The New Iberia Blues by James Lee BurkeMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I’ve read almost all of Burke’s Dave Robicheaux books. I really enjoy Burke’s ability to write the atmosphere and mood of the bayou in his novels. I also enjoy the inner monologue of Robicheaux, who often surprises by being well read and complex. Also key to my enjoyment has been the excellent narration of many of the audiobooks by Will Patton. This was another one that was fun to read.
However, these stories are getting too similar. Of the two dozen or so Robicheaux stories I’ve read, a strangely large number involve Hollywood-types filming in Robicheaux’s rural area. If the Louisiana Film Board has this kind of success rate, I’d be very surprised. Add in the musicians and rich guys and you get a small stable of types that are re-used with minimal differentiation. The stories are different, but some of the characters are too similar to those in other books. I have also noticed that I enjoy the writing so much that I suspend any disbelief in the storylines. But this time, I didn’t give Burke as much leeway. So I found his plot, revolving around (view spoiler) Fun to read, but testing my appreciation.
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