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Cimarron Rose Audiobook
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(3.01) - 1,469 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Texas attorney Billy Bob Holland must confront the past in order to save his illegitimate son from a murder conviction in this brilliant, fast-paced thriller from beloved New York Times bestselling author James Lee Burke.
Lucas Smothers, nineteen and from the wrong end of town, has been arrested for the rape and murder of a local girl. His lawyer, former Texas Ranger Billy Bob Holland, is convinced of Lucas’s innocence—but proving it means unearthing the truth from the seething mass of deceit and corruption that spreads like wildfire in a gossipy small town where everybody knows everybody else’s business.
Billy Bob’s relationship with Lucas’s family is not an easy one. Years back he was a close friend of Mrs. Smothers—too close, according to her husband. But when Lucas overhears gruesome tales of serial murder from a neighboring cell in the local lock-up, he himself looks like a candidate for an untimely death, and Billy Bob incurs enemies far more dangerous than any he faced as a Ranger.
With the same electric language and hard-edged style that brought James Lee Burke’s Dave Robicheaux novels to the forefront of American crime fiction, Cimarron Rose explodes with a harsh, evocative setting and unforgettable characters.
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"He's my favorite author. Read a Burke book and your in a dark theater by yourself surrounded and engulfed by his images. I've read them all but can only do so once every 3-4 months because in the end they are their message about the human condition is not hopeful."
— Mike (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Along with an evocative sense of place rendered in the Burke tradition, Billy Bob's humanity suffuses every page with a warm, golden glow. Readers will undoubtedly fall for him as he lassos a child abuser in the center of town and argues with the ghost of his slain Ranger partner. Highly recommended.”
— Library Journal -
“Issues of independence versus community have long reigned supreme in the literature of the West, and Burke draws on that tradition effectively, contrasting the dusty desperation of an intolerant Texas town with the pioneer spirit of Billy Bob’s ancestors. Both similar to and different from the Robicheaux books, Cimarron Rose is a fine, multitextured novel, full of Burke's lilting, elegiac prose and unflinching in its portrait of the human heart in turmoil.”
— Booklist -
“The characters ring true in a weird way. They are quirky and appealing, and even the criminals make good company while the whodunit unfolds.”
— Amazon.com, editorial review -
“Even the ragged ends make other mystery novels look anemic.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Cimarron Rose Listener Reviews
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" several plot strands; old West characters meet modern day "
— Kimberlyn, 2/15/2014 -
" I listened to this book, and the narrator was not good. Every Texan who was on the dumb side ended up sounding like Forrest Gump. It was insulting. Still a great book, though. "
— Stephanie, 2/7/2014 -
" Cimarron Rose by James Lee Burke (1999) "
— Julie, 2/7/2014 -
" A Texan small town rape trial which exemplified the predjudice which must exist. "
— Winston, 1/23/2014 -
" I've heard for a long time that Burke is a top notch writer. I am glad to finally add him to my pantheon of "must read" authors. "
— Leon, 1/20/2014 -
" There were several strands in the storyline, most of which joined together,but I couldn't understand the reasoning behind reading his great-grandfather's journal, except it gave the author the title to the book. "
— Katy, 1/18/2014 -
" Burke won the Edgar in 1998 for this novel. Wasn't sure if I was going to like, but his writing hooked me at the beginning and all through the book. "
— Jeffrey, 1/18/2014 -
" This is the one he signed for me...I gave him 2 roses, and he wrote, "Thanks for the flowers." He looks like the Marlboro Man...in a good way, and reminds me of my grandpa. "
— Beth, 1/15/2014 -
" A very enjoyable first Billy Bob Holland novel, this series is set in Texas. A typical JLB storyline and prose with fascinating and flawed characters. I love this authors work. "
— Joe, 1/8/2014 -
" Different charachters and settings than the Dave Robicheaux novels -- but still familiar. This was an interesting and entertaining read. "
— Dana, 1/8/2014 -
" Good, but not as engrossing as the others I've read. Plus, I think I'm already tiring of Burke's "formula." "
— Chip, 12/29/2013 -
" James Lee Burke is one of best writers of our times. He is one of the few writers whose books I will purchase in hard cover because I can't wait for the paperback version to come out. "
— Cammie, 12/25/2013 -
" This is my first Burke book. I will need to read more of him to get a feel for his writing. "
— Shirley, 11/11/2013 -
" I love to read James Lee Burke and his Dave Robecheau novels. This one was not about Dave, but about an attorney Billy Bob Holland, that was just as irreverant as Dave. The story line was not real to me. Most of the action was brutal, and the language seemed always to be vulgar. "
— Eileen, 9/12/2013 -
" Preferred this to the first in his Dave Robicheaux series.Takes a while to get into his style but will read any others of his that I have "
— Pauline, 5/27/2013 -
" Pretty solid effort by an author I enjoy reading. This one won and edgar and it is easy to see why. Compelling, beautiful language. "
— Clay, 3/11/2013 -
" Listened as an audio book and enjoyed the narrator's style. Great writing for what I thought would be just a good story. "
— Don, 2/26/2013 -
" Billy Bod Holland (a relation of Hackberry Holland?) is an attorny in Deaf Smith, Texas. He finds himself defending his unacknowledged, illegitimate son in a rape-murder case. Lots going on. DEA investigations. Memories of previous times as a Texas Ranger. Will Patton reads this 1997 Burke title. "
— Bayneeta, 2/7/2013 -
" Enjoy this series and listened to most while travelig to Mexico "
— Boni, 11/1/2012 -
" Great book with a stong lead character and plenty of action. It kept me guessing until the end has James Lee Burkes fantastic imagery through out the tale. I will definitely read the next in the series. "
— Poppy, 10/3/2012 -
" Another great story by James Lee Burke. The story was so engrossing that I couldn't put the book down and spent the day reading it. Highly recommended! "
— Jeff, 7/17/2012
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 Tom Stechschulte
Tom Stechschulte (1948–2021) was an acclaimed narrator and winner of the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. He had been a college athlete and business major when a friend dared him to audition for a play. He got the part and traded the locker room for the dressing room, eventually taking him to New York City and to recording audiobooks.