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Character's Personality: Melancholy, prone to violence, filled with guilt and remorse, loyal, responsible, well-read and highly literate. His French name is pronounced "Roh-bih-show". Character's Occupation: Private investigator. Ex-cop. Owns a bait shop. Character's Culture / Ethnicity: White Cajun (Southerners of French Acadian descent). Character - Other Notable Traits: Recovering Alcoholic (in AA) Location and Time Period: Contemporary Louisiana. Mostly the rural town of New Iberia, and sometimes New Orleans. One or two books move the setting to Montana. Mystery Subgenre: Private-Investigator, Southern Objectionable Material: Profanity. Medium to extreme violence. Mild, infrequent sex scenes. Series Description: (brought to you by kat impatientreader.com) James Lee Burke has been compared to Nobel Prize-winner William Faulkner, and it shows in his dense, lyrical writing. This is a series steeped in Cajun culture, Southern history, and intensely beautiful descriptions of the striking natural landscape of Louisiana. He writes with compassion and insight into the interactions between white and black Southerners. He explores the heartbreak and responsibilities inherent in marriage and fatherhood, and gives unforgettable glimpses of the larger-than-life place that is New Orleans. Some critics condemn his books for excessive violence: and yes, this is a gritty series that is sometimes heavy on the noir. His landscape is populated by psychopaths, crazed Vietnam veterans, drunks, losers, criminals, and mobsters. In my opinion, he writes too much about the Mob; a little of that goes a long way with me. If you read too many consecutive books in this series over a short period of time, you do get a bleak picture of humanity: prostitutes, petty criminals, innocents, victims, and losers getting destroyed by organized crime. You also get a sense of the Louisiana wilderness getting strip-mined for its natural resources. Burke's female characters are sympathetically portrayed if unexceptional, but his male characters really stand out. Some are unforgettable such as dissipated, manipulative Dixie Lee from Black Cherry Blues; psychic, courtly Elrod from In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead; and wildman Clete Purcell from several books in the series. In Neon Rain, Clete starts out as Dave's partner in the homicide division of the New Orleans police department. In subsequent books, he's a thorn in Dave's side to say the least at the same time that they share the sort of intense love felt by brothers who often can't stand each other. Clete is the sort of crooked cop who breaks every rule, takes every bribe, does every drug, and tortures every suspect. Though my favorite minor character, he is completely out of control. As appalling as he is, he gives every book in which he appears a jolt of energy and manic humor. This is an unforgettable series that stands out like a giant on the mystery fiction landscape, filled with power and beauty and intense emotion. Highly recommended. Series List: Purple date = I've read it. Title links go to Amazon.com product pages.
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Noteworthy Links: Wonderquest - Science Q/A! The Connection - Tech blog! Author site - John the Eunuch Historical Mystery series, Cozy Mystery List for all your cozy mystery needs, Obsidian Bookshelf - reviews of gay-themed fiction. Impatient Reader is not responsible for content found through offsite links. |
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Dave Robicheaux Mystery Series by James Lee Burke
(1992) 
(1994) 
(1998) 
(2000) 
(2002)
(2003) 
(2005) 
(2006) 