The Hadacol Boogie

A Dave Robicheaux Novel

De: James Lee Burke

Narrado por: Will Patton

Dave Robicheaux, James Lee Burke’s iconic detective, returns to investigate the death of an unidentified woman—pulling him into a vortex of corruption and violence in the Louisiana bayou.

When a cloaked, disfigured man leaves a dead woman in a garbage bag on Dave Robicheaux’s property, he knows something bigger—and even darker—is at play. And his daughter Alafair knew someone with the same tattoos: a rose on each breast.

Dave’s longtime friend and former partner, the volatile but fiercely loyal Clete Purcel, searches for clues in the seedy underworld of the local saloon, but he’s being targeted by a violent man with potential Mob connections. Dave’s new partner, a homicide detective who faces sexist and racist harassment from their colleagues, hides a past that may link her to the murder. And the local handyman leaves cryptic notes and warns of the ghosts who roam the shores of the bayou.

With his brilliant prose and quintessential cast of characters, James Lee Burke weaves a portrait of a gritty, violent Louisiana at the turn of the 20th century. Visceral, atmospheric, and wholly original, The Hadacol Boogie reminds us of Dave Robicheaux’s fierce determination to confront evil both past and present.

Could not finish this book

I have listened to 32 James Lee Burke novels. I am a fan. But this novel was so dark that it was putting me in a bad mood. One day I realized that it was all right to just put it down and move on to my next Elmore Leonard. So that is what I did.

Ending is a mess

Story is ok. JLB is getting a little repetitive. All the same old stuff from the earlier books. Heat lightning out on the salt, Big Aldous on the monkey board, Dave's animals, Clete saying the same things, Helen's muscles, take the mashed potatoes out of your mouth, pecan husks, etc. The end of the book is a choppy mess.

Digging for Civil War antiquities; family interaction.

Sometimes I get the bad characters confused. Hard to hear details of violent deaths. Violent things people do to each other. always concerned about the pets.

As good as it gets

Sorry I’m not good at writing reviews but I wanted y’all to know that I really appreciate and enjoy his writing

Depressing

I write this with a heavy heart. As a huge James Lee Burke fan of the Dave Robicheaux novels, I was saddened by this overly depressing novel. As stated in previous reviews, my personal philosophy and those of James Lee Burke clash but my respect for his writing has always been deep.

The novel takes place at the turn of the century while Dave is in a huge downside after losing four marriages with three ending tragically. It is difficult to not understand his state of mind under those circumstances. Couple that with Dave being a recovering alcoholic always on the brink of returning to the bottle for solace.

The main plot of this outing revolves around Dave and Cletus working a case after a body of a dead girl is dumped on Dave's property. Clete, while flawed, is always the highlight on any Robicheaux novel. He is Dave's closest friend and always there through thick and thin to help him whatever the call. Dave, Clete, Sheriff Helen, Alifar, and new female deputy are all eventually embroiled in this case with Louisiana mafia connections.

Now I am going to express my concern with the novel and hoping that the Mr. Burke is okay himself. Much of the story is a deep emotional unraveling of Dave's thoughts about the world around him, especially the historical evil done to minorities. While not looking for some happy uplifting theme, after all this is Dave Robicheaux, it goes so deep into his depression that it hurts the overall story itself.

The narration by Will Patton continues to be top notch in every respect. In my mind, he is Dave Robicheaux. While i do not think any theatrical representation could do Mr. Burke's novels justice, Will Patton is taylor made to play Dave.

In closing, while I fully understand the evil that men do that goes back centuries, my belief is it does us little good burying our thoughts in this to the point of deep depression. We all have to be better and respect those around us without feeling some sort of "white guilt" about past events that we have no control over. People of every color, creed, and religion have been oppressed by those in power for centuries. Even today, those in power continue to use this as basis to enrich themselves and separate us as regular folks. How sad is it that our friends and neighbors get so mired in this guilt that is only built by those who will benefit from keeping us down. I just wish the best for Mr. Burke and hope he is enjoying life as we love him for his talent and what he brings to us on the written page. Good bless you Mr. Burke from a fan of every Robicheaux novel hoping more will come.