Jolie Blon's Bounce

Will Patton gives an edge to Burke's writing that suggests he knows the evil about which he speaks. The story of detective Dave Robicheaux and his ne'er-do-well sidekick, Clete Purcel, is at once thrilling and profoundly honest as they set out to confront the Mob, the exploitation of Southern blacks, the addictive personality of a young blues singer, as well as Robicheaux's own battle with booze and pills. Patton's easy drawl draws the listener completely into Burke's world. As one listens, one can almost hear the song of Cajun fiddles and smell the catfish on the griddle. Burke's brilliantly human storytelling and Patton's strong performance make this a top-notch book with a top-notch reading. S.E.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2003 Audie Award Winner (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine

Starred review from April 22, 2002
To read a Burke novel is to enter a timeless, parallel universe of violent emotions and lush, brooding landscapes, where class and racial distinctions and family histories mold society. This is the stunningly talented Burke's 21st book and his best—until the next one. Dave Robicheaux, the psychologically scarred detective for the New Iberia, La., sheriff's department, investigates two brutal murders, one of a naïve teenage girl, the other of a feckless drug-addled prostitute. The author provides a dense, richly imagined background for his characters, especially the sinister ones: malevolent Legion Guidry, a nightmarish figure from Robicheaux's boyhood; a power-hungry tavern owner; an arrogant lawyer; a combative female PI; the prostitute's Mafioso father; and Marvin Oates, an enigmatic Bible salesman who floats ominously through the narrative. Robicheaux doesn't believe the obvious suspect—Tee Bobby Hulin, a drug-addicted musical genius—is the murderer. Aided and disrupted by his obstreperous pal, Clete Purcel, Robicheaux runs into the usual trouble. Legion gives Robicheaux such a ferocious beating that he reverts to drinking and addictive painkillers. Though the search for the murderer moves the story, the novel is really an examination of the savage relationships of the characters and the palpable presence of the past. Burke offers a vivid social history of an inbred, corrupt place. As Clete so aptly tells his friend, "This is Louisiana, Dave. Guatemala North. Quit pretending it's the United States." (June 10)Forecast:Expect another bestseller from two-time Edgar Award winner Burke, who should be attracting more readers of "literary" fiction with his fine writing.