Robicheaux by James Lee Burke

In Robicheaux, James Lee Burke takes you deep inside a Louisiana filled with murder, corruption and mystery. Dave Robicheaux is a cop in New Iberia, but when the man who killed his wife in a car accident is murdered, Dave isn’t sure if he’s responsible because he had fallen off the wagon and was blackout drunk. Along with his best friend, private investigator Clete Purcell, he tries to find out the truth of what happened. Clete has a gambling problem that threatens to take away his livelihood when New Orleans mobster Fat Tony Nemo buys his debt.

Slick politician Jimmy Nightingale seeks Dave’s help for an introduction to oddball novelist Levon Broussard in order to make a film out of his civil war novel. Instead, Jimmy winds up accused of raping Broussard’s wife Rowena and Dave is assigned to investigate. Meanwhile, a chilling killer for hire named “Smiley” shows up and starts taking players off the board. It’s up to Dave and Clete to unravel things and try to find some sort of justice. Figuring out what that justice might be is the hardest part.

Burke writes amazing characters. Robicheaux and Purcell have tortured pasts but work hard to maintain their moral compasses. Events have a way of challenging those beliefs when the greater good isn’t always easy to discern. Burke surrounds these two with oddball and eccentric characters that range from inspiring to corrupt and evil. Each one is complicated and multi-faceted. Bodies continue to pile up, but Robicheaux doggedly moves forward, shining the light as brightly on his own possible actions as on those of anyone else.

Robicheaux is an excellent novel that holds your attention from start to finish. Burke provides enough background that new readers can feel free to jump in without having read previous books. I have a feeling this book will be on some ‘best of 2018’ lists at the end of the year. Highly recommended!

I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of this book from the publisher.

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