Customer Reviews: Read 120 more reviews...
 This Is My First JLB Novel... August 17, 2008
Although I've been an avid reader all my life, somehow I'd never heard of James Lee Burke before noticing "Tin Roof Blowdown" at the corner grocery market one night when desperate for reading material and there was nothing by familiar favorite authors in the bookstand. So I took a chance and by 10 pages in that night, I was hooked on Mr. Burke -- that was my first novel of his but it certainly won't be my last. Fantastic writer! Robicheaux is an intriguing, complex leading man and Burke's telling of the Katrina tragedy is RIVETING, SUSPENSEFUL, MOVING, MULTI-LAYERED. His writing is poetic and thought-provoking yet moves like a speeding train, I couldn't put the book down all weekend, it's one of the best books I've ever read. That was only a month ago and I've read two more JLB novels, the two latest Billy Bob Holland stories and I found them both fascinating and can't wait for the next Holland epic. And I'm looking forward to more Robicheax, I'll be reading them all. No wonder this writer won two Edgars, and now he's won a Franilla!
 So-so Detective Story August 15, 2008
This is an overly-long detective story. Some of the characters and their stories go nowhere. The ending can be seen ages before, and I found that I wanted the book to hurry up and "get it over with."
 still waiting August 12, 2008
I have been waiting a few years for a first rate Robicheaux novel to come along. not since Purple Cane Road have I been absorbed by the series. I got hooked on the series reading Sunset Limited. in this latest installment there were flashes of brilliance, but I was left underwhelmed by the character of Bertrand Melancon (brutal robber, murderer, rapist- but we were supposed to feel sympathy for him as he tried to make amends with his paper towel apology)-give me a break.
Alafair uses profane graphic descriptions to tell off a creep- overrought and melodramatic.
Molly is a lame replacement for Bootsie (and Annie for that matter). Her basic goodness is her only facet.
I love Mr. Burke's writing, but sadly The edgy Robicheaux of yesteryear has disappeared. How I wish for another Heaven's prisoners type installment!
Interesting mystery taking place during the most distressing disaster of this country's history. August 4, 2008
I enjoyed this book and the insight I obtained from the details re the hurricane. The suspense was just an added bonus. Very well written.
One Word - Beautiful August 1, 2008
Not the distruction that called herself Katrina, but this authors' writing.
I am a new James Lee Burke reader with this being my first read (actually audio) and in awe of this man's vivid and rich writing prose.
There were times when I rewound the tape to re-listen to the way he discribes a simple way someone looks and walks down a New Orleans street.
Anyway, the stories are the reason to keep on reading and he delivers big with {sad, funny, beautiful, tense, brutal, ugly, smelly, clever, tough and weak characters and plots}
If you really want to experience his books the way they should be experienced, get the audible (audio) versions..the narrater delivers the book like "listening" to a movie.
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