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)

Will Patton's voice

I can listen to Will's voice forever! Oh, and the story is pretty darn legit!

Another wonderful and heartbreaking story

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

Absolutely - James Lee Burke is a terrific story teller and the narration is spot on.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Tin Roof Blowdown?

Alafair's final confrontation with evil

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

OMG. He IS each character, and he makes you FEEL every detail, every scene. Sometimes when reading a book, I tend to skim over some of the minutia. Patton has me re-winding - to listen to it again and again. FABULOUS!!

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

It made my heart warm and break. Simultaneously.

Many miles made easy with this recording

Burke has crafted a crime mystery with vivid writing and lush language and takes listeners deep into a world likely never experienced, New Orleans during and after Katrina. Special credit should go to Will Patton who somehow manages countless characters with distinct voices, accents and idioms, and paints pictures so clearly you'd think you are watching a movie. I highly recommend this version. It helped make many hours of driving enjoyable.

A return to Robicheaux

If you could sum up The Tin Roof Blowdown in three words, what would they be?

Very good story

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

Will is always excellent as Dave and Clete and keeps the listener well entertained

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

Excellent ending

Katrina hits Burke's beloved New Orleans

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

No -- life is too short.

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

No but characters were absorbing. Bit too much ranting / preaching about the government's failures leading up to, during and after Katrina.

What about Will Patton’s performance did you like?

perfect tone and timing for each character

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

When the looter writes out his apology on a paper towel and tries to make amends.

Gives a great sense of place

Echoes with the power of the storm, it's aftermath and the loss of a great city. Very evocative

Compelling Bayou Detective Story

This is a powerful, dark, deep, Bayou story that soaks the listener in the aftermath of Katrina and the enduring New Orleans inequities.

I was quickly fully immersed in the compelling environment, characters, and story.

The narration was excellent and added greatly to the experience.

My favorite so far

This is my 5th Robicheaux novel and my favorite. I like all of them, but the hurricane kept the story more focused. Most of his books feel like they’re a combination of 1.5-2 books. This one get connected more than others.

Thankfully, I overcame my dread.

I bought this title solely based on audible reviews. I was hesitant because of the subject matter: perhaps suffering from post-Katrina overload, I wasn't sure how willing I was to relive this sorry, depressing American story. But, wow, what a surprise this book was.

Burke tells a ripping good detective story, and in it he seamlessly blends themes of familial love, the faithfulness of friends, and the desire for redemption, so that the book becomes much more than just another police procedural. And the most powerful aspect of the book is that at its core, it is a tragic love letter to a city on the verge of obliteration.

The storytelling is made all the better by a near perfect narration. Patton is subdued without being boring. He strikes the perfect tone for the material.

Highly recommended.

Incredibly Well Read

Will Patton is as eloquent and captivating as Burke's colorful and passionate writing style. It is a tragic story, with so many unusual and ingenious characters, the suspense seems overshadowed.

This is a book I did not want to end. I love Will Patton's work in the movies,and I am more impressed with his reading skills.