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Purple Cane Road (Dave Robicheaux #11)
Dave Robicheaux has spent his life confronting the age-old adage that the sins of the father pass on to the son. But what was his mother's legacy? Dead to him since his youth, Mae Guillory has been shuttered away in the deep recesses of Robicheaux's mind. He's lived with the fact that he would never really know what happened to the woman who left him to the devices of a wh...more
Audio
Published
June 26th 2012
by Simon & Schuster Audio
(first published August 1st 2000)
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MOVING
Dave Robicheaux, a Lousiana cop, is suddenly confronted with his identity and his past when he learns by chance that his mother had been murdered, from then on his investigation to find the real truth about her ordeal during the last moments of her life, brings about a lot of Louisiana characters, landscapes, foods, colors and tastes shown as vivid portraits by the author who benefits from his thorough knowledge of the culture and way of life of some particular areas of the state, all told...more
Dave Robicheaux, a Lousiana cop, is suddenly confronted with his identity and his past when he learns by chance that his mother had been murdered, from then on his investigation to find the real truth about her ordeal during the last moments of her life, brings about a lot of Louisiana characters, landscapes, foods, colors and tastes shown as vivid portraits by the author who benefits from his thorough knowledge of the culture and way of life of some particular areas of the state, all told...more
Police detective Dave Robicheaux learns about the murder of his mother - who had deserted him years ago but he did not know until recently that she apparently had been killed outside of a New Orleans nightclub by two cops - 35 years before. He's determined to find her killers...as the story unfolds he learns lots of secrets and finally the truth. Was a bit too typical mystery for me; although I loved the fact it was Louisiana based.
Robicheaux first hears it from a pimp eager to trade information...more
Robicheaux first hears it from a pimp eager to trade information...more
He's had a hard life, that Dave Robicheaux, and there seems to be little in New Iberia to help lighten him up. Purple Cain Road sees him adding another bruised skin to the onion of his life as he investigates the death of his mother, beaten and drowned in a muddy puddle by a couple of crooked New Orleans cops in pay of the Mob. Dave sees both finally receive the justice they deserve, but not by his hand. He never kills, but always seems to ensure the Grim Reaper successfully visits the object of...more
I've come to think that formulaic is not a terribly useful descriptor for books. You can be formulaic and terrible, like say James Patterson, or formulaic and awesome like James Lee Burke. Burke's formula is fairly simple. Hero Dave Robicheaux faces a mix of crooked New Orleans cops, mobsters, arrogant rich people, and the odd crazed right winger. These folks are screwing over the locals and Robicheaux investigates, usually beating down three or four people, with the help of his violent friend C...more
Burke has written several novels featuring an on-going character by the name of Dave Robicheaux, an alcoholic cop in the (sort of) backwoods of Louisiana. Like many books of this ilk, each one contains a cast of return characters such as the wife, the daughter, the side-kick, the best friend, etc. and they don't necessarily have to be read in the order in which they were written (although sometimes bits and pieces can get confusing if one of the characters refers to something that happened in a...more
I remembered to bring PURPLE CANE ROAD by James Lee Burke with me yesterday and finished it up. This book is the paperback version and is 387 pages long.
Dave discovers that his mother was murdered and is looking at all the players from the past and what the present tie-in means. There are some very interesting people in this one and also more than one story. Clete, his old partner, is an interesting part in this book and gets into trouble again.
This is definitely a hardboiled book and not for...more
Dave discovers that his mother was murdered and is looking at all the players from the past and what the present tie-in means. There are some very interesting people in this one and also more than one story. Clete, his old partner, is an interesting part in this book and gets into trouble again.
This is definitely a hardboiled book and not for...more
Purple Cane road was written in 2000 and was then called James Burke's finest novel. I loved it It's a very good book certainly in his top three, wait I've only read four.
This story begins with a look into the past at Dave before he began the twelve step program. New Iberia resident, Vachael Caramouche did the states work and was referred too as the electrician never as the executioner. In those days the chair traveled from temporary housing at Angola. Visiting parish prisons with the chair on...more
This story begins with a look into the past at Dave before he began the twelve step program. New Iberia resident, Vachael Caramouche did the states work and was referred too as the electrician never as the executioner. In those days the chair traveled from temporary housing at Angola. Visiting parish prisons with the chair on...more
This is for my mystery book club. I thought it was an OK book. What kept me reading was I wanted to know what happened to Robicheaux's mother. I really didn't get into any of the characters and thought they were for the most part cardboard cut out stereotypes of the the good cop/bad cop/cop gone nuts with what he's seen; and the politicians were the same. The modern day man hunt and even the killer with a conscience did little to hold my interest. I am going to try a few more in the series to se...more
This is one of my favorite books with Dave Robicheaux. In each book he is featured, he has several murders to solve while dodging assassins, exposing dirty cops/politicians/upstanding rich old guys [this is Louisiana remember] and he still has time to solve a cold case!!! In this book he has 2 cold cases and one of them is the disappearance/murder of his mother. And then there's always his friend, Clete, the misfit ex partner hanging around! [I find him very likable!]
Dave is the type of guy you...more
Dave is the type of guy you...more
Great plot, great characters, as always Burke delivers a great read.
Back Cover Blurb:
When Detective Dave Robicheaux discovers disturbing secrets from his mother's past, he embarks on a journey through a murky world of vice, politics and murder.
Robicheaux has been told that his mother, Mae, was a hooker and ended her life drowned in a mud puddle by two cops working for the Mob. As Robicheaux and his partner hunt for the killers, they hook up with a door-to-door salesman turned state governor, a p...more
Back Cover Blurb:
When Detective Dave Robicheaux discovers disturbing secrets from his mother's past, he embarks on a journey through a murky world of vice, politics and murder.
Robicheaux has been told that his mother, Mae, was a hooker and ended her life drowned in a mud puddle by two cops working for the Mob. As Robicheaux and his partner hunt for the killers, they hook up with a door-to-door salesman turned state governor, a p...more
3.5 First read for James Burke - where have I been?!? Luvit!!
I am a fool for a soft spoken tough guy - outside the box-bottled up crazy private eye . Ex-cop Dave Robicheaux pretty much nails it.
And check these swampy names.!!!..Clete Purcel; Alafair; Vachel; Caledonia. No way you can be a speed talker in the Bayou.
Food: Greasy paper bag of hog cracklins' ; oyster/tomato crusty bread sandwich /fried catfish w/dirty rice and coleslaw -
In this book Robicheaux follows a lead from a pimp regardin...more
I am a fool for a soft spoken tough guy - outside the box-bottled up crazy private eye . Ex-cop Dave Robicheaux pretty much nails it.
And check these swampy names.!!!..Clete Purcel; Alafair; Vachel; Caledonia. No way you can be a speed talker in the Bayou.
Food: Greasy paper bag of hog cracklins' ; oyster/tomato crusty bread sandwich /fried catfish w/dirty rice and coleslaw -
In this book Robicheaux follows a lead from a pimp regardin...more
Nov 15, 2008
Eric_W
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mysteries-and-thrillers
Burke, one of my favorite writers, has an extraordinary gift for the use of similes. He can evoke the atmosphere and scenery that sets him way above other writers in the mystery genre. Despite the brutality, violence and corruption, the story intrigues, and Burke continues to develop the character of Dave Robichaeux, ex- New Orleans cop and now homicide detective for the New Iberia Sheriff’s department. The integration of the past and its influence on the present is a recurring theme in Burke's...more
Dec 21, 2007
Johnsergeant
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audiblecom,
audiobook
Downloaded from Audible.com
Narrator: Will Patton
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio, 2001
Length: 5 hours
Publisher's Summary
Dave Robicheaux has spent his life confronting the age-old adage that the sins of the father pass on to the son. But what about his mother's legacy? Dead to him since his youth, Mae Guillory has been shuttered away in the deep recesses of Robicheaux's mind. He's lived with the fact that he would never really know what happened to the woman who left him to the devices of a...more
Narrator: Will Patton
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio, 2001
Length: 5 hours
Publisher's Summary
Dave Robicheaux has spent his life confronting the age-old adage that the sins of the father pass on to the son. But what about his mother's legacy? Dead to him since his youth, Mae Guillory has been shuttered away in the deep recesses of Robicheaux's mind. He's lived with the fact that he would never really know what happened to the woman who left him to the devices of a...more
I enjoyed the setting and Burke evokes the richness of southern Louisiana quite nicely, but this was yet another reminder of why I rarely read mass market mysteries. From what I can gather, every contemporary crime novelist (and his protagonist) over the age of fifty (yes, I know the math is wrong) is a recovering alcoholic Vietnam vet battling violent impulses and a convoluted sense of justice. Meh.
Criticisms aside, I'd buy another on of Burke's books if I was an airport...probably.
Criticisms aside, I'd buy another on of Burke's books if I was an airport...probably.
Incredible imagery, wonderfully three-dimensional characters, understated dialogue, plot twists galore... James Lee Burke is indeed a master of his craft, and one of the best, if not the best, living fiction writers of our time. This should be required reading for every aspiring fiction writer - it's like going to school. I won't belabor the multitude of glowing reviews that have more than adequately conveyed just how good this is. Five stars, and highly recommended.
This is the best of the Robicheaux novels so far. It is also, possibly, the one where credulity is the most stretched. Dave personally knows the governor and the attorney general from his past? Something is easily covered up towards the end that is just a little too neat. A bad guy that is part ghost and who seems to be able to move around at will even when the whole world is looking out for him. Once again, you won't mind because the storytelling is so masterful.
c2000. Evocative, atmospheric and mesmerising as usual. I am biased as I do enjoy most of Mr Burke's offerings although I have learnt to space them out a bit as there is not a terribly huge amount of lightness of mood. Interesting back story to Robicheaux helping to round out his character. The twins in this book have left an almost indelible memory. FWFTB: murky, preacher, inexorably, squalid, redemption (features a lot in Burke's novels) FCN: Dave Robicheaux, Clete Purcell (one of my favourite...more
If you like near lyrical prose, James Lee Burke is the author for you. His storyline is wonderful, and Dave Robicheaux is an interesting, compelling character, but the real treat is how Burke's prose flow page after page.
Burke has written a lot of books about Robicheaux, but this may well be the best. Another coming in July, so now is a good time to read some of the past books and get ready.
Burke has written a lot of books about Robicheaux, but this may well be the best. Another coming in July, so now is a good time to read some of the past books and get ready.
Finished this last night - not a book I would have normally read but I'm glad I did. Thought the story-line was very compelling and although Dave is very obviously a man with a lot of character flaws, you kind of grew to like him somewhat. A well-written book. My main criticism is that for me it was a little more graphically violent than I like - I was a little leary of reading it too close to bedtime!
I picked this title at random for this review, because I've never read any one of Burke's books that I've liked more than another.
I don't think you can pick up one of novels and be disapppnted. He has created characters that are so real and compelling, so terrifying in the struggles of their lives, that their stories can be hard to read.
And like many lives, the resolution of those struggles is low-key, and life just goes on.
Read him. You'll be better for it.
I don't think you can pick up one of novels and be disapppnted. He has created characters that are so real and compelling, so terrifying in the struggles of their lives, that their stories can be hard to read.
And like many lives, the resolution of those struggles is low-key, and life just goes on.
Read him. You'll be better for it.
Burke's characters are fascinating to me, and his writing style flows effortlessly from simple spoken words to sophisticated plots. I really enjoy when an author uses colloquial phrases, and references and it doesn't get tiresome or forced. Purple Cane Road is another outstanding mystery novel from James Lee Burke, and It's a pleasure to read.
A convoluted story concerning Dave Robicheaux's (An Iberia
Parish Sheriff's detective) efforts to save a condemned worman
from execution and to find his mother's murderers. Burke's
descriptive prose is tiring and the story is needlessly violent. Also
Robicheaux does some incredibly stupid things.
Parish Sheriff's detective) efforts to save a condemned worman
from execution and to find his mother's murderers. Burke's
descriptive prose is tiring and the story is needlessly violent. Also
Robicheaux does some incredibly stupid things.
James Lee Burke is always a good read the way he captures life in Bayou Teche and New Orleans is so beautiful in his unvarnished descriptiveness. His main character is so human in his frailities, and revealed strengthens, don't pass one of theseput but best read in order.
I'm slowly working my way through this author's books as I need something light and enjoyable to read (in e-book form) in airports and on planes.
Easy to pick up and put down, active plots, and vivid atmospheric descriptions of their Louisiana and Cajun locales.
Easy to pick up and put down, active plots, and vivid atmospheric descriptions of their Louisiana and Cajun locales.
I love Burke! There is such fluidity to his writing. There is a sadness and poetry in the way he describes everything in Louisiana, through the eyes of Robicheaux, yet it's his home and it's where his love lives, and you get the sense that no other place in the world would have these people, they are that depraved and unique.
I listened to an abridged version of this, which I never do if I can help it. The narrator was Will Patton, who, even though he is a fine narrator, I'm used to Mark Hammer, who is the perfect Dave Robicheaux. Also, I wish Burke would hold back on using the word "loins" so much. All this may be why I only gave it two stars.
James Lee Burke is one of best writers of our times. He is one of the few writers whose books I will purchase in hard cover because I can't wait for the paperback version to come out. This is one of my favorite's of his books..
I think this was one of the best of the Robicheaux series. Outstanding; kept me riveted and wanting to know what was coming next. The fact that the storyline was so personal to the protagonist helped propel it along. His repetiton seemed less (although he made a really bad snafu in one chapter, mixing up the two sisters).
I really enjoy this author's ability to draw word pictures that enhance the stories, which are good in all of his books that I've read to date. I recommend his books to anyone looking for a good story.
this has been the one and only burke book i've read. i really enjoyed the way it was written. the voice? the tone? sentence structures? one of those things describes what i liked.
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James Lee Burke is an American author best known for his mysteries, particularly the Dave Robicheaux series. He has twice received the Edgar Award for Best Novel, for
Black Cherry Blues
in 1990 and
Cimarron Rose
in 1998.
Burke was born in Houston, Texas, but grew up on the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast. He attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the University of Missouri, receiving a...more
More about James Lee Burke...
Burke was born in Houston, Texas, but grew up on the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast. He attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the University of Missouri, receiving a...more
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I am interested in your opinion on this, Eric. I find the setting of his work more interesting, but nonetheles...more
May 29, 2012 12:36pm