A Stained White Radiance

De: James Lee Burke

Narrado por: Mark Hammer

Detective Dave Robicheaux travels to the mountains of Montana to help his best friend and unearths a larger plot that threatens them both.

Oil speculator Weldon Sonnier is the patriarch of a troubled family intimately bound to the CIA, the Mob, and the Klan. Now, the murder of a cop and a bizarre assassination attempt pull Detective Dave Robicheaux into the Sonniers’ hellish world of madness, murder, and incest. But Robicheaux has devils of his own—and they may just destroy the tormented investigator and the two people he holds most dear.

Where oh where is Will Patton??

What a narrator!! All characters sounded the same except the child and Clete Purcell. If I had not been listening closely I would have been confused after the first hour. I wondered how I had missed this book in the series and now I know! No more Mr. Hammond for me thank you!!! I really didn’t want to give 5 stars to any part but I don’t know how to erase them. Only 1 star to performance and 4stars to overall.

More politics than I like.

Somebody with the talent of James Lee Burke would do well to leave his left wing leanings out of a good story. Most who doesn't hold the same beliefs are relegated to beer swilling, toothless, ignorant characters. The rest are corrupt officials and politicians. Lots of Republican and right-wing references but never any mention of the Klan origins. The insults are mostly just subtle and cruel.

A great writer at work here

James Lee Burke is a gifted writer, very few writers have his talent. This book takes the storyline and characters into some dysfunctional waters, there are some twists and turns and moments when you can be immersed in the world of South Louisiana and taken by the beautiful dialog and become a part of the world and scene. The series is amazing and pulls no punches in looking at uncomfortable topics. If you crave to find a writer with talent and want to be taken with great narration that is a match to some of the best dialog I have ever listened to then this is a series to get into.
Recommended enthusiastically.

Sensations

What did you love best about A Stained White Radiance?

James Lee Burke has the ability to create the stage of new Iberia. I can see it, feel it,and smell it in my mind. Thank you for the experiences. I wait for each new release.

Great story line, great book series. Horrible narrator

James Lee Burke’s Dave Robicheaux series is a wonderful collections of books that I started years ago. The author is a very talented guy and I really do love his work. However the narrator (M. Hammer) on this particular recording, and the other recordings in the series by the same narrator, are just impossible to get through for me. His pronunciations of French/Cajun names and words is pretty rough to start with. Then there is the accent he uses. I think this guy is under the impression that very single person from Louisiana is an uneducated wretch who cannot speak correctly or without sounding like they have spent their entire lives in a backwoods southern trailer park where half the people are cooking methamphetamines. I tried and tried again to keep going with this book but ultimately decided to just order the paperback online so I didn’t have to hear Mark Hammer’s version. I even returned this book to audible. At the time of the review, I have 150 books in my audible library and this is only the second book I have ever returned. And it’s the first book I have ever written a review of. The narrator’s performance is just that bad.

“A Stained White Radiance” seems to be just as good as the author’s other works, I really want to stress that. This negative review is 100% about the narrator, Hammer. Not about the author or the series. Will Patton is the other narrator in this series and he does a wonderful job with the Dave Robicheaux story. I have listened to all of the Patton narrated non-abridged Robicheaux novels by Burke. They are all worth the time I spent listening to them. I hope Patton will record the books originally done by M. Hammer to complete the series. But until then, I will be reading paperback copies of the Hammer recorded Robicheaux audio books.

Louisiana Love

What made the experience of listening to A Stained White Radiance the most enjoyable?

I like the interaction between Dave and his daughter. He's such a nice guy and tough cop. His patience with his sick wife is refreshing.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I got a bit confused at the end so I think this one is a definite re-listen. Not my favorite storyline. I found it a little difficult to concentrate on the story. Not sure why unless I just missed something in the beginning and can't make the pieces fit.

What about Mark Hammer’s performance did you like?

Good pace, great dialects, great rhythm to his story telling. I just think maybe the story was a bit lacking. Still it's worth the listen.

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

Because of the length it was difficult but did finish in two days.

Adequate, but one listen was more than enough

What did you like best about A Stained White Radiance? What did you like least?

Good dialogue, as always with JLB. I really care about Dave and most of the people closest to him, especially his daughter. Except Clete; he is portrayed with sympathy and excuses for his flaws, but I don't care. I wanted Clete would learn from mistakes and make changes, but he doesn't seem willing or able to become a better person. Also, while I cared about the safety of most who were targeted by the bad guys, the mystery itself didn't grab my interest.

Would you ever listen to anything by James Lee Burke again?

With caution. I love his style, his flawed-but-lovable characters, and his portrayal of New Orleans culture and subcultures. Previous plots have held my interest. Maybe Burke was having a bad patch of writing or maybe it just isn't my style.

What about Mark Hammer’s performance did you like?

Everything. The right sound, the right accent, the right attitude.

Do you think A Stained White Radiance needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No, I didn't think the mystery was strong enough for one book.

character development

I like long books, time to get to know the people and the places. I feel like I'm getting to know another place and another culture, from a guide who knows it very well.

I miss Will Patton

Would you consider the audio edition of A Stained White Radiance to be better than the print version?

Nope. Same book I read years ago, still as good read to me as it was when I read it in print.

What three words best describe Mark Hammer’s performance?

Working back to Will

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

It had slow times that I shut it off but times I couldn't shut it off.

Any additional comments?

I feel like I am beating up on Mark Hammer every time I leave a review, he is a great narrator, just wrong for this series. I'm working my way back to Will Patton.Mark doesn't detract from the story line, I just miss the spot-on south LA feeling Will brings to all the characters.

JLB does so well at drawing by using words the locals of the area and catches the flavor of the area down to the sunrise and sunset colors, the smells and the electricity that gets in the air down here. I'll keep going no matter who is narrating.

Difficult Subject Written About with Sensitivity

Every book I listen to in this series is like taking a journey into Cajun Country. I can't wait until the next book in the series, which has been like re-entering a mysterious adventure, full of prose and poetry, darkness and light and ultimately JUSTICE. In this installment, we learn about the horrid abuse that occurred in the Sonnier family. Seldom have I ever heard such gentle handling of incest and physical abuse. Most of the time I stay away from books that include such sick subjects, but I can trust James Lee Burke to find a way to kindly handle even this. This author is quickly becoming a favorite. I love the characters: Bootsie, Robicheaus's wife, his daughter, Alafair, and Cletus Purcell, his former partner. Great addition to the series. Don't miss it.