Crusader's Cross

A Dave Robicheaux Novel

By: James Lee Burke

Narrated by: Will Patton

Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

Critically acclaimed and best-selling crime writer James Lee Burke returns to Louisiana where his ever-popular hero, Dave Robicheaux, sleuths his way through a hotbed of sin and uncertainty.

For Dave Robicheaux, life in Louisiana is filled with haunting memories of the past. In Crusader's Cross, a deathbed confession from an old schoolmate resurrects a story of injustice, the murder of a young woman, and a time in Robicheaux's life he has tried to forget.

Her name may or may not have been Ida Durbin. It was back in the innocent days of the 1950s when Robicheaux and his brother, Jimmie, met her on a Galveston beach. She was pretty, and Jimmie fell for her hard, not knowing she was a prostitute on infamous Post Office Street, with ties to the mob. Then Ida was abducted and never seen again.

Now, decades later, Robicheaux is asking questions about Ida Durbin, and a couple of redneck deputy sheriffs make it clear that asking questions is a dangerous game. With a series of horrifying murders and the sudden appearance of Valentine Chalons and his sister, Robicheaux is soon involved with the murderous energies of the New Orleans underworld.

©2005 James Lee Burke (P)2005 Simon & Schuster Inc. All rights reserved. AUDIOWORKS is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division.

Perfection!

Any additional comments?

Will Patton delivers an amazing work of fiction. James Lee Burke knows how to write. I could smell the Bayou and see the brown pelicans gliding over the water.

Another great performance

If you could sum up Crusader's Cross in three words, what would they be?

Dangerous secrets revealed.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Hard to choose between Dave and Clete. I want to marry Dave, and have a torrid fling with Clete.

Which character – as performed by Will Patton – was your favorite?

Clete Purcell

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

Made me book a trip to New Orleans this winter!

A Homerun

Another page turning 5 star book from James Burke. It does not hurt to have Will Patton read it truly a great voce. I couldn't put it down, clean my house, clean the back yard, took a walk at 2 in the morning, finished it. Dam!!!! I read them to fast, I love the way this Burke guy writes. Thank You Marion

Another Will Patton masterpiece

Richly visual story, Epic moving performance
transcendent of space between words and hearing.
ty Will

He never gave up

The whole book was great. A very enjoyable listen. Characters are very believable. I recommend this book and author.

Oh Dave

He gets into alot of trouble but overall Mr. Robicheaux is one righteous guy. The new wife seems ok too.

I'm probably a minority on this one

Out of all the books in this series, this has by far been the worst. The nuts and bolts of the serial killer part of the book only received about a tenth of the story line. As with many of his stories, he solves two crimes. One in the past and a current one. This one was so comingled it really made the story ridiculous, with the crime of the book being wrapped up in the last 20 minutes.

It reminded me of the Heinlein book, Mark of the Beast, where he purposely wrote a crap story to make his publishers happy, only for it to be a best seller because it came from him. I kind of feel this is what happened in this book.

Dave Robicheaux seriously self destructs. I get it, I am a widow too, as is he in this book. You do crazy stupid shit, but it seems over board.

I really feel bad for writing such a review because I do enjoy this series.

Will Patton, the narrator, forgot how he made two of the main supporting characters sound. Other than that he did well.

I did, as always, enjoy the poetic prose throughout the book.

One of Burke' best

One of series favorites. The later ones tend to stretch credulity too much but this one rocked. Three more words.

Mystifying Mystery

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No. I like this author a lot, but I just could not get into this book. I don't know why. I repeatedly lost my place. There was something about the plodding development of the storyline that put me off.

Would you be willing to try another book from James Lee Burke? Why or why not?

Oh, yes! He is a terrific author. His descriptions are sometimes a bit verbose and overdone, but even then he has provocative things to say.

What aspect of Will Patton’s performance would you have changed?

I would have made his rendition of some of the characters even a little bit more gritty. He is an excellent narrator--don't get me wrong on that score. There was just something slightly too gentle in his affectations.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes. In the hands of a very skilled director, this would make for a great movie. Alas, I do not know who that director would be. He would have to be of Hitchcock caliber.

Any additional comments?

I do not recommend this particular listen. I am keeping it only because I want to figure out why I am not being caught up in the plot. I want to make sense of my not quite grasping its development.

One of the best Detective novels, EVER.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This novel was a success on many levels. The story was good, the performance excellent, and the way you are transported to that time and place in New Orleans is a real treat.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Crusader's Cross?

Hard to pick but I really enjoyed Dave's relationships with Clete, his ex-partner. When they were chasing down a leads and knockin' heads they were a convincing team.

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

This book would not have been the same if not for Will Patton's performance. His gravelly yet whisper of a voice was well modulated and kept you listening. Personally I could listen to this guy recite the alphabet. His vocalizing of different characters was excellent and his Cajun' accent was a success. I skipped the books by the other narrator to listen to Will.