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ssindc 's review for:
Black Cherry Blues
by James Lee Burke
Yup, that's why (even if I was late to the party, even if James Lee Burke appeared on my radar screen later than most) I keep reading these books. Sure, they're dark (noir?), brutal, depressing, disturbing, and ... periodically, graphically violent. But, at the same time, they're lyrical, almost elegiac, bordering on literary ... poetic (no, not necessarily), almost meditations. But most of all, they're compelling, riveting, addictive, and, ... I dunno, relentless.
For better or worse, when I pick one up, I want to keep on reading ... until I finish it.
At this point, I've read as much Dave Robicheaux as I have Hackberry Holland, the latter of which I originally found more appealing. But Dave has grown on me... I met Dave Robicheaux very late in the series (a much longer series than Hackberry has been granted) and was disappointed when I went back to the beginning to find that (duh, why should I have been surprised?) that Burke was not quite the master of his craft when he first introduced Dave Robicheaux to the reading public. A few books in, and it's pretty clear he hit his stride (many years ago).
Time will tell ... when I next return to James Lee Burke (which I will) ... whether I'll continue with Dave's saga or experiment with Billy Bob Holland. Either way, it's pretty clear that Burke will remain a fixture on my want-to-read list for the foreseeable future.
For better or worse, when I pick one up, I want to keep on reading ... until I finish it.
At this point, I've read as much Dave Robicheaux as I have Hackberry Holland, the latter of which I originally found more appealing. But Dave has grown on me... I met Dave Robicheaux very late in the series (a much longer series than Hackberry has been granted) and was disappointed when I went back to the beginning to find that (duh, why should I have been surprised?) that Burke was not quite the master of his craft when he first introduced Dave Robicheaux to the reading public. A few books in, and it's pretty clear he hit his stride (many years ago).
Time will tell ... when I next return to James Lee Burke (which I will) ... whether I'll continue with Dave's saga or experiment with Billy Bob Holland. Either way, it's pretty clear that Burke will remain a fixture on my want-to-read list for the foreseeable future.