Rating: 
Summary: Will Patton's reading complements the book
Review: Although overly abridged, the reader does such a good job of capturing the syntax of the prose the story is actually enhanced.
Rating:
Summary: "BLUES IS GOOD"
Review: Burke comes through again with Black Cherry Blues. This is the third Robicheaux book I have read. They all have been good. Dave is running for his life, he is to go to trial for a murder he did not commit. This takes him from the bayou to Montana. He deals with Sal Dio. A crazy man if there ever was one. Burke reveles more of Daves inter-thoughts. He shows a strong belief in God in this book. Burke can make you feel like you are there. The bad guys are after Daves little girl which is bad news for them. Clete shows back up in this book, is a friend again to Robicheaux. Dixie Lee Pugh also shows, a good old country boy from long ago. Burke weaves the people through their paces and make a very good story.
Rating: 
Summary: Great writing, but pure escapism.
Review: Burke has such a great talent it's a pity he wastes it on these stock stories that are pure escapism. Oh, well, I guess he has to make a living.
What I liked:
1. The emotional underpinnings of the book. Dave has lost his wife and his career, yet he loves his adopted daughter and the good people in his life and in the world. Of course he hates the bad people and tends to see the world as black vs. white.
2. The descriptions and settings. He's very Shakespearean in that the weather often echoes the emotional tone of the action. His writing is lush and full of vivid details.
3. He manages to make the clichés sing. The hero who is an ex-cop and Vietnam vet and a recovering alcoholic who goes to AA meetings has been done to death. Yet Burke does it better than anybody.
4. The voice. We see everything through the eyes of the hero. His reactions and motivations are always clear and always believable. We feel it all the way.
5. The use of violence. The hero has led a violent life and becomes violent often, but always in the service of his fight for good vs. evil. The descriptions of violence are totally believable to me.
6. The overall story. Often, the pace is slow, but it works because of the strong emotional underpinnings.
What I didn't like:
1.The ending was unsatisfying. No confrontation with the two worst bad guys at the end. These bad guys get what they deserve, but not at the hands of our hero, at least not directly.
2. The underlying themes and premises are purely escapist. The theme is that good triumphs in the end even if it has to go through hell. Like the motto of the Texas Rangers: "A little man can whip a big man every time, if the little man is in the right and he keeps a comin'."
3. The redneck B.S. about black people being in charge of people's houses in the South. But who owns the land, and who has the money?
4. The black/white view of the world. It's only that simple in this type of novel. 5. At the end, even though I've been through a lot with the character, I haven't really learned anything. The character and his view of the world haven't changed any, during the course of the story. I have no new insights into myself, and I haven't really learned anything about the world. My prejudices, if have any, have simply been reaffirmed. The bad guys are bad and the good guys are good, and we want the good guys to win. The trouble is, in the real world, good guys sometimes do bad things and vice versa. It's hard to find people who are pure evil, although the politicians would have us believe otherwise.
Rating:
Summary: Soulful Hard Boiled Mysteries
Review: Burke's Robicheaux is a unique entry in this genre for at least two reasons: first, the writing in the series is both hard boiled and literary -- to some degree, burke is a bit like a modern day Raymond Chandler in that regard; and second, the hero is complex, tortured, and sympathetic (not unique) but he is also convincing as a real person. Scenes from this book, as well as the others in the series, will be with you long after you finish.
Rating:
Summary: A first-rate piece of storytelling.
Review: Dave Robicheaux, an ex-cop, lives in New Iberia, Louisiana. His wife was murdered by an unknown killer one year ago. Dave lives with an adopted Indian child named Alafair. He owns a bait shop and so far, has a clean record. One night he decides to go for coffee at a local cafe. He meets an old friend,who use to be a country singer, named Dixie Lee Pugh. While talking to him, he finds that Dixie has been into some trouble. After being acused of killing a young man, his house burns down along with his wife. People think that it was Dixie who killed those people but he knows who it really was. Two bad men named Harry Mapes and John Vidrine. Dave decides to help out an old friend so one night, he shows at Mapes and Vidrines hotel room. When Dave begins asking questions, they get suspicious and there is a scuffle. In the end of the scuffle, one man turns out dead. That man is Vidrine. Dave is being accused for the murder and Mapes is the only person to testify against him. If Dave can prove that it was Mapes who had killed those people in Montana before his trial, he'll be let off.So Dave moves to Montana with his little girl, and soon gets into more trouble when he makes the wrong accusations.
This is a great book. This book is a compelling mystery and I can't tell you any more about the book or else it'll give it away. So read the book to find out who killed who and if Dave gets let off the hook.
Rating: 
Summary: Same old Robicheaux
Review: Despite the beautiful poetic descriptions of nature which are peppered throughout his books, James Lee Burke falls short as a mystery writer. An author shouldn't concentrate more on describing the environment than developing the plot, which is exactly what he does. And after you've read a number of his novels about the jaded ex-cop Dave Robicheaux, you start to realize that they all follow a very strict, formulaic pattern, so formulaic that I think I can summarize the generic plot of every one of Burke's novels. They all go pretty much as follows:
First, Dave Robicheaux unwittingly becomes involved in some sordid affairs, so he decides to start poking his nose around. He is threatened by criminals to stay out of their affairs, but instead of complying he beats them up and continues investigating. Despite the warnings, he is utterly shocked when the villains retaliate by harming someone close to him. The case having become more personal, Robicheaux begins running from place to place, making obtuse accusations and threats to various people until he earns the animosity of almost every character in the book. He eventually stumbles upon the solution to the mystery, and he never manages to punish those responsible because his hands are tied legally. Ultimately, it turns out that things would have worked out better for everyone had he simply not stuck his nose where it didn't belong, and there is nothing quite as disappointing as finishing a book and finding out that nothing worthwhile was accomplished by the protagonist.
Aside from this, Robicheaux becomes tiresome quickly. Though he is a decent enough guy, it is very difficult to have sympathy for a man who brings all his troubles on himself with his stupidity and unwillingness to stop poking his nose into other people's affairs.
If you feel that you absolutely have to read one of these books, my advice is to pick one at random, read it, and then don't read any of the others. Believe me, they are all the same.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Read
Review: For every Dave Robicheaux fan, a must read. Typical weave of multiple threads like all previous James Lee Burke stories!
Rating:
Summary: Recit Burke
Review: Good story. I love Burke's style eventhough my mother language is not english.
Rating:
Summary: The first is one of the best
Review: Having read James Lee Burke's entire Dave Robicheaux series, I have to say that this novel, which introduced the flawed ex-cop with the mystical bent, is still one of the best. There are several things about this book that hit me as unique and made me want to return every time Burke served up another helping; the first is that Burke's ability with description and locale are unparalled, the second is the depth of character he was able to give Robicheaux by focusing on his personal demons (drink, violence and inner torment from loss and regret), and third is the 'mystical' element that informs each book - sometimes more than others - and allows the plot to be advanced by such devices as messages in dreams and intimations of a 'higher power.' Since Burke himself is a recovering alcoholic he is able to make this side of Dave's life quite real and moving.This book (which won the Edgar Award in 1990) differs from later ones in the series in that Dave strays far afield from the rural Louisiana coast setting readers normally associate with him. But he is also, in the beginning, a more complex and interesting character. As the series progresses he becomes stiffer and more self righteous. Here he is unsure of himself and trying to come to grips with a life that has him on the ropes. This is some of Burke's best writing and I would highly recommend it to mystery fans who have never tasted this rich Louisiana stew. It is unique and memorable.
Rating:
Summary: Unbelievable
Review: I hadn't read anything that evocative in a long time. The opener (which I understand is a bit from "Heaven's Prisoners," grabbed me by the throat. I was reminded of "The Angels Fell" by Erik Rush, which pulls you in over the first few pages just like "Blues." JLB is definitely the best!
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