Bitterroot

Rating:
Summary: Engrossing
Review: James Lee Burke is one of the finest fiction writers I've encountered recently. All of his novels I've read to date flow like a turbulent river. The characters are rich, the plots believable and cohesive. From first page to last, Burke weaves wonderful stories.

And "Bitterroot" is no exception. Billy Bob Holland, former Texas Ranger, and current lawyer is visiting Doc Voss, a friend in Montana. Doc has an interesting past, with not a little violence in it. Things are happening in the Bitterroot Valley - and the corpses are piling up.

Burke skillfully spins his story and you don't know who the really bad folks are until the end, just as it should be.

Jerry

Rating:
Summary: Never thought I'd find myself giving him writing tips...
Review: ...any shortcoming in the dialogue portion of a Burke novel is made up in the poetry of his prose...Billy Bob Holland, somewhat similar to Dave Robicheaux in the "other" series, drives to Montana to visit his friend, "Doc" (from his medic days) Voss, now up to his armpits in bikers, pacifism, deadly kick boxing, the EPA and the American Nazi Party. Well, to start, that's confusing. The embryo for Billy's "I'd take a bullet for my friend" friendship is extremely vague, exacerbated by the trouble that we all go through, readers included, for the next several hundred pages.

But then Doc's teenage daughter is raped and things get dicey. Doc is charged with the torture-murder of the lead biker-suspect and Billy Bob sets out to defend him.

I'm troubled by using the rape of a child to further a plot. Certainly the violation of a human in such an unspeakable fashion is an oft relied upon explanation for revenge, guilt, remorse, retribution and passion. I just don't see the need to use children as victims.

I see the real problem in that Billy Bob is like a James Crumley character. As the reader, I spend a lot of time in the company of a man I'm not sure I like. He's promiscuous in his bed partners. He doesn't seem to have been a good father, and continues to remind us of that at every juncture. He's infuriated by the Sheriff in the town, who's kind of a soothsayer or narrator, but never tells us why. He tries to murder one of the protagonists and doesn't understand why this should trouble his friends...

Ultimately, the plane never gets off the runway. Lots of turbine noise, lots of baggage handlers, good flight attendants, but we never get anywhere.

Dave Robicheaux is a fantastic character, loyal husband, confused yet sacrificing and vulnerable parent, relentless in his code. Billy Bob is kind of tedious. Tedious for 500 pages is, well, tedious.

Rating:
Summary: A thrill a minute
Review: Billy Bob Holland lives with the ghost of his best friend, L.Q. Navarro, the man he accidentally killed when they chased after drug smugglers in Mexico. Billy Bob actually sees and talks with Navarro, but cannot form any relationships with living people because of his all-consuming guilt.

When his friend Doc Voss invites Billy Bob to visit him in Bitterroot Valley, Montana, he closes his law practice and goes. Upon arriving, he finds Doc at war with a local militia, bikers, and a mining company destroying the ecology. When Doc's daughter is raped, her assailants turn up dead shortly afterward. The police arrest Doc, who is defended by Billy Bob. However, the lawyer has his own problems caused by a sociopath blaming Billy Bob for the death of his sister.

BITTERROOT is one novel in which the thrills never stop coming and every scene is loaded with action. The talented James Lee Burke gets readers interested even in his most vile character as well as the anti-hero Billy Bob, a believer of justice and not necessarily the law. Billy Bob is the focus of the tale, a flawed individual taking responsibility for something he will regret until he dies.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Misfits Portrayed in Elegant Prose
Review: Burke's eye sees details few of us would ever notice, and he finds words that will make you feel that you're looking at a photograph of what he just saw. His characters come to life shaped by descriptions that are both sharp and flowing and always on the mark. I still like the Dave Robicheaux stories better (not wild about Billy Bob Holland in "Heartwood"), but "Bitterroot" proves that Burke can build a winner around either character.

Burke develops more than a dozen characters well enough for his audience to feel what each is about. While the characters themselves seem real, their collective baggage and violent tendencies do take the story down a peg. Think about how the following characters might interact in a story, then discover how Burke weaves their lives together when they converge in the Bitterroot Valley:

Billy Bob Holland, lawyer from Deaf Smith, Texas now in Montana to help his friend Doc Voss. Billy Bob frequently talks with the ghost of L.Q. Navarro, the partner he accidentally killed when they were both Texas Rangers, L.Q.'s voice often warning him of peril ahead. Son Lucas and investigator Temple Carroll from prior novels show up about halfway through this one.

Doc Voss, a quiet, brainy boy from Deaf Smith who was a Navy Seal in Nam and is now a single father in Montana with strong environmentalist beliefs.

Lamar Ellison, an ex-con scum of the earth biker who's working undercover for the ATF.

Wyatt Dixon, a psycho rodeo clown just out of prison who's not afraid of anything.

Terry Witherspoon, a kid from NC who's great with a knife, was Wyatt's punk in prison and is still under his spell.

Carl Hinkle, a white supremacist who supports and manipulates Ellison, Dixon and the like.

Some ATF and FBI types looking for a group behind Oklahoma City whom they will nail at any cost.

Sue Lynn Big Medicine, the Indian girl with a dark past who is being squeezed by the ATF on an overblown robbery charge.

Cleo Lonnigan, cold hearted sharpshooting widow of an investment guy who was working with the mob and got himself and their son killed.

Nicki Molinari, the Arizona mob guy with a branch in Montana who loves baseball and peppers his victims with balls from his pitching machine rather than break their legs with a bat.

Xavier Girard the big time author writing a book about Nicki; Girard's actress wife Holly who grew up with Nicki and is still openly intimate with him.

Finally Sheriff J.T. Cain, who is often hostile to Billy Bob and Doc but may be the only other fair-minded man in the Valley.

Net, net - I love the way Burke writes and the characters he creates, but there's just a little too much evil and depravity in the plot to give it 5 stars.

Rating:
Summary: 4 1/2 Stars...A Moral Anchor
Review: For those of us weaned on the evocative scenes of Dave Robicheaux's New Orleans, it's taken time to warm to Montana's rugged beauty and Billy Bob's character. I've refused to give up on this fictional relationship, and the rewards are beginning to become apparent.

No, I don't claim that "Bitterroot" is the best Burke book out there. Personally, I'm a huge fan of "Jolie Blon's Bounce," "Purple Cane Road," and "In the Electric Mist With Confederate Dead." I must admit, however, that the setting of Montana is beginning to etch itself into my mind. Or rather, Burke is beginning to etch it there.

With careful descriptions and poetic phrases, James Lee Burke has spun his tale and added depth to his recurring characters. Although evil and violence abound, he provides a moral anchor in his narrative. He portrays racism, elitism, ignorance, and sadism, yet assures us that the world will not go to the dogs without a good fight from his heros and heroines--no matter how flawed they might be. With this in mind, I plunked down my money today for the latest Billy Bob saga, "In the Moon of Red Ponies."

Rating:
Summary: 4 1/2 Stars...A Moral Anchor
Review: For those of us weaned on the evocative scenes of Dave Robicheaux's New Orleans, it's taken time to warm to Montana's rugged beauty and Billy Bob's character. I've refused to give up on this fictional relationship, and the rewards are beginning to become apparent.

No, I don't claim that "Bitterroot" is the best Burke book out there. Personally, I'm a huge fan of "Jolie Blon's Bounce," "Purple Cane Road," and "In the Electric Mist With Confederate Dead." I must admit, however, that the setting of Montana is beginning to etch itself into my mind. Or rather, Burke is beginning to etch it there.

With careful descriptions and poetic phrases, James Lee Burke has spun his tale and added depth to his recurring characters. Although evil and violence abound, he provides a moral anchor in his narrative. He portrays racism, elitism, ignorance, and sadism, yet assures us that the world will not go to the dogs without a good fight from his heros and heroines--no matter how flawed they might be. With this in mind, I plunked down my money today for the latest Billy Bob saga, "In the Moon of Red Ponies."

Rating:
Summary: More Like 3.7 Stars
Review: I liked this book one whole heck of a lot but it also disturbed me on many levels as well. There are 4 main heros pitted agienst an equal number of bad guys. Billy Bob, his son, Doc and his daughter I also enjoyed the characte1r of the sheiff in the town but I guess he really doesn't count as a "Good Guy" because he is just doing his job.

The three bad guys are Clayton Dixon(the most menicing charcter in the book), Terry Witherspoon his annoying psychopath in training and a mobster who is about as stereotypical as they come.

Barring all of these it's a great book for what it is, there are good guys you can root for and bad guys you can hate. People familiar with a few James Lee Burke books will also take note there is also a ghost and several crazy people rounding out the cast something that no self respecting James Lee Berke book would be without.

Overall-I loved the character development, the thing that killed this book was the many plot threads and that its villains were disposed of much too easily and conveniently I almost felt cheated when the book was over. This is a book that will be perfect for long distance driving, because it keeps a listener or reader interested but not OVER interested.

Rating:
Summary: JAMES LEE BURKE IS ONE OF THE BEST WRITERS IN AMERICA TODAY!
Review: I made a promise to myself after reading HEARTWOOD last year that I'd buy the next "Billy Bob Holland" novel in hardback when it came out, rather than waiting for the paperback edition. It's a promise I'm glad I kept. In James Lee Burke's newest novel, BITTERROOT, ex-Texas Ranger Billy Bob Holland is back in true form, ready to protect his family and friends, and to put down anyone who gets in his face. When Billy Bob goes to Bitterroot, Montana to visit his old friend, Tobin "Doc" Voss, he expects to have a nice, relaxing vacation with maybe a little "fly" fishing thrown in. It turns out, however, to be anything but relaxing. It seems that a local mining company is polluting the rivers around Bitterroot with cyanide and Doc Voss is trying to put a stop to it. The mining company decides to fight back by hiring some hard-nose bikers and members of a certain white supremacist group (led by Carl Hinkel) to try and intimidate Doc. Since Doc is a former SEAL and did his fair share of killing in Vietnam, he's not the kind of guy who generally backs down. When Doc's sixteen-year-old daughter, Maisey, is brutally raped by three bikers, everything takes a turn for the worse. The men suspected of the crime are released from jail due to a lack of evidence and then are murdered, one by one, by an unknown assailant. Because of evidence found at the crime scenes, Doc is the number one suspect for the murders, and he has to ask Billy Bob to represent him as his lawyer. As if Billy Bob doesn't have enough to deal with, an ex-con by the name of Wyatt Dixon shows up in Bitterroot, seeking revenge against the former Texas Ranger for the death of his sister (a woman who killed all of her children). Then, there's a mobster by the name of Nicki Molinari, who's trying to retrieve some stolen money from a woman Billy Bob happens to be sexually involved with. All of this is just the tip of the iceberg. Before the novel is over, the body count is going to be sky high, and Billy Bob is going to have to answer some tough questions about love, family, friendship, and his violent nature. Not even the ghost of his late friend and partner, L.Q. Navarro, will be able to help him with this. In BITTERROOT, James Lee Burke shines at his brightest as he juggles a dozen or more subplots, spinning and weaving them into a gripping tale of violence, suspense and redemption. The character of Billy Bob Holland will have to delve deeply into his heart and examine his feelings for his close friend, Carol Temple, while at the same time, acknowledging that his son, Lucas, is now a man and must be allowed to make his own decisions, right or wrong. Billy Bob must also find a way to deal with his violent tendencies, understanding that he only feels alive when putting down men who deserve to be killed. This is especially true for the character of Wyatt Dixon, a man who's as deadly as a rattlesnake and is determine to teach Billy Bob a thing or two about revenge by going after the people he loves the most. Though the book is filled dozens of main and secondary characters, Mr. Burke manages to breathe life into each and everyone one of them through the use of individual quirks and nuances. Few authors have the skill to do this. The writing, of course, is sheer poetry to read. Mr. Burke has a finely tuned ear for dialogue and a vivid eye for description, bringing words together that reach into the reader's heart and soul, making him or her at one with the story. I have to say that, after three novels, the character of Billy Bob Holland is beginning to remind me more and more of Dave Robicheaux. Both men are filled with guilt at the lost of a close friend or wife. Each one also has a strong loyalty to friends and family, not to mention a strict code of honor that enables them to do whatever is necessary in order to protect the weak and innocent. There's even a rumor floating around that Mr. Burke will eventually bring both characters together in one book. That is definitely something all of Mr. Burke's fans would happily die for. Read BITTERROOT and find out why James Lee Burke is now considered to be one of America's best writers, then check out the "Dave Robicheaux" novel, PURPLE CANE ROAD, and discover why millions of people are addicted to this great author.

Rating:
Summary: Reading Burke Is A Love Affair
Review: I see no reason why James Lee Burke cannot duplicate the success he garnered when Cimarron Rose won the Edgar Award for Best Novel in 1997. In Bitterroot, Billy Bob Holland is again brought to life in this modern day Western, set in rugged Montana where Burke paints beautiful and tragic portraits of both the land and the characters. In his typical creative style, Burke sets up conflict, allowing the reader inside the heads of Billy Bob and his friend Tobin "Doc" Voss. There we learn about victim pain, rage and vengeance. The pain comes not only from the past but from the actions of a collection of vile villains resurrected from the annals of the Old West. We learn however, that Billy Bob has a mean streak of his own, matching anything prison parolee Wyatt Dixon or the other "sawed-off little pissants" can dish out.

In scene after scene, written in colorful, descriptive prose, Burke creates dangerous situations that make the reader want to call out in warning to the potential victim. He was even able to skillfully include his own vision of the Battle of the Little Big Horn. With the deftness of a seasoned psychoanalyst, Burke re-created the arrogance of Custer and the horror of battle and its aftermath and used them to describe the haunting memories of Sue Lynn Big Medicine, a key character in the multi-layered plot. Billy Bob has his own haunting memories brought to consciousness with his visions of L.Q. Navarro, the Texas Ranger friend he accidently shot and killed.

There are so many examples of James Lee Burke's literary gifts found in Bitterroot that it becomes an exercise in futility to try and describe them all. My hope is to whet the appetite of readers searching for excellence. To borrow from John Steinbeck when he described Montana as a "love affair", reading James Lee Burke has become a love affair as well.

Rating:
Summary: Wondrous landscape,....terrifying tale..........
Review: James Lee Burke brings an amazing cast of characters together in a story about good and evil. Bitterroot takes place in the beautiful lands of Montana. Doc Voss, a friend of Billy Bob Holland's asks for some assistance in his dealings with a mining company. What happens is a lot more involved than a little political action. What starts out as one concern quickly escalates into a situation that teeters on the brink of death and disaster In this story, the "bad guys" are truly evil and their interests become very personal when they target the family and friends of both Doc Voss and Billy Bob Holland. James Lee Burke brings his realistic and thoughtful style of dialogue as well as his spellbinding descriptions of the land into this gripping novel, creating a wondrous landscape as a backdrop to a terrifying tale.