Bitterroot

Billy Bob Holland, attorney-at-law and ex-Texas Ranger, is vacationing in Bitterroot, Montana, at the home of longtime friend Doc and his daughter, Maisy. As they enjoy the beautiful landscape, Wyatt Dixon, a sadistic killer, is released from jail in Texas and arrives in Montana to harass Holland and seek revenge. Rape, murder, and revenge haunt this mystery as Burke's creations grow from caricatures to full-bodied characters. Will Patton's soft Southern intonation hides the power and brutality of the characters at the same time that it brings Burke's vivid descriptions to the fore. The intermingling of the beautiful and the horrific adds to the wonder that such a place of peace has violence and murder lurking beneath its surface. M.B.K. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine

May 21, 2001
A two-time Edgar Award winner, Burke touches on a variety of hot-button issues sure to thrill his fans in his first book since last year's Purple Cane Road. The author's popular protagonist, Texas attorney Billy Bob Holland, travels to big sky country for some fishing with Doc Voss, a friend who's relocated to Montana's Bitterroot Valley after his wife's death. Soaring descriptions of the majestic setting contrast sharply with the evil doings of the people who live there. Doc has made some powerful enemies in his campaign against a mining venture he believes would harm the economy and the pristine countryside. The stakes rise when his teenage daughter is raped in her bedroom. The rapists could be any of the white supremacists who live in the woods, randy bikers on the prowl, strange members of a conservative religious cult or even the Native Americans eking out a substandard living on the local reservation. Billy Bob and Doc also have to contend with celebrities wanting to experience "country life," organized crime figures, government agents and a sinister, recently paroled felon who blames Billy Bob for his
wife's death. To top it off, Billy Bob suffers from guilt over the accidental killing of his best friend as well as nightmarish memories of Vietnam. It's only a matter of time before the powder keg blows. Those who relish Burke's patented mix of supercharged violence and overheated passions are in for a treat. (June 18)Forecast:While not quite in the same league as
Purple Cane Road, this entry is likely to scale bestseller lists as well.

Billy Bob Holland visits Doc Voss, his old Vietnam War buddy, in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana. After Doc's daughter is brutally raped, her attackers are tortured and murdered. It falls to Holland to clear Doc of the charges. Montana is the perfect backdrop for Burke, whose characters share an abhorrence for the tyranny of rules. From militant white su-premacists, militia, religious cult members, and sleazy bikers to Native Americans, privacy-loving locals, and Holland himself, Burke presents all points of view, rational and rabid. Tom Stechschulte's powerful narration adds depth to Burke's tightly controlled, richly poetic prose. He provides Holland with an authentic Texas twang, and his compelling voice easily changes from sarcasm to sorrow. Burke is a master storyteller, whether in the Dave Robicheaux series or here, with ex-Texas Ranger Holland. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine