“Robicheaux” by James Lee Burke – Grasping Hands from the Darkness
In Robicheaux, the titular character returns to the gritty backwoods of Louisiana to investigate a murder involving the man who killed Dave's wife.
A Return to James Lee Burke's Louisiana Backwoods
A distinguished place in terms of people, geography and history, Louisiana has for a long time attracted countless artists, begging to be studied and used for its limitless potential as a source of inspiration.
James Lee Burke is one of the many authors to have seized upon this opportunity, using the atmospheric backdrop for his detective series, Dave Robicheaux. Centring on a broken and haunted war veteran turned detective, the series has seen him tackling one ghost from his past after the next all while trying to stay afloat in the twisted and murderous swamps practically beckoning to him.
In the latest novel about the alcoholic, Vietnam veteran, widower detective, titled very simply Robicheaux, we once again return to the mysterious towns and backwoods of Louisiana as a murder investigation takes the titular character on a path of self-discovery he could have never anticipated.
In short, without spoiling anything, Robicheaux is about as broken as we've known him to be, consistently and rightfully lamenting over the undeniably terrible cards fate has dealt him, even suddenly taking his wife from him.
With virtually nothing but his work to keep him relatively sane, the detective gives himself entirely to the homicide investigations circulating through his desk.
This time though, the case will take him deeper within himself than he could have ever imagined: as it appears, Robicheaux himself might be guilty of the crime he's investigating.
Constantly dealing with blackouts and binges, he can't be sure of his guilt or innocence, but one thing is certain: he must continue for whatever this is, it involves the death of the man responsible for the demise of Dave's wife.
Before he knows it, the very few people he loves are in jeopardy because of his actions, with a dark and rotten force looming over the people, prepared to ensnare countless more in its chains of corruption and violence.
The American Past-times
Detective or murder mystery series are a bit of curious phenomenon: most of them keep pumping out the same formulaic stories focusing on very little except for the case at hand, and despite that manage to remain captivating at the tenth, twentieth and fiftieth outings.
Truth is, good puzzles are generally fascinating in and of themselves, and what better puzzle is there than a murder mystery? While James Lee Burke could have gone down this road innumerable times in his Robicheaux series, I am extremely glad he went beyond expectations time and time again.
As much as this novel is about the investigation of a murder, it's also a rather deep and layered expose of what the author believes to be America's seedy underbelly, its rotten dark side if you will.
He uses the story and its characters as a vehicle to conduct a study of the elements he believes define American society. He explores the irrefutable penchant for violence and murder, for hatred against thy neighbour, how easily the people are corrupted by the allure of wealth, the immensely shameful legacy from colonial times everyone would much rather forget... and of course, the sacred concept of vengeance.
While it is true Burke, for the most part, decides to place his focus on the negative aspects of society rather than positive ones, one would be hard-pressed to say he is wrong or unjustified.
All we need to do is look back a few years to witness the truth of his concerns for this society, and in my opinion whether he intended to or not, he made a compelling case for the country's need of a drastic shift in mentality, lest it become base and corrupt beyond redemption.
While I do think some people might interpret his philosophical deliberations as hatred towards the country, to me it simply comes across as immense concern for something he loves deeply.
A Case of Fatal Guilt
Whether or not you agree with his vision, there is a whole other side to this book: the actual plot. If you're really not into social commentary and all that jazz, then you'll be glad to know the investigative mystery and personal drama which comes along with it are more than enough to hook and pull you along through the story.
On one hand, we have Robicheaux delving deeper and deeper into a case clearly leading him to some of the vilest people to walk the country, the kind our imaginations can barely catch up to.
At the same time, there is the ever-present element of whether or not Dave is indeed guilty of the crime, which James Lee Burke plays up to perfection, never letting us know which way the pendulum will swing until the time comes.
The thread unfolds logically from one set of clues to the next, and as far as seeing this book as a murder mystery goes, it's nothing if not solid and enjoyable from start to finish.
On the other hand, we have the personal drama revolving around the main character. While it does sound slightly comical when you describe Robicheaux through all the misfortunes which have befallen him through life, the author quickly reminds us of the severity with which they scarred and shaped his mind.
We witness his constant struggle with grief, a loss of identity and purpose, and frankly we have to wonder if it is even possible for him to find some sort of redemption in life.
We suffer with him from one psychological demon to the next, and as we follow him along we get to see glimpses of the man laying dormant beneath layers of trauma, abuse and death. Ultimately he makes for an endearing protagonist we truly want to succeed and find some peace.
The Final Verdict
To cap things off, Robicheaux by James Lee Burke is yet another solid and respectable entry into the Dave Robicheaux series, displaying a strong murder mystery, drama elements and insightful social commentary, if not slightly depressing.
The Louisiana backdrop fits the tone of the story to absolute perfection, its overt beauty but inner corruption mimicking the state of the country.
If you enjoy murder mysteries with some food for thought or are already a fan of Dave Robicheaux, I highly suggest you give this book a try.
 | James Lee BurkePersonal site James Lee Burke is an author hailing from America who is best known for his series of books revolving around the character named Dave Robicheaux. He has received an Edgar Award on two occasions, for Black Cherry Blues, published in 1990, and Cimarron Rose, published in 1998. He is mainly a crime writer and has dished out numerous other works, as well as two short story collections. |
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