Robicheaux: A Novel Audiobook

James Lee Burke’s most beloved character, Dave Robicheaux, returns in this New York Times bestselling mystery set in the towns and backwoods of Louisiana: an “enthralling yet grim novel that…will captivate, start to finish” (Publishers Weekly).

Dave Robicheaux is a haunted man. From the acts he committed in Vietnam, to his battles with alcoholism, to the sudden loss of his beloved wife, Molly, his thoughts drift from one irreconcilable memory to the next. Images of ghosts pepper his reality. Robicheaux’s only beacon remains serving as a detective in New Iberia, Louisiana.

It’s in that capacity that Robicheaux crosses paths with powerful mob boss, Tony Nemo. Tony has a Civil War sword he’d like to give to Levon Broussard, a popular local author whose books have been adapted into major Hollywood films. Then there’s Jimmy Nightengale, the young poster boy of New Orleans wealth and glamour. Jimmy’s fond of Levon’s work, and even fonder of his beautiful, enigmatic wife, Rowena. Tony thinks Jimmy can be a US Senator someday, and has the resources and clout to make it happen. There’s something off about the relationship among these three men, and after a vicious assault, it’s up to Robicheaux to uncover the truth “in the barn-burner of a climax” (Booklist, starred review).

Complicating matters is the sudden death of the New Iberian local responsible for Molly’s death; namely that Robicheaux’s colleague thinks Robicheaux had something to do with it. As Robicheaux works to clear his name and make sense of the murder, a harrowing study of America emerges: this nation’s abiding conflict between a sense of past grandeur and a legacy of shame, its easy seduction by demagogues and wealth, and its predilection for violence and revenge. “It has been almost five years since James Lee Burke’s last Dave Robicheaux novel, and it was absolutely worth the wait” (Associated Press).

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"I have been a big fan of the Robicheaux series since the 1990s. All of these books are written with a lyrical brush that explores the philosophy, introspection and musings of this former Louisiana cop. Robicheaux and his friend Clete Purcell deal with the aberrant behavior of various miscreants, villains and thugs on what seems like a daily basis. The beauty of the countryside in which they reside, the bayous located in lower Louisiana, is often in disarray as they deal with the unnatural habits of a few. Robicheaux has his share of personal problems. On a daily basis he contends with his own alcoholism, the relived horrors of Vietnam and the brutal loss of his wives. He is still a man of honor but he is not far from the edge. The only things left in the world that hold meaning for him is his buddy, Clete and his adopted daughter, Alafar. Given to introspection, Robicheaux defends his defensiveness for his daughter by saying: “If God had had a daughter, He would never have allowed her to die on a cross”.In this novel, Robicheaux slides into a drunken stupor. When he awakes, he finds his memory of the previous evening to be non-existent. This is particularly disturbing as a man who was involved in Robicheaux’s wife’s death has been found dead in his car. Evidence begins growing to suggest he may have had something to do with it. As Robicheaux tries to determine whether he was responsible for this crime he becomes more and more mired in some larger issues involving people of greater influence. As always, James Lee Burke with his artistic style brings the novel to an exciting conclusion. Great read."

— Keith (4 out of 5 stars)