Scan barcode
A review by tessa_talks_books
Every Cloak Rolled in Blood by James Lee Burke
5.0
What’s it about (in a nutshell):
Novelist Aaron Holland Broussard is 85 and recently lost his daughter of 53, Fannie Mae, from a heart attack. In his daughter’s honor, he tries to save a few different members of the town’s underground drug trade while confronting evil past and present at its most horrifying.
Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):
The title intrigues me and, mixed with the cover picture of a burning house, makes me think of using a blood-soaked item (instead of a water-soaked blanket) to protect someone from a fire which is an unusual idea and thought. This is book 4 in a series, so there’s always that worry for me that I won’t be able to follow since I haven’t read the previous three, but thrillers often can be read as a stand-alone, so I’m not overly worried. The idea of supernatural outlaws caught my attention from the blurb, and my overall impression is that the story will be very intense. I think I’m in for a story that I won’t soon forget.
Actual Reading Experience:
The first aspect that stood out is the noir writing style, which is direct and almost staccato. It fit the setting of mid-west ranch lands so perfectly that it felt genuine and raw, much like the story. This is not a style of writing that I gravitate toward, but once I get used to it, I can see the beauty of telling a story this way.
The writing also portrayed what it’s like to grieve a loved one in a way that no other writing style would have done justice to. Aaron’s grief over losing his daughter is so perfectly poignant that I felt myself grieving with him. This is a lovely tribute to the author’s real-life daughter, who passed away in 2020.
I also loved the significant part that the supernatural world played in this good versus evil story. Aaron was forced to confront more evil in such a short amount of time than is even fathomable to most of us. The ghosts that make themselves known create such a significant element of suspense and intrigue while at the same time bringing in the afterlife of loved ones recently departed. The breadth and depth bundled into these parts of the story took my breath away.
Characters:
Aaron Holland Broussard is a successful novelist and respected member of a small mid-western town. He owns and maintains his beautiful ranch all on his own. When he loses his only daughter, his life is overwhelmed by grief and the many evils around him – natural and supernatural. This character, developed poignantly and beautifully, invited me to sit in his grief with him as he confronted each evil.
No matter how minor, all of the characters are developed, with the various sides making them who they are exposed to and laid bare for all to see.
To Read or Not to Read:
If you are looking for a poignant look at death and grief and good versus evil, Every Cloak Rolled in Blood is just that rolled into a crime thriller.
Novelist Aaron Holland Broussard is 85 and recently lost his daughter of 53, Fannie Mae, from a heart attack. In his daughter’s honor, he tries to save a few different members of the town’s underground drug trade while confronting evil past and present at its most horrifying.
Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):
The title intrigues me and, mixed with the cover picture of a burning house, makes me think of using a blood-soaked item (instead of a water-soaked blanket) to protect someone from a fire which is an unusual idea and thought. This is book 4 in a series, so there’s always that worry for me that I won’t be able to follow since I haven’t read the previous three, but thrillers often can be read as a stand-alone, so I’m not overly worried. The idea of supernatural outlaws caught my attention from the blurb, and my overall impression is that the story will be very intense. I think I’m in for a story that I won’t soon forget.
Actual Reading Experience:
The first aspect that stood out is the noir writing style, which is direct and almost staccato. It fit the setting of mid-west ranch lands so perfectly that it felt genuine and raw, much like the story. This is not a style of writing that I gravitate toward, but once I get used to it, I can see the beauty of telling a story this way.
The writing also portrayed what it’s like to grieve a loved one in a way that no other writing style would have done justice to. Aaron’s grief over losing his daughter is so perfectly poignant that I felt myself grieving with him. This is a lovely tribute to the author’s real-life daughter, who passed away in 2020.
I also loved the significant part that the supernatural world played in this good versus evil story. Aaron was forced to confront more evil in such a short amount of time than is even fathomable to most of us. The ghosts that make themselves known create such a significant element of suspense and intrigue while at the same time bringing in the afterlife of loved ones recently departed. The breadth and depth bundled into these parts of the story took my breath away.
Characters:
Aaron Holland Broussard is a successful novelist and respected member of a small mid-western town. He owns and maintains his beautiful ranch all on his own. When he loses his only daughter, his life is overwhelmed by grief and the many evils around him – natural and supernatural. This character, developed poignantly and beautifully, invited me to sit in his grief with him as he confronted each evil.
No matter how minor, all of the characters are developed, with the various sides making them who they are exposed to and laid bare for all to see.
To Read or Not to Read:
If you are looking for a poignant look at death and grief and good versus evil, Every Cloak Rolled in Blood is just that rolled into a crime thriller.