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When Dixon, a criminal who Billy Bob Holland helped send to prison, is released on a technicality, Holland finds his loved ones endangered by the vengeful killer.Tags
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I'm a big fan of James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux books but I hadn't really warmed up to this series with Billy Bob Holland. However, now that Billy Bob is living in Montana and working in Missoula I'm becoming more interested. Missoula and the Bitterroot Valley is one of those places that gets into your blood and you never quite get free of it. Since James Lee Burke lives there now I suspect he has found that as well.
Billy Bob is a lawyer and he fights the good fight for underdogs. But he is no pushover and when Wyatt Dixon, a psychopath who buried Billy Bob's wife alive in Bitterroot, is released from jail on a technicality he is ready to do whatever is necessary to protect his family. He is thus confused when Dixon starts to offer show more him help with another case. This case involves a young Indian man, Johnny American Horse, who is suspected of breaking into a government research facility and stealing data. As a result of this theft hired killers have been sent to Montana to kill Johnny. Wyatt Dixon seems to have some inside knowledge about the danger but he is not part of it.
By the end of the book Holland and Dixon seem to have come to a truce and the plot against Johnny has unravelled but not all those responsible have paid for their involvement. That's one of the things I like about Burke's books--things don't get wrapped up in a nice neat package and the books are, as a result, much more realistic.
I listened to this book read by Will Patton who is absolutely perfect to narrate Burke's books. My one complaint is that the book was abridged; if I had noticed this before I downloaded it I probably would not have taken it out. But I didn't find out until the end so I guess it wasn't really obvious. There were a few disconnects that I'm sure would have been covered if the full book had been produced. So boo to Simon and Schuster Audio for abridging this. show less
Billy Bob is a lawyer and he fights the good fight for underdogs. But he is no pushover and when Wyatt Dixon, a psychopath who buried Billy Bob's wife alive in Bitterroot, is released from jail on a technicality he is ready to do whatever is necessary to protect his family. He is thus confused when Dixon starts to offer show more him help with another case. This case involves a young Indian man, Johnny American Horse, who is suspected of breaking into a government research facility and stealing data. As a result of this theft hired killers have been sent to Montana to kill Johnny. Wyatt Dixon seems to have some inside knowledge about the danger but he is not part of it.
By the end of the book Holland and Dixon seem to have come to a truce and the plot against Johnny has unravelled but not all those responsible have paid for their involvement. That's one of the things I like about Burke's books--things don't get wrapped up in a nice neat package and the books are, as a result, much more realistic.
I listened to this book read by Will Patton who is absolutely perfect to narrate Burke's books. My one complaint is that the book was abridged; if I had noticed this before I downloaded it I probably would not have taken it out. But I didn't find out until the end so I guess it wasn't really obvious. There were a few disconnects that I'm sure would have been covered if the full book had been produced. So boo to Simon and Schuster Audio for abridging this. show less
A nuanced entry in this series by Burke. This is a study of good and evil—neither the good guys or the bad guys are always what they seem. Most characters are flawed and are some shade of gray. Two characters that begin as unattractive show save themselves through courage and belief. Others—who typically are members of the good guys turn out to be working with the bad guys. In the end, only some of the bad guys get punished and several of the good guys get hurt, suffer, or die. During the course of the story, Billy Bob must identify and accept some of the darker colors that are part of his soul.
Classic JLB set in western Montana. Over the top bad guys, a sympathetic anti-hero, and questionable authority figures and actions. Still has great descriptive paragraphs with cutting insights.
This is definitely a 3 1/2 star read, and after a bit of deliberation I rounded the rating up.
I make no bones about being a James Lee Burke fan; in my view he is one of the best writers in the US, regardless of genre. But I find the Billy Bob Holland books slightly less to my taste than those featuring Dave Robicheaux, but I still want to read them and I always enjoy them.
This one is a bit tighter than earlier episodes, although there are still a lot of diversions into Native American Culture, and I find Billy Bob's conversations with his dead partner a little irritating. The dark side of most of the characters, even Billy Bob, is accentuated and there is a high level of violence.
What comes across strongly in this book is Holland and show more Burke's lack of faith in law enforcement generally and the government at all levels and the fact that the real villains are not only not prosecuted and punished, but very often actually prosper. show less
I make no bones about being a James Lee Burke fan; in my view he is one of the best writers in the US, regardless of genre. But I find the Billy Bob Holland books slightly less to my taste than those featuring Dave Robicheaux, but I still want to read them and I always enjoy them.
This one is a bit tighter than earlier episodes, although there are still a lot of diversions into Native American Culture, and I find Billy Bob's conversations with his dead partner a little irritating. The dark side of most of the characters, even Billy Bob, is accentuated and there is a high level of violence.
What comes across strongly in this book is Holland and show more Burke's lack of faith in law enforcement generally and the government at all levels and the fact that the real villains are not only not prosecuted and punished, but very often actually prosper. show less
Burke tells a story that, again includes relations with American Indians and corporations that set their own gains above ecological benefit. Neither the good guys nor the bad guys are always what they seem. Author's descriptive writing style sometimes gets in the way of a good story.
Wyatt Dixon is one of the best Burke (semi-)villains. And I enjoyed Johnny American Horse elements, although the mystical elements were a little overwhelming (not only with him but throughout the book). The ending seemed a little anti-climactic.
Johnny American Horse is attempting to stop the oil companies from drilling on Indian land and thinks they put a hit on him.
Two men attempting to kill Johnny sneak up to his home but he ambushes them. One dies and the other hospitalized. When the hospitalized man is suffocated, Johnny is arrested.
Former Texas Ranger, and lawyer, Billy Bob Thornton is convinced the Johnny is innocent and puts his ranch up for collateral for Johnnys bail. Another Indian is killed and something (spoiler) from the dead Indian is put in Billy Bob's mailbox.
There is much discussion of Indian law on the reservations and how an Indian is treated once a crime is committed off the reservation.
We also meet a great character, Wyatt Dixon who alsmost killed Billy show more Bob's wife, Temple, in a past book. Now Wyatt is released from prison and claims to be reborn. He wants to repay his misdeed to Billy Bob.
When there is a break in at a research lab where defense contracts are stolen, Johnny is again a suspect.
James Lee Burke is at his best in this novel. His descriptions of the land are wonderful. I found myself reading portions of the book more than once just to enjoy the writing.
The plot is well told and Wyatt Dixon is one of the great characters Burke has developed. show less
Two men attempting to kill Johnny sneak up to his home but he ambushes them. One dies and the other hospitalized. When the hospitalized man is suffocated, Johnny is arrested.
Former Texas Ranger, and lawyer, Billy Bob Thornton is convinced the Johnny is innocent and puts his ranch up for collateral for Johnnys bail. Another Indian is killed and something (spoiler) from the dead Indian is put in Billy Bob's mailbox.
There is much discussion of Indian law on the reservations and how an Indian is treated once a crime is committed off the reservation.
We also meet a great character, Wyatt Dixon who alsmost killed Billy show more Bob's wife, Temple, in a past book. Now Wyatt is released from prison and claims to be reborn. He wants to repay his misdeed to Billy Bob.
When there is a break in at a research lab where defense contracts are stolen, Johnny is again a suspect.
James Lee Burke is at his best in this novel. His descriptions of the land are wonderful. I found myself reading portions of the book more than once just to enjoy the writing.
The plot is well told and Wyatt Dixon is one of the great characters Burke has developed. show less
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Author Information
122+ Works 38,456 Members
James Lee Burke, winner of two Edgar awards, is the author of nineteen previous novels, many of them "New York Times" bestsellers, including "Cimmaron Rose", Cadillac Jukebox", & "Sunset Limited". He & his wife divide their time between Missoula, Montana, & New Iberia, Louisiana. (Publisher Provided)
Series
Work Relationships
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- In the Moon of Red Ponies
- Original publication date
- 2004
- People/Characters
- Billy Bob Holland; Johnny American Horse; Amber Finley; Darrel McComb; Seth Masterson
- Important places
- Missoula, Montana, USA
- Dedication
- In memory of Thomas Edmund Kroutter, Jr.
- First words
- My law office was located on the old courthouse square of Missoula, Montana, not far from the two or three blocks of low-end bars and hotels that front the railyards, where occasionally Johnny American Horse ended up on a Sun... (show all)day morning, sleeping in a doorway, shivering in the cold.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)But German browns begin spawning not long after Labor Day, so we kept none of the fish we caught and instead replaced them in the river, holding their fat bellies cupped in our palms, while they rested, bursting with roe, their gills pulsing, waiting to reenter the current and disappear beneath the reflections of sky, trees, and human faces that can appear and dissolve more quickly than the blink of an eye.
- Original language
- English
- Disambiguation notice
- Danish title (2006): De røde hestes nat
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 788
- Popularity
- 35,191
- Reviews
- 17
- Rating
- (3.90)
- Languages
- Danish, Dutch, English, Swedish
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 33
- ASINs
- 8
