Another stunning winner from James Lee Burke (Purple Cane Road - James Lee Burke)

Member Name: maggs1939

Product:	Purple Cane Road - James Lee Burke
Date:	28/05/01 (13 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Stand-alone novel you don't need to have read other Robiceaux stories , down to earth easy to believe characters and dialogue

Disadvantages: Can't put it down. Don't count on going to bed early once you start reading this.

Since discovering the Dave Robicheaux novels by James Lee Burke I have become an addict to his down to earth style of writing.

In Purple Cane Road, Robicheaux gets caught up in the search for his mother's murderer (amongst other things). He is tormented by a killer who constantly contacts him with helpful hints making his decisions even more difficult since he knows he should be trying to bring the 'friendly' killer in.

Robicheaux is a reformed alcoholic who seems to have no trouble hanging around his best friend Clete - his hard drinking ex cop partner. In fact a large portion of the book is devoted to getting Clete out of one serious, and often deadly, scrape after another.

Burke's portrayal of Robicheaux's vulnerable side, his love for his wife Bootsie and his protective attitude towards adopted daughter Alafair give the character a dimension often missing in heroes of this type of thriller.

Robicheaux is doggedly determined and puts his career on the line in his search for his mothers killer. He knows cops were involved but who and how. He is also hell bent on setting the record straight about her reputation. As a kid he always knew she had disastrous affairs with men while her husband worked away in the oil fields but as he sees it calling her a "hooker" is different ballgame.

A tortuous story but so well thought out and written that you never lose the plot.

I'm saving my pennies to buy my next Dave Robicheaux story.

A thrilling read

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