Bøger af James Lee Burke

I den tyvende roman i serien om politimanden Dave Robicheaux fra Louisiana – serverer Burke en allegorisk fortælling om godt og ondt, en fortælling der vil skaffe ham en plads i de største amerikanske romanforfatteres panteon, skriver Esquire.Sammen med sin ustyrlige ven Clete Purcel er Dave Robicheaux på ferie et sted i udkanten af Rocky Mountains, da en fangetransport på vej til Montana forulykker. Den undvegne voldtægtsforbryder er set forsvinde fra ulykkesstedet, men det sete afhænger af øjnene, og er det måske i virkeligheden en dæmon? Og da ”dæmonen” opsøger både Robicheaux og datteren Alafair bliver det en sag for den ferierende Dave Robicheaux.I Verdens lys optræder ondskaben i mange amerikanske forklædninger. Oligarker i olie og deres ynkværdige arvinger optræder side om side med håndlangerne, de mere traditionelle kriminelle artsfæller. James Lee Burke er ifølge The New York Times Book Review ”Regerende mester i nostalgisk noir”.

James Lee Burke skriver i bogen videre på slægtshistorien om familien Holland, en nærmest arketypisk Texas klan, hvor bedstefar Hackberry Holland i sin tid fik John Wesley Hardin op at hænge og var med i kampen mod Pancho Villas soldater.Vejfarende fremmed er ikke en krimi, men der er mange små skurke, og flere i overstørrelse.Det starter med den unge Weldon og Hackberry og med Bonnie og Clyde, der lige vender på gårdspladsen. Vi er i begyndelsen af 1930’erne.Ti år senere undslipper Weldon døden under Ardennerslaget og finder sin tilkommende Rosita Löwenstein, flygtning fra den spanske borgerkrig, skjult i en nazistisk dødslejr. Gift i Paris ta’r de hjem for at søge lykken – i olien og i et enkelt ukompliceret liv. Det kan imidlertid kun Hollywood præstere. Efter krigen truer Mccarthyisme, olieinteresser og myndigheder snart med at ødelægge Weldons og Rositas liv. Rosita bliver tvangsindlagt på et psykiatrisk hospital, og kun med det yderste af neglene lykkes det Weldon at befri hende og sig selv fra de mørkets kræfter, der truer samfundet – og den amerikanske drøm.

Dave Robichaux’ kone, Molly er død. I en trafikulykke. Trafikdræbt, mener Robicheaux. Det er tre måneder siden, og alle dæmonerne fra fortiden, alkoholismen, Vietnam-mareridtene og de tilbagevendende syner af krigen mellem sydstaterne og nordstaterne dukker op igen og skærper hans følsomhed og eftertænksomhed.Selvfølgelig optræder hans makker Clete Purcel, også, altid på vej ud over kanten. Det samme er datteren Alafair, flere håndfylde kriminelle og psykopater og politikere. Allesammen præsenteret på en tropisk baggrund i det sydlige Louisinana. ”Gumbo crime,” skrev New York Times.På jagt efter Mollys drabsmand støder Robicheaux og Clete ind i ambitiøs og sympatisk sydstatspolitiker, Jimmy Nightinggale, som det er svært at indvende noget imod, en mand med alle de rigtige meninger, som pæne mennesker nu abonnerer på. I USA og i Danmark. Alligevel bliver han pludselig beskyldt for en voldtægt, , og mærkeligt nok bliver han også kædet sammen med en overvægtig mafialeder, Tony Blæksprutte med mange specialer, bl.a. at få folk til at forsvinde Men da der pludselig dukker en psyko-infantil lejemorder op, der giver børnene is, og likviderer en række personer med forbindelse til ”sagen”, befinder såvel Robicheaux og Clete og Nightingale sig pludselig midt i skiven, Og hvorfor, og hvem har mon interesse i at likvidere en håbefuld, demokratisk sydstatspolitiker og to pensionsmodne efterforskere?

In the latest Robicheaux novel, Clete Purcel - veteran, private investigator, and former New Orleans cop - takes centre stage for the first time. ****Clete Purcel - private investigator, ex-member of the New Orleans Police Department, and war veteran with a hard shell and just a few soft spots - is Dave Robicheaux's longtime friend and partner in detective work. But he has a troubled past.When Clete leaves his car at the local car wash, only to return to find it ransacked by a group of thugs tied to the drug trade from Mexican cartels to Louisiana, it feels personal - his grandniece died of a fentanyl overdose, and his fists curl when he thinks of the dealers who sold it.Just as Clete starts to trail the culprits, Clara Bow hires Clete as a detective to investigate her scheming, slippery ex-husband, and a string of brutal deaths all link back to a heavily tattooed man who seems to lurk around every corner. Clete is experiencing shockingly lifelike hallucinations and questioning Clara's ulterior motives when he and Dave start to hear rumors of a dangerous substance with potentially catastrophic effects. The thugs who destroyed his car might have been pawns in a scheme far darker than they could've imagined.Gripping, violent, yet interlaced with Clete's humor and consistent drive to protect those he loves, Clete brings a fresh perspective to a truly iconic series. ****PRAISE FOR JAMES LEE BURKE, THE AWARD-WINNING KING OF SOUTHERN NOIR: 'James Lee Burke is the heavyweight champ, a great American novelist whose work, taken individually or as a whole, is unsurpassed' Michael Connelly 'A gorgeous prose stylist' Stephen King 'No argument: James Lee Burke is among the finest of all contemporary American novelists' Daily Mail'The greatest crime writer currently at work' Spectator'The reigning champ of nostalgia noir' New York Times'Masterly' Sunday Telegraph

På overfladen er livet i Houston, Texas, som det plejer, med drive-in restauranter, dollargrin, jukeboxe der spiller og teenagere i færd med at opdage deres seksualitet. Men under den glitrende overflade af kommerciel normalitet er samfundet her få år efter 2. Verdenskrig på vej ind i en kold krig, en klassekamp med fagbevægelsen, mod de røde og mod alt, som ikke rimer på big business.Med denne kulisse som baggrund erindrer James Lee Burke 60 år efter, hvordan Aaron Holland Broussard oplevede den første store kærlighed … hvorefter en verden fuld af vold åbenbarer sig for ham.Sagen er, at han har fået øje på den smukke Valerie Epstein i selskab med en boyfriend på en restaurant i Galvestone. De skændes, og han ydmyger hende. Aaron blander sig. Det skulle han nok ikke ha’ gjort, for boy-frienden tilhører en af Texas’ rigeste familier, og nu oplever Aaron, hvilken magt mafiaen har.Aaron indser, at han er nødt til, heroisk, at mobilisere mod for at bevare sin selvrespekt, ligesom hans far havde gjort det, som soldat i den store krig i Europa.

En western, men ikke en krimi, der skildrer udviklingen i USA fra omkring år 1900 frem til begyndelsen af 1920’erne. Samtidig er det en nærmest mytisk fremstilling af forholdet mellem far og søn. Texas-ranger Hackberry Holland, og hans søn Ishmael er adskilt af krig og omstændigheder. Som kaptajn i den amerikanske hær har Ishmael deltaget i nogle af første verdenskrig grusomste slag. Og vender hjem såret og invalideret. Men bogen indledes i årene omkring århundredskiftet, i det revolutionære Mexico. Den meget farverige roman bevæger sig fra Mexico til San Antonio's bordeller og saloner og er en fortælling om kærlighed og tab, forræderi, hævn og gengældelse. Vi følger den ganske usamtidige Hackberry Holland på hans rejse gennem et mere og mere moderne, korrumperet USA, hvor racisme og klassekamp, monopolisme og en ”ond” våbenindustri gennemsyrer samfundet, i hans bestræbelser på at blive genforenet med sin fremmede søn, Ishmael, oktober. Men undervejs møder vi tre ekstraordinære kvinder: Ruby Dansen, dansk indvandrerkvinde, Ishmaels mor, Beatrice DeMolay, bordelværtinde og Maggie Bassett, en tidligere prostitueret.

I Creole Belle møder vi vores helt og James Lee Burkes gennemgående figur gennem mere end 20 år, Dave Robicheaux, i nye omgivelser som rekonvalescent på et hospital på St. Charles Avenue i New Orleans. Her kæmper han med en fjende, som er mere lumsk og lusket end den, der place- rede en kugle i Robicheaux’ ryg for en måned siden under et skyderi ved Techefloden. Morfinen lokker ham tilbage mod den misbrugermentalitet, som engang truede med at ødelægge hans liv. Hans seneste gæst er en ung kvinde er iøvrigt gådefuld, hun dukker lydløst op dukker op ved hans sengekant og efterlader ham en iPod, der blandt andet indeholder den gamle country ‘n’ blues-sang ”My Creole Belle”. Hvad Dave ikke ved, er, at kvinden, som hedder Tee Jolie Melton er forsvundet nogle uger forinden, og ingen vil tro på, at hun er dukket op igen for at mildne livet for en gammel mand med et skudsår. Da Robicheaux så opdager, at hendes søster er blevet fundet død, indefrosset i en isblok, som flyder rundt i Mexicanske Golf, bliver han overbevist om, at det er vigtigere end nogensinde før at få manet fortidens ondskab i jorden. Endnu et mesterværk af ”Amerikas bedste romanforfatter”. Denver Post ”Dave Robicheaux er den bedste af nutidig amerikansk litteraturs seriekarakterer.” Los Angeles Times James Lee Burke er en sværvægtsmester – en stor amerikansk romanforfatter, hvis værker ikke er overgået, hverken enkeltvis eller som samlet oeuvre.” Michael Connelly

Lovens lange arm er aldrig lang nok i den lille sydvestlige grænseby i Texas, hvor Hackberry Holland er sat til at sørge for lov og orden. USA og ikke mindst Texas synes at være på sammenbruddets rand. Det samme kan siges om Hackberry Holland, der stadig er i sorg over tabet af sin elskede hustru. Han har rodet sig ud i en farefuld romance med sin vicesheriff, Pam Tibbs. Hackberry Holland fungerer som ondskabens magnet i ørkenens grænseland, måske i forsøget på at holde sine egne dæmoner i skak. Da den alkoholiserede eksbokser Danny Boy Lorca bliver vidne til, at en mand tortureres til døde og efterfølgende melder det, fører Hackberry Hollands efterforskning ham til Anton Ling, en mystisk kinesisk kvinde, som de lokale kalder La Magdalena, og som er kendt for at skjule illegale indvandrere. Ling benægter at have kendskab til både offer og gerningsmænd, men noget i hendes bestemte opførsel og aristokratiske skønhed tvinger Hackberry til igen og igen at vende tilbage til hende. Hackberry Hollands eksistentielle kamp imod lokale banditter og deres bagmænd er et led i en større kamp: udvekslingen af narko for våben, ødelæggelsen af de amerikanske storbyer og fastholdelsen af reaktionære banditregimer i latinamerika er grundpillerne i den krig, de kalder samfundet. Det er temaet i James Lee Burkes storslåede Narrenes Fest.

Kriminalbetjent Dave Robicheaux holder normalt til i New Iberia, i omegnen af New Orleans, men de sidste sommerdage i 2005 bliver han rykket tilbage, hvor han kom fra, til New Orleans.Det er ikke nogen nostalgisk hjemkomst, der venter ham.Tsunamien Katrina har ramt det sydlige Louisiana og New Orleans med fuld hammer. Med større kraft end den bombe, der faldt over Hiroshima.Befolkningen har evakueret sig selv, myndighederne er sat skakmat eller er fraværende. Der er ingen lov og orden, ingen steder hvor de svage, de hjælpeløse og uskyldige kan søge tilflugt, og boligkvartererne vrimler med rovgriske typer, der plyndrer og hærger.Midt i rædslerne bliver Dave Robicheaux sat ind for at rydde op. Han skal finde to småt begavede voldtægtsforbrydere, der er kommet på tværs af mafiaens 'erhvervsliv', og han skal finde en selvtægtsmand, der måske er farligere end de forbrydere, der udplyndrer byen.James Lee Burke har med Blues fra bliktagene skabt et uforglemmeligt billede af livet i New Orleans efter Katrine. Blues fra bliktagene er myldrende fuld af broget liv, ikke blot en krimi og spændingsroman, men en gribende historie om mod og ofre.

"Clete Purcel--private investigator, former cop, and war veteran with a hard shell covering just a few soft spots--is Dave Robicheaux's longtime friend and partner in detective work. But he has a troubled past. When Clete picks up his car from the local car wash ... to find it ransacked by a group of thugs tied to the drug trade, it feels personal: his grandniece died of a fentanyl overdose, and his fists curl when he thinks of the dealers who sold it. As Clete traces the connections in this far-reaching criminal enterprise, Clara Bow, a woman with a dark past, hires Clete to investigate her scheming, slippery ex-husband, and a string of brutal deaths all link back to a heavily tattooed man who lurks around every corner"--

A dynamic, gripping collection of short stories from “America’s best novelist” (Denver Post), the New York Times bestselling James Lee BurkeHarbor Lights is a story collection from one of the most popular and widely acclaimed icons of American fiction, featuring a never-before-published novella. These eight stories move from the marshlands on the Gulf of Mexico to the sweeping plains of Colorado to prisons, saloons, and trailer parks across the South, weaving together love, friendship, violence, survival, and revengeA boy and his father watch a German submarine sink an oil tanker as evil forces in the disguise of federal agents try to ruintheir family. A girl is beaten up outside a bar as her university-professor father navigates new love and threats from a group of neo-Nazis. A pair of undercover union organizers are hired to break colts for a Hollywood actor, whose “Western hero” façade hides darkness. An oil rig worker witnesses a horrific attack on a local village while on a job in South America and seeks justice through one final act of bravery.With his nuanced characters, lyrical prose, and ability to write shocking violence in the most evocative settings, James Lee Burke’s singular skills are on display in this superb anthology. Harbor Lights unfolds in stories that crackle and reverberate as unexpected heroes emerge.

Burke er en uomgængelig stemme, hvis man vil forstå USA, som det er i dag. Hans forfatterskab er en seismologisk skildring af et Amerika i forfald Kriminalbetjent Dave Robicheaux får forvildet sig i skudlinjen mellem to ældgamle mafiaslægter, der er fastlåst i en nådesløs familiefejde, der har varet i århundreder. Sagen bliver ikke mindre kompliceret af at familiernes to yngste medlemmer, de musikalske og drømmende teenagere Johnny og Isolde, i bedste Romeo & Julie-stil er faldet pladask for hinanden.. Robicheaux og hans trofaste følgesvend Clete Purcel kan ikke dy sig for at hjælpe, selv om alle advarer dem mod at lægge sig ud med to familier fra Louisianas absolutte elite. Sagen trækker tråde til både politiske ekstremister, korrupte politikere og den dekadente musikverden, og midt i det hele dukker en mystisk og dæmonisk skikkelse op og blander sig morderisk i affæren. Burke er grænseoverskridende i mere end én forstand. Og hans kriminalbetjent Robicheaux færdes selv i grænselandet mellem Louisianas facader og dens bundkorrupte underverden, mellem det normale og det paranormale, mellem lovens overtrædere og dens håndhævere. Burkes mangeårige optagethed af det okkulte sætter spraglede blomster i En Skjult Katedral og fører næsten til et kollaps af grænsen mellem det jordiske og det overnaturlige.

"A dynamic, gripping collection of short stories from 'America's best novelist' (Denver Post), the New York Times-bestselling James Lee Burke's Harbor Lights is a story collection from one of the most popular and widely acclaimed icons of American fiction, featuring a never-before-published novella. These eight stories move from the marshlands on the Gulf of Mexico to the sweeping plains of Colorado to prisons, saloons, and trailer parks across the South, weaving together love, friendship, violence, survival, and revenge."--Publisher's description.

EDGAR AWARD WINNER FOR BEST NOVEL OF THE YEARFrom New York Times-bestselling author James Lee Burke comes a novel set in Civil War-era Louisiana as the South transforms and a brilliant cast of characters – enslaved and free women, plantation gentry, and battle-weary Confederate and Union soldiers – are caught in the maelstromIn the fall of 1863, the Union army is in control of the Mississippi river. Much of Louisiana, including New Orleans and Baton Rouge, is occupied. The Confederate army is retreating toward Texas, and being replaced by Red Legs, irregulars commanded by a maniacal figure, and enslaved men and women are beginning to glimpse freedom.When Hannah Laveau, an enslaved woman working on the Lufkin plantation, is accused of murder, she goes on the run with Florence Milton, an abolitionist schoolteacher, dodging the local constable and the slavecatchers that prowl the bayous. Wade Lufkin, haunted by what he observed—and did—as a surgeon on the battlefield, has returned to his uncle’s plantation to convalesce, where he becomes enraptured by Hannah. Flags on the Bayou is an engaging, action-packed narrative that includes a duel that ends in disaster, a brutal encounter with the local Union commander, repeated skirmishes with Confederate irregulars led by a diseased and probably deranged colonel, and a powerful story of love blossoming between an unlikely pair. As the story unfolds, it illuminates a past that reflects our present in sharp relief.James Lee Burke, whose “evocative prose remains a thing of reliably fierce wonder” (Entertainment Weekly), expertly renders the rich Louisiana landscape, from the sunsets on the Mississippi River to the dingy saloons of New Orleans to the tree-lined shores of the bayou and the cottonmouth snakes that dwell in its depths. Powerful and deeply moving, Flags on the Bayou is a story of tragic acts of war, class divisions upended, and love enduring through it all.

"These eight stories move from the marshlands on the Gulf of Mexico to the sweeping plains of Colorado to prisons, saloons, and trailer parks across the South, weaving together love, friendship, violence, survival, and revenge. ... With his nuanced characters, lyrical prose, and ability to write shocking violence in the most evocative settings, James Lee Burke's ... skills are on display in this ... anthology. Harbor Lights unfolds in stories that crackle and reverberate as unexpected heroes emerge"--

From American master James Lee Burke comes a novel set inCivil War-era Louisiana as the South transforms and a brilliant cast ofcharacters - enslaved and free women, plantation gentry, and battle-weary Confederate and Union soldiers - are caught in the maelstrom In the fall of 1863, the Union army is in control of theMississippi river. Much of Louisiana, including New Orleans and Baton Rouge, isoccupied. The Confederate army is retreating toward Texas, and beingreplaced by Red Legs, irregulars commanded by a maniacal figure, and enslavedmen and women are beginning to glimpse freedom. When Hannah Laveau, an enslaved woman working on theLufkin plantation, is accused of murder, she goes on the run with FlorenceMilton, an abolitionist schoolteacher, dodging the local constable and theslavecatchers that prowl the bayous. Wade Lufkin, haunted by what heobserved--and did--as a surgeon on the battlefield, has returned to his uncle'splantation to convalesce, where he becomes enraptured by Hannah. Flags onthe Bayou is an engaging, action-packed narrative that includes a duel thatends in disaster, a brutal encounter with the local Union commander, repeatedskirmishes with Confederate irregulars led by a diseased and probably derangedcolonel, and a powerful story of love blossoming between an unlikely pair. Asthe story unfolds, it illuminates a past that reflects our present in sharprelief. James Lee Burke, whose "evocative prose remains a thing ofreliably fierce wonder" (Entertainment Weekly), expertly renders therich Louisiana landscape, from the sunsets on the Mississippi River to thedingy saloons of New Orleans to the tree-lined shores of the bayou and thecottonmouth snakes that dwell in its depths. Powerful and deeply moving, Flagson the Bayou is a story of tragic acts of war, class divisions upended, and love enduring through it all.

In his most autobiographical novel to date, James Lee Burke continues the epic Holland family saga with a writer grieving the death of his daughter while battling earthly and supernatural outlaws. Novelist Aaron Holland Broussard is shattered when his daughter Fannie Mae dies suddenly. As he tries to honor her memory by saving two young men from a life of crime amid their opioid-ravaged community, he is drawn into a network of villainy that includes a violent former Klansman, a far-from-holy minister, a biker club posing as evangelicals, and a murderer who has been hiding in plain sight. Aaron's only ally is state police officer Ruby Spotted Horse, a no-nonsense woman who harbors some powerful secrets in her cellar. Despite the air of mystery surrounding her, Ruby is the only one Aaron can trust. That is, until the ghost of Fannie Mae shows up, guiding her father through a tangled web of the present and past and helping him vanquish his foes from both this world and the next. Drawn from James Lee Burke's own life experiences, Every Cloak Rolled in Blood is a devastating exploration of the nature of good and evil and a deeply moving story about the power of love and family.

In the fall of 1863, the Union Army controls the Mississippi River and much of Louisiana, as the Civil War rolls on.Wade Lufkin is a man without a country or a cause - an idle spectator since New Orleans surrendered, he now paints at his uncle's plantation. That is until he finds an intriguing new subject...Hannah Laveau is an enslaved woman who stands accused of everything from adultery to insurrection, from magic to murder. But all she wants is to find her missing son - and she will risk her life for it.When Hannah goes on the run, she must dodge the calculating and merciless local constable and the slavecatchers that prowl the bayou as she flees through Louisiana, from the cottonmouth snakes and tree-lined swamps to the dingy saloons of New Orleans. From 'the king of Southern noir' (Daily Mirror) comes a powerful and deeply moving Civil War thriller - a story of tragic acts of war, lost and desperate people, and love enduring through it all.PRAISE FOR JAMES LEE BURKE, THE AWARD-WINNING KING OF SOUTHERN NOIR:'James Lee Burke is the heavyweight champ, a great American novelist whose work, taken individually or as a whole, is unsurpassed' Michael Connelly'A gorgeous prose stylist' Stephen King'No argument: James Lee Burke is among the finest of all contemporary American novelists' Daily Mail

"In the fall of 1863, the Union Army is in control of the Mississippi River. Much of Louisiana, including New Orleans and Baton Rouge, is occupied. The Confederate Army is in disarray, corrupt structures are falling apart, and enslaved men and women are beginning to glimpse freedom. When Hannah Laveau, an enslaved woman working on the Lufkin plantation, is accused of murder, she goes on the run with Florence Milton, an abolitionist schoolteacher, dodging the local constable and the slavecatchers that prowl the bayous. Wade Lufkin, haunted by what he observed--and did--as a surgeon on the battlefield, has returned to his uncle's plantation to convalesce, where he becomes enraptured by Hannah."--

From New York Times bestselling author James Lee Burke, Detective Dave Robicheaux becomes entangled in a mystery that connects a series of grisly murders with an ex-convict turned bestselling author, a notorious local pimp, and the man currently dating Robicheaux’s daughter.On the trail of a killer responsible for the deaths of seven young women in neighboring Jefferson Davis parish, Detective Dave Robicheaux and his best friend Clete Purcel can’t seem to stay away from Herman Stanga, a notorious pimp whose name constantly resurfaces in their investigation, and whom both men despise. When Stanga turns up dead shortly after a fierce beating in front of numerous witnesses at the hands of Clete Purcel, the case takes a nasty turn, and solving the mystery of the Jefferson Davis deaths becomes more important than ever. Adding to Robicheaux’s troubles is the matter of his adopted daughter, Alafair, on hiatus from Stanford Law for a semester and home in New Iberia to put the finishing touches on her novel. Her literary pursuit has led her into the arms of Kermit Abelard, celebrated novelist and scion of a once-prominent Louisiana family whose fortunes are slowly sinking into the bayous. In Robicheaux’s mind, Abelard’s association with a sleazy ex-convict turned bestselling author named Robert Weingart puts him at the center of some very shady business, and Robicheaux fears he’s taking Alafair down with him. But at the same time he fears for Alafair’s well-being—and possibly her life—she’s becoming more distant toward him, convinced his concerns are just the paranoia of an overprotective father. To protect his daughter and clear his best friend’s name, Robicheaux will need every ounce of guts, wit, and investigative chops he can muster. From the creator of “one of America’s best mystery series” (Library Journal, starred review), James Lee Burke’s The Glass Rainbow is a “superlative” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) bayou thriller.

A Louisiana farmer is jailed for the murder, 30 years earlier of a black civil rights leader. The farmer claims he is innocent and asks Dave Robicheaux, the sheriff's deputy, to help him prove it. Not easy, as it suits a lot of people to have the case closed. By the author of Burning Angel.

A summer getaway in Montana for Dave Robicheaux's family and friends is violently shattered by the arrival of serial killer and prison escapee Asa Surrette.

Driven by a keen sense of right versus wrong in the fight against crime following Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana lawman Dave Robicheaux has his own demons of alcoholism and rage to contend with as well.

Tough, former New Orleans cop Dave Robicheaux is back. On a visit to a dying cop whom he once hated, Robicheaux is led towards the solution of the disappearance of a young woman he and his brother once knew--and family secrets he must confront and resolve.

I Iberia blues er James Lee Burkes kriminalassistent Dave Robicheaux på trods af alderen på (evig) fuldtid i Louisianas sumplande. Vi er i røgfyldte blues-barer, blandt religiøse fanatikere og blandt Hollywood-minglerer og ikke mindst i den allestedsnærværende bayou, der bugter sig gennem både fortællingen og Robicheaux’s eget liv.Det er 25 år siden, kriminalassistent Dave Robicheaux sidst så sin gamle ven Desmond Cormier, og Cormier er vendt tilbage til sin fødeegn for at indspille sin næste billion-dollar mesterværk. Under et besøg får Robicheaux fra Cormiers egen veranda øje på liget af en ung, sort kvinde, der på grusom vis er blevet bundet til et kors og smidt i vandet.Robicheaux får sin sag for. Ligene begynder at hobe sig op; både alderen, knæene og minderne gør mere og mere ondt, og snart ved Dave Robicheaux ikke, hvem han kan stole på og komme til bunds i perversiteterne.James Lee Burke kridter i Iberia blues hjemmebanen op og leverer et stykke Americana, en elegant spændingsroman, der både understreger USA's placering som et eksotisk tredjeverdens land og Burke som en fremragende fortæller.