers of crime fiction. I have to tell you that I've been overwhelmed by the response. All these folks took time out of their schedules to humor me. So, each week on Wednesday I will be posting four memoirs until I've exhausted them all. I don't know for sure how long we'll go because I'm still actively soliciting, but I can tell you that if I get no other submissions, we'll have a minimum of 9 weeks of memoirs with writers contributing from the U.S., England, Ireland and South Africa. Each week, for at least the first nine, we'll have two memoirs that are recaps from the interviews and two brand new memoirs.

O.k., I'm too excited, so let's just get to the inaugural post of YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SIX WORDS: SIX-WORD MEMOIRS FROM CRIME FICTION'S GREATEST WRITERS!

Almost one year ago I was posting my very first interviews. Some day I'll go back and re-interview these brave souls because my interview questions have surely improved in the last year! But, the interviews did include the six-word memoir question.

Michael Koryta was first, so I find it only appropriate that we remember his memoir first in this series. Michael is the author of the Lincoln Perry series, publishing the first book, TONIGHT I SAID GOODBYE when he was 21. TONIGHT I SAID GOODBYE went on to win the St. Martin's Press/Private Eye Writers of America prize for best first PI novel. TONIGHT I SAID GOODBYE was also a Edgar Award nominee for best first novel. The fourth Lincoln Perry novel, THE SILENT HOUR, will be released from St. Martin's this August. Michael also wrote the stand alone novel, ENVY THE NIGHT, which won the 2009 L.A. Times Book Prize in the mystery/thriller category.

Can I have a seventh word?

Alafair Burke was my second interview and she's probably the female writer I hold in the highest regard, and not just because she's Duffer's Momma, either. She has two crime fiction series: Samantha Kincaid the Portland, Oregon deputy district attorney and Ellie Hatcher the New York City homicide detective. Both series feature smart, strong, realistic female protagonists. And both series epitomize the idea that "art imitates life." Next up for Alafair is 212, the third novel in the Ellie Hatcher series, which will be out this winter. Alafair is also a blogger, and if you haven't had a chance to check out her blog, you don't know what you're missing! In addition to her ability to write riveting crime fiction novels, she has a knack for finding the greatest topics to blog about!

Loved, was loved. Appreciated both. (one word short)

Oh, that's O.K. Alafair, I have a feeling that another author's going to need one down the road. We'll just save your extra word! :)

So, those are the recaps. Now for the two new memoirs in this week's post. I decided to make this post a family affair. Alafair's father, James Lee Burke is also a contributor to the Six-Word Memoir Project.

James Lee Burke is one of crime fiction's all-time greats. And you've heard me mention before that I view him as one of America's greatest living writers, period. He is a model of determination, having his novel THE LOST GET-BACK BOOGIE rejected 111 times before finally having it published and then nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. In addition to the Pulitzer nomination, Jim has been awarded the Edgar twice for Best Crime Novel of the Year, and just this past May he was named Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America. SWAN PEAK, published last year, marked the 17th novel in Jim's amazing Dave Robicheaux series. This summer Jim is resurrecting Hackberry Holland, who first appeared almost 30 years ago in LAY DOWN MY SWORD AND SHIELD, for his 29th novel RAIN GODS. So, how appropriate is this memoir?

I never ran out of stories.

And the final memoir for the first post comes from Les Roberts who was the winner of the initial St. Martin's Press/Private Eye Writers of America Best First PI novel! Les has penned two crime fiction series: the Saxon Series and the Milan Jacovich Series (which, like Koryta's Lincoln Perry series is set in Cleveland), the Saxon and the Milan Jacovich series had nominees for the Shamus and Anthony Awards. Last year, after a short hiatus from Milan, Les published THE KING OF THE HOLLY HOP. Among Les' other accomplishments is writing screen plays; he was also the first producer of THE HOLLYWOOD SQUARES. What initially brought him to the Northeast Ohio area was a job creating a lottery game show. That game show ultimately became CASH EXPLOSION DOUBLE PLAY. During Les' hiatus from Milan, he wrote a full-length memoir, WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE CLEVELAND. When he scaled it down to six words, it became:

Writer, father, lover, friend, occasional louse.

I hope you have enjoyed the first four memoirs and that you will come back next week to see who is included in Part II of YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SIX WORDS!

Happy Reading!

Crusader's Cross - James Lee Burke

In the fourteenth Dave Robicheaux novel, a face from the past that has haunted Dave since he was 20 re-emerges. Dave and his brother Jimmie had long since thought Ida Durbin was dead. But when some odd events start occurring, Ida's death becomes more and more suspect, and all signs lead back to the wealthy Chalons family.

Meanwhile, someone is on the loose killing women in Baton Rouge. The Baton Rouge serial killer hits close to home when he kills a young woman Dave interviewed and then dumps one of his victims in New Iberia Perish.

Dave, Clete, Helen, and Molly, Dave's new love interest, all find themselves wrapped up in murder and mayhem as Dave tries to unravel all the mysteries.

Once again, James Lee Burke has created a poetic masterpiece. While Crusader's Cross probably doesn't rank among my favorite Robicheaux novels, it's still among the elite in the world of crime fiction. Burke is known for his exquisite setting development and how accurately it reflects the Louisiana Bayou. His development also mimics the slow, easy pace of the Deep South. Crusader's Cross stays true to this form.

Valentine Chalons is a repulsive antagonist coming from an extremely dysfunctional, wealthy, southern family. Lou Cale/Coin is equally repulsive. Yet, I still feel sorry for them when Dave "loses it" and sinks to their levels. Dave Robicheaux is one of the most unique characters in crime fiction in the sense that you don't always cheer him on. He has such realistic human qualities, and those qualities include a side that isn't always lovable or endearing. Robicheaux is constantly battling evil and sometimes that evil just drags him right down with it. Helen does her best to keep Dave out of the slime, but sometimes even that isn't enough. In Crusader's Cross, Helen gives Dave his shield back only to have to park him on desk duty almost immediately afterward.

Clete is Clete. There is no comparison to Clete, a walking contradiction. He's as devoted a friend as any fictional character will find, but as usual the lengths he'll go to prove that devotion are often frightening.

Dave is on wife number four with Molly. I worry for her safety. His previous wives haven't had such a good go of things! But, Molly fits Dave's type. She's a rebel; she's down-to-earth; and she's a scrapper.

The dynamics of the characters as well as the relationships between them is pure gold and pure Burke.

I listened to this book on audio, and I'm afraid it's going to be my last Dave Robicheaux audio book. Will Patton was the reader, and while I truly enjoy Patton's work in films, I did not enjoy his reading of Dave Robicheaux. I know the major factor is because I've mentally established Mark Hammer's voice as Dave Robicheaux's voice. However, I do have some particular details in addition to my preference for Hammer. Patton was very dramatic, and this novel is told from the perspective of Robicheaux who would never, in my interpretation, be dramatic. And he certainly wouldn't have a breathlessly dramatic sound. Even though Burke's descriptions are often breath-taking for the reader, it's common place for Dave; he lives in it every day. In addition, the man who corrects his adopted daughter on her speech would not say "da" in place of "the" or use a hard "t" sound on a th consonant blend.

As with all Dave Robicheaux novels, there were many French-derived names present. Patton didn't seem to pronounce them as fluidly as Hammer always did. The accents, the stresses, the pronunciations just flowed in Hammer's readings and Patton has a more jerky style when he stresses certain syllables in those French pronunciations. It sounds almost like he's having difficulty pronouncing them.

Then there's the role of Clete Purcell. Never in a million years would I have imagined Clete to sound the way Patton read his role. There simply are not words. However, I do believe he missed a significant amount of the sarcasm that is essential to Clete's character. I didn't laugh anywhere near as much with Clete as when I've read a book myself or listened to Hammer's reading.

I know that it isn't fair to compare the two readers; each is his own person with his own style. And I've heard many people who loved Patton's reading. But I've created an image of Robicheaux in my mind, my imagination, and Hammer nailed that image (pun intended - ha!). This reading simply didn't measure up to the perfection of Hammer as Robicheaux.

January Round-up

O.k., in January I managed to finish eight books (five of the authors were new to me), which is pretty good considering I was also reading a manuscript for a friend. I thought I was slow at just READING a book, but when I'm making comments as well - OH LORD! I felt so bad because it took me so long to return the manuscript, but alas I was consoled when he told me the comments were helpful. That's all I need to hear, and I'm happy as a lark. I simply want to be helpful. Anyway, back to the January roundup.

It feels kind of funny to do this post because you can see all eight books over under my 2009 reads. There's only January at this point, but here goes:

I started out with Linda Fairstein's Lethal Legacy this year. What a joy to be back with Alex, Mike and Mercer. Mike Chapman is one of my favorite supporting characters in crime fiction. He's funny, has a macho exterior and a soft cushy interior! This book was especially fun because I learned about the New York Public library, and I can't imagine a better crime setting for a bibliophile. And by the way, it will be released this Tuesday.

Next I read A Dangerous Affair. That was a historical crime fiction novel that I received through Harper's early reader program. It was fun to transport back to Victorian England for that caper.

Time and Again was my book club's read for January. Not especially impressed with that one, but overall, I'm not a fantasy fan, so it was really at a disadvantage to begin with. If you're in to the time travel-type books, you may enjoy this one.

The Redbreast was another Harper publication and it is the first book to go on the list for contention in my top reads of 2009. Nesbø does an amazing job creating a complex plot and breaking the loner, alcoholic stereotype.

Finally I read Barry Eisler's Fault Line. Not especially impressed with this one. I just couldn't make a connection with the characters, and I'm a character reader.

My audio books for January included Blood Trail and Free Fire by C.J. Box. I enjoyed them, especially their settings, and I'll read other books in the series. But there also wasn't anything that really distinguished either of these two books as outstanding for me.

And I also listened to Last Car to Elysian Fields in January. Amazing. It's just that simple. Mark Hammer was a phenomenal reader and James Lee Burke is a phenomenal writer. The combination is perfect. As I've said before, I would consider Burke to be one of the greatest living American writers, and I have yet to find a reader who more perfectly embodied the essence of a novel than Hammer embodied the Dave Robicheaux series. The person who made that connection happen is a sheer genius.

I didn't link any of my titles to their reviews because I'm lazy tonight. I just finished a review that will be posted tomorrow - make sure you check back - and I figured since I have them linked over in the sidebar, you can link from there if you want to see the review. Plus, I'm really antsy to get back to a book my friend loaned me to read; it's called ADAM by Ted Dekker. So, I'll toddle off to my reading and leave you to yours.

Happy Reading - hope your February discoveries are wonderful!

Last Car to Elysian Fields - James Lee Burke

Last Car to Elysian Fields is the thirteenth book in James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux series. In this installment, Dave is on his own. Alafair has gone off to school and his third wife, Bootsy has died. When his friend Father Jimmie Dolan is threatened because his actions are making the wrong people angry, Dave tries to throw some interference.

Dave also begins to look into the mysterious disappearance of a old blues singer, Junior Crudup, who went into Angola prison but never came out, nor did he die according to any prison records. And between these two story lines, Dave ends up face-to-face with an IRA assassin, kidnapped, and suspended.

Many series will be stale by book thirteen, but James Lee Burke somehow manages to keep Dave and Clete from ever becoming old or cliche. I listened to this book on audio read by Mark Hammer, and as I've mentioned before I do not think there is a better match of reader and book. Experiencing a Dave Robicheaux novel read by Mark Hammer is something every crime fiction fan should indulge in at some time, even if you're one of those people who believe you don't like listening to audio books. This is a purely magical experience. Hammer's gritty sound coupled with his seemingly natural ability to nail all the dialects is amazing in and of itself. But when you couple it with his interpretation of Burke's words and themes, the experience becomes heavenly. In this book alone, Hammer has the regular southern dialect of the main characters but he also seamlessly alternates to a thick Irish brogue and an Italian mobster accent. A "failure to communicate" is a common occurrence in Dave Robicheaux novels, as the reader will find through the repetition of the single word "what?" Through Hammer's voice, you can hear confusion from this word, you can hear frustration, you might hear anger. But that simple word is the best example of how Hammer interprets the novel, he NEVER just reads the novel.

Burke, of course, is well-known for his distinct talent at developing setting, the Louisiana bayou setting. But his characters are also exquisitely developed in each novel. One of the elements of his writing that keeps me coming back time after time is the uncanny way Burke evokes both loathing and sympathy from me for almost every character. He can create a revolting antagonist, but there will be some point in the book where I feel sorry for the poor sap. It never fails. And I end up asking myself, "why do you feel sorry for this guy?" And then my brain is in overdrive, and I devour books that ignite that process inside me. The books that make you look beyond the black and white and see all the gray that's really there. Dave Robicheaux, Burke's protagonist, is not always a likable character. And Burke challenges his readers to reach deep down inside and make a connection with this man. I think this particular book points that challenge out rather explicitly through the character of Castille LeJeune who repeatedly tells Dave that the meaning of his literal words is eluding LeJeune.

Clete Purcel is one of my favorite characters in crime fiction, but I don't think I'd ever want to know him in reality. I sure wouldn't want to get on his bad side. But what reader can resist Clete's witticisms? Or his undying devotion to Dave? And Helen Soileau's sarcasm is equally entertaining. These two characters do a lot to lighten the heaviness of Burke's tone.

James Lee Burke manages to do what few authors can, he manages to make me believe that each book I read is better than the one before it. That is an amazing accomplishment!

Must Read Novels

O.k., so I always read these lists, but I never really like them...those "books everyone must read before they die" lists. One of the main reasons I don't ever like these lists is because for some Godforsaken reason Ulysses ALWAYS ends up on the list. If I were making a list of books I think people should stay far, far away from, Ulysses would be at the top of the list followed immediately by Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man. Now granted, I had to read it for a class in college and the professor was so incredibly horrible that I dreaded going to class - only lit class I ever dreaded. But even if I hadn't had that bad experience I still would not have liked the book - I think Joyce is cut out more for the "ole boys network." The point of all this rambling is that reading is a personal experience. And what I should read before I die isn't necessarily the same thing that EVERY person should read before they die. I think the idea is ludicrous. However, I still end up reading the lists. Here is one from The Guardian. I looked at the section that highlighted Crime Fiction - there's three parts to it. It's actually kind of interesting to look at; they try to span all sub-genres of crime fiction. There are a handful on the list I've read, but far more that I haven't. Some, I have no interest in ever reading (Stephen King), some I've had on my TBR list now for awhile (Raymond Chandler). I was kind of surprised not to see any Ross Macdonald...maybe I overlooked him. I also didn't notice any Conan Doyle; kind of strange. Mark Twain and William Faulker appear but Edgar Allen Poe does not. Again, a little odd. Of course I have a personal bias for Robert Crais and believe L.A. Requiem should be on any list of crime fiction, but that's my "personal experience." I was, however, a little shocked not to see Robert Parker on the list. And again, my personal experience coming in to play here, I think James Lee Burke is one of the greatest living American writers, period, so I would definitely have him on my list of recommended crime fiction reading.

But again, I don't think any one list suits every person. So, I thought maybe you all could help me to build MY list. You've been reading my reviews, and getting an idea of what I appreciate and what I'm not so thrilled with. What would YOU recommend I put on my list and why do you think I'd find it worthwhile to read before I die? I'll try to put together a list of 100 that I need to read before I die.

Alright, you're turn...tell me what you think!

Life's Simple Pleasures

When I get home from work and I'm basically plowed OUT of my driveway - the city has plowed the crap into the apron of my driveway so I can't pull in - it usually puts me in a rather foul mood. So, I had to shovel this evening. Which in the whole scheme of things probably isn't all that bad. They are calling for more snow tonight, so maybe this shoveling will prevent me from having to shovel before work tomorrow. I hope so anyway.

But, the real reason I'm talking about the shoveling foul mood is because in times like this, I remind myself of life's simple pleasures: a mug of hot chocolate, reading on my porch swing on a summer day, snuggling with my furry friends, a card or letter in my mailbox (not bills or junk mail), waking up naturally instead of to a jolting alarm, fishy kisses with my nephew, reading stories with my niece...these are all things that make me smile and appreciate.

Something else that I truly appreciate is listening to one of James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux novels read by Mark Hammer. I have listened to quite a few audio books now and these are far and away my favorites. The poetry of Burke's writing coupled with the gritty sound of Hammer's dead-on dialect causes a feast for the senses. Right now I'm listening to Last Car to Elysian Fields. Driving the last few days has been pretty nasty around here, but having this audio book has just had the most calming effect. I climb in my car and turn on the ignition and feel like I'm transported to another place and time. It is truly one of life's simple pleasures.

I'm sad that the readings won't continue since Mark Hammer passed away almost two years ago now. But, I'm thankful for the legacy he left behind in these recordings. I'm going to be keeping my eyes open in the off chance one should possibly show up in a used book store. Not especially likely, but stranger things have happened. These are books I would luxuriate in no matter how many times I listened to them. Life's simple pleasures.

Just In Case You're Out That Way...

James Lee Burke is going to be doing a book signing in New Iberia, LA, this weekend. In case you happen to be in the neighborhood of Books Along the Teche on Saturday around say, oh, 1-3, you can stop in and see him. Sadly, that isn't within driving distance for me - BLASTED. You don't see this very often, so if you have the chance to go, you better grab it!

Friday's Forgotten Books

I was so delighted when I received an e-mail from Patti Abbott asking if I would like to do a post on a Friday's Forgotten Book. If you haven't seen these on other blogs, people (authors, bloggers, readers, etc) pick books that they feel might be "forgotten" and write a review to remind others about them. O.k., so I was thrilled to be asked and then I thought, "what in the world am I going to pick for this?" Because, of course, I want to make a good selection and not something everyone will think is silly or something that folks don't think has been forgotten. I had a couple of titles I was considering, but I also happened to have planned to go to the bookstore the very day I received the request from Patti. So, I'm tooling around in the store, checking everything out as usual, when I came across a copy of White Doves at Morning. I thought, "James Lee Burke wrote that, really?" And yes, everyone in the store could see the light bulb pop into the discussion bubble above my head! So, I do hope at least one person either didn't know Jim Burke wrote this book or else the fact had escaped them - they forgot! :)

White Doves at Morning is a historical fiction novel, published in 2002 and set around New Iberia, Louisiana, during the Civil War. Of course, since it occurs during the Civil War, it does not include Burke's reknowned Dave Robicheaux. Instead, this book focuses on Burke's ancestry. Willie Burke is the son of an Irish immigrant who joins the Confederate forces more out of fear than support for the "cause." Robert Perry, Burke's friend, is the son of slave owners and is a staunch supporter of Secussion.

Perry and Burke are both in love with Abigail Dowling, an abolitionist who came south from Massachusettes to help fight an outbreak of yellow fever. Abigail befriends Flower Jamison, the black slave daughter of Ira Jamison, the owner of Angola Plantation.

White Doves at Morning follows these characters during the Civil War and into the beginning of Reconstruction.

As with James Lee Burke's signature series, this book lulls the reader into another world through the colorful depiction of character, the vivid development of setting and the captivating plot. When closing the book, I would have to remind myself of the present day since I was so focused and present in the Nineteenth Century.

Since I do enjoy Jim Burke's Dave Robicheaux series, I was at first excited to learn about the background of New Iberia. I had no idea that Angola Prison Farm started out as a plantation. Ira Jamison had his sights on politics and aimed to benefit from the spoils of the war by turning his plantation into the prison farm. But it turns out that learning about the history of New Iberia was just a side benefit to reading this book.

Burke's characters are as rich and complex as Dave or Billy Bob Holland. I had the opportunity to briefly discuss this book with Jim Burke while I was reading, and he expressed pride in the characters of Abigail and Flower. And proud he should be. These two female characters are outstanding. Neither one is immune to pain and suffering, both are "outsiders" in their homes. Burke describes Abigail's feeling of being an outsider with such elegance, you can't help but want to befriend her and ease some of the lonliness:

Because there was no one solidly defined world she belonged to, no one family, no one person, she thought. She saw herself in an accurate way only twice during any given twenty-four-hour period, at twilight and at false dawn, when the world was neither night nor day, when shadows gave ambiguity a legitimacy that sunlight did not.

But Abigail and Flower are strong characters who rely on eachother and find ways to perservere.

Burke's villans are also dynamic characters. And much like the antogonists in his series novels, these villans make your skin crawl and remind you to check the locks at night when you go to bed.

'Colonel Jamison got one eye smaller than the other. It got a wet blue gleam in it. I didn't know what that look meant. It's possession, Miss Abigail. It's the control he got over other people that keeps him alive. Not love for no family, no cause, no little nigger baby who was found almost froze to death in a woods.'

From Ira Jamison at the top of the "food chain" to Rufus Atkins and Clay Hatcher, the preverbial "white trash," through them we see the birth of such groups as the Klu Klux Klan and the Knights of the White Camellia.

And of course, it wouldn't be a James Lee Burke novel without an accute sense of place. Burke's amazing gift of transporting his readers to places completely unknown to them and making them feel like they've lived in the place all their lives is like no other. In this book, Burke is transporting his readers back in time, to a war we've all read about. But the realism puts you on the plantation fields, on the battlefields:

Each day or night a story passed on the river and Willie wondered why those who wrote about war concentrated on the battles and seldom studied the edges of grand events and the detritus that wars created: livestock with their throats slit, the swollen carcasses of horses gut-shot by grape or canister, a burning houseboat spinning around a bend at night, with no one aboard, the flames singeing the leaves in the gum trees along the bank, a naked lunatic drifting by on a raft, a cowbell hanging from his throat, a Bible open in his hand, yelling a sermon at the soldiers on the shore, a pimp from Baton Rouge tyring to put it to shore with a boatload of whores.

James Lee Burke has a talent unlike any other. Most of us have embraced Dave Robicheaux and Billy Bob Holland because of this talent. White Doves at Morning is a magnificient departure from these characters and time period, and definitely a book that we should not forget is part of Burke's great works.

**To see all of this week's Friday's Forgotten Books, visit Patti's blog.

B&N Center Stage

Just a little FYI for you. Alafair and James Lee Burke are on the B&N Center Stage until September 5th. You can submit questions and they will respond to your questions. I, of course, have already been a question hog there since I love both authors. It's a great time, too, because I just finished Angel's Tip and now I'm working on White Doves at Morning. So, I've definitely been in a Burke-family mindset!

Purple Cane Road - James Lee Burke

Purple Cane Road is the eleventh installment in the Dave Robicheaux series by James Lee Burke. And I think this may be my favorite to date.

Dave learns that his mother was killed by cops years ago, and he searches for her killer. But, it's never that simple. His search pulls him into the midst of dirty cops, dirty politicians and hired killers. Hired killers that befriend his daughter! And while all this is going on, the debate about whether to go through on the execution of a woman who killed the man who sexually molested her as a child rages in Louisiana.

One of the elements that makes Dave such a great character is his person demons. Dave's internal conflict that the reader is privy to makes him real. He desires justice and knows that the legal system doesn't always provide that justice. But at the same time, he's a lawman, sworn to uphold that deficient system. He's a father and a husband, and in this novel a son, whose family comes first. So, when there is any threat to them, seeing things clearly or thinking ahead isn't always Dave's strong point. And the interaction between Dave and Alafair in this book is priceless. If Alafair isn't the typical teenage (albeit not in the typical teenage scenerio), I don't know who is.

Johnny Rometa is also a great character. He's the hired killer who doesn't fit the stereotype of a hired killer. When Dave saves his life, Johnny feels indebted to Dave. What hired killer would feel a debt like that? Johnny leaves you wondering exactly how you feel about him. There are just too many dimensions to pigeonhole him and find him purely unlikable.

I listened to this novel on audiobook (so I apologize if any of the names are misspelled), and I was less than impressed with the reader (Nick Sullivan) on this one. He is a great reader, easy to follow, but he just didn't have the Louisiana sound down. In Burke's words you can hear and see the Louisiana bayou, in Sullivan's voice, a lot of that was lost. A number of his characters made think I was listening to Asian people who's native language wasn't English. And Helen was one of those characters - it just didn't fit. The sheriff at times made me think of Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump. Somehow, one doesn't want to view the head law enforcement official as Forrest Gump. Sullivan also read Dave's voice in a very Northern dialect - that, too, did not fit. Chivers North America could have made a better choice on readers for this one.

Sunset Limited by James Lee Burke

I enjoy listening to books on audio as well as reading them, especially since I have to drive 45 minutes one way to work. This is how I read Sunset Limited by James Lee Burke. Mark Hammer gives voice to the characters in Burke's tenth Dave Robicheaux novel, and he does a phenomenal job.

One of the things I like best about the Dave Robicheaux novels is the fact that Dave isn't a comedic character. Don't get me wrong, some of my favorite characters are ones that are constantly cracking jokes (Elvis Cole, Lincoln Perry). But Dave is set apart from these characters with his serious nature. He is plagued by constant internal conflict and that is reflected in his personality. The supporting characters, however, provide a great comic relief: Clete, Helen Soileau, the sheriff, Batiste, and of course Alafair.

In this installment of the Dave Robicheaux series, Dave inadvertently gets caught up in the murder of a union leader that happened 40 years ago. Burke ties in some religious symbolism by having Jack Flynn be crucified, and the symbolism may border on the extreme side when two criminals end up on either side of Flynn, but it does bring the point across. Throughout the novel, I was constantly wondering who exactly the "bad guy" was. But, with James Lee Burke, it's never as simple as merely a "bad guy."

The characters in this novel are richly developed. Lila Terrabonne borders on the absurd while the reader can't help but be repulsed by her father. His arrogance sitting atop his ivory tower leaves you rooting for Dave to knock him down. But life is never that simple, and Burke doesn't try to paint an unrealistic fairy tale. While Dave pursues killers for hire, they are turning on each other. And you know Swede Boxleiter is an evil creature, but you can't help but admire his devotion to Cisco Flynn - their bond that had been sealed through years of foster care and abuse. Likewise Willy "Cool Breeze" Broussard is a convicted felon; he did time in Angola. But would his plight have been the same had he not encountered depraved men in power? These people we can sympathize with, but those with money and power who simply choose to force their ways on others through murder and torture and other heinous crimes...those are the ones we despise. And Burke creates characters that the reader is capable of despising.

Burke is often poetic in his descriptions, taking the reader into the heart of Louisiana and the minds of his characters. It's a challenge to read his work and not feel like you're a part of it.