March 10, 2024
The Neon Rain by James Lee Burke
Lt. Dave Robicheaux has a lot of demons chasing him: his wife Nicole left him for a wealthy oilman, he is a recovering alcoholic, his memories of Vietnam, his troubles with the police brass, his Catholic upbringing, his partner Clete who has his own marital and alcohol troubles plus a hair trigger temper and involvement in some not quite legal dealings. When Robicheaux becomes involved with the murder case of a young prostitute, he unexpectedly finds himself involved with drugs, South American drug lords, and arms smugglers, yet he persists according to his own code of honor. At the same time, he realizes that he has reached a crossroads in his life.
After reading Burke's outstanding historical novel Flags on the Bayou, I realized that I had never read any of his Dave Robicheaux series. Robicheaux is a flawed yet honorable hero. The writing is gritty and violent, with lush descriptions of New Orleans (especially the food). There are some disturbing racial epithets that were unfortunately common during the 1980s. The plot is somewhat dated but the character study of Dave is outstanding and sets up the rest of the series. The audio version is really good. Recommended for fans of hard-boiled mysteries or noir fiction.
New Orleans' French Quarter
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