Pegasus Descending

De: James Lee Burke

Narrado por: Will Patton

A troubled young woman breezes into Detective Robicheaux's hometown of New Iberia, Louisiana. She happens to be the daughter of his friend: a friend he witnessed gunned down in a bank robbery, a tragedy that forever changed Robicheaux's life.

The twists begin when Trish Klein, the only offspring of Robicheaux's Vietnam-era buddy, starts passing marked hundred-dollar bills in local casinos. Is she a good kid gone bad? A victim's child seeking revenge? A promiscuous beauty seducing everyone good within her grasp? And can Robicheaux make peace with his friend's murder in time to figure out how a local mobster fits into all the schemes and death? Will his life be whole again when it has been shattered by so much tragedy?

In Pegasus Descending, James Lee Burke explores psyches as much as evidence, and tries to make sense of human behavior as well as his characters' crimes. Richly atmospheric, frightening in its sudden violence, and replete with the sort of puzzles only the best crime fiction creates, Burke's latest novel is an unforgettable roller coaster of passion, surprise, and regret.

©2006 James Lee Burke. All rights reserved (P)2006 Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"The novel is steeped in complex personality studies, lyrical prose, and richly drawn depictions of Mr. Burke's beloved bayou country." (The New York Times)
"With peerless naturalistic descriptions and lush, metaphysical imagery, Burke creates another challenging morality play for his flawed, everyman hero." (Publishers Weekly)
"Everything that makes this series so compelling - the elegiac, seductively lyrical prose; the complex character of Robicheaux; the lovingly evoked bayou setting - is here in abundance....The fact remains that no serious reader of hard-boiled fiction should ever miss a moment of Dave Robicheaux in action." (Booklist)

A must listen

If you've done any listening at all, you know that a narrator can make or break a book. The combination of James Lee Burke's writing and Will Patton's narrating a Dave Robicheaux story is on a par with Dean Koontz and David Aaron Baker's rendition of the Odd Thomas books. The narrator makes the book come alive. I've listened to The Tin Roof Blowdown and Crusader's Cross, and both are worth a re-listen, but this is Burke at his best. Audible has some other Dave Robicheaux books but I probably won't listen to them because they have a different narrator. This is not a criticism of the narrator, but Will Patton is the embodiment of the New Iberia detective. I never have trouble identifying the character speaking because of the many voices Patton uses. His Louisiana accent gives a marvelous flavor to this very well written book. Burke's wonderful descriptive phrases are generously scattered throughout the book. I bought the book for my wife to read and she enjoyed it as much as I did (she prefers reading, go figure). I would give this book more than five stars if I could.

Burke's Best

Narration is excellent. The characters come alive & it is difficult to stop listening.

A perfect read

Though the author of multiple books, James Lee Burke avoids the Stuart Woods/James Patterson syndrome of rushing through the dialog and forgetting the narrative. Burke rewards the reader with lush descriptions of environment and emotion, and characters rich with history, attitude and depth. His stories, this one in particular, are not formulaic and manage to surprise and amuse.

With all due respect to Scott Brick (my favorite reader), who has become typecast and slightly weary in his "smart, young and sarcastic rebel with a righteous cause" roles, this could be the best read book I ever listened to. Will Patton injects an energy and attitude that’s the perfect complement to Burke’s writing. His different character voices are amazingly distinct, almost to the point where you listen hard to make sure it’s not a different reader. Where others are “reading,” Patton is “acting” and “projecting” like a Broadway star, and it comes across marvelously.

If you listen to pass the time and prefer a fast moving story, you probably won’t like this one. If you enjoy and appreciate the art of writing, and want to savor the experience of a commanding read, give it a shot.

An OK, but ODD "detective" piece

I gave this 4 stars, but 3.5 would have been more accurate. Interesting plot, well paced, but the two main protagonists were difficult for me to embrace. The constant reminders of how these two tough guys are damaged & capable of extreme violence, while gentle and vulnerable to manipulative woman, just made them seem silly. So much pain, so much angst, so many regrets.....come on guys, buck up and solve the mystery.

Also they weren't necessarily clever, they just toughed it out. Perhaps these Robicheaux novels are better suited to men, who are more likely to relate to the whole complex, conflicted guy thing.

I would have prefered more plot and less introspection.

awesome

Where does Pegasus Descending rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

one of the best

Who was your favorite character and why?

Dave as always. Clete close behind

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

I'm a native of the area. He is as close as I guess it will get

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

When Dave thought Clete was dead

It has guts and feeling

A flowing story of a dificult yet intelligent life. Soft and caring, rough and horrendous. The descriptive abilities of the author carried me thruogh hard, dificult,yet some tender times. The splendid description artfully presented made this "read" most satisfying. I'm sorry it's completed.

Perfect Maraige

What a perfect marriage. A great book with a great reader

I’ve listened to most of the James Lee Burke’s Novels. But this one is my favorite so far.

This book was easier to follow than most of the Dave Robicheaux books. The characters go off script somewhat. Vengeance is the driving force . But it’s a hard task with so many red herrings. Loved this one.

Good Entertainment, Well Written & Performed!...

I thoroughly enjoyed this listen. This is best one that I've listened to so far. I've listen to three others. This story is rich in characters and atmosphere. My favorite character is Clete. I don't like thinking of Clete as Dave Robichaux's sidekick because he's much more than that. Not only are they good friends who understand and know how the other thinks, they are also detectives and they have each other's back!

In this well written story, there are 3 or 4 murders, each one complicated. Are they related to each in some way or not? Dave Robichaux goes on the hunt for the clues. What makes Burke's stories so very unique for me are the settings, the poetic language peppered with many Louisiana's sayings which adds to the flavor and richness of the story. The characters are well developed and the mystery and complexity of the story lines are easily followed. There is a good amount of humor which is very entertaining. My favorite character, Clete, is "laugh-out-laugh funny" in how he come up with Louisiana sayings and phrases with a nonchalant attitude even in the face of danger. Nothing fazes Clete!

As one reviewer noted, " Will Patton is the embodiment of the New Iberia detective." Will Patton's performance is always exceptional. Patton uses many voices which are realistically southern Louisiana. His accent leaves you feeling that you are in fact down in New Iberia on the Bayou Teche ... Highly Recommend....

One of my favorites

I can't get enough of the Dave Robicheaux novels (unabridged)with Will Patton narrating. The characters were engaging, but I especially liked the plot of this one. Burke's prose, as always, is lyrical, full of Southern imagery. Very literary but never boring.