“America’s best novelist” (The Denver Post ) brings back one of his most fascinating characters— Texas sheriff Hackberry Holland, cousin to lawman Billy Bob Holland—in this heart-pounding bestseller. In a heat-cracked border town, the bodies of nine illegal aliens—women and girls, killed execution-style—are unearthed in a shallow grave. Haunted by a past he can’t shake and his own private demons, Hack attempts to untangle the grisly case, which may lead to more bloodshed. Damaged young Iraq vet Pete Flores, who saw too much before fleeing the crime scene, and his girlfriend, Vikki Gaddis, are running for their lives. Sorting through the lowlifes who are hunting down Pete, and with Preacher Jack Collins, a Godfearing serial killer for hire, in the mix, Hack is caught up in a terrifying race for survival—for Pete, Vikki, and himself.
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"Despite Burke being among my favorite writers (a group who is so large that the designation is almost meaningless) I had not read any books outside of his Dave Robicheaux books. This was a delight. Well, that is a strange way to characterize a story centered around the murder of a group of young women and the machinations of the organized crime around the killing...but a delight nonetheless. I am fond of the way Burke turns a phrase. His metaphors and allusions wash over me like so much mollasses. There is such a strong sense of place in all of Burke's novels and that is certainly evident in this one. I will not belabor the point but suffice it to say I loved meeting Hackberry and will follow Burke in any direction even if it is off the Bayou." — Adam (4 out of 5 stars)
"Despite Burke being among my favorite writers (a group who is so large that the designation is almost meaningless) I had not read any books outside of his Dave Robicheaux books. This was a delight. Well, that is a strange way to characterize a story centered around the murder of a group of young women and the machinations of the organized crime around the killing...but a delight nonetheless. I am fond of the way Burke turns a phrase. His metaphors and allusions wash over me like so much mollasses. There is such a strong sense of place in all of Burke's novels and that is certainly evident in this one. I will not belabor the point but suffice it to say I loved meeting Hackberry and will follow Burke in any direction even if it is off the Bayou."
“As always, Burke’s portrayal of the ugliness of human behavior set against the higher moral standards of those who fight evil is irresistible.”
“Totally riveting.”
“Rain Gods is its own stylish slice of contemporary Texas noir.”
“Burke is a deliberate storyteller; he doesn’t skimp on the action, but his exploration of human foibles is deep, and his characters are true...Rain Gods is about catching the bad guys, but it’s also a moving, melancholy examination of how we do wrong, then try our best to atone.”
“Colorful prose, venal characters, haunted landscape, total entertainment.”
“Rain Gods is Burke’s most intricately plotted crime novel yet... And as always in a James Lee Burke novel, one of the main characters is the landscape itself, lovingly described in lyrical passages.”
...readers will find some of the best and most memorable prose of Burke's career...It is the narrative...that is the biggest strength of this character-driven novel. Burke is at heart a poet capable of describing the light and the dark in equal measures of the beautiful and horrific, one who can both gradually illuminate the darkness and cast dark shadows across the sun, often within the space of a single short paragraph. Rain Gods is a work of deep, violent and, yes, beautiful magic, a wondrous manifestation of one of our best American authors becoming even better, as improbable and impossible as that may seem.
...there's something so winning about Hackberry Holland, something so perfect for the times in which we're reading...anger and bitterness fuel a fair amount of James Lee Burke's fiction, showing how the best and the worst of us are driven by demons -- the memories of bad family history; of wars past and present; the pull of the bottle; the furious engine that drives some to desire money or power, by whatever means; the slow, seeping poison of grief and regret. In Rain Gods, Burke once again renders the cautionary tale he has perfected over 28 books.
If James Lee Burke has the deepest regional voice in the genre -- and I do believe that's so -- it's because he understands those feelings that keep people connected to the places where they have, or once had, roots...Preacher is one of Burke's most inspired villains...
Burke is a deliberate storyteller; he doesn't skimp on the action, but his exploration of human foibles is deep, and his characters are true...Rain Gods is about catching the bad guys, but it's also a moving, melancholy examination of how we do wrong, then try our best to atone.
" I was hoping I had not read this one - but I have. I wish Burke would write some more. "
" I liked Hack much better than in the first book, though it took a little while to adjust to the third person narrative and the fact that so much time had elapsed. "
" Sodden with simile and so thick with purple prose hard to see through it all to the heart of the story. It wasn't a bad premise but it buckled under its own weight. "
" Can't go wrong with James Lee Burke. He has a unique way of describing the most mundane things. His use of the English language is refreshing. "
" I thoroughly enjoyed Rain Gods - it had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end, wondering what would happen next to hapless Pete Flores and his girlfriend, Vikki Gaddis, as they are caught up in the aftermath of a terrible mass killing and are being hunted down by crime boss Hugo Cistranos via hired assassin Preacher Jack Collin; Sheriff Hackberry Holland and Deputy Sheriff Pam Tibbs are trying to find the young couple to sort things out before the killers get to them first. James Lee Burke is a very good storyteller: I look forward to reading his Dave Robicheaux books. "
" I savor every book by James Lee Burke ... and this one, after 100 pages, is outstanding so far ... I expect that with Burke, but how the man does what he does with the written word is beyond me ... Truly a genius store-teller! "
" James Lee Burke is still my favourite author and I love the characters mix in this book. "
" What a start to the year a great book . must go down as a classic "
" I'll read almost anything by James Lee Burke. Other mysteries/thrillers, I'll rush through to learn "who done it." With Burke, I'll re-read a paragraph just to savor the prose. Combines good writing with good storytelling. "
" This was another great read by my favorite Author, to me know one can describe a scene better than JLB. I was a little hesitent at first because this wasn't a Dave Robicheux Novel but I'm glad I decided to read. "
" This book's one of my favorite JLB's books. The characters are intriguing, and the plot is superbly executed, poetic and profoundly touching. The funny thing is that this was my first JLB book, but after this master piece I was forced to become his hard-core, fanatic fan. "
" Good ole' vet cowboy cop and young assistant in Texas trying to catch a bunch of psycho assassins. Got to love it! "
" It took me FOREVER to read this book. It's so complex, with a lot of mini-plots. Not a good gym read, or a bus read because of the complexities. Not bad, but I won't be rereading it. "
" Good but I like Burke's books that are set in New Orleans better. Pretty bloody. "
" Interesting story. I think Burke tells the story with interesting and different details. Reminded me of No Country For Old Men- Preacher is very like the antagonist of that book / movie. "
" New Character but still one of the best writers I've ever read. "
" Read 6 chapters & seriously could NOT get into it. Taking it back to the Library TODAY! ugh! "
" One of Burke's best novels, similar to the Robichaux series, but tighter and more coherent "
" Good story, gripping. Unfortunately there is way too much violence for me. It kept me involved, but after a while, I couldn't take all the death. "
" Good story but it gets bogged down in the middle with too many subplots "
" Too many similarities to NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN kept me from being too engaged. "
" Even though Hackberry Holland is a solid character, thoughtful, etc., I prefer the Dave Robicheaux books, probably because of the setting. Also, this book was more complicated that it needed to be. "
" James Lee Burke is the best! "
" Minor Burke - his habit of circling his plot rather than trapping it and carrying it home becomes tiresome here. "
" I enjoyed Huckberry Holland .... there is still hope for us older folks. Preacher is a complex and in some ways appealing villan . The portraits of the various characters were very well done and some of his reflections on both the place and time of Huckberry were outstanding . "
" great mystery, good ending. james lee burke kept the book flowing so i was always wanting to know what was going to happen next. "
" This would make a great movie ala "No Country for Old Men." "
" Burke is by far the best contemporary crime fiction writer I know. "
" I loved the two main characters of this book, the sheriff and the killer. They are both very complex characters with common elements. Yet one is a sociopath and one is a good human being. Very interesting play on things. "
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 Policière 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.
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.
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