House of the Rising Sun

A Novel

By: James Lee Burke

Narrated by: Will Patton

Length: 15 hrs

Publisher's summary

Includes an exclusive interview with James Lee Burke!

New York Times best seller James Lee Burke returns with his latest masterpiece, the story of a father and son separated by war and circumstance - and whose encounter with the legendary Holy Grail will change their lives forever.

From its opening scene in revolutionary Mexico to the Battle of the Marne in 1918, and on to the bordellos and saloons of San Antonio during the reign of the Hole in the Wall Gang, House of the Rising Sun is an epic tale of love, loss, betrayal, vengeance, and retribution that follows Texas Ranger Hackberry Holland on his journey to reunite with his estranged son, Ishmael, a captain in the United States Army.

After a violent encounter that leaves four Mexican soldiers dead, Hackberry escapes the country in possession of a stolen artifact, earning the ire of a bloodthirsty Austrian arms dealer who then places Hack's son, Ishmael, squarely in the crosshairs of a plot to recapture his prize, believed to be the mythic cup of Christ.

Along the way, we meet three extraordinary women: Ruby Dansen, the Danish immigrant who is Ishmael's mother and Hackberry's one true love; Beatrice DeMolay, a brothel madam descended from the crusader knight who brought the shroud of Turin back from the Holy Land; and Maggie Bassett, one-time lover of the Sundance Kid, whose wiles rival those of Lady Macbeth. In her own way, each woman will aid Hackberry in his quest to reconcile with Ishmael, to vanquish their enemies, and to return the Grail to its rightful place.

House of the Rising Sun is James Lee Burke's finest novel to date and a thrilling entry into the Holland family saga that continued most recently with Wayfaring Stranger, which the New York Times Book Review described as "saturated with the romance of the past while mournfully attuned to the unholy menace of the present".

©2015 James Lee Burke (P)2015 Simon & Schuster Audio

Don't say masterpiece unless you really mean it

I think this may be Jim Burke's greatest novel. Every element of this recorded book is superb. The characterization, dialogue, plot. Not nearly as over-the-top as some previous works. More poetic than anything I've read of his, and I've read them all. Truly epic. I may have to read it again.

Entertainment and education

I’ve never read nor listened to any writing by Mr. Burke that didn’t entertain or educate.

Shakespeare writing about Texas

Would you listen to House of the Rising Sun again? Why?

Amazingly written book about Good, Evil, and the Old \west. I would definitely read it again and expect, as in reading Shakespeare's Dramas based on complicated heroes and heroines, find it more interesting each listening.

What did you like best about this story?

Burke's style of writing with his unbelievable attention to describing total scenes - down to such fine nuances as the smells of the scene can be mesmerizing. He also captured so well the eternal battle of good and evil as they rage in the behavior and emotions of a large and smart man.

Which character – as performed by Will Patton – was your favorite?

This is hard since they were all done so well. Obviously Hack and Ruby as well as Ishmael and the assorted side characters. I think I will always think about Andre as well.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I did react strongly to the narrative and the agony of the characters. There is little to cry or laugh about but plenty of empathize with.

Any additional comments?

Patton's narration was spot on. Perfect accents and clear distinction between characters helped in the mental visualization of the action.

Will Patton

Will Patton does a great job reading this story and doing different accents, glad I bought this

What a Character!

I thought that Hack was a great character. He was adequately flawed and good and often made me laugh out loud. And the performance was superb. I will be looking for more books by this author AND narrator. A great read to the end!

Great story

This is one of his best books. In his usual style and the way James Lee Burke wonderfully weaves his character's development throughout the novel, he tells a story set in the early 20th century . I love his character descriptions which allow your imagination to see them in your mind's eye. This is a must read.

Written From His Heart

Where does House of the Rising Sun rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

House of the Rising Sun ranks in the top 10 among all the audiobooks I've listened to. I listen to at least 2 audiobooks each month as I hand stitch embroidery or quilts. .

What other book might you compare House of the Rising Sun to and why?

I feel it could only be compared to another unabridged James Lee Burke book. Mr. Burke is a true wordsmith, painting pictures I feel you just don't get with other authors. You can not only visualize the scenery but at times you'll smell the atmosphere when he describes it. I've never had that experience with another author.

What does Will Patton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

It was suggested to me by another fan that in order to fully experience the Dave Robicheaux series by James Lee Burke I needed to listen to Will Patton narrate them.

He was correct: Wow: I'm originally from the south and it was like going home again. Mr. Patton's southern accent is perfect. I was an instant fan. I've ever written to authors and suggested that Mr. Patton would be the perfect narrator for their series.

As I've listened to him read other books, and especially this 'Hackberry Holland' series, I've come to realize that he brings a depth and understanding to the words that Mr. Burke puts on paper that other narrators sometimes miss. He becomes the conduit for the words, but you're the one who is the part of the story, and what is going on. You hear him, but he's not intrusive, he doesn't take away from the story. He never breaks your immersion into the story.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely, it entices you with the settings, the historical events and the characters. I can almost bet you'll listen more than once because its so enjoyable, and you get so caught up in parts of it that you're still processing a scene when something else happens and is almost over before you're aware of it. I learned to hit the pause button to absorb scenes before moving onto something else.

Any additional comments?

There are a lot of interviews with Mr. Burke about this book and how much of it is fiction and how much is part of his actual life or lives of his ancestors. I found it helpful to read those interviews. I liked knowing which scenes were family history and found it added a lot to the story as I listened. I love history, and perhaps that is why I enjoyed this part of of the book so much.

Awesome!!

Very well written and incredible narration. Kept me entertained start to finish. 2 thumbs up!!

Who makes it such a great one, Burke or Patton?

Both! They go together like peas and carrots. This is a great book and very well read. A must have. Todd

James Lee Burke is Back!

Not that he had left, but "House of the Rising Sun" is nearly pure Burke with none of the scarey, super, satan connected villain that have been in many of his most recent books. Also no ghosts or shape shifters to be seen. This time it's all normal humans (some superstitious thoughts but no ghostly characters). I bought the book because I have read almost all of Burke's books but had missed this one, somehow; a surprise considering my years in the French Quarter. Will Patton is excellent as always and Burke's smooth use of his usual extensive vocabulary were a pleasure.