An immersive experience
JAMES Lee Burke’s iconic deputy from Louisiana, Dave Robicheaux, must face the past that haunts him while pursuing a murder case that hits too close to home in Robicheaux.
For those who have not had the pleasure of meeting this complex character, here’s a quick introduction: Author James Lee Burke introduces Robicheaux (pronounced “row-bih-show”) in 1987 with The Neon Rain in which he’s a sheriff’s deputy in New Iberia, Louisiana, struggling to beat alcholism, ghosts from his Vietnam War experiences, and bad memories from a difficult childhood. Over the years, and in 20 books, Robicheaux marries three times and loses one wife to illness and two to violence.
In this re-introduction of sorts after a five-year break, Robicheaux still hasn’t got over the death of his wife, Molly. She was killed in a traffic accident, and he wants answers. He even confronts the driver who rammed into her vehicle, but the man swears he was driving the speed limit and she pulled out in front of him and he didn’t have time to stop.
While trying to learn the truth about what happened that evening, Robicheaux also struggles with staying sober, and it seems that every time he tries to interview a potential witness or just wants to get away for a while, the urge to drink isn’t far behind.
When he finally decides to indulge, he wakes up with no memory of what transpired earlier. Except the man responsible for killing Molly has been found beaten to death, and the last man to see him was Robicheaux. It would be against his nature to murder someone for revenge, but since he can’t remember, he is secretly terrified that he’s responsible.
The ending is a bit jumbled with who did what to whom with an ever-increasing body count, and even Robicheaux himself is in a bit of a quandary about the entire adventure. In the scheme of things, it doesn’t matter. The poetic writing and depth of the major characters balances out everything.
Reading one of Burke’s novels is truly an immersive experience, with every ache and anguish feeling gut-wrenchingly real. It has been almost five years since the last Dave Robicheaux novel, and it was absolutely worth the wait. – AP