I love James Lee Burke and have read every one of his books, but this one was the hardest; I just could not get into it. Usually I just love to sit and absorb his beautiful writing, especially when he is describing scenery and setting; you can just see, hear and smell it.

But this time, the characters put a damper on the experience. Hackberry Holland is at least 80 years old and his very young (30's?) deputy is in love with him? Jack Collins is creepy, yes, and Holland despises him, yes, so their last chapter together makes no sense. Cowboy preacher with a new truck, fabulous house on the cliff, and no source of income? A bit of a stretch. Russian gangster living in some small Texas town near the Mexican border who owns a game farm? Ummm. And Noah, the government scientist all the bad guys are hunting, his motivation for his actions are just plain unbelievable.

So, I love Burke, but this was not his best book. I hope it is not his last, it would be a lame ending to a stellar career.