Jolie Blon's Bounce

By: James Lee Burke

Narrated by: Mark Hammer

Length: 14 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

When a beautiful teenage girl is killed, the victim of a particularly savage rape, New Iberia, Louisiana police detective Dave Robicheaux senses from the very start of the investigation that the most likely suspect - Tee Bobby Hulin - is not the actual killer. Though a drug addict and general ne'er-do-well, Hulin doesn't fit the profile for this brutal crime. But when another body turns up - a drugged-out prostitute who is the daughter of a local mafia bigwig - all clues point to Tee Bobby Hulin. The dead girl's father sets out to find - and punish - the killer.

Before Robicheaux can bring the killer or killers to justice, he battles a painkiller addiction, a habit brought on by a humiliating beating he suffers at the hands of a diabolical character known only as Legion. Once the overseer on a local sugarcane plantation, Legion scrapes by through doing odd jobs. In temperament, he's still the malevolent bully, seemingly possessed with supernatural skills of survival.

When Robicheaux's longtime buddy Clete Purcel drops by New Iberia for a visit, he is quickly drawn into the struggle between evil forces - including Jimmy Dean Styles, a black man intent on maintaining his empire of corruption; Joe Zeroski, a trailer park mafioso with palatial aspirations; and Legion Guidry, in whom Robicheaux faces an enemy unlike any he has ever known. And soon, what began as a duel of wits turns into a dance of death.

Gothic, dense, brutal, touching, and always compelling, Jolie Blon's Bounce is classic storytelling from a writer who has been dubbed "the Faulkner of crime fiction."

©2002 James Lee Burke, All Rights Reserved (P)2002 Recorded Books Inc., All Rights Reserved, AUDIOWORKS Is an Imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster Inc.

Critic reviews

Audie Award Winner, Mystery, Fiction, 2003

"To read a Burke novel is to enter a timeless, parallel universe of violent emotions and lush, brooding landscapes." (Publishers Weekly)

"Listening to Mark Hammer reading Burke's twelfth novel about Cajun cop Dave Robicheaux, it's easy to imagine you're on the shore of Bayou Teche, hearing a weathered cop tell of past adventures.... With a deliberate pace, Hammer pulls us in, capturing Robicheaux's spiritual exhaustion yet compelling us to hang on his every word." (AudioFile)

"Dave Robicheaux...[is] easily one of the most complex and compelling protagonists in mystery fiction. This is classic James Lee Burke, the master stylist, writing at the top of his game." (Amazon.com)

A good story with only adequate narration

Burke's "Jolie Blon" is a great story that relies more on the character development than on the suspense of the mystery. The author creates a terrific atmosphere and a believable, sympathetic character in this novel; after listening to this book, I will definitely look for more of Burke's works. The narration left a bit to be desired, however. Hammer's narration was adequate to the task, but was fairly monotone throughout. He managed to cover all the basics, but did not truly capture the style of the geographic and cultural setting. All in all, I really liked the story, but could have wished for a somewhat better narrator.

Narrator Issue

An entertaining, well written story. Kudos to Burke for loving and writing about South Louisiana's inimitable people and lands. That said, I'm at a loss as to why the narrator had an irritating, obvious nasal tone of voice for the books characters , and this nasality was more pronounced when speaking the women's voices . And to top it off - to differentiate one person from another the narrator added a congested stuffed nose cold tone to the nasalmess .

Masterpiece

A must read!!! Absolutely masterful from, narrator to the author. I believe it is Burke’s best work!

pure Burke

James Lee Burke is one of the best around and Jolie Blon's Bounce doesn't disappoint.

Finally

After dancing around with various narrators, Mark Hammer has to be the best. In my opinion he best captures the regional dialects and the essence of the characters. Really enjoy his portrayals of Burke's people.

Good story

Good story. While I prefer Will Patton's narration, I got used to Mark Hammer and enjoyed the story.

Ow I know why the author considered this his favorite Robicheaux book

As on all of Burke’s books, a suspenseful and creative storyline with a bunch of colorful characters. I love Burke’s ability to describe the smell and sounds of some of the settings. The reader’s ability to deliver the dialogues in the arresting patois of southern Louisiana is both a delight, but - for me - also occasionally difficult to understand.

The perfect narration of a near perfect novel

Mark Hammer's masterful narration of this book (and the other Robicheaux books) reveals the complexity and drama of a man whose depth of character, grief, personal struggle, and sociological conflicts are entwined with the rich, raw, and sensual Cajun culture. His subtle inflections and careful pacing exudes with authenticity, sorrow, and life-fatigue that distinguishes Dave Robicheaux's search for justice and meaning, in a world that challenges both. He faces pure evil in the person of the indomitable, elderly Legion Guidry, the portrayal of whom made the hair on the back of my neck stand straight up, with each encounter. William Patton who narrates Purple Cane Road, by the same author, is excellent in his narrative vibrancy, flexibility, and skill but tells very different story of Dave Robicheaux through his voice than that of Mark Hammer. I loved all of the Robicheax stories, but this is the best of all.

PS - Please add to my previous review of this book

I love the Audible service. It turns driving time into enjoyable time every time. I called customer service to complain about the narrator of this book and of course Audible has no responsibility for the person the publisher chooses as the reader. The sales rep on the phone pointed out to me that the member can always hear an excerpt from the book before purchasing. To be honest I never noticed that little button on the page, but now I listen to the narrator every time BEFORE I purchase a book.

Story OK with too much description of violence.

I enjoyed the story and the reader. I was at times nauseated and depressed by Burke?s too vivid description of the crime and killing. I would also have preferred his love scenes were somewhat less graphic.