Heaven's Prisoners (Dave Robicheaux Book 2)

The Dave Robicheaux novels are great. This is a really good example of one the earlier ones. I'd be very hard pressed to pick a favorite. I recently started re-reading the series in order, and now I'm onto Book 3.

Too many pages spent describing feelings from childhood to Vietnam war. This detracts from the story. Readers of previous Robicheaux books should be able skip to a chapter that starts the new stuff and not have to read so much repetition from previous books. Main character is not really likeable, too much of a Rambo.

I like Robicheaux in general but reading James Lee Burke is like eating a crab cake with too much bread filler. The crab meat is good when you finally get some but you wind up on a whole feeling disappointed and a little cheated for all the filler - of which this book has plenty. Dave and his daemons , his dreams, his meandering descriptions of life down south - all of which go on for pages and pages.

Guys like Sanford or Connelly pack much more of the actual plot line into their novels. As I say I like Robicheaux as a character but can only take JLB in small doses.

Writing is direct and has power. Descriptions -- smells, emotions, environment, characters -- are vivid and evocative. Writing is often raw, harsh, gritty; not for the faint of heart. Compelling style drives the narrative forward; page turner. Tender emotions and poetic descriptions contrast with bloody scenes. Use of violence to drive plot sometimes excessive.

His prose is my favorite with its profound descriptions, creation of emotions, character development. I love all his work and have read most of the Dave R series and will continue until the end. I would love to meet this man.

In this story Dave Robicheaux finds himself facing a possible life sentence in Louisiana's infamous Angola state prison thanks to the machinations of his old friend Dixie Lee Pugh and Dave's instinct for getting in trouble by trying to do the right thing. Accused of murder, he has to go to Montana to clear his name and once again meets his old cop partner Clete Purcell, who has ambiguous feelings about. The plot involves his relationships with Clete, Dixie Lee, and a beautiful Indian girl along with his pursuit of some Mafia baddies. The complexities of Dave's character emerge here , partly because we are shown not only his heroic impulses but his self righteous, even pompous, persona. However, Burke's use of long asides involving Dave's relationships with his father and mother, mystical experiences involving his murdered wife and local Indian legends, and internal struggles with his alcoholism feel to me like, well, asides. At some point they become intrusive to the flow of the novel. Also, Burke's sensuous use of language works better in the gorgeous lush setting of Louisiana than in the rugged landscape of Montana, where most of the action in this novel takes place. However, this is only the third of the Robicheaux novels and Burke is still feeling his way here. The best is yet to come.

It seems that Burke does not write the Robicheaux series in any particular order. Each book standing on it's own. Read this one first only because it introduces the reader to Robicheaux's early family. if you like books about police procedure, hard nosed cops, good mysteries or southern literature read James Lee Burke. These books have all of that and more. I'd especially recommend Burke to fans of Michael Connelly's Reacher series. IMHO Burke is a much better wordsmith, but Connelly's stories are more gripping. Faulkner + Connelly = Burke.

It seems that Burke does not write the Robicheaux series in any particular order. Each book standing on it's own. Read this one first only because it introduces the reader to Robicheaux's early family. if you like books about police procedure, hard nosed cops, good mysteries or southern literature read James Lee Burke. These books have all of that and more. I'd especially recommend Burke to fans of Michael Connelly's Reacher series. IMHO Burke is a much better wordsmith, but Connelly's stories are more gripping. Faulkner + Connelly = Burke.

James Lee Burke is a fabulous story teller. The Dave Robicheaux books are one of my favorites. I never get rid of my hard copies. Still like being able to hold the actual book but will definitely use the kindle app more.