Swan Peak

July 28, 2008
Detective Dave Robicheaux is pitted against all types, from an oil tycoon's deformed brother to a sexually indiscreet minister. With these colorful characters running rampant, narrator Will Patton never stumbles in his delivery or interpretations, offering realistic, entertaining characters who are sure to engage listeners right from the start. Patton's voice is perfectly suited for Burke's rough and tumble tale, his gritty Southern dialect sets the tone for this brooding murder mystery. A Simon & Schuster hardcover (Reviews, May 19).

Let the joyous celebrations begin: James Lee Burke has published another Dave Robicheaux mystery. Perfectly portrayed by narrator Will Patton, Burke's shambling, tarnished knight and his trusty alter ego, Clete Purcell, stumble into the crooked dealings of a slick, ultrarich oilman and his country-crooner wife. A psychopath killer stalks this Eden of the Northwest, and it's up to Dave to put together all the pieces of the puzzle. Listeners' ears will tingle as Dave watches chain lightning crackle and pop across the blue, blue sky. Patton wraps his voice around long passages of beautifully descriptive prose and insightful psychological analysis, keepin' it real while keepin' it smooth as Tennessee whiskey. R.O. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine