Pegasus Descending

By: James Lee Burke

Narrated by: Will Patton

Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

A troubled young woman breezes into Detective Robicheaux's hometown of New Iberia, Louisiana. She happens to be the daughter of his friend: a friend he witnessed gunned down in a bank robbery, a tragedy that forever changed Robicheaux's life.

The twists begin when Trish Klein, the only offspring of Robicheaux's Vietnam-era buddy, starts passing marked hundred-dollar bills in local casinos. Is she a good kid gone bad? A victim's child seeking revenge? A promiscuous beauty seducing everyone good within her grasp? And can Robicheaux make peace with his friend's murder in time to figure out how a local mobster fits into all the schemes and death? Will his life be whole again when it has been shattered by so much tragedy?

In Pegasus Descending, James Lee Burke explores psyches as much as evidence, and tries to make sense of human behavior as well as his characters' crimes. Richly atmospheric, frightening in its sudden violence, and replete with the sort of puzzles only the best crime fiction creates, Burke's latest novel is an unforgettable roller coaster of passion, surprise, and regret.

©2006 James Lee Burke. All rights reserved (P)2006 Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"The novel is steeped in complex personality studies, lyrical prose, and richly drawn depictions of Mr. Burke's beloved bayou country." (The New York Times)
"With peerless naturalistic descriptions and lush, metaphysical imagery, Burke creates another challenging morality play for his flawed, everyman hero." (Publishers Weekly)
"Everything that makes this series so compelling - the elegiac, seductively lyrical prose; the complex character of Robicheaux; the lovingly evoked bayou setting - is here in abundance....The fact remains that no serious reader of hard-boiled fiction should ever miss a moment of Dave Robicheaux in action." (Booklist)

Has a way of touching Louisiana's Soul

Great story telling, has a way of describing South Louisiana that touches your heart & soul.

What a combo, fascinating and nicely performed.

As usual, Will Patton's epic storytelling keeps us so engaged that I added several kilometers to my daily commute while listening.

James Lee Burke is new to me and if this is his caliber of storytelling I will be sure to take on more.

It was great to see these two paired together for this novel.

Well, I will need to increase my gas budget for the next installment.
I hope you enjoy this as much as i did.

Burke and Patton: what a pleasure.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. In fact, I have been doing so for about twenty five years now. Mr. Burke's sense of place is magnificent. He describes Iberia Parish and New Orleans so perfectly that you can almost see, feel, smell and taste them. Further, he addresses moral, ethical and personal areas, particularly around issues of conscience, that few other writers would ever even attempt to discuss.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Although you always know that Dave Robicheaux will eventually come out on top, his road there is strewn with vicious characters who put him into very dangerous plights. His buud, Clete Purcell, is a walking hand grenade, ready to explode at any moment with his own brand of hurt from his time in Viet Nam. Dave is also hurt and vulnerable to depression, particularly when he feels the racist big shots running the towns. Dave's sense of morality is a complicated, developing thing. Everything about his life is interesting to the reader. I may not have read all of his books, but it is hard to imagine Mr. Burke writing anything below truly extraordinary prowess and sensitivity. He puts most other thriller writers to shame.

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

I have. I can't name them right here, but his voice is quite distinct. His portrayal of Southern accents is awesome. At times there is some overlap between the voices of Dave and Clete, but this is a quibble. He holds my interest almost as well as Mr. Burke's content does.

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

I can't possibly do that, for reasons I am not really sure about. Twelve hours is a long time, and I can't think of anything I do without stopping for that long. I find it nice to read several hours, and then in a few days come back to the book, as the talents of these two men are things to savor, and I like to make them last for a long time.

Another Hit

Burke is one of the most descriptive writers I have ever read. I have read and listened to nearly all of his books. When he teams up with Will Patton there is no better listening experience. Kudos to both the writer and the narrator.

He's Back!

This is the type of Robicheaux novel you would expect. He storyline in this book far succeeds the book just prior to this one. There are lot of references to his books in the series too. I liked it. Lots of twists and turns and unexpected bad guys.

Also, Will Patton found his character voices back in this one and he did a wonderdul job.

Amazing author and amazing narrator!

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

Duh, Monarch Little. Although he does a great job with Coco Aber, too. All around, Will Patton is just an extremely gifted narrator.

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

I just love JLB's writing style. Ex. In a flashback, Dave decided after a brief stint at sobriety to head to the bar for a drink. So he got himself all dressed up and (I paraphrase) "pretended that I could throw lighted matches into a gas can without consequence." I love the way I can enjoy the image that creates and at the same time be following a great storyline. Thank you to JLB for being such an amazing writer.

Any additional comments?

This is a good Dave Robicheaux novel. I was very engaged by the storyline throughout. The characters were memorable, but not as strong as in some of his other books. The ending came on quickly once I got to the end of the book and as I sometimes have to do at the end of a Dave novel, I had to sit and think about all the loose ends and make sure I understand how they all tied up, how everything was connected, who was responsible for what, etc. I actually listened to this audio twice, and I enjoyed it just as much the second time. Decent book, but Swan Peak is still my favorite.

Fabulous

If you could sum up Pegasus Descending in three words, what would they be?

Lyrical, mesmerizing, beautiful

What was one of the most memorable moments of Pegasus Descending?

Any time Clete Purcell is in the scene

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

Crete Purcell

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

Just loved it

Any additional comments?

I listen to everything narrated by Will Patton - if he read the phone book I would stop everything and listen.

Burke's Best

Undeniably the best thing he has done. Cannot put it down! 6 stars!!!

Great Story

My first book by this author and I can't believe I didn't find him earlier. Great story and the reader with his accent had me mesmerized. I will get more Burke books.

My first Burke

This was the first story from James Lee Burke that I've listened to. I picked it from one of the Audible lists, sounded interesting so I took a chance. I thoroughly enjoyed it and plowed right through it. Now I'm going to have to listen to some of his other stories to see if they are as good and, yes, Will Patton is a good narrator.