Rating: 
Summary: The heart of the matter....
Review: "Heartwood" takes its title from a tree which grows outward, and as it grows, the core becomes stronger. Ultimately the core cannot be severed by usual means: it is like a steel rod which holds the to center. Heartwood is also the name of Billy Bob's home, the land farmed by his father and the ranch which houses all that important to Billy Bob Holland. As the novel grows outward, Billy Bob and his values are indeed at the center of it all. The land, its history and its mystery, and the others who love it are what Billy Bob must defend against those who would destroy whatever stands in the way of the fulfillment of greed and sensual desire. The action of this novel swirls around Billy Bob: there are murders, rapes, and human evil too obscene to be contemplated by most of us. With a few deft words, James Lee Burke can bring to life the violent, stupid, and twisted actions of greedy men--and Burke creates characters of simplicity and goodness as well. These are the folks who populate the town of Deaf Smith, Texas...or anywhere else, when we look closely. It's not a pretty sight, this look at life--but it's a real one, with compelling lessons for us all. James Lee Burke expands the mystery novel genre to a new and challenging limit and creates and experience as strong and sound as the core of the heartwood tree.
Rating: 
Summary: I See A Movie Franchise Coming...
Review: ...Billy Bob Holland reminds me of the southern Sheriff played by Bill Paxton in "One False Move" or Chris Cooper as the Texas Ranger in "Lone Star". Or Gary Cooper in those 40's/50's westerns. 'Course, in Lee Burke's Texas, murders and the overall evil men do take on quite a different flavor. *Quite* a different flavor. A Latin gang member is murdered by a lethal drug which has been punched in his face during a so called friendly boxing spar. A wildcatter initally accused of taking bearer bonds--Billy Bob's client--finds his mother's body exhumed and in his pick-up truck out in a dark and dreary field; this is a threat from Big Earl Dietrich to comply with some kind of land development deal with a promise of big resources...he wants IN, but Deitrich would rather just muscle his way in. The wildcatter is married to a blind Indian spiritlifter, who murders an intruder to her home so efficiently and thoroughly it seems like it was done in a mode other than self defense. The Big guy's son seems to have some scandalous problems with his sexuality and Billy Bob has somehow gotten a dose of a rare Asian jungle poison. Add to the mix some insane prison escapees, an able assistant, his son Lucas, and a lil fishing buddy and you have quite an intriging stage for mystery. Billy Bob Holland himself keeps hearing voices, seeing visions inspired by his dead Rangers partner, LQ Navarro. Whoooo-boy! Would this be a wild movie for a director to take on! My take on why Lee Burke goes to extremes on describing Deaf Smith and parts surrounding is that it makes his mystery more realistic and if he describes every iota of this countryside-- how it is hot on certain days, rainy on others, what kind of vegetation clings around, if there's a quicksandy, mildewy swamp around---maybe that can help rationalise why each character has his own strange way. An environment that varied and extreme is likely to harbor varied and extreme individuals. Anyway, this is a great mystery with superb setting and mood. And its so intense and real you can feel the horseflies whizzing at the back of your neck.
Rating: 
Summary: strong start, rambling conclusion
Review: A promising start, typical of a Burke novel, but a very rare rambling conclusion, that left me anxious to finish while hoping for a more Burkelike conclusion.
Rating:
Summary: Old memories can overrule logic...
Review: A smart small town lawyer (ex-lawman) is hooked into a complex case that involves his first time lover. He isn't over her yet and it messes with his logic. Characters from all levels of life interweave to form a story where the being rich has perks but doesn't mean happiness. My first J.Burke book, I'm already looking forward to the next installment.
Rating:
Summary: REDUNDANT DEPRESSING boring FLATLINER childish DRY ROT
Review: Absolutely no redeeming qualities. It's slow. It lacked virtually any action. Had ZERO humor. The main character, Billy Bob, is a FLAKE in the extreme. None of the characters come to life. The only person I came to care about was Temple Carrol but Burke gave her minor standing . As per Burkes usual the story centers around an Ultra wealthy all powerful evil man and his family. Who's wife, again as per usual, is coveted by JLB main char., having slipped it to her 20yrs or so ago. And unfortunately, again as per usual , the main characters lusting_after his past sweetiepie_ dominates the whole book It's a REDUNDANT theme of Burkes that is extremely JUVENILE (I personally don't know of any man or woman who would act the fool like that). I mean, GET REAL Mr. Burke! I came to despise the Dave Robicheaux character because of it and now this Billy Bob as well. Oh well, I give up on Burke. I'm tired. It's time to hang it up. There were no winners either. Nothing to lift the HEART. Just dry rot.
Rating: 
Summary: Heartwood A disappointment.
Review: As a long time reader of James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux novels, I found "Heartwood" a let down. The similarities between Holland and Robicheaux are striking, although the character Temple, is no Clete Purcell. In fact the supporting cast in Heartwood has a counterpart in every Robicheaux novel ever written. I don't know if Mr. Burke has been writing about Dave Robicheaux for so long, that he cannot develope a new and distinctive main character, or if he is just placing Dave in a new setting under an alias. In any event, this book is predictable and the ending is easy to decipher long before you reach it. Mr. Burke should stick to New Iberia and leave Texas to someone else.
Rating:
Summary: Tired characters and a long long long long story
Review: As an avid reader this book disapointed me beyond belief. It is the first time I have had to force myself to finish a book in a long time. The book could have been more than 100 pages shorter and might have been better. The descriptions of places were good but there seemed to be to many characters added in to just take up space. All of the jumping around also made it hard to keep interested in the story. The old partner popping up periocically I found to be annoying. I hope that the author doesn't read these but, then again I will probably not seek his work out again in the future.
Rating:
Summary: Can't put it down
Review: As usual,Burke maintains continuity of characters lives and events..when you pick up one of his books, you don't have to finish the first page before you are off and running..the balance of good and evil is maintained by the Author's obvious concern for the characters he has created and nourished..Burke makes you feel as if you could call Billy Bob up and ask him over for coffee..or, take him fishing..Well done,old friend..
Rating:
Summary: San Antonio heat
Review: Billy Bob Holland, attorney, is pitted against an apparently materialistic and immoral "entrepreneur," Earl,who happens to be married to the beautiful woman who deflowered Billy Bob, years prior. Earl's son by a previous liaison, Jeff, is a chip off the old block. Tagging alongside are two Chicano "gang bangers," actually more low riders than gang bangers, Ronnie Cruise (note how he anglicized his name, maybe that's a fad in San Antonio?) and a loco guy named Ramirez who gets boxed to death later in the book. In fact, of these four, only Ronnie remains standing, with Billy Bob, when the final bell rings. There are other women, including Esmeralda Ramirez, who is variously a college student, Jeff's wife, Ronnie's girlfriend, and the girlfriend of Billy Bob's son, not in that order, however. Then there's a corrupt, racist, fat sheriff (what would a Southern town be without one?), and various "white trash" figures who cross back and forth over the criminal line as forces carry them. Well, the result of all this, in my humble opinion, is a three-star book. As others on this website have pointed out, there's a lot to wade through for the action that's delivered, maybe a little too much attention to minor detail. But does this really differ much from Robert Parker describing what his private dick had for breakfast, lunch and dinner? Or from Robert Crais telling us what the sunset in Santa Clarita looked like as the police and FBI surround an upscale single family residence housing three kidnappers? Not really. So, there's something here, but you might have to wade through some of the slower parts, skim it or skip it. Billy Bob's encounter with his deceased crime partner, his ghost, that is, is actually rather interesting, because how often do you get anything even bordering on the metaphysical in this type of fiction? Diximus.
Rating:
Summary: San Antonio heat
Review: Billy Bob Holland, attorney, is pitted against an apparently materialistic and immoral "entrepreneur," Earl,who happens to be married to the beautiful woman who deflowered Billy Bob, years prior. Earl's son by a previous liaison, Jeff, is a chip off the old block. Tagging alongside are two Chicano "gang bangers," actually more low riders than gang bangers, Ronnie Cruise (note how he anglicized his name, maybe that's a fad in San Antonio?) and a loco guy named Ramirez who gets boxed to death later in the book. In fact, of these four, only Ronnie remains standing, with Billy Bob, when the final bell rings. There are other women, including Esmeralda Ramirez, who is variously a college student, Jeff's wife, Ronnie's girlfriend, and the girlfriend of Billy Bob's son, not in that order, however. Then there's a corrupt, racist, fat sheriff (what would a Southern town be without one?), and various "white trash" figures who cross back and forth over the criminal line as forces carry them. Well, the result of all this, in my humble opinion, is a three-star book. As others on this website have pointed out, there's a lot to wade through for the action that's delivered, maybe a little too much attention to minor detail. But does this really differ much from Robert Parker describing what his private dick had for breakfast, lunch and dinner? Or from Robert Crais telling us what the sunset in Santa Clarita looked like as the police and FBI surround an upscale single family residence housing three kidnappers? Not really. So, there's something here, but you might have to wade through some of the slower parts, skim it or skip it. Billy Bob's encounter with his deceased crime partner, his ghost, that is, is actually rather interesting, because how often do you get anything even bordering on the metaphysical in this type of fiction? Diximus.
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