Louisiana detective Dave Robicheaux has spent his life confronting the old adage that the sins of the father are the sins of the son. But what of h...
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Jun 15, 2011
Manugw
rated it: 
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 sta 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 sta More...
Feb 17, 2011
Jeri
rated it: 
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 More...
Robicheaux first hears it from a pimp More...
Dec 29, 2010
Jim
rated it:
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
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Apr 08, 2010
Tripp
rated it:
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
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Dec 06, 2011
Ruth
rated it: 
c2000. Evocative 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 favourites and the sou
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Jan 12, 2010
Empress5150
rated it:
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
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Jun 28, 2011
Connie
rated it: 
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 har 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 har More...
Jan 09, 2012
Lesley
rated it:
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
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Oct 20, 2011
Barbra
rated it:
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 turne 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 turne More...
Nov 15, 2008
Eric_W
rated it:
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
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Dec 21, 2007
Johnsergeant
rated it:
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 w 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 w More...
Aug 13, 2011
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!
Nov 20, 2011
Bob
rated it:
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.
May 05, 2010
Chuck
rated it:
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.
Feb 01, 2010
Golly, I don't have it in me to finish this book. I admire James Lee Burke's skill so much, but dang, the Robicheaux books are depressing. Everyone is crooked, everyone is damaged, nobody wins...the New Orleans landscape is portrayed beautifully but still!
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Jun 27, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
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.
May 06, 2011
Sherry
rated it:
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.
Dec 01, 2008
Jim
rated it:
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).
Dec 20, 2011
Richard
rated it:
This is the second time I have read this one, but they are all the same. They are good reads, and they have interesting story lines, but they have the same formula. If you like the formula, then your happy.
Mar 05, 2009
Jay
rated it:
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.
Jan 22, 2011
Celia
rated it:
Burke is one of my favorite authors. He never disappoints with a great story, great characters and fun settings. His rich descriptions of both Montana and Louisiana are beautiful.
Apr 13, 2010
Hapzydeco
rated it:
Burke takes homicide detective, Dave Robicheaux, forward to purge his past. Burke provides several finely developed characters to aid Robicheaux on his journey.
Dec 19, 2011
Margaret
rated it: 
I sort of enjoy this book. I mean, I sort of finished it too....It was about NOLA so I was interested in that but I kept getting lost, but not in a good way.
Jul 27, 2011
Murder, corruption and a conniving killer all form part of this rich tale. It is hard to know how to react to some of this tale, especially the very last part, but it was a wonderful read.
Sep 11, 2009
Grey853
rated it:
This Dave Robicheaux book deals with Dave trying to find the killer of his mother. It's very intense and violent, but well done as always.
Aug 24, 2011
Daniel
rated it:
I'm still not fully convinced I like Burke's books but this was ok. I started weak (from my point of view) but ended better.
Apr 11, 2011
Pat
rated it:
Good story. Seems like ot should have been set in the 50's instead of basically up to date. Interesting look at Louisiana.
Aug 02, 2011
Rick
rated it:
Another great Dave Robicheaux story. I found it less confusing than its two immediate predecessors. Recommended.
Sep 20, 2011
Dottie
rated it:
Good but not up to some others of his that I've read. Won't stop me from continuing to read the series, certainly.
