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Creole Belle (2012)

by James Lee Burke(Favorite Author)

4.14 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

1451648138 (ISBN13: 9781451648133)

languge

English

genre

Mystery & Thriller

publisher

Simon & Schuster

series

Dave Robicheaux

review 1: James Lee Burke is one of my top 5 writers because he has a unique style, a musical and poetic way with words, maybe because of his English teacher background. I have read probably all his Dave Robicheaux series. Creole Belle is as good as any of his, features more about his pard, Clete Purcel. This series is set in the South, New Orleans. He can wax poetic about the (humid, buggy, soiled) bayou. Maybe the series is getting formulaic, but he freshened the backstory in Creole Belle by featuring Clete and his daughter, and incorporating Alafair, JLBurke's daughter and author in real life. Here is a bit of his wonderful prose. "Wally had been with the department for thirty-two years and still lived with his mother and never answered a question directly if there was a cha... morence of turning it into a two-cushion bank shot. A conversation with Wally was as close to water torture as it comes."Or this:"No matter how it played out, my vote would always remain with those who'd had their souls shot out of a cannon and who no longer paid much heed to the judgment of the world."
review 2: I'm falling in love with New Orleans all over again! Then maybe not so much. Then again I am, because I'm not afraid of it like some people. You just have to pay attention. Burke sneaks a little Louisiana history into the story every chance he gets. Throughout the book there are many descriptions of super shocking situations, historical and part of the story. My mouth was hanging open through most of the book.The main character is Dave Robicheaux, a cop recovering from a gunshot. On the same day as the Ferguson verdict, I was reading the page that said, "People wonder how justice is so often denied to those who need and deserve it most. It's not a mystery. The reason we watch contrived television dramas about law enforcement is that often the real story is so depressing, nobody would believe it."Maybe it's just me but the folks in books and on TV take way too long to say crucial words like, "I think I might be your father." I'm just saying. Finally nearly 200 pages in Dave asks his best friend Clete why he hasn't told Gretchen that he's her father!! Clete decides to "Let it play out." Okaaaaaayyyyy.Dave's daughter and Clete's daughter's meeting was a really good scene, though.I like Dave more with each page. He tells his adopted daughter (all detectives have adopted kids, don't they?) the truth about Gretchen, letting daughter Alafair know upfront that she could be in serious danger hanging out with Gretchen. Yes, that's what I'm talking about!Dave and Clete are men of a certain age. Long years of crime fighting and many painful injuries have broken them down a bit. Dave is a 12 Stepper. A program person. Using terms like Higher Power, Life on life's terms and Keep it simple. He even mentions the 12 Step group, Work The Steps or Die, Motherfucker. Love it!Clete finally tells Gretchen that he is her father. Probably because she has been sent to kill him. About damn time. Yeah, it was honesty time on this page when Gretchen came clean with Clete about being a contract killer.This is Burke's 19th Dave Robicheaux novel. I think I will read a few more of them. less

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