Cadillac Jukebox

By: James Lee Burke

Narrated by: Mark Hammer

Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's Summary

When former Klansman and piney-woods outcast Aaron Crown is finally imprisoned for a decades-old murder, it is to Detective Dave Robicheaux that he proclaims his innocence loudest. Crown seems to be a lightning rod for every kind of trouble that the state of Louisiana can unearth. A documentary film writer seeking to prove Crown's innocence is found murdered; a button man for the New Orleans mob accuses Robicheaux of taking a pay-off to ignore Crown.

But it is when Buford LaRose - scion of an old Southern family and author of a book on the Crown case - is elected governor that Dave Robicheaux's involvement with Aaron Crown deepens to a level he can barely fathom. And it is Buford's social-climbing wife, Karyn, with whom Robicheaux had an affair years before, who proves to be his most poisonous adversary.

Filled with thrilling adventure, lightning-paced action, and street smart realism, Cadillac Jukebox is a brilliant addition to Burke's standout Dave Robicheaux series.

©2012 James Lee Burke (P)2012 Simon & Schuster Audio

Good, But Not Burke's Best

In "Wolfgang" the Emperor criticizes a Mozart performance, "Too many notes!"

In this book Dave Robicheaux's challenged with too much plot, or too many characters. Most readers don't study, they read. Well, maybe study's a subset of reading, but so's entertainment. Burke demands more of the reader than usual this time… and those demands aren't of the intellectual or emotional sort, just memory. Since I listen to books in disjointed segments,well, this time it was hard to access all the character details and their relationships that Burke requests.

I like to work out puzzles, ideas, and emotions. But Im bored, bordering on irritated, when an author's complexity is created by the cast… Dunno, like a song with too many notes? As a Mark Hammer fanboy, and a committed Burke fan, well this was still worth the effort, but it was the wrong sort of effort.

A tougher listen...

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I love this series but I'm struggling to get through this one. Just not happy with the narration. Think if Patton had narrated this one it'd be a great as the rest.

How could the performance have been better?

I'm not feeling the characters on this one...

Terrible

Boring, repetitive, totally without merit. Don’t waste your time with this one. Chiefs was a wonderful book, and I would hope to find another equal to it, but this is not it.

ONE OF THE BEST

I really like the interaction between Dave and Crete. Burke has an uncanny ability for descriptions. You can almost smell the flowers and that of gumbo.

Pronunciation

Burke works so hard to paint the picture ... this is much of the delight, so narrator should know Lafayette = LAF-ee-ette (not lah-FI-ette)

Good writing...

I like the use of the language in Burke's books. His style does not grab you, but subtly takes you deeper into his world... As if you are with the protagonist staring over his shoulder or even through his eyes. Do not expect a good guys and bad guys cliche... Last, performance of Mark Hanmer is excellent.

Hi jingo, to borrow a phrase...

Good story as usual, this one involving a newly elected governor of Louisiana no less. Dave is his usual stand up self and as usual it almost gets him whacked. But it's Dave and Cleet and Bootsy so ya gotta love it

ANOTHER GREAT DAVE ROBICHEAUX STORY

Would you consider the audio edition of Cadillac Jukebox to be better than the print version?

Probably. Mark Hammer does a terrific job with the voices. Accents are dead on.

What did you like best about this story?

Dave Robicheaux's stubbornness. The man won't budge an inch. He's also true to his friends - especially Cleat.

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

The voices and accents are dead on.

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

Dave's refusal to explain his reactions to a woman he once cared for to his wife. The man is stubborn - won't even budge to keep the peace.

Narration

I like all Dave Robicheux books by James lee burk I had a hard time getting used to hearing its narration by mark hammer but only because I am partial to Will Pattern, I finally gave Hammer a chance and listening to a different narrator became easier. I still Pattern but I can now listen to more books by Hammer.

Dave Finds Politics is Indeed a Dirty Business

Growing up in as insular a region as he did, Dave Robicheaux knew both Buford and Karyn LaRose at least from their college days. Buford has managed to use his inherited wealth and his book on the Crown case to promote himself in his run to become Governor of the state of Louisiana, but Karyn seems intent on reawakening a relationship with Dave he'd much rather let lie thirty years in the past.

Did Aaron Crown kill an NAACP worker twenty years ago, and if so, what was his motive? That is the question nagging Dave. But now a mob hitman appears to have a particular vendetta against Dave and all close to him, and it's a question as to who will and who won't survive the LaRose campaign.

As is common in this series, those who inherited their wealth are far from worthy of their fortunes, and the females are at least as deadly as any mob button man.