Product Description
This book focuses on the problem of justice for indigenous peoples and the key questions this poses for political theory. Contributors include leading political theorists and indigenous scholars from Australia, Aotearoa/New Zealand, Canada and the United States. They examine how political theory has contributed to the past subjugation and continuing disadvantage faced by indigenous peoples, while also seeking to identify ways that contemporary political thought can assist the "decolonization" of relations between indigenous and nonindigenous peoples. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Outrage!
If this is the type of liberal hogwash that's still pouring out of
our institutions of higher learning, then it's time we started rounding up
university professors, and sticking them in cages at Guantanamo Bay.
Maybe after George W has finished what his father didn't in Iraq, he'll
turn his sites back home, and finish the job there too. ... Read more

Product Description

In The Moon of Red Ponies, Billy Bob Holland discovers that jail cells have revolving doors and the bad guys are back and aching for revenge.

Johnny American Horse is a young activist for land preservation and the rights of Native Americans. He is charged with the murder of two mysterious men -- who recently tried to kill Johnny, or at least scare him off his political causes. Billy Bob discovers a web of intrigue surrounding the case and its players: Johnny's girlfriend, Amber Finley, seems as reckless as she is defiant; Darrel McComb, a Missoula police detective who is obsessed with Amber; and Seth Masterson, an enigmatic government agent, who makes Billy Bob wonder why Washington is so concerned with an obscure murder case on the fringes of the Bitterroot Mountains.

As the dead bodies multiply, Billy Bob is drawn closer to the truth behind Johnny American Horse's arrest -- and discovers a greater danger to himself and to his whole family. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (52)

Whoa, Podna! Read It!
Being new to this author's work and indeed to the genre of crime fiction, I was impressed with this book. I found it on the sale rack at Barnes & Noble and was intrigued by the title and the cover art (it was imported from the UK and has different cover from the US version). I picked it up for a look-see and saw that Burke, who has been recommended to me by more than one person, is the author, so...I bought it. Having visited Missoula in the mid-nineties, I was delighted to re-visit it in this book.

No need for me to rehash the storyline. I liked the character development and Wyatt Dixon in particular captured my interest with his blustering and outrageous soliloquies on the nature of, well, everything. I laughed out loud several times. Brilliant. I first disliked then came to have sympathy and finally respect for Darrell McCombs, the bumbling, racist lonely cop. You'll have to read the book to understand that. (No, I myself am not racist). And I loved, LOVED the supernatural/spiritual aspects of this book and have actually heard of the spectre of the sad Indian woman in doeskin dress appearing at the missile silo.

I have two small complaints: I'd have liked to have known more about Johnny American Horse and his cause. And I never warmed to the character of Amber, his girlfriend-turned-wife. She just did not seem quite like a real person to me and the story would have worked out just fine without her.

I also appreciated the descriptions of the landscape which has created in me a fierce desire to take my next vacation in Montana. All in all, the writing is great, the dialogue cracklin', and in my opinion you can't go wrong reading this one, podna!

Solid Suspense/Mystery
I can understand why some reviewers were not entirely pleased with this Burke book, as it is less stark in its depiction of the good guys vs. the bad guys. If you like your hero to be entirely noble and your bad guys to be all evil than you might wonder why that is not the case here. Billy Bob Holland (the protagonist) while a very good person, in this book, does some things which he is ashamed of, even condemning himself as a coward at one point. And the evil Dixon is also now more human than an embodiment of a pure devil on earth. What results, in my opinion, is a novel of more realistic human beings than the usual "good vs. evil" novel. And Burke's excellent, even poetic prose is still a wonder. A very good book.

Can he see the future?
Basically the bad guys have it in for an indian war-hero, shaman, mystic, drunk, sometime reservation rabble-rouser and a whole bunch of other people get pulled into the action.Motivations are never clear, if they had ignored the indian nothing would have happened, maybe they just didn't like indians.This might be a study in post-traumatic stress disorder in its various forms.Hostility, irrationality, paranoia prevail.All these characters bounce off each other, some get killed, and eventually the book is over.Just about everybody is real tough but nobody seems capable of any type of rational thinking.God forbid they should communicate with any clarity.Lots of bs philosophizing by the hero who gets to lovingly relate his violent past while feeling guilty about it(his only violent action is laughable but presented in heroic terms).Mysticism galore of the indian, Christian, and other varieties.Dreams abound and ghosts appear.The future is foretold.

Never read Burke before, maybe I will in future.My problem is that he introduces potentially interesting characters (the indian, the circus clown, the cop) but cannot seem to handle them thereafter.

junk - cut and paste job - makes no sense
This book is just a cut and paste job to get some cash. JLB has done SO MUCH better.
OK - we have "moral imbeciles" and "moral cretins" just like all his other books.
We have a bunch of people scarred by their service in Central American civil wars, even though the actual number of Americans that actually fought in them has to be very small at best.
It is the same stuff as every other book he writes, but this one makes no sense.
Wyatt the super-evil psycho killer actually turns out to be a good guy more or less, saves Billy Bob's wife from drowning, and has more courage and integrity than ANYONE else in the book.
The bad guys have the "mark of the beast" that appears and disappears at times. Seriously.
Billy Bob gets in the middle of all the evil plots and spends half the book trying to get the one real bad guy to go after all the other bit players and leave him out of it. Way to be a stand-up guy - NOT. Billy Bob gets frustrated with this approach, so he takes his rifle and plugs the bad guy and two guards. His aim is off, so he doesn't kill anyone, but seems fine with severely injuring two hapless guards. And this is a lawyer?
In the end the evil guy gets away with everything and no one cares anyway. WTF?

Brooding in the Bitterroots
A contemporary fictional read taking place in the geography between Lolo Pass and Seeley Lake, Montana. Former Texas Ranger turned lawyer Billy Bob has been married a year to private investigator Temple, who does terrific if unsanctioned intelligence work for him. Is billionaire Karsten Mabus the face of unconquered evil in the book, or is it Wyatt Dixon, a sociopath who tried to bury Temple alive in yet another story?Somehow Wyatt was released early from prison, and here he is in Missoula looking for Billy Bob's assistance to gain the attention of the President.Wyatt is a compelling character: a lean and mean cowboy who found the Lord in prison yet retains the raw machismo needed to defend himself in the legal frontier.Some insiders' insights into Native American thinking, some themes of eco-terrorism, and macho nobility all come together in this great read. Take it along on vacation. ... Read more

Product Description
A pleasure cruise off the coast of Florida becomes a potentially explosive confrontation between the hard-bitten Thorn and a mad terrorist who is threatening to blow up the ship with an explosive capable of destroying the Florida coastline. Amazon.com Review
Thorn, a loner and gloomy sort of guy, is the hero of James W. Hall'sthriller series. But in Buzz Cut, the real center of attention isButler Jack, an erudite homicidal maniac with a brilliant and grandiosescheme. The plan is to hijack a $400 million cruise ship and hold its 2,000passengers for ransom. Butler Jack has an obsession with etymology, and he ismore than happy to lecture his hostages on the derivation of the word"hijack," which is descended from "Jack" which comes fromthe Middle English "Jakke," which meant "ordinary guy."Our Jack is an ordinary guy who just happens to have the mind of a genius anda passion for grisly killing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

one of his best
If you like James Hall you will enjoy this one. Great characters,interesting plot ,quick read. Do it.

Huge Fan of Hall
I have read almost everything Hall has written. I am a huge fan. Compare him alot to Elmore Leonard. Having said that this plot ending was a little bit garbled. Probably one of my least favorites so far

Who has the history of the word Review?No-one Cares.
This is the first book of James Hall's that I have read, and it will probably be the last.When the lead character has the name Thorn, for me that should have been the warning sign.

Basically the book is about a guy Butler Jack, a psycho, who get his kicks out of jamming 40,000 volts through people and quoting the history of words, he takes control of a luxury cruise liner looking to extort the owners for big money.

I won't give away too much because people might want to read the book, but I have to say I didn't like it.

First is motivation.I couldn't get into what drove the main characters in the book.Why does ole Butler Jack happily kill people, why does the owner of the luxury liner not want the Feds brought in when the body count is piling up, why does Thorn - our fearless hero - find he has to hunt this guy down at all costs.The things that motivated all of them didn't convince me enough to feel empathy for any of them.

Second is the antagonist, Butler Jack.His thing, his "schtick" as it were, is a fascination for the history of words.Just before he would kill someone he would start sprouting on about how "ransom" came into being or other stuff.You know what it did for the flow of the book?It shot it in the leg and left it limping along like it was never going to make it home.Just when I thought something interesting was going to happen we got the full lowdown on how Florida got its name.For crying out loud stop killing the pace with this mundane crap!

Third is the names: Thorn, Sugerman, Butler Jack.They might do it for other people, they just didn't do it for me.

Unbelievable characters, an unbelievable plot that didn't work for me, and motivation that just wasn't believable at all.

Thorn Steps Out
Broody loner Thorn (Travis McGee with attitude) is inveigled into taking a cruise when best pal Sugarman takes an almost fatal jolt of electricity while heading up security for the Fiesta Cruise Lines.Thorn on a cruise is about as likely as Jay Leno entering a monastery.

"Buzz Cut" is loaded with fascinating, but highly unlikely characters.Monica, angry runaway daughter of cruise line owner, Morton Hanson, is full of angst and bitterness.Why?Because she is stunningly beautiful and has been raised in luxurious plenty.Yes, really.She is trying to make an identity for herself as a maid in a seedy motel.The monster creating all the trouble is Butler Jack, a brilliant, truly scary guy with a love of etymology (the origin of words).He doesn't just expire people; he treats them to an hour-long lecture on interesting words.He is bent on ruining the Fiesta Cruise Line and its owners.He commandeers the ship and its communication and navigational systems, terrorizing the more than 2000 passengers.

This is a fine, lively read, and I think Mr. Hall had a good time writing it.It is over the top in a wry and humorous way.The characters are interesting and sharply defined.Mr. Hall develops them beautifully, but does seem to lose interest and then neglect them.Thorn does not play a major role in the book.It is a well-done ensemble piece.The author has a fascination with unlikely technology, but it's all in good fun.

Die-hard Thorn fans might object to the lightening of the mood, and the lack of philosophizing, but they can rest easy.Thorn is barely tempted by the crass commercialism and is properly grumpy at his enforced socialization. A fast, highly enjoyable read.

Cruise Away From Boredom
Okay, so it�s extremely unlikely that a single family could contrive to be so dysfunctional and high-profile to make this plot a reality, but that�s not quite the point of this book.James W Hall has again come up with some high-caliber entertainment that keeps us turning pages to discover the next little plot twist.

Sugarman and Thorn are now middle aged boyhood friends who�ve never quite escaped the insulation provided by the Florida Keys.Sugarman�s the laid back private detective and Thorn�s the fly-tying hero who�s even more laid back lifestyle affords him a greater perspective on their week�s cruise with the family from hell.

Full of keen detail about the cruise ship and its workings, Buzz Cut is an entertaining and thrilling romp through the waters of the southeast coast.The dialogue is healthy and sharp and the characters, for the most part, far enough away from stereotypes to be interesting.This is not a classic and Hall himself has done much better, but it is definitely a worthwhile read. ... Read more

Product Description
While serving as a security guard at the American Embassy in Moscow, Clayton Lonetree fell in love with a woman and was recruited to become a spy for the Soviet Union by a KGB officer posing as her "Uncle Sasha." By the time the "Sex-for-Secrets" scandal was played out, Sgt. Lonetree was court-martialed. Here is the whole story from the inside. Simultaneous hardcover release from Simon & Schuster. 2 cassettes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

unhappy with seller
I ordered this book about 7 weeks ago and it still has not arrived.I have been charged for it and received a shipment confirmation e-mail after the first week, but still NO BOOK!I have tried to contact the seller via email twice and have not gotten a response from them on either attempt.I'm very unhappy with the lack of follow through and communication with the seller; will not buy from them again.

Very informative and well told.
As a jarhead myself I had to read this book. I was captivated by the whole intrigue of the spy world and the involvement of the U.S. Marines. This book is a good recommendation for just about anyone, it even has a twist of romance. I strongly recommend it! ... Read more

Product Description
Lassitudes of Fire by Will Patton is a crazed and soulful, lonesome, funny, and violent compilation of Will's notebook jottings (including some drawings) going all the way back to his earliest days in New York as a vagrant and actor. It will have you haw. Cover art by the author. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Lassitudes
I had always wanted to read this book when I first heard about it. And it took me a while to get it. Because I have always liked the actor Will Patton from way back. But there is only one word to describe my experience with this booklet, and that is "weird".

I don't want this book.
Yes, that's right.I don't want this book.What I want is for Will Patton to read it to me.

So Do I ;)
I absolutly LOVE Will Patton. He's not only a beleivable, charismatic, gorgeous actor, but one hell of a funny, crazy, sad writer. I Hope he writes many more books, and keeps his gorgeous blue eyes behind the big screen.

I have a crush on Will Patton.
I've long enjoyed Mr. Patton's voice on many audio books, and now, here is that "voice" on the printed page in this amazing book.Haunting, funny, strange, beautifully written - it is a treasure.I hope he writes more.

Bizarre and Thought-Provoking
Will Patton's work on screen or on stage or as an audio performer is defined byhis singular ability to become any person with such clarity and believability that it is truly astounding. Also remarkable is this amazing little book. Bizarre and even frightening at times, this small book chronicles a pain-filled,often incoherent journey.Perhaps one of his greatest gifts is his ability to truly put thoughts down on paper, no matter how strange they may seem. His journey takes us through his vagrancy as a street drunk, drug use, unusual thought processes, strange almost mystical experiences, to contemplation of suicide.These jottings may shock some and impress others.But no matter the effect, everyone should respect this writer for being willing to share such private thoughts and ideas.Bravo! Bravo!Encore! Encore! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

9 Perfomances that barely enhance the experience
9 short stories by 9 different authors, each "performed" by someone else ("Letting Go" by Ken Wisman performed by Susan Anspach & Will Patton; "In Gethsemene" by Stephen Gallagher performed by Christopher Cazenove; "The Big Sky" by Charles de Lint performed by Loretta Swit; "Alfred" by Lisa Goldstein performed by Jennifer Warnes; "And the Angels Sing" by Kate Wilhelm performed by Denise Crosby; "Basileus" by Robert Silverberg performed by Roscoe Lee Browne; "The Man Who Loved the Faioli" by Roger Zelazny performed by Tim Russ; "All Vows" by Esther M. Friesner performed by Terry Farrell; and "Upon the Dull Earth" by Philip K. Dick performed by Kevin McCarthy).If you're expecting Angel fantasies or light and airy angel stories you've come to the wrong place!These are stories firmly set in the fantasy genre that tell of encounters with other-worldly beings - not necessarily Angels!

Sadly disappointing, depressed dark images portrayed. 0 star
Why would anyone want to listen to dark, dreary stories of the undead,Angels that drink blood, this book was very misrepresented in the title. "Deamon" fantasies is much more appropriate.I was lookingforward to a spiritual uplifting, instead I threw all the tapes and boxinto the trash, right where it belongs. ... Read more

Product Description

Detective Dave Robicheaux returns to center stage in an incendiary new novel by James Lee Burke. A gripping tale of racial violence, class warfare, and the sometimes cruel legacy of Southern history, Sunset Limited is a stunning achievement, confirming Burke's place as one of America's premier stylists as well as master storytellers.

The forty-year-old crucifixion of a prominent labor leader named Jack Flynn remains an unsolved atrocity that has never been forgotten in New Iberia, Louisiana. When Flynn's daughter, Megan, a photojournalist drawn to controversial subjects, returns to the site of her father's murder, it quickly becomes clear that her family's bloodstained past will not stay buried. Megan gives her old friend Dave Robicheaux a tip about a small-time criminal named Cool Breeze Broussard, scarcely suspecting that the seemingly innocuous case will lead Robicheaux and his partner into the midst of a deadly conspiracy.

Combining brilliant prose, crackling suspense, and an exquisite sense of character and place, Sunset Limited is a wrenching tale of historic violence and soiled redemption that reveals one of America's finest novelists at his masterful best.Amazon.com Review
Dripping with the cynicism and sweat that runs rampant throughthe Louisiana bayou parishes, actor Will Patton gives an extraordinaryreading of James Lee Burke's latest tension-filled tale. Eachcharacter gets a distinct patois that not only distinguishes his orher voice, but conveys class, race, and in many cases, a raw,unforgiving, and unsavory nature: necessary ingredients for such abrilliant and dark work. And while Northerners may, at times, strugglewith the strong colloquialisms, Patton's varied Southern tones justifya listen.

Like Burke's other work, contradictions rule. Beauty isjuxtaposed against ugliness; rape, killings, and revenge are woventhrough an intense and elegiac prose in which the lush details ofnature run profuse and poetic. The upshot is an almost dreamlike, orrather nightmarish, account of detective Dave Robicheaux's search forjustice in a mounting set of murders. His journeys run from wealthymanors to cockfights and cathouses and through the injustices of aSouth where past and present are rarely separated. The detective'skeen, indisputable insights on human nature and history set him andthis story apart from all peers. (Running time: 4.5 hours, fourcassettes) --Anne Lockwood ... Read more

Customer Reviews (51)

Sunset Limited
I wonder if the title of this work should be "James Lee Burke Limited"?I feel he has overdone, overreached, and over worked Robicheaux...possibly a new protagonist would be a welcome relief from what I feel has become the commonplace.

Although his characterizations are fine and varied they are not necessarily Burke's best.Maybe now, about twenty books later, he should spend some time developing a story line featuring Helen Soileau....I think he has worked Robicheaus to death!"Sunset Limited" was a complex read, not a riveting read, but moreso an unsatisfying read.

E.J. Walden, author of "Operation Snow Owl"

Boring, boring, boring
Having tried to read a few of Burke's trashy books, this one was really lousy and boring.

Great Delivery
I was anxious to listen to this story and it was delivered in no time at all.I love James Lee Burke and this is one of my favorites.

Couldn't hold my interest
I read quite a bit and my tastes vary.You can confirm that by clicking the little link to see all my reviews.

I must say, however, that I'm having a difficult time with Mr. Burke because he is actually *too* descriptive as an author.His use of the language is uncommonly good for someone writing in the crime/mystery genre.Trouble is, I'm finding that the richness of detail gets in the way of the story.I know the minutiae of the smells and sights and sounds in the Bayou, and the thread count in the clothes the characters are wearing, and the chemical composition of their perfumes and the thickness of their hair follicles.

But there's one small problem: I can't quite figure out what is going on with the story.It is difficult to separate the significant from the insignificant.

Too many characters are being introduced and the scenes jump around such that I have to reread passages numerous times.

Admittedly, I haven't finished this book yet.I'm only on page 70, but I'm not sure I'll be able to perservere to the end.

As I said, Burke's use of language is rich and highly descriptive, reminding me somewhat of Faulkner's description of the deep south in "Light in August."But whereas I had no trouble staying with Faulkner nor with his writing style keeping my interest level high, I just cannot say the same about Mr. Burke.Now that I think about it, I actually started another novel by Burke once, and couldn't finish it.So, this doesn't appear to be an anomaly, but rather a distinct part of Burke's style that simply doesn't work well for my tastes.

I'm not criticizing it as much as simply stating that perhaps it just isn't my style.

I would be curious to know if any other readers here have similar impressions.

Another Great Book
James Lee Burke is a joy to read.He knows a great deal about a lot of things and builds them into his stories.The Robicheaux series is really based in large measure on mythology, although this is not readily obvious, and, when it becomes so, sends you scurrying to your mythology books!Burke is also very thoughtful about humanity and the world he lives in, and this becomes quite apparent as you read this series.You can read a general review in my review of Crusader's Cross.I do recommend that you read the series in sequence and take in the UNabridged audiobooks when you can for a really in-depth enjoyment of this series. ... Read more

Product Description
Driven from the Montana bottomland to relief work on a New Deal dam project on the Missouri, the Duff family--three very different brothers, their parents, wives, and others--works on the Fort Peck Dam, but the unforgiving river and tragedy are always threatening. Book available.Amazon.com Review
As in ThisHouse of Sky and Ride With Me, MariahMontana, Doig returns to Big Sky country to tell a complex murdermystery peppered with the free-spirit history of the west and theintrigue of Doig's Scottish ancestry. Through Franklin Roosevelt'sW.P.A. and P.W.A., the Duff family becomes involved in the constructionof the Fort Peck Dam, the largest earth-fill dam in the world. Whilemost are happy for the work, there are others in the Duff clan thathope for the dam's failure. Mixing fact and fiction, Doig explores thehardships of labor, of Fort Peck's shantytown housing, and the Duffs'resilience to everything from Montana blizzards to rattlesnakes. Whentwo in the clan are murdered, Scottish family loyalty is questionedand the remaining family members face their toughest challenge. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

COULDN'T FINISH--SORRY
MADE IT THRU 113 PAGES---I WAS VERY UNINTERESTED.
I, REALLY, DIDN'T CARE WHAT HAPPENED TO THE DAM
OR THE FAMILY MEMBERS--SORRY.
I TOOK THE BAIT BUT DOIG COULD NOT SET THE HOOK.

This is Literature!
Ivan Doig reminds me of Steinbeck, only funnier. He tells a "big" story but
sticks tight to the little stories of his characters. My husband read this book, and it
looked boring to me on the surface, but now I am off to find another Doig book to read.
Writers like this give literature a good name by telling a complex tale in a compelling and
simple fashion.

Wandering, too many 'unfired guns'
Like just about everyone else in the world, I love the English Creek trilogy, and especially 'Dancing at the Rascal Fair.' What's not to like? They are crisp, have good forward momentum, great characters, fun writing, and Stuff Happens. I love rambling and digressions, which Doig is famous for, when they add to the overall color, backgrounds of the characters, and build more fully the world of the story. Doig does this very well in all of his books.

'Bucking the Sun' left me disappointed, like it tried to do too much in one book. There is a rule in theater, if a gun appears in the first act it needs to go off by the end of the second act. This book has too many unfired guns. The murder mystery itself doesn't even make sense, and the grand revelation at the end is a puzzling fizzle. The women characters are cardboard props, the communist radical uncle another fizzle. What's with his mysterious escape just before the dam collapses? How did he know, and why didn't he sound a warning? Did he have something to do with it? The various infidelities come out of the blue and make no sense.

There are a lot of inherently exciting plot elements-- like the drama of thousands of families being forced off their land, and into good-payingbut temporary jobs in shanty boomtowns. I think much more could have been made of this; it is a terrible tradeoff, and most folks would rather keep their land. It is not a trivial thing to force people out of their home, that's one of the worst things that can happen to anyone. There is a lot of drama in building the world's largest earthen dam, during the Great Depression no less. But for me the book never really took off or came together. It feels a few drafts shy of a final draft, it needed some trimming and coherence. But no Doig book is ever a waste; there is a lot to enjoy, and I will read it again someday.

Building a dam
The characters in this novel are well described and true to the character of Montanans. Doig makes my heart ache for the people of a state I learned to love.

Bucking The Sun, A GoodRead
I read this because my parents were at Ft Peck in 1933 where my dad worked as an engineer.My parents were "very proper" city people.My mother talked about living in a 24' X 24' construction shack, bathing in a wash tub in water heated from the stove, and hanging clothes to dry where they froze and the ice evaporated in the dry Montana air.

This story brought their experiences to light in a unique way.The Ft Peck area in 1933 Montana was Wild West beyond my imagination. The author brings it to life, weaving a family life, the dynamics of the area, the happenings of the 1930 and a mystery into a wonderful vivid novel.

I highly recommend Bucking the Sun to anyone interested in spending a few hours in such a story.

Andy ... Read more

Product Description
Aurora Greenway must come to grips with old age while those around her try to cope with such problems as an unwanted pregnancy and a prison term, in a sequel to Terms of Endearment. Reissue. Movie tie-in. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A bit contrived and confusing without much direction
The continuing saga of Aurora Greenway, her friends, and her family is a random, lengthy read without much purpose and very little direction. Most of the 637 pages vacillate between Aurora's selfish, laughable, and audacious behavior, and that of her strange, absurd family members. Because there is so little emotional development, it is difficult to sympathize with any of the characters being presented. They fall in love quickly but somehow do not seem to really care about anyone but themselves. This makes the reader less inclined to be concerned about how any events will affect anyone else due to the cavalier attitude toward others or their plights.

Unlike other McMurtry books, I was not drawn into the world being portrayed and did not enjoy the quirky behavior or the stories being presented. McMurtry's normally masterful story-telling did not find fruition in this book. Aside from the last 80 pages or so, most of the book seemed random and non goal-oriented, without any sense of mystery or tension or even curiosity as to what will happen, making the story and the people sort of lifeless. I was happy to be done and generally disappointed with the book.

But not all was vapid, for some of the characters did grow through their experiences and improve their own lot in life. Aurora was a complex person and it was fun seeing her adjust through the challenges of life's battles and deal with the aging process. I still laugh when I try to figure out why she won't sing while stopped at stoplights! Many of the minor characters were introduced through their odd past and their current reactions to the situations in which they found themselves, and many were quite enjoyable people and very funny at times. The pervading sadness of the book, the deaths and the tragedies, was balanced with personal victories and positive circumstances, making Evening Star a fascinating study in people's motives as well as the bittersweet realities of life.

Not my favorite McMurtry book for sure, but enough redeeming qualities and interesting people to make it worth reading.

Out of his many, one of his best.
No writer in the last half of the 20th century was better at character development than McMurtry. In "Terms" he introduced us to Aurora Greenway; here he he expands and burnishes her character while he folds in a supporting cast of almost equally fascinating lesser characters. This was one of those rare tomes I wished would never end. You don't have to like her, but if you finish this book unaffected by la Greenway, you'd best read it again. Aurora's successful plan to ensure her young Grandson would never forget her is one of the most moving sequences I have ever read. Two years after first reading this novel and I still well up just thinking about it.

not perfect, but very good
In typical McMurtry style, there is a good deal of humor and whimsy in this novel.For the first 400 pages or so I felt it was a bit overdone, but once I saw where the novel was headed, it made perfect sense.About the ultimate destination of the novel: it packs quite an emotional punch.Rare indeed is the novel that can make me cry, but this one did it.

As good as the first one!!
McMurtry's characters become so real to me that I can barely stand to let them go at the end of his books.I am so glad that I got to see what happened to the people from Terms of Endearment.

a must-read for a who fell in love with Terms of Endearment
Larry McMurty gives us another masterpiece of humor and tears in the continued saga of Aurora Greenway ... Read more

Product Description
It is 1982.  In the Vatican, priestly vultures gather around the dying Pope, whispering the names of possible successors.  In a forgotten monastery on Ireland's gale-swept coast, a dangerous document is hidden, waiting to be claimed.  And in a family chapel in Princeton, New Jersey, a nun is murdered at her prayers.  Sister Valentine was an outspoken activist, a thorn in the Church's side.  When her brother, lawyer Ben Driskill, realizes the Church will never investigate her death, he sets out to find the murderer himself--and uncovers an explosive secret.The Assassini.  An age-old brotherhood of killers.  Once they were hired by princes of the Church to protect it in dangerous times.  But whose orders do they now obey?

The Assassini marks the triumphant retum of a master at the peak of his powers--the first novel in more than a decade from the acclaimed author of The Wind Chill Factor.


From the Paperback edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

Brilliant
The man is brilliant.The research incredible.If you are one of the reviewers who feel the story is far fetched, you have no idea what the real world is like.I loved this book.

Not that good
I slogged throguh this book, having already commited myself to reading it, I felt obligated to to finish it.I was underwhelmed.Gifford is a good writer, though I think it dragged. The back story about the Church has the usual "eveil in the Church" conspiracy that I suppose you need for this.And, unlike Dan Brown's piece of junk, "Angels & Demons", Gifford receives high marks for his accuracy about life with tin the Church.However I'd give it a miss if I had to do it all over again.There have got to be better Vatican themed novels out there.

Certainly not the Da Vinci Code
I read "Praetorian" (also by Thomas Gifford)and thought it was fun reading; and,as a bonus it gave some interesting insights into WWII in North Africa. So, thought I, Assassini will be good too.The book previews promised Assassini would "expose" the Catholic Church a la Da Vinci Code, but the plot exposed nothing bad about the Church--just sinister people involved with the Church.The book could have been several hundred pages shorter if Gifford hadn't hashed, rehashed and over-analyzed every aspect of the plot.It was as if he was afraid the reader was reading the book in 5-page increments and needed to be brought up-to-date every time the the book was opened.It wasn't a terrible book, but not a memorable one either.

Fascinating
A great novel.Lots of intrigue.The characters were made to seem real.The story line was a black eye for the Catholic Church, however with so much factual information produced, it made the history of the church and the mysteries still being unraveled, plausible.It is a bit like theDa Vinci Code .

The Original "Da Vinci Code"
THe novel does start a little slow but the last 50% makes the first 50% well worth it. As a catholic by birth I can attest to some scary aspects about the church and nothing I read in the novel sounds off track. There is no doubt that all history is revisionist including the Church of Rome. Violent action hasbeen a part of Christian history so priest hit squads don't sound too far fetched to me. Consider the current problem with sexual abuse by clergy. After reading the novel I always wondered why no screenplay was written. I thought that possibly editorial pressure was brought to bear on writers not to make it a movie. Religion is the most powerful interest group. If you liked The Da Vinci code give The Assassini a try. I still think it would make a bang up movie. ... Read more

Product Description

For years, critics have acclaimed the power of James Lee Burke's writing, the luminosity of his prose, the psychological complexity of his characters, the richness of his landscapes. Over the course of twenty novels and one collection of short stories, he has developed a loyal and dedicated following among both critics and general readers. His thrillers, featuring either Louisiana cop Dave Robicheaux or Billy Bob Holland, a hardened Texas-based lawyer, have consistently appeared on national bestseller lists, making Burke one of America's most celebrated authors of crime fiction.

Now, in a startling and brilliantly successful departure, Burke has written a historical novel -- an epic story of love, hate, and survival set against the tumultuous background of the Civil War and Reconstruction.

At the center of the novel are James Lee Burke's own ancestors, Robert Perry, who comes from a slave-owning family of wealth and privilege, and Willie Burke, born of Irish immigrants, a poor boy who is as irreverent as he is brave and decent. Despite their personal and political conflicts with the issues of the time, both men join the Confederate Army, choosing to face ordeal by fire, yet determined not to back down in their commitment to their moral beliefs, to their friends, and to the abolitionist woman with whom both have become infatuated.

One of the most compelling characters in the story, and the catalyst for much of its drama, is Flower Jamison, a beautiful young black slave befriended, at great risk to himself, by Willie and owned by -- and fathered by, although he will not admit it -- Ira Jamison. Owner of Angola Plantation, Ira Jamison is a true son of the Old South and also a ruthless businessman, who, after the war, returns to the plantation and re-energizes it by transforming it into a penal colony, which houses prisoners he rents out as laborers to replace the slaves who have been emancipated.

Against all local law and customs, Flower learns from Willie to read and write, and receives the help and protection of Abigail Dowling, a Massachusetts abolitionist who had come south several years prior to help fight yellow fever and never left, and who has attracted the eye of both Willie and Robert Perry. These love affairs are not only fraught with danger, but compromised by the great and grim events of the Civil War and its aftermath.

As in all of Burke's writings, White Doves at Morning is full of wonderful, colorful, unforgettable villains. Some, like Clay Hatcher, are pure "white trash" (considered the lowest of the low, they were despised by the white ruling class and feared by former slaves). From their ranks came the most notorious of the vigilante groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan, the White League and the Knights of the White Camellia. Most villainous of all, though, are the petty and mean-minded Todd McCain, owner of New Iberia's hardware store, and the diabolically evil Rufus Atkins, former overseer of Angola Plantation and the man Jamison has placed in charge of his convict labor crews.

Rounding out this unforgettable cast of characters are Carrie LaRose, madam of New Iberia's house of ill repute, and her ship's-captain brother Jean-Jacques LaRose, Cajuns who assist Flower and Abigail in their struggle to help the blacks of the town.

With battle scenes at Shiloh and in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia that no reader will ever forget, and set in a time of upheaval that affected all men and all women at all levels of society, White Doves at Morning is an epic worthy of America's most tragic conflict, as well as a book of substance, importance, and genuine originality, one that will undoubtedly come to be regarded as a masterpiece of historical fiction. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (35)

Historical Fiction about the Civil War from James Lee Burke
"White Doves at Morning" (2002) is a standalone historical novel by James Lee Burke, critically-acclaimed and highly-popular author of the Dave Robicheaux series of Southern mystery novels, noir police procedurals set, at least initially, in what is more or less his home turf, about which we've recently been hearing so much, America's Gulf Coast, more particularly New Orleans and New Iberia, Louisiana.

Like the Robicheaux novels, "White Doves" is set largely in the Gulf Coast, entirely in the South, during the American Civil War and the ensuing period, known as "Reconstruction," though there was precious little reconstruction getting done.At the center of the novel are, apparently, two of Burke's own ancestors, Robert Perry, from a slave-owning, wealthy family, and Willie Burke, from a family of Irish immigrants, both apparently decent and conscientious men, who, even so, join the Confederate Army.Both men rather fancy Abigail Dowling, a beautiful Massachusetts abolitionist who has taken up residence in New Iberia, the better to fight slavery.Burke has taught to read and write- against all local law and custom-- Flower Jamison, beautiful mulatto daughter of a slave and Irv Jamison, the ruthless owner of the immense Angola Plantation. Which Jamison will convert to the notorious Angola prisoner after war's end. (We'll be introduced to many rich and arrogant men in Burke's work).

As ever, Burke's descriptions of the country where he was born, and has set his most successful novels, are outstanding.His description of the Civil War, a horrendously long and bloody event, and its effects upon man, beast, and countryside are also outstanding, particularly the famous battles of Shiloh and the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.I'd say he knew quite a lot about that war, must have researched it further, and successful absorbed his research findings.His depiction of his female protagonists is, I'd say, less successful: Burke may sympathize with women and their problems, but that doesn't mean he understands them, either one.

Louisiana is more or less home country for Burke, who was born in Houston, Texas, in 1936, and grew up on the Texas-Louisiana gulf coast. He attended Southwestern Louisiana Institute; later received B. A. and M. A. degrees from the University of Missouri in 1958 and 1960 respectively. Over the years he worked as a landman for Sinclair Oil Company, a pipeliner, land surveyor, newspaper reporter, college English professor, social worker on Skid Row in Los Angeles, clerk for the Louisiana Employment Service, and instructor in the U. S. Job Corps.

Some of Burke's more recent, best-selling novels in the Robicheaux series are Jolie Blon's Bounce, Purple Cane Road (Dave Robicheaux Mysteries), and Cadillac Jukebox (Dave Robicheaux Mysteries).Burke's work has twice been awarded an Edgar for Best Crime Novel of the Year. He has also been a recipient of a Breadloaf and Guggenheim Fellowship and an NEA grant.His early novel The Lost Get-Back Boogie was rejected 111 times over a period of nine years, and upon publication by Louisiana State University press was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.At least eight of his novels have been New York Times bestsellers.

"White Doves," is, to me, a perfectly acceptable, good job of work, but it's neither outstanding, nor particularly memorable.Seems like most, if not all, mystery authors, even the best of them, itch to try their hands at something else, and Burke is as free as anyone to try his hand at different genres.But he has a powerful creation in Robicheaux, one he is not likely to be able to duplicate elsewhere. Certainly not in "White Doves."

Loved It!
I have been reading James Lee Burke's books for the past year. Gone through them like a great meal.
In general they blow my mind. Burke combines fascinating characters that motivate interesting plots with prose that
whistles off the page. Often in Burke's books there is either references to the Civil War or actual
reminisces. Finally a full blown novel of the War. Every page feels like Burke must have relished finally writing his Civil War novel. I haven't dared writing a review of any of Burke's books because he is just too damn good to review. White Doves somehow has moved me to write. Usually I am not interested in historical novels. White Doves makes books like Gone With The Wind an embarrassment. Do yourself a favor read James Lee Burke. Take a trip back in our countries history.

Great scenes, poor dialogue
I received this book in a box lot on ebay and decided to give it a try. I found the author's ability to write vivid and dramatic scenes very impressive. There are enough reviews here to tell the plot of the book, so I won't go into that.
My main criticism of the book is the bland dialogue that took me right out of the historic mood that the author, otherwise, does such a great job of creating. As a historical fiction author, I have taken great pains to study 19th century language and speech, so maybe I am overly sensitive. But there were many modern words and usages that stopped me dead and were very disappointing.
That said, it appears the author is usually a mystery/crime writer, and judging from the pictures he paints with words, is a good one.
My other criticism is that the plot leans a little too far for me toward the often-taught myth that slavery was the cause of the War Between the States. I prefer seeing a little more balance - even in fiction.
Jessica James
Award-winning author
of Shades of Gray

Well worth reading
This is a very well written novel, with lots of good Civil War history worked in, although I agree with one other reviewer here that at times the characters became "preachy stereotypes," and another who said some characters' actions were unrealistic for the society, time period, etc.But, still, I greatly enjoyed it, and I found Willie Burke to be a very engaging character - I loved his smart remarks made almost always at the worst possible moments!I also like the complicated character of Flower's white father - I kept hoping he'd become a better person and was suprised more than once by his actions, good and bad.Flower is maybe a bit too good to be true, but I still felt myself hoping for her to get through all her ordeals and make a good life for herself.It's not a romantic look at the times, like Gone With The Wind, so don't expect that "vibe," but it's got content that will make you sometimes wince, shudder, laugh or cry.Definitely worth the reading!

Burke - forever the master of words
I listed to this book on audio cassette.The narrator, Ed Sala is a master of many voices. His voice alone makes the book worth listening to. And of course, James Lee Burke is a master of words and a master of creating a plot and story line that is intriguing and suspenseful.

A wonderful and power book to listen to that brings many aspects of the Civil War and how it effecter ordinary people.

... Read more

Product Description
From the author of "The Call of the Wild" comes the compelling story of the long and perilous sea voyage of Wolf Larsen, captain of the "Ghost", and his reluctant crewman Humphrey Van Weyden. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (90)

Another Great London Novel
London's novels are very philosophical.They are adventure stories with timeless moral themes.Some of the dialogue is a bit dated but I found this refreshing after reading "The Girl With the ...." Trilogy recently.After reading this try "The Iron Heel" also by Jack London.A book that has a brilliant description of socialism in it.

Decent nautical yarn, ambitious and overachieving.
As a psychological adventure novel, The Sea Wolf is the story of a writer, Humphrey Van Weyden shipwrecked in the ocean and rescued by the monstrous, brutal captain Wolf Larsen. Van Wedyen is soft, bookish character, and is astonished by the ugly strength and egoism of Larsen. Larsen forces Van Weyden to accompany the ship in its voyage across the ocean to hunt seals, and along the way he learns the toughness of nautical life, measured by the novel's repeated metaphors of callouses and scars on what were his soft, gentleman's hands, and what Larsen calls "standing on his own legs."

There is a weak romantic element tacked onto the story, when the crew rescues a from another shipwreck the poet Maud Brewster, a delicate aesthete and again a foil against Larsen's brutality. Brewster and Van Weyden fall in love in the course of their adventures but the book represses this until a last page kiss. Truly feeble.

But the central failing is that this novel would have been better with a more interesting or believable antagonist. Although reviewers gush about the intensity of the character portrayal of Wolf Larsen -- really, he is not that interesting. Overly talky and one-dimensional despite that, Larsen spouts philosophical cliches (as does Van Weyden) as if he's in a late-night drunken argument in a freshman dorm room. Predictable, and his routine of menacing and bullying doesn't really shock as much as the author thinks it does.

The novel's greatest strength is in the telling of the nautical adventure itself, the sailing of the schooner is wonderfully detailed and the descriptions of the techniques of seal-hunting quite interesting.

Great book and always has been
Read it in high school fifty some years ago, and now it's easier to read and buy, on amazon.com's bookstore.

The Sea Wolf
Absolutely loved this book!

Humphrey Van Weyden is a 35 year old bookish man who has never had to stand on his own two feet. He almost drowns when the boat he is on collides with another in the San Francisco Bay, but is soon rescued by the Ghost and its captain, Wolf Larsen.Wolf is a Darwinian philosopher of sorts who has taken survival of the fittest to the extreme with his raw, wolf-like savageness. And this savageness, OH YES THIS SAVAGENESS, makes The Sea Wolf one hell of a read!

Wolf exclaims "life was a ferment, a yeasty something which devoured life that it might live, and the living was merely successful piggishness. Why if there is anything in supply and demand, life is the cheapest thing in the world. There is only so much water, so much earth, so much air; but the life that is demanding to be born is limitless. Nature is a spendthrift. Look at the fish and their millions of eggs. For that matter, look at you and me. In our loins are the possibilities of millions of lives. Could we but find time and opportunity and utilize the last bit and every bit of the unborn life that is in us, we could become the fathers of nations and populate continents. Life? Bah! It has no value. Of cheap things it is the cheapest. Everywhere it goes begging. Nature spills it out with a lavish hand. Where there is room for one life, she sows a thousand lives, and its life eats life till the strongest and most piggish life is left."

Make no mistake that Wolf stays true to this philosophy.

Meanwhile, Hump learns to stand on his own two feet in two significant ways - one seemingly unintentional. He unexpectedly becomes an intellectual playmate of Wolf's, which sort of buys him time from Wolf's brutality. Also, he overcomes extreme physical obstacles while on the Ghost and while trying to escape.

During my elation while reading this book I became curious as to why it hadn't made it to the Novel 100 list by Daniel S. Burt or other similar lists. I was thinking 5 STARS! 5 STARs! The dialogue was wonderful and plentiful (in a good way). Wolf's character was amazing in a brutal and sordid way. I think most of us can relate to the fantasy of our primitive selves. Why not one of THE classics?

Well it seems that some of the works referred to in The Sea Wolf are anachronistic and the story itself is considered "patchy". Patchy as in melodramatic (But this was funny and interestingggg....), philosophic debate (INTERESTING!), travelogue (Soooo?), and love story (Yeah...the love story was a bit cheesy. A famous female author just happens to be the one who washes up for the bookish Hump????)

So, 4 stars because of the out of place references and all too convenient terms of the love story, but still, a thrilling read!

Blunt, forceful, un-cheesy book--weak ending
I was surprised to discover how excellent this book was.I found the first few pages rather cheesy, but very soon London's character of Wolf Larsen, a brutal and all-powerful sea captain, changed all that.I found him one of the most disturbing and forceful characters in all of literature--a sort of Hitleresque beast, yet created almost thirty years before anyone ever heard of Hitler.

Contrasted with Wolf Larsen is the main character, appropriately named Humphrey, a wimp extraordinaire--who falls prey to the power and control of Larsen, and slowly learns to find himself and his strength in Larsen's midst.However, for maybe the first thirty or forty pages of their interaction, the book seemed a bit over-philosophical, almost teenage in its grand discussion of "life" and "morality" and "humanity" and "death."But then, somehow, Jack London gripped me anyway, and his created world of ultra-violence and distorted masculinity, where physical strength and personal force are everything, became all-too-real, all-too-believable, and all-too-powerful.I couldn't put it down.Kudos to Jack London!

Unfortunately, though, the book peters out in the last few chapters.I don't want to give away the ending, but suffice to say that I felt London just couldn't sustain the story.Yes, intellectually the ending works, but emotionally it doesn't.It turned wooden--and false.I found myself bored at the end, and I hoped that London would somehow redeem it.Alas, he didn't.

But in spite of the cheesy ending the book is still unique--and a worthwhile read.I have trouble imagining anyone writing such a book today. ... Read more

Product Description
After killing a man in an instant of blind fury and fear, Dan Lambert--desperate, unemployed, and torn by dark memories--flees south toward the Louisiana bayous in search of personal redemption, with the police and bounty hunters in close pursuit. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (49)

Sheer entertainment
The moment I read the first page of Gone South I knew I was in for a reading adventure. McCammon went to town on this one. When Dan Lambert heads for the swamps on a crazy-seeming mission I savor every alligator he meets. Lambert has a buddy, though, his little brother. I wish they'd make a movie of Gone South.

Awesome!!!!!!!
Robert McCammon is a great writer.I read "Gone South" for the third time.It is a truly unique story-line that will hold your interest all the way through.I just ordered "Boys Life" and "Swan Song" which I will be reading for the third time each also.

Great Book
One of the best book I have read.You will not be able to put it down.

What can you say about McCammon?
McCammon is one of those rare authors who has been accepted by his readership as one who writes in several different genres. I'm not necessarily saying that exactly the same readership reads everything he writes. But he succeeds in several genres well enough to get good reviews no matter what.
In my opinion, this book may not be quite as strong as Boy's Life, but it is well written, emotional, and imaginative. He may be trying a little too hard with his siamese twins, sidekick searching for the perfect faith healer, and other assorted strange characters. However, he keeps you turning the pages, and that's one of the most important things any writer must do.This is an extremely talented writer.

Master of adventure!!!
Mr. McCammon knows how to take the reader on a ride ...
I felt the stickness of the swamp and the book kept my attention all the way through.
I highly recommend this book, along with Swan Song this is my favorite. ... Read more

Product Description

JAMES LEE BURKE'S BLOCKBUSTER BESTSELLER AT A NEW LOW PRICE!

BITTERROOT

Read by Will Patton

Billy Bob Holland's friend, Doc Voss, has been battling against a local mining company whose operations would severely threaten the area's economy. Despite Voss's best efforts, the mining interests make it clear that they will resort to any means to see that Voss backs off. What Billy Bob doesn't know is that one member of the pro-mining faction is Wyatt Dixon, a recent prison parolee intent on exacting revenge for his imprisonment and his sister's death, both events he believes were Billy Bob's doing. His apparent support of the mining company is merely a clever cover for his plan to silence Billy Bob for good.Amazon.com Review
Ex-Texas Rangers are suckers for old friends in distress, so when Vietnam vet and recent widower Doc Voss calls lawyer Billy Bob Holland from Montana with an apparently innocent invitation to visit, Billy Bob packs up and"head[s] north with creel and fly rod in the foolish hope that somehow myown ghosts did not cross state lines."

Doc has managed to alienate everyone in town, including mining interests onthe Blackfoot River; a drug-running biker gang; an enclave of whitesupremacists, led by slimy Carl Hinkel; the local mob connection, in theperson of an even slimier Nicki Molinari; and the feds, who don't wantanything interfering with their pursuit of both Hinkel and Molinari. After Doc's daughter is brutally raped by three of the bikers, and those three are murdered in a particularly nasty fashion, Holland must try to clear hisfriend of suspicion. As he ferrets through a tangled web of coincidenceand connection, Holland risks losing everything and everyone dear to him.

The wild card in the pack is Wyatt Dixon, a psychopathic ex-con who holdsHolland responsible for his sister's death, and who has followed him toMontana: "[Wyatt] recycled pain, stored its memory, footnoted everyinstance of it in his life and the manner in which it had been visited upon him,then paid back his enemies and tormentors in ways they never foresaw."

James Lee Burke's prose alternately sparkles with a perverse insouciance ("Lamar had gotten his. Big time. Soaked in paint thinner and flame-roasted from headto foot like a burned burrito.") and glows with a muted intensity ("Iclosed the door and slipped the bolt and went back to sleep and hoped that the sun would rise on a better world for all of us."). The author's capacity toadd depth to his characters with a few well-chosen phrases remains striking:the town sheriff walks "heavily, like a man who knew his knowledge of the worldwould never have an influence upon it"; a group of college boys is"suntanned and hard-muscled, innocently secure in the knowledge thatmembership in a group of people such as themselves meant that age andmortality would never hold sway in their lives."

Is the Billy Bob Holland series (three novels and counting) justRobicheaux Redux? The ex-Texas Ranger is, as either man mightadmit, the spittin' image of Dave Robicheaux, Burke's Louisiana PI: simultaneously rugged and rage-filled, chivalrous and callow, debonair and disturbing. And like the Robicheaux series, the Holland novels drift effortlessly among genres: regional writing, gritty noir, classic PI. You can cavil that Burke is repeating himself--or you can rejoice that Burke is continuing to enlarge his pool of intense, lyrical crime novels. Personally, I plump for the latter. --Kelly Flynn ... Read more

Customer Reviews (55)

Unpleasant.
This book contains the author's typically beautiful if repetitive descriptions of landscape,weather and people. However the majority of the characters are unpleasant and detract from the prose.
They all speak to one another in the same contrived, oblique and aggressive fashion,nearly every conversation in the book consists of thinly veild accusations.
I find it incredulous that virtually everyone in a story would have the same voice(you could swap most conversations in the book between characters without noticing any difference).Surely one of the hallmarks of good writing is to give each character a distinctive voice? But here Billy Bob, Doc, Cleo,Xavier and the FBI agents,among others, all speak with the same patterns of speech.

Furthermore the character of Doc(supposedly the pivot for the story) is poorly drawn(does he actually do any work?Why do people follow his lead on issues when he seems a taciturn isolated loner with little charisma even from the opening scenes before the attack on his daughter?).Again from the opening scenes all he and Billy Bob seem to do is irritate one another.There is no evidence of a great friendship on show.

Indeed the complete absence of humour in this book is one of it's many weaknesses. Then again who would want to be friends with Billy Bob? He has nothing to recommend him as a character.
A cliched plot featuring far too many characters who are simply shadows of one another and painfully unlikely coincidences doen't help much either.Are there any normal people in Montana?

I think the book needed judicious editing, a better plot and more varied dialogue and tone. Nice descriptions alone are not enough.Each time I put it down I was ready to argue with someone and only finished it out of habit.
Given that Mr Burke has in some fashion been writing the same story for several years(psycho on the loose,amoral rich folks,rage filled sullen, humourless and frankly unhappy protagonist(Dave or Billy Bob) in beautifully described surroundings..etc) one would think he should be better at it by now.

A REAL PAGE TURNER
This book is great entertaining reading.The author is a master of concise yet poetic description.Words flow like silk from the page.There is a caution contained in that praise.Read this book when you have plenty of time.I could not put is down and continually wanted to learn more.The characterization, pacing, roughness, and violence (just enough) were riviting.There were lots of people intertwined in a complex plot that gradually crystallized.I would have liked to have seen a little more development of the ending, however.Without giving away the climax, everyone seemed to get their just desserts in one short scene.A more creative demise would have been juicier.We don't know how the characters recovered after the events of the book were concluded.Did the mining company get off unscathed?And of course, the arch-villian lives to see another day.The Montana setting was beautiful in its description.Is the fishing really that good?I wonder how the state tourism board views this book as it does perpetuate the stereotype that the isolated parts of Montana are havens for all sorts of crazies.Best quote of the book:"Children of Calvin...." - - read it!

Good read
James Lee Burke is one of my favorite authors. His work is good and easy read. However, this book was not easy for me to relate to as I am not from the south,nor do I have experience with some of the lingua that was used. This did not detract me from the story which was excellent!

Burke gets it
James Lee Burke, who is almost a neighbour (I live across the state line of the Bitterroots, in Wallace, Idaho) just gets it. He writes sentences you want to shout aloud, and draws a description you can just step right in to. This is a man who loves words and does not use them unnecessarily. Bitterroot puts the Neo-Nazi (Neocon?) cancer in a clear perspective, but the battle is not about guns. It's about souls. One minor technical point: in Wallace, we had 4 whorehouses, not just the one.

Great Delivery
I keep buying these books written by James Lee Burke.His writing is the very best and this one in particular was good.I love the delivery process.
... Read more

Product Description
6 Cassettes/ 10 Hours. Unabridged. ... Read more