Rating: 
Summary: The Best Yet
Review: Absolutely brilliant! I once believed that writers like Hemingway and Laurie Lee had no equals. I was wrong! In my opinion, Burke is probably the finest writer alive today; possibly one of the finest writers 'ever'.
Rating: 
Summary: Violence Murders Itself
Review: A good start, good atmosphere and pace, but the novel suffers from a surfeit of violence, the interest slows. Nothing subtle here. Like Elmore Leonard, but Elmore has more humor.
Rating:
Summary: Burke's Best
Review: "Purple Cane Road" is a brooding, bruising, beautiful novel. I have been a devoted fan of this series since the early nineties, and this is the most powerful entry in years. I think it is very clear thet Burke is not constrained by the limitations of his genre. His novels are searching examinations of a violent, yet noble, character's psyche. His characterization skills are impressive. In addition, he also depicts his bayou country setting with a verbal palette that is almost unrivalled in contemporary fiction. Burke can make you feel the soft Louisiana rain, taste the Cajun sandwiches, and see the glowing neon lures of New Orleans."Purple Cane Road" is a compelling look at Dave Robicheaux, his anger and his pain. We learn more about his past than we have since "Morning for Flamingos", and we see him twist in conflict like we haven't since the very first novels in this series. Over the past few entries, we have seen Dave come to terms with many of his demons, and acheive a sort of serebity in his personal life. This book shakes up this recent tranquility, like a stone in a pond. Dave acts out in rage, struggles with his realtionships, and even wrestles Clete to the ground (in one inspired scene). Burke also lets us see inside Clete, Bootsie, Alafair, and the Iberia Parish sheriff in a such a way that they are all vivid, living personalities. This is simply one of the best novels written by one of America's best fiction writers. Certainly one of the best novels of the past year.
Rating:
Summary: Burke is a Master of his craft!
Review: Twenty five years ago, 5 year old identical twin daughters are orphaned. These pretty,blue-eyed girls are left in the care of a drug addicted aunt,but are often babysat by Vachel Carmouche,the traveling executioner,who goes from prison to prison when he is needed.Dave Robicheaux believed that Vachel was abusing the girls and confronted him. However those were the days when Dave was still battling his demns in the bottle,and his charges were not taken seriously.Vachel took off for parts unknown and is gone for several years. One day he returns home and moves near the twins,Letty and Passion. They see him befriend a little neighborhood girl and are determined to prevent him from taking her innocence,as he did theirs.One night,Vachel is brutally killed, and Letty is arrested,tried,and convicted and given the death sentence.Dave and his old friend Clete are trying to prevent the execution,and in the course of pursuing the case,Dave comes across an informant who stuns him with the news that Dave's mother,who had abandoned him when he was a child,was murdered by the police 30 years ago. Now, he has another goal, to clear his mother's reputation and to see her killers brought to justice.Burke paints a vivid picture with his words and descriptions of Louisiana and it's steamy bayous. With his easy flowing style, it's not difficult to share in Robicheaux's deep feelings for family and friends,and his constant battles within himself.It's apparent that Burke's novels keep improving like aged wine through the years.
Rating: 
Summary: Loved the setting in Louisiana
Review: After reading about half of this book, I realized I had seen the movie version of a previous book starring Alec Baldwin. The lead character is more likeable in the book, but still on the edge fighting alcoholism and a need for revenge. I like the ending of the book, all the bad guys get what's coming to them. The secondary plot involving twin sisters also has a satifying conclusion. My one complaint is that the book was somewhat disjointed, jumping back and forth between subplots. Also the relationship with his wife wasn't developed so you understood the anger between them. I will go back and read previous novels just out of curiosity.
Rating:
Summary: Nothing But the Best
Review: I've been a devoted follower of James Lee Burke & Dave Robicheaux for many years and this is another great read! I keep thinking that Dave will have slayed all his personal demons, but Burke keeps the character fresh. I've been near to New Iberia, and the area is exactly as Burke describes it. It's obvious that he has a genuine feeling for the area. My favorite was In the Electric Mist with the Conferate Dead, but they all are a highly enjoyable read. Be sure to read from the beginning, as each novel builds on the previous one.
Rating:
Summary: Crime Fiction At Its' Finest
Review: James Lee Burke takes his readers to the swampy, backwoods of Louisiana in his latest Dave Robicheaux mystery, Purple Cane Road. Detective Dave Robicheaux never knew what became of his mother, Mae Guillory, after she left him behind as a boy. Last he knew, she was living with a slick, smooth-talking wheeler and dealer named Mack. But now, thirty years later, Robicheaux is stunned to hear that his mother may actually have been a prostitute who was brutally murdered by local law enforcement officials. Determined to uncover the truth about his mother's murder and track down her killers who may still be alive and on the job, Robicheaux takes on his most dangerous, and precarious case yet. To add to the complexity of the story, Robicheaux is also simultaneously investigating the murder of an executioner who was slain by a young woman named Lettie Labiche. Ms. Labiche herself is on death row awaiting lethal injection, but Robicheaux knows for a fact that the man that she killed molested her as a child. Somehow Robicheaux must come up with some concrete evidence proving this, thus saving the life of Lettie Labiche. All in all, the past, present, and future come colliding together to explode into an electrifying drama. James Lee Burke has a knack for capturing the rawness and gritty attitude of the "good ole' boy" network of the Deep South. What makes this story so engrossing is the realism of its theme. Who knows what goes on behind the closed doors of legal authorities? In Purple Cane Road, the men and women of uniform will use any means necessary to cover each others backs. They will lie, cheat, maim, and even slaughter if they see it justified. If you are looking for a dark crime novel with psychological suspense that has you sitting on edge, then Purple Cane Road may be the book you've been waiting to curl up with.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not the best
Review: I have read all of James Lee Burke's work at least twice. While this one is good, the plot is a little weak and falls into a common theme. The end has a neat twist, but you see it long before the end. Dave Robichoux has lost some of the edge and demons that plauged him in earlier books. If you are just begining to read James Lee Burke, read the collection of short stories in "The Convict". Then read "Heaven's Prisoner's". You'll enjoy those much more.
Rating: 
Summary: Purple Cane Road weaves a passionate tale.
Review: Webmaster & I always eagerly grab Author Burke's latest off the library shelf & hurry home to return to Dave Robichaux's world of swamps & sunsets, boogie players & lowlifes, an ordinary man with an extraordinary sense of honor & compassion with a recovering wife he adores, a teenage daughter on the verge of rebellion & a home & fishing business his father built with his bare hands. Dave Robicheaux is a Vietnam Veteran & a New Iberia Parish police detective who has only recently dragged himself out of the bottle. When he gets a call to check out an isolated house he finds his long time friend Clete Purcel throwing lowlifes off the roof into an ancient oak tree. While Dave attempts to sort out the fracas, Zipper Clum, a well-known pimp, squints at him & utters a horrifying statement that sends Dave into a swamp of pain & into the past of New Orleans law enforcement, a hive of corruption no one wants to disturb. A James Lee Burke book is always a maze of stories where past & present melt into each other & where the Louisiana land is as much a player in the story as are the people. The bayous come alive with colors, sounds, scents & seasons. Fascinating reading - as are all Burke's books.
Rating:
Summary: Worth waiting for!
Review: I kept this book for weeks before I read it.I knew if I started it I wouldn't stop till it was finished, I was right. I think it's the best Mr.Burke has written so far and I have read them all.Throughout previous books Dave's memories of his parents and his childhood have been a big influence in his present life.Probably the reason he has been able to survive all of the tragedies he's had in his life.His close relationship with Clete,Bootsie,Alafair and Batiste have all contributed to his survival as well. I sincerely hope these characters will continue in future books. I can't imagine Dave without them! This book really was worth waiting for.
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