Reviews
Burke produces his most sharply focused, and perhaps his most harrowing, study of human evil, refracted through the conventions of the crime novel., eoeA powerful meditation on the naturee"and smelle"of evil . . . But even as the stomach roils, the fingers keep turning the pages because the much-honored Burke (two Edgars, a Guggenheim Fellowship) is a master storyteller.e, [ Light of the World ] is vintage Burke: a killer plot, flawed but decent heroes, loathsome villains, a keen sense of history and philosophy and prose that leaves the reader in awe. . . . At once lovely and lethal, Light of the World shimmers with Burke's ability to depict the best and the worst of the human family, and to do so with a steady eye and a generous heart., I long ago exhausted my skimpy store of superlatives on James Lee Burke's exquisite prose and moving plots. . . . Once again, Burke takes us to the best and worst of worlds., Burke remains a clear-eyed realist when it comes to violence and the haunted conscience, but his descriptions of the natural world are just as powerful., James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux, the haunted, all-too-human homicide detective from the Louisiana bayou country, first appeared more than 25 years ago in The Neon Rain . It was apparent, even then, that Burke had given us an extraordinary character, one whose depth, complexity and evocative narrative voice was worth returning to again and again. That has turned out to be the case. Light of the World is the 20th installment in this increasingly ambitious series, and it reaffirms Robicheaux's status as one of the most successfully sustained creations in contemporary crime fiction., eoeBurke produces his most sharply focused, and perhaps his most harrowing, study of human evil, refracted through the conventions of the crime novel.e, Burkee(tm)s boldest and most complex novel to date, at once a superb crime story and a literary masterpiece from an author who has been named a Mystery Writers of America Grand Master., A hellbent death-row inmate escapes and comes gunning for Cajun police detective-troubleshooter Dave Robicheaux, his family and friends. This is the 20th Robicheaux tale by a celebrated master of the thriller genre., Hats off to the Library of Congress cataloger who applied the subject heading Good and Evil to Burkes latest Dave Robicheaux novel. In that simple tag lies the core of this acclaimed series. . . . Occasionally the evil comes in a more chilling, vaguely supernatural formdepravity beyond sociologygiving these novels a darker, more mythic tone . . . but it works, enveloping the reader in the visceral terror of the moment., eoeThis magnificent new novel seems the capstone of a formidable career, an awesome world bristling with references to Elizabethan and Greek tragedy, Roman emperors, the stench of the devil, and the Manichean vision of medieval chronicles.e, James Lee Burke is truly an American treasure, right up there with the Liberty Bell, the Constitution, and apple pie. To say he is a mystery writer is like saying the Atlantic Ocean is a pond., eoeA hellbent death-row inmate escapes and comes gunning for Cajun police detective-troubleshooter Dave Robicheaux, his family and friends. This is the 20th Robicheaux tale by a celebrated master of the thriller genre.e, A powerful meditation on the nature-and smell-of evil . . . But even as the stomach roils, the fingers keep turning the pages because the much-honored Burke (two Edgars, a Guggenheim Fellowship) is a master storyteller., You can call Burke a crime fiction writer, but I call him a national treasure - he's not just a master of propulsive plots, rich prose and achingly real characters, he's a writer who looks unflinchingly at violence in American culture, at every level from the personal to the corporate. . . . Despite such moments of despair, Dave Robicheaux is an enduring hero, and Burke takes Light of the World pedal-to-the-metal to a hair-raising standoff and a satisfying end., eoeBurke remains a clear-eyed realist when it comes to violence and the haunted conscience, but his descriptions of the natural world are just as powerful.e, eoe[ Light of the World ] is vintage Burke: a killer plot, flawed but decent heroes, loathsome villains, a keen sense of history and philosophy and prose that leaves the reader in awe. . . . At once lovely and lethal, Light of the World shimmers with Burkee(tm)s ability to depict the best and the worst of the human family, and to do so with a steady eye and a generous heart.e, Robicheaux [Is] Arguably the Most Original and Interesting Character in Contemporary Crime Fiction., Evocative, lyrical, and haunting . . . [Robicheaux] is a complex, thoughtful, damaged and violent man, unlike any protagonist in modern mystery fiction. . . . Mr. Burke's books are beyond traditional procedural mysteries. You won't find better writing in, or arguably out of, the genre. While uncommon in almost every way, his characters are knowable and very real., eoeFans will be thrilled to find Robicheaux and Clete Purcel joined by their respective adult daughters in a hard-hitting, intense battle between good and evil. . . . As the story unfolds, a rodeo cowboy who speaks in tongues, a serial killer who should be dead, ex-cons, rapists, bear traps and evil that dwells in caves in the hills all come together in perhaps the greatest showdown of Burke's career.e, eoeRobicheaux [is] arguably the most original and interesting character in contemporary crime fiction.e, eoeJames Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux, the haunted, all-too-human homicide detective from the Louisiana bayou country, first appeared more than 25 years ago in The Neon Rain . It was apparent, even then, that Burke had given us an extraordinary character, one whose depth, complexity and evocative narrative voice was worth returning to again and again. That has turned out to be the case. Light of the World is the 20th installment in this increasingly ambitious series, and it reaffirms Robicheauxe(tm)s status as one of the most successfully sustained creations in contemporary crime fiction.e, Over the years, James Lee Burke's voice has grown more messianic, his books more biblical. He's in full fire-and-brimstone mode in Light of the World . . . . [The] monstrous villain [makes] life a living hell for an expanded cast of the quaintly insane characters who are Burke's specialty. For that alone, let's give the devil his due., Hats off to the Library of Congress cataloger who applied the subject heading 'Good and Evil' to Burke's latest Dave Robicheaux novel. In that simple tag lies the core of this acclaimed series. . . . Occasionally the evil comes in a more chilling, vaguely supernatural form-depravity beyond sociology-giving these novels a darker, more mythic tone . . . but it works, enveloping the reader in the visceral terror of the moment., Burke's boldest and most complex novel to date, at once a superb crime story and a literary masterpiece from an author who has been named a Mystery Writers of America Grand Master., eoeEvocative, lyrical, and haunting . . . [Robicheaux] is a complex, thoughtful, damaged and violent man, unlike any protagonist in modern mystery fiction. . . . Mr. Burkee(tm)s books are beyond traditional procedural mysteries. You won't find better writing in, or arguably out of, the genre. While uncommon in almost every way, his characters are knowable and very real.e, eoeYou can call Burke a crime fiction writer, but I call him a national treasure e" he's not just a master of propulsive plots, rich prose and achingly real characters, he's a writer who looks unflinchingly at violence in American culture, at every level from the personal to the corporate. . . . Despite such moments of despair, Dave Robicheaux is an enduring hero, and Burke takes Light of the World pedal-to-the-metal to a hair-raising standoff and a satisfying end.e, This magnificent new novel seems the capstone of a formidable career, an awesome world bristling with references to Elizabethan and Greek tragedy, Roman emperors, the stench of the devil, and the Manichean vision of medieval chronicles., James Lee Burke's 20th Robicheaux novel is arguably the best of his prolific career . . . Burke is at the pinnacle of his literary gifts., Fans will be thrilled to find Robicheaux and Clete Purcel joined by their respective adult daughters in a hard-hitting, intense battle between good and evil. . . . As the story unfolds, a rodeo cowboy who speaks in tongues, a serial killer who should be dead, ex-cons, rapists, bear traps and evil that dwells in caves in the hills all come together in perhaps the greatest showdown of Burke's career., Hats off to the Library of Congress cataloger who applied the subject heading 'Good and Evil' to Burke's latest Dave Robicheaux novel. In that simple tag lies the core of this acclaimed series. . . . Occasionally the evil comes in a more chilling, vaguely supernatural form--depravity beyond sociology--giving these novels a darker, more mythic tone . . . but it works, enveloping the reader in the visceral terror of the moment., A powerful meditation on the nature--and smell--of evil . . . But even as the stomach roils, the fingers keep turning the pages because the much-honored Burke (two Edgars, a Guggenheim Fellowship) is a master storyteller., eoeHats off to the Library of Congress cataloger who applied the subject heading e~Good and Evile(tm) to Burkee(tm)s latest Dave Robicheaux novel. In that simple tag lies the core of this acclaimed series. . . . Occasionally the evil comes in a more chilling, vaguely supernatural forme"depravity beyond sociologye"giving these novels a darker, more mythic tone . . . but it works, enveloping the reader in the visceral terror of the moment.e, Terror is unleashed when an escaped serial killer comes looking for revenge . . . Though Burke's tales involve some of the most vile characters and violent situations in popular fiction, his body of work has transcended genre to become what many critics and academicians regard as literature., eoeJames Lee Burke is truly an American treasure, right up there with the Liberty Bell, the Constitution, and apple pie. To say he is a mystery writer is like saying the Atlantic Ocean is a pond.e, eoeI long ago exhausted my skimpy store of superlatives on James Lee Burkee(tm)s exquisite prose and moving plots. . . . Once again, Burke takes us to the best and worst of worlds.e, eoeOver the years, James Lee Burkee(tm)s voice has grown more messianic, his books more biblical. Hee(tm)s in full fire-and-brimstone mode in Light of the World . . . . [The] monstrous villain [makes] life a living hell for an expanded cast of the quaintly insane characters who are Burkee(tm)s specialty. For that alone, lete(tm)s give the devil his due.e, You can call Burke a crime fiction writer, but I call him a national treasure -- he's not just a master of propulsive plots, rich prose and achingly real characters, he's a writer who looks unflinchingly at violence in American culture, at every level from the personal to the corporate. . . . Despite such moments of despair, Dave Robicheaux is an enduring hero, and Burke takes Light of the World pedal-to-the-metal to a hair-raising standoff and a satisfying end.
