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A review by eleellis
Robicheaux by James Lee Burke
5.0
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 film-making 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.
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 film-making 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.