Dave Robicheaux has spent his life confronting the age-old adage that the sins of the father pass onto the son. But what has his mother’s legacy left him? Dead to him since youth, Mae Guillory has been shuttered away in the deep recesses of Dave’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 his whiskey-driven father. But … But deep down, he still feels the loss of his mother and knows the infinite series of disappointments in her life could not have come to a good end.
While helping out an old friend, Dave is stunned when a pimp looks at him sideways and asks him if he is Mae Guillory’s boy, the whore a bunch of cops murdered 30 years ago. The pimp goes on to insinuate that the cops who dumped her body in the bayou were on the take and continue to thrive in the New Orleans area.
Dave’s search for his mother’s killers leads him to the darker places in his past and solving this case teaches him what it means to be his mother’s son. Purple Cane Road has the dimensions of a classic-passion, murder, and nearly heartbreaking poignancy-wrapped in a wonderfully executed plot that surprises from start to finish.
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Use of descriptive passages for character building is second to none. New Orleans and close environments are so well described it seems as if the reader lives with the writer. James Lee Burke is is a writer of rare talent. He is missed.
There aren’t enough superlatives in the English language to describe how I feel about this author’s writing. In his Dave Robicheaux series, Burke has created a deeply flawed character who, along with his sidekick, is passionate about finding justice for those who cannot stand up for themselves. When I read one of Burke’s novels I step into his …
James Lee Burke possesses a writing style that involves a great use of local detail, a frequent indulgence in well-chosen allusions to other literature, and a passionate presentation of characters, most notably members of the extended Holland family in one series and the extended Robicheaux family in the other crime stories series. His sets of …
Interesting and unpredictable characters. Good description of Louisiana life as well as unorthodox police procedures. Interesting plot twists and definitely unpredictable ending. Unusual book.
Burke is in a class by himself.
James Burke describes a world that lives with the reader. When the character speaks you can hear New Orleans in your mind and if you have ever been or even driven thru New Orleans, you can see the world he walks you thru.
I love James Lee Burke’s Dave Robicheaux character and have read and reread almost all his books featuring Robicheaux. Nobody writes as lyrically about Louisiana’s beautiful but damaged ecology and people as Burke. The good guys win, but at a cost to their humanity.
James Lee Burke is one of my favorite authors because of his use of language and the ability to make characters that you want to know more about. Burke’s ability to paint pictures with words immerses one in the Louisiana settings and brings the characters alive.
James Lee Burke has exceptional understanding of New Orleans society. I’ve worked in the areas he speaks of. Great character nd understanding of Jim Crow Louisiana society
Too violent. I used to like his books, have read a lot of them, but I don’t think I will read any more.
James Lee Burke’s Dave & Clete are utterly exhausting!! Love the descriptions of Louisiana, New Orleans and all of the great food!
DNF. I really don’t understand all these rave reviews. I did not like any of the characters. I hated the writing style. About a quarter of the way in I realized I had a pretty good idea where this was going and also realized I really did not care. Life is too short to read bad books.
Love Dave Robicheaux and and his mottley crew of familly and friends and enemies least of which is himself. always something going on with twists and turns at every page turn
A great read. A page turner.
Just read any of his books esp his first ones and you’ll be forever a fan
I had heard from respected readers that Mr. Burke’s books were excellent writing as well as good mystery reading. It turns out they were right. The writing is highly literary and lyrical in places. My only complaint is that it seemed to me there were possibly some unnecessary characters. However all the characters were well drawn and felt very …
I can’t get enough of Burke’s Dave Robicheaux series. The characters are well-developed and his descriptions are so beautiful as to be lyrical.
James Lee Burke is the master of adjective. Never see another writer equal it.
I love this writer.his sense of place, character development and lyrical style are incomparable
A lot of entertaining people,may be guilty, may be set up, you may like them, and not care if they are bad or just unlucky