Play Audiobook Sample
Burning Angel (Abridged) Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(4.00) - 1,897 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
A BRUTAL LEGACY OF CRUELTY AND HATE IS AWAKENED IN THE BAYOU
When Sonny Boy Marsallus returns to New Iberia after fleeing
for Central America to avoid the wrath of the powerful Giacana
family, his old troubles soon follow. Meanwhile Dave
Robicheaux becomes entangled in the affairs of the Fontenot
family, descendants of sharecroppers whose matriarch helped
raise Dave as a child. They are in danger of losing the land
they've lived on for more than a century.
As Dave tries to discover who wants the land so badly, he finds
himself in increasing peril from a lethal, rag tag alliance of
local mobsters and a hired assassin with a shady past. And
when a seemingly innocent woman is brutally murdered, all
roads intersect, and Sonny Boy is in the middle.
With the usual James Lee Burke combination of brilliant
action and unforgettable characters, Burning Angel is
the author at his best -- showing that old hatreds and new
ones are not that far apart.
Download and start listening now!
"5 stars. Beautifully written. And the subject matter is fearsome: Dave Robicheaux's way of treating with his world here clashes, even in dream, with a whole lot of forces, mores, and assumptions that pervade the world he lives in. 'Even inside the dream I know I'm experiencing what a psychologist once told me is a world destruction fantasy. But my knowledge that it is only a dream does no good; I cannot extricate myself from it.' He lives in a beautiful and deadly world, in which the great chain of being operates on the principle of 'eat or be eaten'. But in the waking world at least Dave has to find a way to go on living in it. So he begins to make his choices, essays small interventions. He quickly finds himself in more than one another country, where nothing is as it seems and he must risk everything he loves to right imbalances, until his whole world makes sense to him again. And meanwhile, everything he is and loves remains at risk. At every turn he must decide what to let go of, what he needs to keep. 'It was all that quick, as though a loud train had gone past me, slamming across switches, baking the track with its own heat, creating a tunnel of sound and energy so intense that the rails seem to reshape like bronze licorice under the wheels; then silence that's like hands clapped across the eardrums, a field of weeds that smell of dust and creosote, a lighted club car disappearing across the prairie.' A little masterpiece, this one, and maybe the only pure magic realism novel in the whole series too."
— Macha (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“In his most complex tale to date, [Burke] stirs up for his hero a peppery blend: the Mob, government mercenaries, and dirty money—all set to a simmer…Burke is perhaps the only mystery writer to bring magical realism to his prose, calling up the pained history of the South…Angel proves Burke a master of the march.”
— People -
“Crime fiction at its best. The writing is crisp but not hard-edged…[The] conclusion highlights the complicated racial histories, the exploitation of sexual love and ambition, that distinguish New Orleans.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“A passionate, exciting addition to a series that has set new standards in the genre.”
— Chicago Tribune -
“Enthralling! Burke makes shivery magic.”
— San Francisco Chronicle Book Review -
“In Burning Angel, Burke shows why he is one of the top five writers of crime fiction alive.”
— Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
Awards
-
A New York Times bestseller
Burning Angel Listener Reviews
-
" This book was Okay but not up there with the rest of his stuff I've read. In all his books he tends to do over kill on telling you what the surroundings are like. It seems like just so much filler but at least you always know where you're at. He doesn't suddenly just jump from place to place, well maybe sometimes. It is somewhat of a page turner, it must be cause I read it in a day and half and it's 340 pages. Worth the read but not my favorite. "
— Jeff, 2/16/2014 -
" Not sure why I was a little disappointed in this book in the series. It was good but didn't rate up there with the last few. "
— Kay, 1/13/2014 -
" Re-reading James Lee Burke is as much fun as the first time. The novel is complex, lyrical, and captivating. It is filled with characters who are just that in addition to the core group of current and past detectives...all of whom are well-developed. "
— Joyce, 1/6/2014 -
" Once again, Clete Purcell and Dave Robicheaux have untangled a mess. I just love those two and wonder why none of his books are movies? "
— Elaine, 12/23/2013 -
" Iberia Parish deputy sheriff Dave Robicheaux is asked to investigate a spurious land claim. Nothing cozy about the Robicheaux books: you want a shower after reading these gritty mysteries. "
— Ellen, 12/23/2013 -
" Classic Burke. Great new characters. "
— Mikel, 12/15/2013 -
" Very good mystery...heartbreaking in parts...intense. Made me feel like I was back in southern Louisiana and NOLA. Robicheaux is a complex character and a really good man. "
— Brandon, 12/14/2013 -
" Kinda confusing sometimes, but good overall. "
— Laura, 12/10/2013 -
" Not his best but part of a great series. "
— Mailmanr5, 12/7/2013 -
" My absolute favorite book in this series!! "
— Beth, 12/6/2013 -
" love the way Mr. Burke brings his characters to life.outstanding job from him. "
— Thomas, 11/4/2013 -
" One in a series of many James Burke books featuring the character, Dave Robicheaux a private detective in Louisiana. "
— Lauren, 11/1/2013 -
" This really should get 4 1/2 stars. It's just a little too mystical to rate 5 stars. Burke is one of America's top fiction writers and this book is excellent, just short of being great. "
— Jeff, 9/27/2013 -
" This is another Dave Robicheaux winner. "
— Burt, 8/26/2013 -
" His characters are good and the story is always above average. "
— Rod, 8/21/2013 -
" I never get tired of James Lee Burke's descriptive and lovely novels. Gritty, yes, but his characters have depth. Love these books. "
— Susan, 12/1/2012 -
" 09/16/2011 - A verrry sloow read. "
— Ronald, 9/27/2012 -
" This is one of Burke's best in my opinion. "
— Jim, 5/4/2012 -
" Not my favourite in the series so far "
— Tony, 10/12/2011 -
" I love Burke's writing but this was not his best effort. He relies too much on the occult and voodoo ya ya in the character of Sonny Boy Marsallus, which I found unnecessary and unhelpful in clarifying some of the other narrative strands that were left dangling. "
— Glen, 9/30/2011 -
" Another James Lee Burke favorite. Read it many times and it gets better each time. "
— Betty, 9/25/2011 -
" another winner from james lee burke. i've been reading a lot of technical writing for work, so this was just what i needed! "
— pam, 7/17/2011 -
" Enjoy this series and listened to most while travelig to Mexico "
— Boni, 4/22/2011 -
" New Orleans characters are sure lively in this story of criminals & their crimes. White males, drunks, drug addicts, Vietnam era vets, womanizers, thieves, police all come together to further their aims. And the women, not all are prostitutes, liars or drunks, save the day, sort of. "
— Greta, 3/17/2011 -
" Another James Lee Burke favorite. Read it many times and it gets better each time. "
— Betty, 7/11/2010 -
" Not his best but part of a great series. "
— Mailmanr5, 6/8/2010 -
" His characters are good and the story is always above average. "
— Rod, 5/7/2010 -
" Finally! A reason to love Bootsie!! & Sonny Boy is amazing. This is such a great series, really. Took me a bit longer to read this one cos I changed my hours but the end was well worth the wait. "
— Maevy, 11/26/2009 -
" This is one of Burke's best in my opinion. "
— Jim, 7/13/2009 -
" Robicheaux has a flawed guardian angel looking over him. He solves the murders and survives the hits. "
— Pat, 3/26/2009
About James Lee Burke
James Lee Burke is a New York Times bestselling author of forty novels and two short-story collections. He has won the Edgar Award, the CWA Gold Dagger, and the Grand Prix de Littérature Policièr. He was named Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America. His novel The Lost-Get Back Boogie was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, and two of his books, Heaven’s Prisoners and Two for Texas, have been made into motion pictures.
About Will Patton
Will Patton is an award-winning actor and narrator. HIs narrations have earned the prestigious Audie Award for Best Fiction Narration and also won dozens of AudioFile Earphones Awards. His numerous film credits include Remember the Titans, The Punisher, The Mothman Prophesies, Armageddon, and The Spitfire Grill. He starred in the TNT miniseries Into the West and on the CBS series The Agency and won Obie Awards in the theater for his performances in Fool for Love and What Did He See.