Rain Gods

A Novel

By: James Lee Burke

Narrated by: Will Patton

Length: 6 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

When Hackberry Holland became sheriff of a tiny Texas town near the Mexican border, he'd hoped to leave certain things behind: his checkered reputation, his haunted dreams, and his obsessive memories of the good life with his late wife, Rie. But the discovery of the bodies of nine illegal aliens, machine-gunned to death and buried in a shallow grave behind a church, soon makes it clear that he won't escape so easily.

As Hack and Deputy Sheriff Pam Tibbs attempt to untangle the threads of this complex and grisly case, a damaged young Iraq veteran, Pete Flores, and his girlfriend, Vikki Gaddis, are running for their lives, hoping to outwit the bloodthirsty criminals who want to kill Pete for his involvement in the murders. The only trouble is, Pete doesn't know who he's running from: drunk and terrified, he fled the scene of the crime when the shooting began. And there's a long list of people who want Pete and Vikki dead: crime boss Hugo Cistranos, who hired Pete for the operation; Nick Dolan, a strip club owner and small-time gangster with revenge on his mind; and a mysterious God-fearing serial-killer-for-hire known as Preacher Jack Collins, with enigmatic motives of his own.

With the FBI, Immigration, and Customs Enforcement, plus a host of cold-blooded killers on Pete and Vikki's trail, it's up to Sheriff Holland to find them first and figure out who's behind the mass murder before anyone else ends up dead.

©2009 James Lee Burke (P)2009 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"Three strong female characters complement the full roster of sharply drawn lowlifes. The battle of wills and wits between Holland and Collins delivers everything Burke's fans expect." ( Publishers Weekly)

True Burke

What did you love best about Rain Gods?

Author's voice- characters

What was one of the most memorable moments of Rain Gods?

Characters, setting, plot.

Have you listened to any of Will Patton’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Patton makes Burke,s character come to life.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Movie could not be as good as book!

Any additional comments?

Great book!