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)

Another brilliant Burke novel

I downloaded this as soon as it was available, and didn't listen to anything else until I finished it. Burke is a master at his craft and Patton is quickly becoming my favorite narrator.

The way these two bring the post Katrina Big Sleazy to life is amazing.

Not bad, but not that great either

All in all, a well written, entertaining book. Excellent narrator. This said, I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it with exuberance.

New Orleans poetry

Never mind the story. It's great on its own, typical James Lee Burke and Dave Robicheaux. What really impressed me was Burke's writing about his beloved Louisiana, post Hurricane Katrina. I've not read many accounts of Katrina that have the poetry of language and heart that Burke has for the people and culture of New Orleans. That is what makes this story so wonderful to read.

Among his best

I have read all of JLB's books and would rank this near the top of the heap. Len Carriou IS Dave Robicheaux and his other characters come to life as well. The plot is clever and gives some insight (although at times mildly preachy) about post-Katrina New Orleans. If you like JLB, you will like this one. My only warning is that overall the book is a bit depressing.

Will Patton

Will Patton is nothing less than superb as narrator. He's reason enough to listen to this book.

A Struggle Against Chaos

I highly recommend this novel. I thoroughly enjoyed this latest entry to the world of Detective Dave Robicheaux. I am partial to characters that use clever dialogue and have a smart aleck bent to them and Dave is just this sort of man. Hard knocks and a troubled past have colored his perception of the world and the devastation of Katrina just adds to his pathos. Yet he struggles on trying to do his best and be the best person he can be. His world is stocked with other flawed human beings that also have the best of intentions, but can not resist some of life’s temptations. I had started to lose my interest in this character as the stories seemed to be rehashing of the same exploits, but this one brings an interesting twist into the series by playing against the terrible tragedy of Katrina.

Best Reading voice!

This is a taut, complex mystery, an insightful perspective on post-Katrina New Orleans, and the most amazing reading by Will Patton. Patton's voice brings this novel to life in a way that i have not heard previously in an audiobook - his voice characterizations were distinct and nuanced. His comfort with a range of southern dialects added dimension to the reading. It was terrific!

great story great characters

I love this dective and I especially like his pal Clete. This is a great tale with a great comments about Katrina and how our goverment failed these people. I applaud the writer for making more awareness to the plight of the Katrina victims put together with a great detective story. The ending was superb. By the way the narrartor does a great job also. I wish there were more books the were unabridged. I don't like wasting a credit on an unabridged book that is just a few hours long. I am now hooked on James Burke and Dave and Clete

Another great listen

James Lee Burke writes great stories and Will Patton reads them very, very well.
Dave and Cletus are immortal.

Incredible writing, narration and language.

This is a very good crime/detective novel on one level but it's also much more. The Tin Roof blowdown captures the perspective, insight, feel and flavor of interesting and frightening characters. Maybe above all, the narration takes you to New Orleans and deep into the story.