Review of "Purple Cane Road" by James Lee Burke

This is number twenty for Burke, and I suspect it will be a big hit again. My first Burke novel was IN THE ELECTRIC MIST WITH CONFERDERATE DEAD. I liked that one, and so I backed up to read all of his novels. I think that this latest one follows through on the macho outlook of our hero, Dave Robicheaux. This time, Dave, who is as stubborn as mule, becomes absolutely single-minded about the death of his mother. She took off and left him with his alcoholic father when Dave was pretty young, and after that all he knew was that she was a suicide and he had been told that she was a prostitute. Roubicheaux sets out to find out the truth. Along the way he uncovers some pretty awful tales about New Orleans cops and their murderous cover-ups in years past. Dave steps on viscious toes and causes much harm himself, but he cannot stop uncovering the shocking history.

He is so macho and so single-minded that I found Dave Robicheaux a bit boring this time.