Dave Robicheaux has spent his life confronting the age-old adage that the sins of the father pass on to the son. But what was his mother's legacy? Dead to him since his youth, Mae Guillory has been shuttered away in the deep recesses of Robicheaux's mind. He's lived with the fact that he would never really know what happened to the woman who left him to the devices of a whiskey-driven father. But deep down, Dave still feels the loss of his mother and knows that the infinite series of disappointments in her life could not have come to a good end.
While helping out an old friend, Dave is stunned when a pimp looks at him sideways and asks if he is the son of Mae Guillory, the whore a bunch of cops murdered thirty years ago. Her body was dumped in the bayou bordering Purple Cane Road, and the cops who left her there are still on the job.
Dave's search for his mother's killers leads him to the darker places in his past, and solving this case teaches him what it means to be his mother's son. Purple Cane Road has the dimensions of a classic -- passion, murder, and nearly heartbreaking poignancy -- wrapped in a wonderfully executed plot that surprises from start to finish.
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"This is the best of the Robicheaux novels so far. It is also, possibly, the one where credulity is the most stretched. Dave personally knows the governor and the attorney general from his past? Something is easily covered up towards the end that is just a little too neat. A bad guy that is part ghost and who seems to be able to move around at will even when the whole world is looking out for him. Once again, you won't mind because the storytelling is so masterful."
— Steve (5 out of 5 stars)
“James Lee Burke’s most suspenseful novel yet.”
— Barnes & Noble, editorial review“Burke winds up an often convoluted and gratuitously violent plot with a dynamite ending that will leave readers feeling truly satisfied.”
— Publishers Weekly“Mr. Burke scores on all cylinders with this taut thriller.”
— Internet Book Watch“What a James Lee Burke book has in spades is the atmosphere of bayous, barbeque, and bluegrass. Nick Sullivan steeps his reading in quirky accents and whiskeyed drawls. Each character is easily discernible and fresh…he offers a thoughtful and entertaining interpretation.”
— AudioFile“Perhaps more so than any of his peers, Burke has kept his series alive by skillfully tweaking his formula just enough to add interest but never so much as to lose its essence. Robicheaux battling the past instead of the present is only the latest example of Burke’s continuing ability to mix the fresh with the familiar in just the right way.”
— Booklist“Burke’s powerfully evoked world shows why the past, as Faulkner said, not only isn’t dead; it isn’t even past.”
— Kirkus Reviews“Burke weaves a poetic impression of the bayou scenery of south Louisiana and peoples this paradise with as villainous a cast as one could find in any true-crime thriller... Read by Nick Sullivan, this is an action-packed book; its violence is often graphic, but the story is compelling. Sure to be a hit with Burke’s many fans.”
— Library Journal (audio review)" What impresses me about Burke that keeps me coming back are his powerful but subtle descriptions. That adds a flavor to the writing that permeates the plot and characters. It is insightful not overdone. "
— Clark, 2/16/2014" I liked the characters & the writing style a lot, but the story was just a little too dark for me. "
— Sarah, 2/9/2014" One of my favorites from the series. Dave works out some of his "mommy" issues. "
— Amanda, 2/3/2014" Burke has written several novels featuring an on-going character by the name of Dave Robicheaux, an alcoholic cop in the (sort of) backwoods of Louisiana. Like many books of this ilk, each one contains a cast of return characters such as the wife, the daughter, the side-kick, the best friend, etc. and they don't necessarily have to be read in the order in which they were written (although sometimes bits and pieces can get confusing if one of the characters refers to something that happened in a book that you haven't yet read). This particular story centers around Dave delving into the specifics of his estranged mother's murder 35 years prior and his obsession with bringing the killer to justice. I don't usually go in for these types of tales, but, there is something about Burke's style that sits well with me and I truly enjoy listening to them as I drive about town. And, honestly, I also get a kick out of learning more about the Cajun South. "
— Empress5150, 1/28/2014" A great Robicheaux book. A big plus to Burke's usual great cast of characters is the character Johnny Rametta - a hit man with a "conscience". "
— Lou, 1/8/2014" New Orleans, New Iberia, Avery IsLands, Clete, Vietnam, corruption, mayhem, violence of all kinds, and so forth continue to have a role. I sometimes wonder how many times the author can place Dave Robicheaux's daughter and wife at risk. I guess as many times as it sells. I am currently taking a medication for hives which cautions against use if you suffer from depression. Sometimes I think these stories should carry the same warning, but I like them still. "
— Mike, 12/29/2013" I'm still not fully convinced I like Burke's books but this was ok. I started weak (from my point of view) but ended better. "
— Daniel, 12/28/2013" New Iberia, Louisianna, New Orleans, prostitutes, killers, corrupt politics. Solid "
— Mommalibrarian, 12/27/2013" Good but not up to some others of his that I've read. Won't stop me from continuing to read the series, certainly. "
— Dottie, 12/23/2013" this has been the one and only burke book i've read. i really enjoyed the way it was written. the voice? the tone? sentence structures? one of those things describes what i liked. "
— Jay, 12/16/2013" My introduction to Burke. Loved the lyrical prose and tough dialogue. "
— John, 11/26/2013" James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux novels are among my favorite. Dave R. is a very likable character as are all continuing characters that surround him. "
— Bob, 10/11/2013" The best of the series. "
— Mailmanr5, 9/15/2013" Purple Cane Road by James Lee Burke (2001) "
— Julie, 9/8/2013" I really enjoy this author's ability to draw word pictures that enhance the stories, which are good in all of his books that I've read to date. I recommend his books to anyone looking for a good story. "
— Ray, 8/11/2013" I thoroughly enjoyed my first Dave Robicheaux novel. Lots of interesting characters, a thriller plot and wonderful verbal paintings of bayou Louisiana. "
— Sara, 7/9/2013" This man made ma want to go to Louisiana - the sure sign of a good writer. "
— Rachel, 6/21/2013" Burke takes homicide detective, Dave Robicheaux, forward to purge his past. Burke provides several finely developed characters to aid Robicheaux on his journey. "
— Hapzydeco, 4/14/2013" I hated it from page 1. I only finished it because I wanted to know who the killer was. "
— Maureen, 4/12/2013" When Dave Robichaux begins to investigate his mother's death 30 years earlier it unleashes a new series of deaths. "
— Julie, 1/30/2013" One needs a flow-chart or diagram to follow Grant's plots! "
— Brian, 12/7/2012" The book group at work chose this one month, and I picked it up as a result. I've since read five or so of the Dave Robicheaux series, and enjoyed them all. If you like Elizabeth George or John Sandford, you'll probably like these, too. "
— Marguerite, 10/25/2012" This is my first James Lee Burke. I thought it was good and I will read more of Burke's books. "
— Linda, 10/13/2012" Another solid book that has the usual plot developments but adds literary character in all the right corners. "
— Bob, 10/6/2012" Again this links into earlier novels and answers those questions that have been at the back of your mind all the time. Like what happened to Dave's mother? "
— Lysergius, 10/1/2012" I sort of enjoy this book. I mean, I sort of finished it too....It was about NOLA so I was interested in that but I kept getting lost, but not in a good way. "
— Margaret, 9/13/2012" Brilliant addition to the Robiceaux series, this is one of the best stories. Brilliant stuff. "
— Joe, 8/9/2012James 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.
Nick Sullivan has narrated audiobooks for over twenty years and has recorded over four hundred titles. An Audie Award winner, he is also the recipient of numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards. His TV and film credits include The Good Wife, The Affair, Bull, Boardwalk Empire, 30 Rock, Our Idiot Brother, and Private Life.