“The New Iberia Blues” by James Lee Burke – Crucifix of Stardom

James Lee Burke has sent detective Dave Robicheaux on many sordid adventures throughout his excursions in the realm of literature, and it seems he isn't done with the man yet as he gets wrapped up with a decadent case in The New Iberia Blues.

The story begins to unfold as the death of a young woman shocks the country, eventually sending our beloved detective on a morally-bankrupt journey through the cesspools of Hollywood, the underworld of the mafia and the perilous backwoods of Louisiana.

James Lee Burke Mixes Blood and Glamour

The differences between the people of this Earth might be too numerous to mention completely, but nearly all of us are united by a single strand: the desire to become famous, whether now or sometime in the past.

Even if you have to go back to your childhood to find a time when you clamoured for it, negligibly few are those who completely escape its temptations. While many of us grow out of it and find value in a life of public anonymity, some stay behind to pursue the elusive dream of stardom, and in most cases, they are willing to make virtually any sacrifice for it.

Needless to say, this is one path which led many people to their doom, attracting the greedy, courageous and foolhardy alike. In James Lee Burke's latest Dave Robicheaux novel, The New Iberia Blues, we make the acquaintance of one such tragically lost soul as the rotten bowels of the Hollywood underworld dig their way to the surface.

As the book opens we are introduced to Desmond Cormier, once a young boy Robicheaux met in the streets of New Orleans, now a prominent Hollywood director. Our detective finds himself having to visit this old acquaintance of his, twenty-five years after meeting him, but the circumstances are as far from festive as possible.

The body of a young woman was discovered, crucified with nothing but a small chain on her ankle, and her last known location was reported near the celebrated director's estate. Though neither Cormier nor his bizarre friend Antoine seem inclined to reveal much, Robicheaux has been around the scene for too long to be fooled by tight lips.

He sets out in search for answers along with a young deputy, Sean McClain, as well as his traditional backup, Clete Purcel and Alafair, on a journey which will take him from the dastardly elite of the silver screen to the lethal backwoods of Louisiana where enemies and old ghosts alike await our detective.

A Mystical Element

At this point I've lost count exactly how many Dave Robicheaux novels Burke has published over the years, but time and time again I find myself surprised at how he manages to keep the cases and their investigations feeling fresh and new, even if they do have some faults from time to time.

In this case, without spoiling too much, we follow along his investigation into a serial killer who makes displays out of his victims based on Tarot cards. As a result, there is a slight but prevalent air of mysticism which surrounds the investigation, and while I'm not expert on it, it felt like it fit perfectly with the Louisiana bayou, which as you might imagine is where most of the story takes place.

When combined with the seemingly imaginary realm inhabited by Hollywood celebrities, I felt it helped give the book a somewhat dreamy and ever-so-slightly surrealistic atmosphere, as if we had briefly crossed over into another world without even knowing it.

The stage for the investigation is perfectly set, and as a result it's very enjoyable to follow from beginning to end, even if there are some interruptions to speak of here and there which bring the development to a bit of a halt.

There aren't really any holes or inconsistencies in the plot as it develops in a straightforward enough fashion, and while it does try to add some twists here and there Burke never pushes too hard in this direction.

As a matter of fact, I will admit with a bit of sadness the ending was sub-par compared to what the author has been able to achieve in the past; the main villain's motivation seemed rather weak and the meaning behind his usage of the Tarot is relegated to the background. Nevertheless, it's an overall fitting conclusion which fulfils its job of wrapping things up.

The Ageing Detective

As mentioned above, there are numerous interruptions in the development of the investigation, and they are all done for the sake of character development.

In some ways this felt like a swan song for Robicheaux as he spends much time reminiscing about his own past, at times trying to approach it from a philosophical perspective.

There are certainly some interesting inner monologues and food for thought on the topic of ageing and the marks we leave on this world. I will admit there were a couple of times here and there where he felt like an old man rambling on and on, but the overall point of his discourses wasn't lost on me.

In my opinion, the only poorly-developed aspect of the detective in this book is his relationship with his new partner who is fifty years his junior.

While I am certainly aware larger age differences haven't stopped people from falling in love, it is quite annoying to watch a supposedly wise and learned character behave almost like a buffoon in some instances.

While I do understand her role in the story is to create some distraction and build tension at certain points, having all the male characters instantly swoon over her was unnecessary and detracted from the main story.

Additionally, their relationship did not feel as if it developed in a realistic manner, probably because once again, there is half a century in age difference between the two.

Overall though, I feel these parts are easy enough to identify and skip over, so if you do share my opinion on this subject you can reliably cut most of it out to enjoy the rest of the book.

The Final Verdict

The New Iberia Blues by James Lee Burke, while not being the best of his Dave Robicheaux novels, is in my opinion a worthy swan song to a series which has been going strong for over twenty books.

Despite its flaws here and there, the investigation remains entertaining enough while the characters all do their part to draw you into the mystically-peppered atmosphere.

I do ultimately recommend this book to fans of the series and anyone looking for a solid detective novel.

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James Lee Burke Personal 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.