Rating: 
Summary: Finely tuned evocation of crime in the Big Easy
Review: It can be a terrible thing for the avid reader to discover the works of an already established and prolific author. If the author is not to the reader's taste, no problem exists; if, however, the author's work grabs the reader by the throat and refuses to let go, the reader is faced with the daunting task of reading everything else the author has written. Such is the case with James Lee Burke and his series of Dave Robicheaux novels; while I already have a sizable list of novels on my summer reading list, I am forced, after reading DIXIE CITY JAM, to seek out more of Burke's mystery novels.DIXIE is set in and around the city of New Orleans (always a vivid setting for an atmospheric mystery). Dave Robicheaux is a detective with the Sheriff's Office who is juggling many balls at once. In addition to his police duties, he has been hired to locate a WW II U-boat that was sunk in local waters many years ago. He also has the added predicament of helping out his old comrade Clete Purcel stay alive as he constantly and foolishly aggravates local crime figures Max and Bobo Calucci. But things come to a head when he finds himself warding off the unwelcome advances of Will Buchalter, an enormous neo-Nazi who's ultimate motives for terrorizing Robicheaux's family remain frighteningly obscure. Clearly, Burke has no problem with handling many different plot threads. The narrative leaps from element to element; an ailing gangster who wishes to make amends; a young man who is trying to become more than be believes he can be; an interrogation scene that will make the reader squirm. His management of these disparate elements is so skillful, so loaded with portent, that the eventual solution to Robicheaux's many dilemmas comes off as anti-climactic. In the genre of crime writing, perhaps only James Ellroy can be trusted to pull together myriad subplots into a satisfactory conclusion. But that doesn't mean it's not a travel worth taking. Burke shows a genuine flair for capturing the idioms of New Orleans speech; it may not be authentic, but in relation to the story, it is vital and alive. What may come across as precocious and obtrusive in a lesser writer is transformed in Burke's hands into true characterization and ambiance. The native patois becomes integral to the novel's success at presenting New Orleans as a character, rather than a setting. Burke has crafted a marvelous variety of characters to inhabit his world. Robicheaux is a hero firmly entrenched in the classic detective mode, an honourable man, tough yet tender, who operates with one eye towards justice, and the other towards his own inner demons. Clete is an absurdly erratic yet loyal companion, a man who cannot control his own impulses, even at the risk of self-destruction. And among the wide diversity of supporting characters, none is more frightening or memorable than Buchalter, a creation of monstrous proportions. He is among the creepiest of psychopaths I can ever remember meeting in print, a pleasure/pain lover with severe racist overtones, a genuinely despicable monster with no redeeming qualities. It takes real craftsmanship to construct a portrait of evil so convincingly. As I said, the ending, coming after multiple storylines involving mobsters, anti-Semitism, corrupt cops and blatant racism, seems a letdown. It wraps up the story convincingly, but perhaps it's a testament to Burke's abilities that it seems a shame to end the tale. As in all the great mysteries, Burke creates a world unto itself, rife with passion and rage. That the mystery can be solved at all is secondary to the people who inhabit the world. Burke's New Orleans is a dangerous place, a jungle of seething violence and corruption, a site on par with Ellroy's Los Angeles and Ian Rankin's Edinburgh. One can only hope his further explorations into Dave Robicheaux's universe remain as entertaining.
Rating: 
Summary: Mostly Underwater
Review: Leave it to James Lee Burke to concoct a tale of no less than sunken World War II German submarines, neo-Nazis, Italian gangsters, Irish mobsters, crooked cops and purported nuns, and a vigilante serial killer haunting the projects, all set in Burke's familiar southern Louisiana bayous and New Orleans' seedy back alleys. For a less talented author, such a mishmash of themes, miscreants, plots, and subplots would be a disaster. For Burke, it is yet another convoluted tale where the physical brutality barely overshadows the tortured souls of his unique and eclectic cast of characters. Burke excels in demonic villains, personifications of evil with just a hint of the supernatural. In "Dixie City Jam", the malefactor is neo-Nazi Will Buchalter, a psychopath who seems to materialize from the ether without the trace of a history. The story is far to intricate to adequately encapsulate, but suffice to say that Buchalter, among others, has an unexplained interest in finding a sunken German submarine off the Louisiana Gulf coast that New Iberia detective Dave Robicheaux happened upon decades earlier while scuba diving.
For those familiar with Burke's Robicheaux novels will not be disappointed with this dark and twisted story of hate and depravity. Clete Purvis, Robicheaux's ex-NOPD partner, provides welcome black humor as he demonstrates increasingly more creative techniques of mayhem as an art form. But "Dixie City Jam" nearly collapses under the weight of Burke's liberal social commentary. That Burke, as reflected through Robicheaux, has a message is not in itself a problem, but in this iteration he allows his rhetoric to ramble, adding unnecessary pages and overbearing gloom to the always-humorless Robicheaux. In short, this is not Burke's best effort - "Last Car to Elysian Fields", "Burning Angel", or "Jolie Blon's Bounce" - are all more gripping and less preachy efforts. But this is far from a pedestrian effort, and despite some flaws, far more engaging the average popular fiction novel.
Rating: 
Summary: Lay Off The Discription, J.L.B!
Review: My first James Lee Burke novel and I wasn't impressed. I heard much about him so I decided to read one of his most beloved mysteries. Dixie City Jam. Hmm. If he's one of the finest of the mystery writer's breed, I guess I don't understand the genre. The story itself is fine. Dave Robicheaux, a good-guy detective and loving hubby, battles neo-Nazis, mobsters and his impulsive/assinine best friend. The central story line involves a sunken WWII German submarine that Dave has spotted off the New Orleans coast a few times in his life. Will Buchalter, neo-Nazi and wacko, covets that sub. It will mean much to the cause of tyranny and white supremacy around the world, apparently. So Buchalter goes after Dave hoping he's a sporty guy by telling him where the entombed hero's of yesteryear lie. A couple of encounters, threats, intimidation fill the novel, then ultimatly, climax/resolution. Meanwhile, Dave's brain dead best friend, Clete Purcel, is stirring up a hornet's nest of trouble with the local mobsters. I swear, Clete has A.D.D. Never thinks through a problem, just reacts. He then writes off potential dangerous ramafications for his bone-headed, destructive behavior with a lazy eyed, "Aww, this'll pass over." Dave to the rescue. He's the greatest. Burke's insistence on discribing the infinite smells, colors, and textures in every scene in this book had me rolling my eyes. The sky was this color, the ocean was that color, over and over. I'd sometimes scream at Dave Robicheaux in my head, "Just walk to your damn car and get into town!" Too much, and not done skillfully. Whenever the texure of a scene was filled in, the momentum died completely. Burke made a torture scene boring! His characters are all one dimentional. I didn't believe any of them. Because of this, I never worried about Dave or any one else. Burke holds your hand through an innocuous trip through a fun house with very few surprises. Burke does expostulate on some interesting sociological issues, though. Crime, economic status, jealousy and the ties that bind them. Story is 3 stars, writing is 1 star. This could have been a wonderful mystery, a thought provoking book.
Rating: 
Summary: Violence is bad, but.....
Review: Sharply etched characters, violent action, and provocative dialogue where violence is only a word away--all charcterize JL Burke's DIXIE CITY JAM. But as Dave says, violence may not be the worst thing; cruelty is. And, oh, yeah, there's tons of atmospshere.
Hard-case Dave fights not only booze (at second hand, through his wife), but also his hair-trigger temper, where smashing someone seems to be his first repsonse. What saves him for the reader is that he is not cruel, and his violence is directed against those who are.
Rating:
Summary: Burke's crime stories are multi-course gourmet meals.
Review: Some crime stories remind me of a fast food experience. Some remind me of technical dissertations on the food science. Burke's crime stories are multi-course gourmet meals. I leave the table with the memory of many original flavors and ingredients and it takes a while for that memory to fade.
Dixie City Jam is no exception. Burke has a gift for storytelling, colorful characters, articulate and realistic dialogue and a very convincing portrayal of a protagonist hero (Robicheaux) who is maintaining his code, compassion and sobriety despite his encounters with evil.
If you have any penchant for Burke's style, I might suggest the detective stories by James Crumely
Rating:
Summary: Best villain ever!
Review: This book served as my introduction to the Dave Robicheaux series, and it didn't disappoint! The atmosphere and colorful characters was good, but what I liked best was one of the most evil, sadistic and realistic literary villains I've yet come across in a mystery novel. The fear that this character instills in all of the good characters is what drives this book onward, and I didn't want to put it down until the end.
Rating:
Summary: "STREAK" comes through again!!!!!!!!
Review: This is my seventh Robicheaux book and I think it may b thebest one yet. Dave is his usual, hard as nails, self. Sometimes I would like to slap his buddy Clete myself. He stays in trouble of his own making. Yes, I think I would have pulled the trigger on Will Buchalter. The things he does to Dave and his family will make you want to do the same. Burke is great with his use of the language and description of the country. He makes you feel like you are there. Lots of good characters in this one. Good mystery and lots of action. Can Robicheaux save Clete, what does the German sub have that several people want? A good read.
Rating:
Summary: Thrilling
Review: This was my first exposure to James Burke. I once lived in New Orleans and my best friend lives in New Iberia today. It really brought out the true feel of South Louisiana. The plot about Nazis and the people's ties to the water interwoven with the high drama of day to day life. Things like that CAN happen. I really loved this book and have read several others. Terrific!!
Rating:
Summary: What a Read!
Review: This was the first James Lee Burke novel I had ever read and it was so good that within a summer of reading Dixie City Jam, I had read all of his New Iberia novels. A beautifully detailed, exciting, well written myster. Burke is the best, I recommend this novel and all his other works
Rating:
Summary: What a book!
Review: What a wonderful read this suspense, thriller and murder mystery was. I really hated to stop the story to eat or to sleep. Dave Robicheau is magnificant in his role as city policeman and hiis assistant Cleat Purcell keep the mystery rolling along. New Orleans, La. was shown to hold as much spice as any can of red hot chiles.
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