Bitterroot

I've just experienced one of those weird things, where you discover a new writer and he changes your perspective about something you thought you knew. James Lee Burke is new to me. He was recently the subject of a near eulogy on the BBC, and this prompted me to try one of his books. Wonderful writing, and enlightening about those areas of the US that have a lot of wilderness about them. Montana is somewhere I will probably never visit, and yet here it is evoked in clear clean prose and I'm knocked out. It's a book called 'Bitter Root' and it is as tough as books can get, but it is more than that. It reveals another side of America, one where there is no parallel in Britain, or even maybe Europe as a whole. Wide open spaces we don't have show more much over here, but then neither do we have the militia movement or the biker boy communities. I am impressed with the brilliance of this writer, and a bit ashamed I haven't read him before. He is so very, very good. His big fault? He preaches his ghastly Roman Catholicism far too much. The RC and Islamic religions are basically the same, which is hardly surprising when you examine their common ancient tribal origins. show less

It is a bit difficult to explain my "issue" with this series... but it has to do with how the main character, Billy Bob, is mainly just the "narrator" of the story. Most of the story is told from his point of view (with a couple slips into other POVs), but he is not really involved with committing any of the actions in the novel. He is there, and he talks about who did what and what's going on, but he doesn't play any pivotal role in any of it... This is fine, because the story is strong and interesting enough that we don't really need him to do much, but it does make me wonder why the author bothers to have a central recurring character who is rather incidental to the solving of the crime(s).

Billy Bob isn't a cop or a detective, or show more even a lawyer in these books (well, he IS a lawyer, but he doesn't do any lawyering)... he is just the backdrop around which a lot of bad guys do a lot of bad things. At the end justice is served, but not by Billy Bob... the bad guys seem to end up doing it to themselves.

Anyway, I really like the writing style and the characters "evilness" and the fact that justice gets served, so will be reading the next in the series. show less

This is my first Billy Bob Holland book and the third in the series. Mark Hammer is an excellent narrator, but nobody reads James Lee Burke like Will Patton!

Billy Bob is a former Texas Ranger turned attorney. He left law enforcement after he and his partner chased some bad guys to Mexico and dispatched some vigilante justice. His partner died during the killing, and now his ghost follows Billy Bob, offering advice and acting as his conscience.

Billy Bob heads to Montana for an extended visit with an old friend and is drawn into a complex web of lies, deceit and violence. His son (it sounds like they are working on building a relationship) and investigator surprise him by coming up to stay as well. What is it with Burke and having his show more older male authority figures have relationships and sexual tension with their younger female subordinates? Kinda weird that it's consistent across his novels.

Anyway, I enjoyed the book. However, I love me some Dave Robicheaux and Clete Purcell, so that's still my favorite series by James Lee Burke. show less

Burke peppers this one with some spicy scenes that would make Colleen Hoover blush. He pulls a reader into the story like few can.

I picked this up because I had watched In the Electric Mist and wanted to read it but found this one instead. Another ghost haunting our main character, and while I liked most of the characters, I fear the story fell apart in the third third. The connection to the Oklahoma City bombing was not resolved, hints of other issues only stayed that, and the motivations for anybody doing anything got really confused for me, but the first thirds I enjoyed.

It is hard to distinguish the narrative voice of Billy Bob Holland and that of Dave Robicheaux. Generally the Holland stories are a little more edgy, but have little of the charm of the Cajun Louisiana. The first 2 were set in a Texas town; this one is set in Montana. Good story, and Holland finally does "something" (I will not say what) right.

As usual for JLB, brilliantly written, great desctiptions, evocative scenery. Good story line and excellent characters, I almost prefer the Montana books to the New Orleans ones