Rating: 
Summary: What Is the Right Thing to Do?
Review: Seldom has a violent mystery story attacked the question of human potential to do good or evil as powerfully as "In the Moon of Red Ponies" does. In addressing the question so well, Mr. Burke has some startling answers that will surprise many readers. In particular, the challenge of how best to deal with evil doers is addressed in many dimensions . . . suggesting a difficult path for those who wish to do the right thing. Except for a slow and wandering beginning, this book would be an outstanding one. As it is, this book saves the Billy Bob Holland series from the disaster of the last novel in the series, Bitterroot.Billy Bob Holland is living in Montana now and trying to solve problems through the law rather than with his gun as he often did as a Texas Ranger. He finds himself helping out those who are underdogs, and naturally cannot refuse Johnny American Horse, a Native American whose forebearers include Crazy Horse. Johnny hears voices, sees visions and has a continuing connection into the spiritual world. He's very brave, trusting and a hard worker. Johnny has also attracted the affections of Amber Finley, the beautiful, brilliant and reckless daughter of a U.S. senator. Soon, hit men are trying to kill Johnny, the senator is trying to stop a possible marriage and half of the police force is out to find Johnny. Against this backdrop, Billy Bob finds it more than distracting when a procedural error in his trial means that his arch enemy, Wyatt Dixon, is released from prison and wants to develop a close and personal relationship with Billy Bob and his wife, Temple, whom Wyatt helped bury alive in the last novel. Wyatt claims to have found the Lord and wants to do the right thing. He also swigs an evil-smelling potion that's supposed to help him behave. At the same time, there's a break-in at a local company that does agricultural research . . . and someone wants what has been taken back in the worst way. Billy Bob finds himself fighting for his very soul as well as the safety of his family. What is the right thing to do? Others in the story find themselves facing the same question, including Johnny, Amber, a local police detective (Darrel McComb), Seth Masterson (an FBI agent) and Johnny's friends. Each of their answers differs and their lives are profoundly affected as a result. The evil doers are a pretty nasty bunch. You will enjoy hating them. Those who are troubled by the danger to individual freedom from the Patriot Act will enjoy how the book develops. The book has two flaws that it did not quite recover from. First, the beginning . . . although filled with dynamite scenes . . . seems to wander aimlessly. Be patient. The story eventually gels and becomes quite interesting to follow. Second, if a convicted felon has the conviction overturned for a procedural error, the state can retry that felon. Since the error in Wyatt Dixon's trial was peripheral to the case, any prosecutor would have retried the case. Why didn't this happen in the story? No explanation is given. The book ends on an interesting note as the results of uncovering the wrongs have unexpected consequences. Should we do the right thing because good consequences . . . or because we should do the right thing? Mr. Burke makes that answer painfully clear in the ending.
Rating:
Summary: Compex Burke
Review: The title of this book brings to mind the Southwest and Native Americans. It was set in the Bitterroot Mountains of Missoula Montana, a place I would never have known there were reservations. Mr. Burke writes a story that involves many characters and many happenings and you need to pay attention to so you don't lose track of who, what, where and when things are happening.
In The Moon of Red Ponies, Billy Bob Holland is a lawyer who gets involved in the troubles of Johnny American Horse and his girlfriend, Amber Finley. There is a cast of players to keep straight, such as, Wyatt Dickson, Senator Findley, Darrel McComb, Greta Lundstrohm, the DA, a less than scrupulous lawyer, Seth Masterson, and Billy Bob's wife, Temple and son, Lucas.
Johnny's cause as an activist for land preservation as well as the rights of his Native American brothers has Johnny up against those with money, power and political connections. Johnny has past military service and that, combined with his teachings as a Native American provide plenty of tactics to keep him one step ahead of the bad guys. Unfortunately, he has become a drunk and this makes him a good target on which to pin the break-in of a research unit.
Wyatt has been released from jail and is back to cause trouble for the very people he was sent to jail for trying to murder - Temple Holland. Wyatt found Jesus in jail and between that and the "chemical cocktails" he takes, he wants to help Billy Bob catch the bad guys. Billy Bob doesn't trust him any father than he can throw him and Temple just wants him to leave them alone.
Darrel is a good cop that had become rough around the edges and has blurred the lines between good and bad. He gets involved with Greta who leads him down the primrose path but not quite all the way to the end before Darrell catches on to what is happening and makes a last ditch effort to prove he really is the good cop he has always been.
The reader, Tom Stechschulte, has a voice that provides each character with its own unique inflection and tone so it is easy to know who is speaking. James Lee Burke describes the mountains and streams; a little of the life on a reservation; and what can happen when money and greed come together. It is a story that is involved and complex. He leaves the story with the problems Wyatt causes unsolved - maybe so he can write a sequel? The ending is less than resolved in this writer's opinion but does not leave every question unanswered.
Rating: 
Summary: Another Quality Read from James Lee Burke
Review: There is no other author that I more eagerly await the next novel from than James Lee Burke. Among its many fine qualities, his writing is perhaps the most evocative of any detective/mystery writer today. His books are literally word paintings of the locals he depicts - whether the mountains of Montana, the plains of Texas, or the swamps of Louisiana. Children today are taught to read a book and then draw a picture of what they read. I can think of no better author than James Lee Burke for this exercise.
For my personal taste - I think that Burke is most at home and most successful with his Dave Robicheaux series, which is set in the bayou of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans. Perhaps New Orleans and Louisiana provide better fodder than Montana, but I find the Billy Bob Holland series just a tad less interesting. I also find the ghostly side kick of L. Q. Navarro just a bit too contrived - but he plays a decidedly less prominent role in this book. Many of the characters are very interesting and all are well drawn and developed. Wyatt Dixon is perhaps the most complex - he previously harmed Hollland's wife; returns from prison to taunt and then hire Billy Bob; and ultimately ends up on something of the same team as Holland. As in most of the James Lee Burkes books, "good" and "bad" are not nearly as distinct as one would wish, and Burke does a fair amount of moralizing through his characters.
The plot meanders as all of Burke's plots do, and sometimes its hard to remember who did what and why ... but this only means you need to pay close attention. But Burke's books are addictive - and the quality of his prose is so elevated and so much better than most genre writers today - that every book is worth the time. Finishing "In the Moon of Red Ponies" only highlighted the fact that it would be another six months or so till the next Burke novel - way too long a wait for so fine, talented, and evocative a writer.
Rating:
Summary: Burke, The Best at his craft!
Review: This is the best of the Billy Bob series! The other reviewers have already summed up the plot so I won't rehash that, but let me say this is the best of the Billy Bob Holland books. In fact, I think this is as good as any of the Dave Robicheaux novels (which are my favorites!). The book is beautifully written, with a complex plot and wonderful characters who seem to jump from the pages (or from real life). Mood, dialog, and plot Mr. Burke give it all to us! I also recommend: "A Tourist in the Yucatan" cool thriller!
Rating: 
Summary: The Never Ending Novel
Review: This plot is aptly described by both the professional and reader reviewer...but they don't capture is the endless of the book. It goes on and on and on with so little plot. Billy Bob (I still can't get over that name, is anyone really named Billy Bob?) can't wake up in the morning without describing for rentless paragraphs the sound of the crickets, the smell of the forest, the rushing of the stream, the crack of a broken limb, the...well you get the point. Now a little local color can certainly add to a novel, particularly one set in Montana, but enough James Lee, is enough.
There really isn't enough plot to make this book worth reading, let alone buying. I am from Massachusetts and somewhat liberal, but I have to agree with other reviewers, Burke went way over the line with the political commentary in this one.
Rating:
Summary: Fourth in the series
Review: This well-written novel by James lee Burke had me from page one until it ended. My introduction to Mr. Burke came with LAST CAR TO ELYSIAN FIELDS--a tour-de-force. I'll admit that I bought it because I'm one for anything having to do with New Orleans or the south, but once into it, I couldn't put that one down either. At any rate, IN THE MOON is superb, with the same suspenseful yet artfully crafted prose you might find in McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD or possibly some of Grisham's books (think THE FIRM or PAINTED HOUSE). I highly recommend this stellar read for anyone interested in a good story that takes you somewhere different. Kudos, Mr. Burke!
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