Kinda getting a sense of diminishing returns five books into this series. I'm a little surprised that there was enough gas in the tank for another 16 books, but hey, I'm still digging the series enough to carry on.

This time around, we got a fair amount of talk about Robicheaux's higher power, which, while I understand is a basic tenant of the Alcoholics Anonymous group, it kind of got a bit old by the third or fourth mention. And yet again, Robicheaux decides to flop once again on whether to be a cop or not.

In the first couple of books the question always seemed to be, will Dave succumb to his alcoholism? where now that he's seemed to conquer that (at least for the time being), the new one is, if Dave's a cop at the beginning of the novel, will he still be one at the end? Or vice versa..

Ah well, even for all of that, it's fun to read James Lee Burke's writing, as it only improves as we get deeper into his writing career.

Like I said, a little bit of a diminishing return on this one, but still worth the ride. ( )

abused family draw Robicheaux into mystery

Number five in the Dave Robicheaux series, and my favorite of the the first five. Dave is back in New Iberia, Louisiana, running his bait shop and working full time for the sheriff's department. Someone is stalking the Sonnier family, two brothers and a sister who were horribly abused as children but grew up to be more or less successful in the community. A local mobster seems to be involved. As is perhaps the Sonniers' father, an evil man thought to be long dead. Getting straight answers from the Sonniers--an oil speculator, a TV preacher, and an aid worker--is no easy task. In some ways, it's easier dealing with the mobster, although his henchmen are violent and batsh*t crazy.

Although the setting and the characters are similar to those in the earlier books, there seems to be a new depth. Dave, although still a hothead, seems more grounded, less tortured. He's more willing to accept help from allies as varied as his former partner Clete, a man born to cross lines others would never cross, and Batist, the illiterate black friend who helps run Dave's bait shop. The Sonniers are so interesting and well-drawn I wouldn't mind seeing them turn up in future books. The plot is complex, but understandable, and is more or less neatly resolved in an ending that's positively cinematic.

There's more character and more humor here than in the earlier books. This might be where I'd recommend someone start. ( )

This is the 5th book in the Dave Robicheaux series. I decided to get this book from the library while waiting for book #2 from Amazon. In this book, Dave is working at the sheriffs office in New Iberia again and gets a call to the Sonnier's house who he knows from childhood. How he gets involved with their ilk makes for an interesting read. Another great book from a great author. Highly recommend this book and the series. ( )

Not his best, plot a little weak but writing v.g. and descriptions