Creole Belle

A Dave Robicheaux Novel, Book 19

By: James Lee Burke

Narrated by: Will Patton

Length: 18 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

Dave Robicheaux is back, in a gorgeously written, visceral thriller by James Lee Burke, “the heavy weight champ, a great American novelist whose work, taken individually or as a whole, is unsurpassed” (Michael Connelly).

Creole Belle begins where the last book in the Dave Robicheaux series, The Glass Rainbow, ended. Dave is in a recovery unit in New Orleans, where a Creole girl named Tee Jolie Melton visits him and leaves him an iPod with the country blues song "Creole Belle" on it. Then she disappears. Dave becomes obsessed with the song and the memory of Tee Jolie and goes in search of her sister, who later turns up inside a block of ice floating in the Gulf. Meanwhile, there has been an oil well blowout on the Gulf, threatening the cherished environs of the bayous.

Creole Belle is James Lee Burke at his very best, with beloved series hero Dave Robicheaux leading the charge against the destruction of both the land and the people he has sworn to protect.

©2012 James Lee Burke (P)2012 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

“This tale plays out much like The Glass Rainbow—intimations of mortality; melancholic musing on the pillaging of once-Edenic South Louisiana; cathartic, guns-blazing climax—but, as always, Burke brings something new to the table...Dave and Clete may still be unbowed, but they are certainly broken—and all the more interesting for it.” ( Booklist)

“Another stunner from a modern master.” ( Publishers Weekly)

“Great news for readers who feared that Burke had left Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Dave Robicheaux dying at the end of The Glass Rainbow (2010); Dave and his old friend Clete Purcel are back for an even more heaven-storming round of homicide, New Orleans–style.... A darkly magnificent treat for Dave’s legion of admirers.” ( Kirkus Reviews)

Will Patton does a great job with these novels

This is a decent story which is actually made better by the talents of the narrator. I generally enjoy these stories and characters and the story had some good twists and turns.

Is it getting close to the end?

The narration is right on and the story, like most of Burke's builds and builds on a number of different levels. There are new twists and, maybe, I'd have liked a different final direction, but that is Burke's call. I want to say more, but it would be a spoiler.

Let's just say: "If you like James Lee Burke, if you like mysteries, if you like New Orleans, if you like creative and descriptive writing, you need to get this book".

Awesome narration and writing, the ending eh...

I enjoyed the story itself during the telling of it immensely!! 5 stars. Compared to some books like 50 Shades of Grey where the narrator was horrible at switching voices and tones between characters, Will Patton was truly talented and a joy to listen to. There were a lot of great one liners from the characters with complicated moral compasses. Which was almost EVERYONE. Every character was well developed and interesting. And gray. You had to figure out were they more good or bad. The story was told at a nice varied pace from slow and wistful to thrilling and suspenseful. It's interesting that the author uses his own daughter as a character in his book. I wonder how similar in personality the real daughter is compared to the fictional one.

This would be a great book for a long traveling day or week. I'm just not sure how I feel about the ending. It's probably left open as opposed to completely nail-in-the-coffin resolved because the author likes to continue writing about these characters, bringing them back in later books.

I saw this book advertised in an airline magazine and was looking forward to it for an auditory taste of Louisiana, a place with rich history for me, and I was not disappointed. I will be interested in the next Dave Robicheaux adventure for sure!

Complex story

What made the experience of listening to Creole Belle the most enjoyable?

The performance of the reader and a great story made it a very enjoyable listen

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

Cleat

Another great Robicheaux novel, but....

Any additional comments?

All the Robicheaux novels narrated by Will Patton are must listens in my opinion and Creole Belle is no exception. He is truly a master at bringing these characters to life. This was another great listen with the exception of the gratuitous, over-the-top slams on wealth and industry that the author included in the book. Mr. Burke obviously has his views, but did he need to be so transparent in this novel? If you are liberal you will love it, if conservative you'll just have to live through the long orations that paint every rich person as the devil him/herself and every corporation as a lying, cheating, blood sucking, polluting menace to society.

What a "page turner"!

Where does Creole Belle rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Very high on the list.

What did you like best about this story?

Interesting characters, great narration, twists and turns in the story. Loved the back story about the Gulf oil spill and the impact on that area of the country.

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

All of them, the narration is great, but probably my favorite is Clete Purcel.

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

No way. . It's 18+ hours, but I made time to listen to it.

Any additional comments?

Just loved this book. I've listened to a couple of other Burke/Robicheaux books, but now I'm going to get several more.

There is no better narrator than Will Patton

I am a James Lee Burke fan and have read a number of his books in different series. As much as I enjoy listening to the magnificent, descriptive language and following the convoluted plots, listening to Will Patton interpret the characters elevates the books to a whole new level. Creole Belle is one of the best Robicheaux books I've read. The author never leaves a loose end in his long trail of colorful characters nor in their host of misdeeds. Will Patton is masterful in his creation of the voices that distinguish the players. Each is different, memorable, and oh, so fitting. There is no better Audible combination than that of Burke and Patton.

Superb Louisiana Purchase

What did you love best about Creole Belle?

The whole damn thing...Dave R. and Cleete P.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Cleete Nuff said.

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

He is the extension to Mr. Burke in that like Frankenstein it's alive!

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

Yes

Wow..Good Book

You will be a fan once you listen to this book if you are not already. Differently not a waste of a credit because Dave and Cleat will put you through their wild ride all the way to the end of the book. I found myself sitting the car late for an appointment just wanting to hear the last detail in that story line... Will Patton is the best narrator for JLB audible books. Enjoy!!

Well written....and narrated....a great listen

Where does Creole Belle rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Creole is one of the better stories that I have listened to so far....It tells a story of a side of the New Orleans culture that is vaguely known or experienced by people outside of southern Louisiana....I may visit this story a second time in the future

Who was your favorite character and why?

Clete Purcell....he reflected ambiguity and paradoxical behavior within a persons' life quite well...the reality of things is usually not black and white but in the grey areas of life

Have you listened to any of Will Patton’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No....

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Evil disguised as righteous-ness in quite a few characters