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)

Solid

Interesting characters and very vivid descriptions but somewhat convoluted plot. Narrator was excellent. The end.

Burke + Patton = Perfection

I've read a ton about post-Katrina New Orleans and nothing has come close to how it's described in this book. With Patton's delivery, it nearly breaks your heart. It's so spot-on, it becomes another aspect of the book.

Though the relationship that's developed between the characters adds to the richness of the storyline from book to book, I believe this book can stand alone in the series. If you've ever wanted to get your feet wet in one James Lee Burke book, this might be the one. I'm not certain what it's like to read this book rather than listen, but I can tell you for certain that this is one of the finest blends of writing and narration you'll encounter.

Why didn't I like this more?

I have listened to over 200 audiobooks, and can't figure out why I didn't like this story more.

The narrator was excellent, among the best I've heard at producing exactly the right regional accent as well as voicing different characters independently.

The story setting was compelling, and gave some disturbing insight into Louisiana post-Katrina.

The plot itself seemed to have the elements I like: deep characters, thought-out plot, enough action to keep things from being too dull.

But despite all this, the book just never really set its hooks into me. I didn't have any "driveway moments" with it, and didn't find excuses to listen like I have with other books. The plot and especially the numerous characters are a little difficult to keep track of, and maybe if I had really concentrated on identifying everyone and their back story I may have found the story more compelling.

If you're good with multiple characters and following a plot closely (mystery fans?), or want a story set in the unique post-Katrina south, give it a try. If you're going to be multi-tasking while listening, or want a hard-driven plot line, this is probably not the book for you.

An elegy to a lost world

James Lee Burke has long been a master of language and place. If you visit Southwestern Louisiana after reading one of his books you will certainly experience deja vu, so authentic is the world his characters inhabit.

I fell in love with New Iberia, Lafayette and the rest of the "Cajun Country" in my teens and have kept a long-distance love affair going ever since. My late husband and I returned to New Orleans often to visit his classmates from Tulane. I have not returned since Katrina.

The language of this book is beautiful , heartbreaking and heartbroken. I have just finished listening and am starting to listen again. Mr Patton does a fine job of reading the book although I don't think he pronounced "pecan" correctly until almost the final chapter. Well, don't sweat the small stuff.

I envy you discovering this series of books and I do believe that not since Ross McDonald has there been a finer writer in any genre certainly not this one. Enjoy!

An Incredible Story!

This Incredible story will keep you riveted until the end.

James Lee Burke paints incredibly detailed picture of a world I've never seen providing the reader / listener an environment that engages all senses. Will Patton’s narration is exquisite, using amazingly diverse voices to bring the richness of characters and scenes to life. You get a sense of experiencing hero, villain, and every walk of life in-between.

The plot not for the faint of heart as Burke explores the darker sides of post Katrina New Orleans as only someone that has lived life there would know. This incredible walk through the minds of criminals and law enforcement weaves a tail of 'who done it' that combined with excellent narration makes this one of my top picks of some 100 books I've listened to.

Brilliant

I picked up my first book by James Lee Burke (Crusader's Cross) a couple of years ago and really enjoyed the read... complex characters, detailed imagery, grittiness and GREAT suspense. As a "newbie" to audio books, I thought it would be a great choice to buy The Tin Roof Blowdown. Let me now say that I am HOOKED! The narrorator brings the story to life in a whole new way. I'm thouroughly impressed and am currently downloading Swan Peak... I can't wait to start listening to that one! : ) If you like suspense and descriptive writing, you'll love this book. Note that language and images can be brutal and at times revolting, but that's just the style of the author... if you're squemish when it comes to overt sexual references (in some cases abuse), this book is not for you.

Dave Robicheaux and Katrina

I loved this reader, thought he was perfect for this story. The writer really cares about his characters and their greater New Orleans locale. I felt like I learned A LOT about hurricane Katrina from this book, the storms's impact on people. God bless them all.

Engaging

As usual Burke weaves a wonderful word tapestry of descriptions, sounds, and sights. His description of post-Katrina New Orleans is extremely disturbing. I could not ignore the anger and shame I felt at America's lack of attention to this incrediable American disaster. The plot is familiar but still absoluting engaging. The narration is perfect. JLB does it again!

Great Book

This is a great book, I thought the first 15 min's were a little slow but it was great after that.

Another Fine Story

Sometimes these audio books just work. This an example. The story is rich, the characters complex,
The narration is perfect.