The Tin Roof Blowdown

A Dave Robicheaux Novel

By: James Lee Burke

Narrated by: Will Patton

Length: 13 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

Winner of the 2008 Audie Award for Mystery

Dave Robicheaux returns in another Bayou adventure, this one more gruesome and gut-wrenching than any that have come before. Hurricane Katrina has ravaged New Orleans, leaving the streets and buildings flooded and the city awash with opportunists, looters, and vicious criminals. There is no order, no law. Police are shooting randomly at innocent people, prison guards have abandoned their posts, bodies float through the streets and hang from trees, and every drug dealer, murderer, and rapist is out taking advantage of the desperate lawlessness that holds the city captive.

In the midst of it all is Robicheaux, doing his best to help regulate the post-Katrina madness, all the while on a dogged search for a pair of dangerous fugitives, a dope-addicted, fallen priest, and a vigilante insurance salesman who takes his family's protection too far. This promises to be the most taxing and emotional case Robicheaux has had to work.

In his singular style, which defies genre, James Lee Burke has created a haunting picture of life in New Orleans after Katrina. Filled with complex characters and vivid descriptions of the destruction and death that gripped the Big Easy, The Tin Roof Blowdown is an action-packed crime thriller as well as a poignant story of what disaster and desperation can do to people.

More mayhem? Listen to more of James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux thrillers.

©2007 James Lee Burke. All rights reserved (P)2007 Simon and Schuster Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Winner, Mystery, 2008

"Meticulously textured....dense, rich prose that draws the reader into a web of greed and violence." (Publishers Weekly)

Truly a Blowdown

"The Tin Roof Blowdown" is one of Burke's best. I enjoyed listening, the story kept me guessing all the way through. I hope Burke writes more storys with the same back drop.

best yet

This is my favorite so far from America's best. JLB's most powerful novel yet. Payton reads JLB so well that I prefer to listen rather than read. I found my myself listening to the same paragraphs over and over again just to feel the beauty of the bayou or the pain and suffering of the destruction. JLB provides descriptions of the chaos left in the wake of Katrina and Rita that should be read be everyone. My thanks and praise to both men.

One of Burke's Best

If you like Burke, this is one of his best. The writing is excellent and very evocative of the time and place - this time being post-Katrina. You have to be prepared for low life miscreants and gratuitous violence, however. The narration by Will Patton is some of the best in any audio book I've listened to. I highly recommend this book. The only disappointment, however, is the ending - which seems to come too quickly, is not as well developed as the rest of the book, and is not as credible as the rest of the story.

another great listen

Mr. Burke does not write crime stories - he writes novels about real life which includes crime. What a joy to enter his world with its assortment of distinctive characters and dialogue that alternately crackles and surprises. Will Patton does an impressive job giving life to those characters with essentially flawless interpretation, fleshing them out so as if you can see them standing in front of you.

The City of New Orleans

This is a book in which the main character is New Orleans. Aside from the mystery and well-known characters, the people of the city, the hurricane, and the events afterward are the main attractions. I recommended this book to several friends, and we all agreed it is a book of the times.

Blowdown Best?

Having read Burke's entire catalog, The Tin Roof Blowdown reflects more "heart" than I can recall from any of his previous works. As a depiction of the post-Katrina New Orleans, his narrative is both more gut-wrenching and -- I suspect -- more realistic than anything we saw on the news! I suspect he was writing from personal observations (or, perhaps, thoughful interviews) as he captures the tragedy so effectively that parts of the story "haunt" you long after the read in finished.

Commendably, Burke also effectively skirts the "blame game," while still succeeding in bringing out information on the rampant corruption, quasi-corruption, and massive mis-management that marks this tragedy. Then again, Burke is a master at this and always has been...how else can you portray the NOPD without occasionally "looking the other way."

Above and beyond the unique setting against which the story is written, Blowdown is also one of Burke's most intricately woven and sensitive stories. A great read (well...listen)!

Kudos also are more than due the reader, Will Patton. Smoothy sliding between the regional accents and vocal cadences of the characters, he effectively brings the story completely "to life!"

Great Book and better to listen to than read!

Read the book but had trouble with the French and foreign names. The narrator provides a wonderful flare in accent and character. Enjoyed this immensely and have recommended it to my friends that passed the book on to me.

Another Burke success!

Listened to this book on a recent road trip West. Have in the past always read Burke books and enjoyed them. The audible version of this book blew me away plus made me continue driving just to hear more. Highly reccommend this book!

Amazing insight.

Really gets into you. Can't leave it alone until you finish. The detail will fill your mind with New Orleans.

Another great visit with Dave Robicheaux

Would you listen to The Tin Roof Blowdown again? Why?

I'm a big James Lee Burke ad Dave Robicheaux fan. These stories bring New Orleans to life. It weaved the Hurricane Katrina tragedy into the story seamlessly. The villan was exciting and chilling as is Burke's style.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Dave is always the favorite character in these books, A flawed individual that has insight to his flaws and leaves it to his "higher power" to take care of them.

What about Will Patton’s performance did you like?

Will Patton does good job with voicing Dave, I will always think of Mark Hammer's interpretation as the gold standard, especially in voicing Clete Purcell, but Will Patton continues to grow on me.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Not Sure

Any additional comments?

Another winner for James Lee Burke. No other like him.