Robicheaux

If you have not read this series before, ignore the fact that this is the 21st book and just read it. Dave Robicheaux is one of the best characters in modern American crime literature. Yes, I said literature. James Lee Burke has a command of the English language far beyond that of many writers considered literary. There’s beauty in the way he describes Louisiana and, more importantly, its people. He’s a good man who has a lot of demons. At his core, however, he’s incredibly smart and devoted to both his family and doing right. Robicheaux’s struggle with alcohol is epic- and Burke writes about it with great understanding and empathy. He may have lost his wife and his. beloved raccoon Tripod but he’s still got his daughter Alafair (just google her) and best of all his old buddy Clete. Clete is a man of excess but he too is devoted to doing the right thing and most of all to Dave. As always, this is a complicated novel full of twists and turns, good guys and bad guys, and it’s deeply rewarding. This time there’s a writer, his wife, a populist politician, interesting police officers, the usual mob guys, and an assassin, One special thing- Burke once again commends the US Coast Guard for its good work during Katrina. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I can’t recommend this highly enough.

I love James Lee Burke’s work. But, not even he can hit a home run every time. While his worst writing is better than 90 percent of all other fiction, he can still produce a dud now and then. Robicheaux, titled for his signature character, is a good read. It just is not up to par with much of his previous work. I usually highlight every other page and passage because Burke’s prose is so arresting and beautiful. I think I highlighted four or five passages in this book. It just isn’t as rich and poetic as usual. There were also lots of typos in this one — another anomaly. I think Burke was trying to tie up some things in this book. Dave and Clete’s long friendship and partnership for one. It didn’t work. I also think he was trying to comment on life in the US after the 2016 election. If so, he never really made his point. The book still gets four stars. Burke’s grocery list would get that from me. But, I was a bit disappointed.

I have always said that it is impossible to rank JLBs books because they are all superb. It is the case, however, that ROBICHEAUX is a classic in the Robicheaux series. Why? Because it hits all of that series major themes: the haunting nature of a past that embodies both great evil and great valor; the nature of alcohol addiction and how it feels and how it distorts your life; the experience of Vietnam at the personal, cultural and historic levels; the bond between men and women who work the streets and try to stem the tide of crime, sin and corruption. All of which is to say that, yes, we see a great deal of Clete Purcel herea combination friend, boon companion, tempter and avenging angel. We also (as we often do in JLBs work) find ourselves on a movie set, a set that offers a perspective on both past and present and the manner in which both good men/women and bad aspire to shape reality.

The plot is classic as well: a wounded detective with a larger-than-life partner encounters a series of individuals (an aspiring politician, a race-baiting manipulator, a prominent writer, a professional criminal, et al.), each one of whom might have been responsible for murder. The twist here: the detective himself may have been responsible for a murder during a blackout. Thus, to solve the crimes is to find both personal and professional redemption. Throw in a professional hitman who carries a great deal of belly fat, has red lips, a fondness for licorice and a personal arsenal and the picture is nearly complete. There is also an odd Burkean touch. Here, Dave Robicheaux, has an orphaned, adopted daughter named Alafair; in real life Jim Burke has a daughter named Alafair. In each case the two women went to Reed College and Stanford for law school. Another variation on that curious theme: the writer in ROBICHEAUX has written a book entitled WHITE DOVES AT MORNINGthe name of an actual title by JLB.

All else is as expected: stunning writing with descriptive passages that sparkle on the page without becoming purple; exquisite, appropriate violence when it is deserved; memorable characters; a setting that is so rich and so nicely realized that it hovers over the book as a constant presence and an ending that is both totally appropriate for the story and philosophically haunting.

Just a couple samples of the writing:

He was handsome in the way that superficial people are, his jaw firm, his teeth capped, his manner easy and detached, as though a greater world awaited his presence (p. 292).

If there are angels among us, as St. Paul suggests, I believed Clete was one of them, his wings auraed with smoke, his cloak rolled in blood, his sword broken in battle but unsurrendered and unsheathed, a protector whose genus went back to Thermopylae and Masada (p. 322).

I would include the concluding lines of the book but I dont want to spoil their effect on the book as a whole.

Bottom line: another fine book from JLB. Dont miss it.

Ok, Im over it. I gave 3 stars only because I love Dave Robicheaux but its not worth it. Hes run his course as has James Lee Burke who, in my humble opinion, is one of the best writers of all time. Frankly, his raging against Louisiana, big oil, the rich, environmental disaster, crooks, punks, pukes, hit men, and the like is getting old and now is just self serving… though self serving for what I dont know. People do dumb things constantly and have giant lapses of reason but if I read another page about working for hoodlums or wealthy gangsters who want to make movie all the while knowing how monstrous they are, I think Ill die. Even Dudley DoRights girlfriend, Nell, had more smarts than Robicheaux/Burke’s daughter. Buy the book if youre a fan, I know you cant help yourself (like me) but its time to switch and give another author a try. Theres a much truth to the adage quit while youre ahead.

I lived in Louisiana for some ten years. I usually read Burke’s novels at my peril because I so enjoy his depictions of life in Louisiana that I end up almost ready to call the mover to move back. A usual, this book has all the melodious references to things Louisiana. But, the story is just absurd.
Spoiler alert, practically everyone gets killed. Murder and mayhem abound. I still am not really sure who did what to whom and why. It is just a mess. The ending is among the worst I’ve ever read. Maybe I got a different edition than all those folks who five starred it. Three star only because of the poetic writing, Otherwise, save your money.

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