Sunset Limited

A Dave Robicheaux Novel, Book 10

By: James Lee Burke

Narrated by: Mark Hammer

Length: 12 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

Detective Dave Robicheaux returns to center stage in an incendiary new novel by James Lee Burke. A gripping tale of racial violence, class warfare, and the sometimes cruel legacy of Southern history, Sunset Limited is a stunning achievement, confirming Burke's place as one of America's premier stylists as well as master storytellers.

The 40-year-old crucifixion of a prominent labor leader named Jack Flynn remains an unsolved atrocity that has never been forgotten in New Iberia, Louisiana. When Flynn's daughter, Megan, a photojournalist drawn to controversial subjects, returns to the site of her father's murder, it quickly becomes clear that her family's blood-stained past will not stay buried. Megan gives her old friend Dave Robicheaux a tip about a small-time criminal named Cool Breeze Broussard, scarcely suspecting that the seemingly innocuous case will lead Robicheaux and his partner into the midst of a deadly conspiracy.

Combining brilliant prose, crackling suspense, and an exquisite sense of character and place, Sunset Limited is a wrenching tale of historic violence and soiled redemption that reveals one of America's finest novelists at his masterful best.

©1998 James Lee Burke (P)2012 Simon & Schuster

Another Great Dave Robicheaux Read!

I am listening to all of the Robicheaux books in order (I hope!), and "Sunset Limited" was another great read! It could have had more "Clete Purcell" in it (my favorite character), but he was in it a lot. I do wish it had had more about the train -- the Sunset Limited wasn't even mentioned all that much, so I'm not sure why Burke used it as the title. However, these books are always a joy to listen to, with the wonderful Louisiana/Cajun accents.

I made it less than 10 minutes

I bought this book in a hurry assuming that Will Patton was the reader. I gave up after about 9 minutes, the quickest I've ever given up on a recorded book.

Don't know if I got lost or just didn't care

I got lost about half way through and never found my way back. I have read a bunch of JLB's stuff and 9 out of 10 times, they are superb. But two or three of them, I read and at the end, I feel like I need to see the cliffnotes to figure out what just happened. This is one of those. JLB is my favorite author but every so often, he'll slip a dud in there. This is a dud.

Not The Same Without Will Patton

What would have made Sunset Limited better?

Will Patton narrating

What do you think your next listen will be?

Lion's Game, Nelson Demille

Would you be willing to try another one of Mark Hammer and Will Patton ’s performances?

Will Patton, yes, Mark Hammer/James Lee Burke, no.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Sunset Limited?

None

Any additional comments?

Don't break up a great team by adding another narrator.

The narrater voice is enough to put you to sleep

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes, in book form, only

What other book might you compare Sunset Limited to and why?

Books 15 - 19 have a great narrater, and we really enjoy all of James Lee Burke's . Just sorry to have this group of narrter's reading this story.

What didn’t you like about Mark Hammer and Will Patton ’s performance?

Everything, the tone of the voice, no sound difference between characters. Just very bad choice of narrters. Their voice are so bad that you don't want to even listen to story and you have a very hard time following the story because of that.

Was Sunset Limited worth the listening time?

No - would like my money back. HA HA

Any additional comments?

Love James Lee Burks books, but this was the worst book that I have ever hear on a cd, cassette, or from audible books in the past 10 years. We listened to on average 20 to 30 books every six months. This one almost put us to sleep listening to it and we still have 6 more hours to go before it finished.

Confused

Have listened to many of writers novels. Enjoyed each until this one. Narrator is too slow. Third way through still found disjointed and confusing. Can't find a story. Wrong narrator. I'm quitting this and moving on.

couldn't finish due to narrator

Would you try another book from James Lee Burke and/or Mark Hammer?

I don't know that Mark Hammer is that bad, but when you are used to Will Patton, Mark Hammer's version of Cleet is a crime. I just couldn't listen to the characters with the accents that Hammer gave them. I will not download another James Lee book unless Will Patton is narrating. If you are addicted to Will like I am, give this a miss.

Good story, terrible narration

Could only listen to an hour of this book, the narration was the worst I ever heard. Slow speech, hard to understand and no differentiation between characters making it hard to follow.