Product Description

The most successful stories in the collection offer moments of startlingclarity. In "Car Crash While Hitchhiking," for instance, the narrator feels most alive while in the presence of another's loss: "Down the hall came the wife. Shewas glorious, burning. She didn't know yet that her husband was dead.... What a pair of lungs! She shrieked as I imagined an eagle would shriek. Itfelt wonderful to be alive to hear it! I've gone looking for that feelingeverywhere." In "Work," while "salvaging" copper wire from a flooded houseto fund their habits, the narrator and an acquaintance stop to watch thenearly unfathomable sight of a beautiful, naked woman paragliding up theriver. Later the narrator learns that the house once belonged to hisdown-and-out accomplice and that the woman is his estranged wife. "Asnearly as I could tell, I'd wandered into some sort of dream that Wayne washaving about his wife, and his house," he reasons. Such is the experiencefor the reader. More Genet than Bukowski, Denis Johnson lures us into amisfit soul's dream from which he can't awake. --Langdon Cook ... Read more

Customer Reviews (104)

Perfect Condition
This item was recieved MUCH quicker than was told or than I anticipated. The book arrived in absolute perfect condition and has been extremely helpful to me in my university class. I actually would have enjoyed the read even had it not been a college requirement, as it is definitely written very well. If your looking here you must have an interest, so do yourself a favor and pick one up. You won't regret it at all.

not "like new"
Overall I was pleased with this purchase in all aspects except one. I thought I was buying a book in "like new" condition meaning it might have a couple bent corners or other minor flaws caused by rough handling. What I received was slightly batter, has pages yellowed with age, smells like it's been on a back corner shelf for too long, and even had a couple small spider webs clinging to the pages. I'm not too bothered since these are still cosmetic flaws and I bought the book to read, not to look at, but next time I hope they list the condition as something more appropriate, maybe "like old".

One of the best collections of short stories ever
so good i pick it up for inspiration. collection has unity to it. prose is jarringly poetic. great exploration of Placelessness. must read for adventurous, not easily disturbed.

Spectacularly accurate and beautifully written
Stories involving drug addiction. Johnson's great gift is making something ugly so limpidly clear without judgment. He's so spot on about the minor drug-centered observations. You're really inside his narrator's world. So the book transports you, and if you are curious about or dealing with addiction issues in yourself or a loved one, you may find something illuminating here beyond the great writing and the neat structure. A small book and worth reading. I also recommend his novels, especially Resuscitation of a Hanged Man.

One of my favorite books
I first read this book at the age of 22, having been turned on to it by a friend. Over the years, I have read this book again and again, and probably, it is the book that I have reread more than any other. I am compelled to do this primarily because of the effect of the sentences upon me. Johnson is a master at communicating in one short sentence what other writers would babble on about for pages or chapters. It is language evaporated, reduced. While the stories themselves are good, and the characters are interesting (especially for anyone who likes a good book about druggies), the best part about the book is the style and the voice. ... Read more

Product Description
Based on rare archival material, obscure trial manuscripts, and interviews with relatives of the conspirators and the manhunters, CHASING LINCOLN'S KILLER is a fast-paced thriller about the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth: a wild twelve-day chase through the streets of Washington, D.C., across the swamps of Maryland, and into the forests of Virginia.

"This story is true. All the characters are real and were alive during the great manhunt of April 1865. Their words are authentic and come from original sources: letters, manuscripts, trial transcripts, newspapers, government reports, pamphlets, books and other documents. What happened in Washington, D.C., that spring, and in the swamps and rivers, forests and fields of Maryland and Virginia during the next twelve days, is far too incredible to have been made up."

So begins this fast-paced thriller that tells the story of the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth and gives a day-by-day account of the wild chase to find this killer and his accomplices. Based on James Swanson's bestselling adult book MANHUNT: THE 12-DAY CHASE FOR LINCOLN'S KILLER, this young people's version is an accessible look at the assassination of a president, and shows readers Abraham Lincoln the man, the father, the husband, the friend, and how his death impacted those closest to him.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (101)

Great way to get middle school kids interested in the history.
Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson (the younger readers version of his original book, Manhunt- the 12 day chase for Lincoln's Killer), is the behind the scenes story about the occurrences that went along with the President's planned assassination. I feel that this book is a fantastic way to introduce the younger generations and middle school U.S. History students to the famous President's fateful end. This book gave the reader all the information learned in school and then turned it up a notch and described some situations they did not learn. I enjoyed this book, could not put it down. I never knew that the original plan was to kidnap the President and hold him hostage to make a point. I also did not know that there were others that were supposed to be murdered that day.
Chasing Lincoln's Killer begins with a depressed John Wilkes Booth. With an earlier plan to kidnap the President, take him to Richmond and hold him hostage, the young John Wilkes Booth seals his own fate. Then suddenly his day morbidly brightens by the news that the 16th president of the United States, they man he despises, is headed to the very theater that he so lovingly inhabited as an actor.
Swanson does a great job keeping the interest of the reader with story lines,chilling pictures and historical information throughout the book. I enjoyed learning more about the President's death and the attempted deaths of Secretary of State William H. Seaward and Vice President Andrew Johnson. I do not remember learning about these two other gentleman, who would also be targeted by Booth's henchmen the evening of April 14, 1865.

Great historical fiction
My children and I are loving this book. We are listening to the audio version. I want to find more historical nonfiction aimed at youth that is this good!

Great Reading for the Young (and older) Reader
Author James Swanson, author of the bestseller Manhunt, has come up with a unique idea in writing a junior version of the same book for young readers regarding the hunt for John Wilkes Booth, murderer of President Abraham Lincoln.This book should be riveting reading for the young reader who may tend to find American history boring.History is about people, and people are always an interesting subject.Swanson skillfully brings out the personalities of the individuals involved in the story along with the frustrations that Booth and co-conspirator David Herold experienced on their flight to freedom.Sepia-colored photos of the principle characters also are provided along with a map of the route traveled in the back of the book.I used a folder I recently purchased at Ford's Theatre of Booth's escape route that proved to be invaluable to me.I would hope that other authors would pick up on Swanson's idea of writing exciting history geared down to the interests level of middle school and even younger students.Swanson's young niece provided suggestions as to what vocabulary words would be more appropriate to young readers.I have read Manhunt and thoroughly enjoyed it, and this young people's version provided me with a quick review of the this infamous incident in American history.

awsome
I love this book and again im only 11 soooooo yeah who like xbox 360 modern warfare 2 xbox live i doo noob tubes. this is the best non fifction book ive ever read

Booth on the run
This is a great read for young adults. It brings history to life in an exciting and compelling fashion. ... Read more

Product Description
Edenton is a town in Chowan County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,966 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Chowan County. Edenton is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region. In recent years Edenton has become a popular retirement location and a destination for heritage tourism. It is the location of many bed and breakfast inns. Edenton achieved international notoriety for the Little Rascals child-abuse case, the subject of journalist Ofra Bikel's award-winning trilogy of documentaries: Innocence Lost (1991), Innocence Lost: The Verdict (1993), and Innocence Lost: The Plea (1997). The 2007 independent feature film, Dog Days of Summer, starring Will Patton was shot entirely on location in historic Edenton. ... Read more

Product Description
Beneath the still blue waters off  Key Largo a woman dives into a dazzling array of  color. But behind the shimmering schools of fish,  somewhere in the shadows of the reef, a death trap  awaits. In minutes one life will be expertly,  brutally taken, and another plunged into a mean season  of fury, obsession, and revenge... His name is  Thorn, his world is mangrove islands, open waters, and  the ghosts of a too-violent past. Darcy Richards  was everything to him. Now, finding her killer is.  Wading into a seething mystery, Thorn is  catapulted into a nightmare of violence and deception.  There lurks a sensual young woman with a hard come-on,  an aging former mobster, and a diabolical ex-CIA  man. What they all have in common is each other's  mad ruthlessness -- and a little red fish that will  make some people very rich, and others very  dead...


From the Paperback edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Two of the craziest people in the world.
This novel is an absolute delight--lush, tropical Florida background perfectly depicted; fast, fascinating action and excellent plot; and truly colorful characters.We have a super-symbiotic relationship between a violent sociopathic, father-daughter team; a sad detective married to a dog b*tch from h*ll whom he can't live with/can't live without; and a lovable super-hero who always lands on his feet.Judy Nelson, a law enforcement officer, is a very strong, brave and funny supporting player.

Sylvie is the craziest woman you'll ever hope to see.I doubt there's any psychiatric diagnosis for her condition.Yes, she's a violent criminal sociopath and pretty much schizophrenic--but more than that, just crazy as a hoot owl.One of the most fascinating characters I've ever run across, and I'm sorry she died. But the other complete nut who really sticks in my craw is Sugarman.He falls in love with Doris, a beautiful, kind, gentle woman who loves him with all her heart, yet he won't leave his cruel, selfish, totally self-centered harpy of a wife who continues to make him her perfect little punching bag.(They have no children to consider.)So I give him no respect.Last we hear, Doris is still hanging in there with Sugar despite this, so I give her no respect either.

This novel is simply not to be missed.It's far more than a fine suspense thriller in a beautiful scenic setting.It's a meticulously detailed study of how crazy and absurd some of our species can be.

Not to be missed!Oldie but goodie that I just happened to find in the library and has hooked me on James W. Hall.

Walking Catfish, Grass Carp, Zebra Mussels, etc.
Invasive exotic species, get the picture? Eventually so does Thorn. A breeding program to develop a species of "red" tilapia under the theory that Americans will eat anything that's "red," not so far fetched now that we know about red dye in farmed salmon, threatens to unleash a flood of unwelcome visitors into the glades watershed. The story is a bit heavy handed, but after all so is Thorn.
I discovered a used copy of this novel in a bookstore in the Keys a few years ago while hunting a poolside "read."Almost got as red as the tilapia as I forgot the time in the sun and since have hunted down the entire series. A rough, tough south Florida adventure novel, and while not Hall's best it's worth the time if you like this sort of fiction. I do.

A Forgettable Mess
Hall offers yet another look at the seamy underbelly of South Florida life, this one with a plot revolving around revenge, the threat of environmental havoc, and a rather forgettable cast of characters. The ostensible hero, Thorn (although he's not particularly interesting or likable to root for, nor nasty enough to be an anti-hero) comes across a scheme to genetically modify and breed Red Tilapia, with potentially devastating consequences for Florida's coastal ecology. Thorn is apparently a carryover from previous novels, in which other relatives and friends of his have been murdered, so perhaps the reader is meant to have gotten to know him better from these previous outings. In any event, when his girlfriend dies mysteriously while diving, he and his ex-cop buddy start poking their noses around. This soon entangles them with Sylvia, a stereotype man-eating sex kitten who has a bizarre relationship with her ex-CIA hitman father. Their combined actions and motivations require a rather substantial suspension of disbelief on the part of the reader. This is also required when someone tried to kill Thorn in his house, spending a considerable time firing a gun at his house without rousing anybody in the neighborhood. Of course, it's never really clear how or why this person comes looking for Thorn, much less to shoot at! Throw into the mix a wildlife inspector with a detachable nose, a pudgy retired Mafia boss, a mass killing at a federal research facility that apparently somehow got covered up, a bizarre and herky-jerky climax, and what you're left with is a big mess. Hall is at his best in his lyrical descriptions of the water and landscape, but when it comes to dialogue and story, he falters and often fails.

Hall, yet again, delivers the goods...
...Hall, if you are at all familiar with him, is absolutely an incredible author.If you are coming to Hall via Hiaasen/Shames/Dorsey/Barry or even Leonard, a word of caution:Hall tends to use a slightly more doom and gloom approach to his writing.His is a work that is going to have a more ominious (even melancholy)tone to it---no offbeat hijinks to level off the atmosphere.With the other authors, save for instance Randy Wayne White, you get a little humor to lighten the load somewhat.Not here.Here, you better hang on because it's going to be a bitter armageddon.

This is classic Hall.The story involves a huge amount of topics, all of which Hall (like a juggler) never lets fall.There are times when Hall returns to a point/storyline a bit late, but I truly only say that as a word of caution to those with severe attention-span disorders.But, as I cautioned above, the storylines here weigh pretty heavy.

Topics include a mafioso guy with a penchant for child pornography.An under-developed, highly-sexed-in-situations girl who in involved with an incestuous relationship with her father (whom she is trying to kill).The incest-father is an ex-cia masterkiller who is slowly poisoning the stroke-victim-husband of his exwife (incest victim's mother).Not to give too much away, mafioso guy is related to incest victim and exwife and has his hand in the murder. Or does he? How???? Hmmm, for you to find out.

Also include some great government conspiracies and nudist colonies.Now throw in some old fashioned underwater murder and you've got just a wee sketch of what's going on.

Hall carries this off amazingly.Dark subject matter, sure.But a [darn] good story by an altogether incredible author.Other authors could learn a thing or two from Hall.Particularly, as much as I love him, Tim Dorsey.Dorsey has a slight problem with including far too many storylines that are of no consequence (and are totally meaningless in the big picture), and has a [heck] of time trying to keep them altogether.Still, don't take this to imply that you should avoid Dorsey.In fact, read all of his books.I certainly have.

Anyway, enjoy this one if you are up for it.Just realize what you're in for.Hopefully I've given you a heads up as to what that is.

Hall delivers once again!
James W. Hall is an excellent author, his books are always full of adventure, non stop edge of your seat suspense and packed with factual scientific information pertinent to the day in time.

Hallintroduces the story by forcing the reader to feel what it's really like tobe inside of Thorn's skin.With the death of his close companion we sharehis anger, outrage, frustration and grief.The plot of the story holdsmore meaning because the reader is personally and emotionally tied to thestory.

Although the story is obviously fictional one cannot helpwondering how far fetched a biological disaster as such could really be. In nature one finds that these occurances are often natually correctedhowever this book presents the question, "What if it occursintentionally?"and more importantly, "Why?"

James W.Hall is indisputably worth your money, attention and time.Don't stop withMean High Tide!!! ... Read more

Product Description
Playaway is the easiest way to listen to a book on the go. An all-in-one format, the player and content are combined in one 2 ounce unit and it comes with everything you need to start listening immediately. No separate player needed, no CDs, no downloads - just press play!

A fast-paced thriller about the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth: a wild twelve-day chase through the streets of Washington, D.C., across the swamps of Maryland, and into the forests of Virginia. ... Read more

Product Description

Clutching the shards, of his shattered life, Cajun detective Dave Robicheaux has rejoined the New lberia police force.

His partner is dead -- slain during a condemned prisoner's bloodyflight to freedom that left Robicheaux critically wounded...and reawakened the ghost of his haunted, violent past.

Now he's trailing a killer into the sordid head of die Big Easy-caught up in the lethal undercurrents of a mob double-cross...confronting his most dangerous enemy: himself

Customer Reviews (31)

Fourth in the Robicheaux Series, Still Strong Stuff
"A Morning for Flamingos" (1990) was apparently the fourth novel published by American author James Lee Burke in his mighty New York Times bestselling detective Dave Robicheaux series.Like the earlier books of the series, and most of the series' works to follow, the book, a Southern noir, police procedural/mystery, is set in and around New Orleans, Louisiana, more or less home country for Burke, who was born in Houston, Texas, in 1936, and grew up on the Texas-Louisiana gulf coast.

Money problems have brought Robicheaux back to working as a detective in the Sheriff's Office of New Iberia, Louisiana, a smaller quieter town near New Orleans.He still lives in the house in which he was born, and owns and operates his boat rental and bait business, assisted by Batist, the black man whom we have met many times before and will again.The detective's second wife Annie was murdered a year ago by hit men looking for Robicheaux.We meet again his adopted daughter Alafair, and the three-legged raccoon, Tripod, her pet.

Robicheaux and another detective are taking two convicted felons to Angola, the notorious Louisiana state jail.One, the black, Creole Tee Beau Latiolais, is under sentence of death for the murder of redbone Hipolyte Broussard, pimp and drug dealer. Tee Beau'sGrandmama, Tante Lemon, is not shy about expressing to Robicheaux her conviction that the young man is innocent of the crime.The other felon, Jimmie Lee Boggs, is Burke's more or less usual funny-looking, white, psychotic, homicidal hit man.On the trip, Boggs makes a break for it, killing two men, seriously injuring Robicheaux, and incidentally freeing Tee Beau. Needless to say, the detective is intent on finding Boggs again.But his continuing financial problems cause him to accept a proposition from an old acquaintance, the fed Minos Dautrieve: that he go undercover for DEA to try to put a dent in New Orleans' thriving drug trade.As Robicheaux continues to look into Tee Beau's case, the detective will also meet Dorothea, the young man's girlfriend, and Gros Mama Goula, black gris-gris woman and brothel keeper, who just might know a thing or two about the death of the redbone (mixed black, white and Indian in the local parlance). The detective's return to New Orleans also results in his hearing from Bootsie Giacano, an old girlfriend of his, now twice widowed, who had married into New Orleans' premier mobster family. She goes back in his life to the summer of 1957, when Jimmie Clanton's "Just a Dream" was the most popular song on the jukebox.

Of course, this being a book by Burke, New Orleans wise guys soon start coming out of the woodwork for reasons of their own: we have here Anthony Cardo, AKA Tony C or Tony the Cutter,and his assorted employees, Lionel Comeaux, Uncle Ray Fontenot, Kim Dollinger, and others.And, to be sure, Clete Purcel, Robicheaux's former partner on the New Orleans Police Department, an overweight, heavy-drinking, brawling, heavily-scarred survivor of the city's tough Irish Channel neighborhood, as Burke's gangsters always are, is around to help the detective.Robicheaux is of Cajun ancestry, and is still reliving the nightmare of his service in Vietnam, as, in fact, is the mobster Tony C. The detective has a drinking problem, and a tendency to violence that is exaggerated by his friend and alter-ego Purcel.

Well, as a rule, I don't care for "undercover" plots, and the plot here is a little thin - for Burke - although it hums along and introduces quite a few characters.Several of the characters are grotesque, indeed, a sure attribute of Southern fiction.Still, "A Morning" is by no means my favorite in the mystery series. But Burke continues to write with noticeable energy, passion and power.More than anything else, seems to me, in Burke's work, we'll enjoy some of the most beautiful, knowledgeable writing ever committed to paper about the flora, fauna, geography, and human occupants of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, now so much in the news.Burke 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. His work has twice been awarded an Edgar for Best Crime Novel of the Year. At least eight of his novels, including the recent Jolie Blon's Bounce, and Purple Cane Road (Dave Robicheaux Mysteries) have been New York Times bestsellers.Fourth book in the series: still pretty strong stuff.Worth reading.

Dave Robicheaux....an "Every Man" Type of Hero
I'm reading these in order and am completely hooked on the Robicheaux series and the character himself.Admittedly flawed, always willing to put himself in harm's way for others, doggedly determined, and fighting the good fights....what's not to like?Throw in Burke's writing style, which is simply great and characters added or revisiting from other novels - all with depth and "realness" to them, and you have a winning series and one of our great mystery/thriller writers.

HARD HITTING BURKE
Another fine novel by Burke. Again his characters, good and evil, leap off the page and into your mind. This one would make a great film with Tommy lee Jones as the protaganist.

Delta Dawn
James Lee Burke was recommended to me as an author along with David Fulmer, whose work I have also read and reviewed.I did enjoy this book, because for a brisk change of pace, there's nothing more exciting than a good crime and punishment novel - a walk on the wild side.Burke is another fine writer of this type of drama who is articulate, given to enchanting descriptive paragraphs of the Louisiana bayou country, the coastal lands and New Orleans, swamps and storms and elements, all of which appeal to me greatly while reading.In fact, I look for such things in writers - it amounts to chemistry between reader and writer - and it's what sets them apart for me.The plot is well laid out and the dialog between the characters is very good. In the comparison between the literary styles of Burke and Fulmer, if a comparison is needed, Burke comes off a little more as mass production in my eyes, but that is strictly an opinion and is not intended as a negative.

Dave Robicheaux, a career lawman who has had a lifetime of experience in police and private investigation, is approached by the DEA to go under cover in New Orleans, posing as a disgraced ex-cop on the rebound into another type of career - this time on the dirty side of the street.I liked the idea of the under cover approach, but it happened a mite too fast; he was accepted much too soon into the dealer's fold to be as believable as much of the story otherwise was, taking into consideration the kind of people being written about.During the first few days back in New Orleans, a lost love resurfaces in his life - from out of the magical long-ago Summer of '57 - and she is still beautiful but bored - and married into the mob to Bootsie. This too, seems a stretch to compliment an under cover cop's work, because in the words of his best friend, Clete Purcell, "you don't mess with their babes". But it makes good reading nonetheless, somehow, he gets away with it without even a confrontation, and their reunion does add the element of "first love rediscovered" romance that almost everyone can identify a little with.

The character of Dave also possesses human frailties that haunt him - some normal, some not so; he battles drink and depression, some of which is inherent to his nature, some of it inflicted or at least worsened by his stint in Viet Nam.He tries to use logic and critical thinking when coping with his devils, and this adds to the strength of character he obviously has - in fact, it's probably his salvation.And his observation of the emancipation the dawn provides him as he escapes from the night is truly remarkable, one of the best scenes.His thought process comes up with some other good "life experience" colloquialisms, and for me, this contributed to much of the design of the personality given him.

He also discovers in his target, the drug lord Tony Cardo, something he had not counted on, in fact didn't even believe existed in one so depraved - a tormented spirit, addicted to his own product, but possessed of a great love for his handicapped child, a little boy named Paul, who is the only rock left to him in his swaying, storm tossed world, most of it self-inflicted by his recurring death wish and his drug lord status.At the finale, this strange relationship between the hunter and the hunted plays out in a dramatic turn that's rather interesting, and I found myself wishing that the bad guy would get away after all, he deserved to get away, away with his little boy and his life while his wounded soul was given a chance to heal and become whole once more.

Sadly, I have big news regarding the toilet scene that resembled a scene out of the Godfather:A blue tick hound will not fit into a toilet bowl, not even if it were a puppy, or even if it had been through a meat grinder - it's anatomically impossible.I didn't completely understand it's significance with the rest of the plot - but I guess a dog in a toilet bowl is not supposed to be questioned - it's there for the shock value.

I liked the ambience of it; his settings along the Louisiana coast provide lots of backdrop for his story and he brings it to you.An enjoyable read if you like the genre.

lojo
Just finished reading this book.I could not put it down.Another great one by the author. ... Read more

Product Description
Haunted by his wife's murder, Dave Robicheaux leaves the New Orleans police force. But unexpected circumstances plunge him into a violent world.Amazon.com Review
In this winner of the 1990 Edgar Award for best mystery novel, DaveRobicheaux, a former New Orleans policeman, is pursued by a psychopath andflees his home on the Bayou Teche, in the heart of Louisiana, to find a newlife in Montana. After settling near the Blackfoot River Canyon, Robicheauxfinds himself smack dab in the middle of an illegal Mafia takeover of Indianlands. As he struggles to expose the truth, he must face some hard factsabout himself, especially after the appearance of an old Cajun friend, DixieLee Pughe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (48)

A Good Exemplar of His Work
"Black Cherry Blues" (1989) was the third novel published by American author James Lee Burke in his New York Times bestselling detective Dave Robicheaux series.Like the earlier books of the series, and many of the series' works to follow, the book, a Southern noir, police procedural/mystery, is set in and around New Orleans, Louisiana, more or less home country for Burke, who was born in Houston, Texas, in 1936, and grew up on the Texas-Louisiana gulf coast.But it also takes Robicheaux on the first of his many excursions to Big Sky Country, Montana, where Burke now spends some time.

The plot is set in motion by Dixie Lee Pugh, supposedly Robicheaux's roommate freshman year at Southwestern Louisiana Institute - the school that Burke himself attended.It seems that Burke modeled Dixie Lee on Jerry Lee Lewis: he begins his career, Burke tells us, at that recording studio, unnamed by Burke, but known as Sam Phillips Sun Studio to us, where Burke tells us, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Roy Orbison began theirs'.And Dixie Lee played the Brooklyn Paramount, in those legendary shows of Alan Freed's, along with Chuck Berry and Eddie Cochran. At any rate, Dixie Lee has had a successful career in the country music business, but, like many of Burke's musicians, he has lost that career to drink and drugs.However, Dixie Lee has found himself work doing odd jobs for another of Burke's many not-so wiseguys, all similarly named, in this case,Sally Dio, and has also picked up work in the Montana oil business.Dixie Lee comes to Robicheaux with a problem, and the way Robicheaux operates, we know it will soon be Robicheaux's problem. And it will call him and his adopted daughter Alafair to Montana.

"Black Cherry" finds Robicheaux still mourning the death of his second wife Annie, who was murdered by hit men looking for him; still mentioning occasionally his parents and half-brother Jimmie, and still being called "Streak," by those close to him, such as Clete Purcel, his former partner on the New Orleans Police Department, an overweight, heavy-drinking, brawling, heavily-scarred survivor of the city's tough Irish Channel neighborhood, who is still around to help Robicheaux: Clete's in Montana too. Robicheaux is of Cajun ancestry, and continues to relive the nightmare of his service in Vietnam. He has a drinking problem, and a tendency to violence.This book finds him not working in law enforcement, but he still owns and operates the boat rental and bait business, while living in the house in which he was actually born.He is assisted in the operation of his business by a black man, Batist, whom we've met before, and will see again.And we again meet Alafair's pet. the three-legged raccoon Tripod, whom we've met before and will meet again.

Burke continues to write with energy, passion and power. His Montana work is very nicely done, but, to me, nothing touches his Gulf Coast work, some of the most beautiful, knowledgeable writing ever committed to paper about the flora, fauna, geography, and human occupants of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, now so much in the news.Burke 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. His work has twice been awarded an Edgar for Best Crime Novel of the Year. At least eight of his novels, including the more recent Jolie Blon's Bounce, and Purple Cane Road (Dave Robicheaux Mysteries) have been New York Times bestsellers."Black Cherry," aside from its regrettable--to me--dalliance in Montana, is a good exemplar of his work.

Robicheaux is Rock Solid
Burke's third in the series packs a punch just as the first two Robicheaux novels.His writing style is perfect, drawing the reader in immediately and keeping our attention throughout.He builds weaving story lines and has created a great hero in Robicheaux.By the end of this one, we've been given a great tale, more of Dave's depth is revealed and Burke has created other lasting characters.Looking forward to reading all in this series.

Burke Book, Black Cherry Blues
Within a few pages of reading this book, pages started falling out. The publisher needs to use better quality products.
However, I am enjoying the novel.

This Edgar Award winner is about as good as it gets
This was one of the best mysteries I have ever read, hands down. It has everything - great dialogue, complex characters, interesting bit parts, occasional humor, great descriptive passages, tension, danger, darkness, and depth. It is just very well written all the way thru.The hero is Dave Robicheaux, a Cajun and former Big Easy cop. He is as interesting a paperback detective as I have ever seen. Like most of them, he is tough and cool when necessary, but unlike a lot of them, he is a fully rounded character with deep flaws and heartaches.Robicheaux is a former New Orleans cop who runs a bait and tackle shop in the Louisiana bayou.He is the guardian of a six year old Latina whom he rescued from some disastrous situation.He pines for his dead wife, who was murdered by enemies of his, and sees her ghost from time to time, along with that of his father.He is a recovering alcoholic, and dark moods can descend on him. The image that comes across is that of an intense brooding man, quiet and controlled, with a strong sense of right and wrong.

In this story, trouble stumbles onto him in the form of Dixie Lee Pugh, an old college buddy who is a washed up rockabilly star.Dixie is usually loaded up on beer, and his southern fried speech is hilarious.He hears about some nasty stuff that an oil company he has been working with is involved in - a possible double murder in Montana. Dixie is a brilliant mystery character - seedy, charming, basically decent despite his lunacy and alcoholism. Dave's instinct is to stay away from Dixie's garbage, but he can't help but do a little investigating, and when he does, some oil company goons take an interest in him.After they threaten his little girl's life, it gets personal, and Dave goes after them.He ends up in jail, and then out on bail, trying to solve the crime before his trial date.He goes up to Montana and tangles with a mobster named Sally Dio, and runs into his old partner, Cletus Purcell, now a freelance hooligan. Purcell is another fine Burke creation. A muscular, tough good ol boy, a former rogue cop for hire, he suffers from impotence and a lack of focus in his life.He also turns out to be a man Dave can count on.

I would gladly pass a few subway rides with Burke again someday.The company can be a little rough, but the quality of the writing is undeniable.

This One Didn't Do it For Me
I am a big James Lee Burke fan. I can tell this was an early novel. The plot took a hard to believe turn when (plot spoiler) he decided to take Alafair with him to Montana. Why in the world would he decide to take a 6 year old with him on a trip to confront deadly gangsters, some of whom had already once threatened the child? Well, to me it was so she could be threatened or harmed in some manner later on in the book. I don't know if I am correct, I haven't finished the book, but I bet I am.

Also, there is an awful lot of "coincidence" in this eveyone knows someone who knew someone all tied together. Hard to swallow. The bad guys here seem pretty stereotypical. I'm just not diggin' this one like I have the other books with this character. 2 stars, might not finish it.

Ok, I finished it. I was wrong about the daughter, the only purpose it served was to waste page space having to add who he left the child with every time he went out.

Also, I personally think the author does not understand the term "dry drunk" at all. Additionally I grew weary of hearing about the alcoholic issues. Maybe I'm wrong...but I think an "alcohiolic" who has been sober a very long time doesn't have to go through the sweaty white knuckle moments and physical illness/symptoms anymore.

Maybe 3 stars. I found the ending to be sort of flat like a soda with no carbonation. Almost an as if the "climax" was an epilogue or something. I read it as a rough first effort and will likely continue to read the Robicheaux series. ... Read more

Product Description
The Intern's Guide will help you get the most out of your internship with brutally honest advice, real-life examples, and a little humor. Transition effortlessly from class to cubicle with this concise guide. It's written by a former intern-turned-manager who has supervised many interns, and who can give you the inside scoop on what your boss will never tell you.

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While the guide is written specifically for interns, most of the advice would work for any student planning to take home a paycheck. The guide does not include information on how to get an internship - it covers what to do when you already have one. The difference between the Intern's Guide and other intern-related media is that the guide is written from a manager's perspective. Sitting in class all day gives you zero prep for an office job, so the Intern's Guide is the secret weapon you've been looking for.

Note: this is a guide, not a book (hence the $2.99 price point.) It's about 53 Kindle-size pages long, depending on the font size. No time to read a book? No problem. The guide is short, easy to read, and serves up info in the chicken nugget-size you've become accustomed to. So divert a few bucks from that expensive coffee addiction and maybe you won't end up on your parent's couch when you're 25. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from University Business, published by Thomson Gale on May 1, 2007. The length of the article is 1535 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Make smart technology decisions--involve IT: know what to ask about upgrades and new technology, and HR will be better off.(HUMAN RESOURCES)
Author: Carol Patton
Publication: University Business (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 10Issue: 5Page: 27(2)

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This digital document is an article from Scholastic Choices, published by Scholastic, Inc. on November 1, 2001. The length of the article is 1382 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: Steroid Shock: Looking to bulk up your body, tone your muscles, or even lose weight? You may think taking steroids will help, but abusing those drugs will cause harm to your health. (Substance abuse/health).
Author: Stacey Pamela Patton
Publication: Scholastic Choices (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 1, 2001
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Volume: 17Issue: 3Page: 6(4)

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This digital document is an article from Presbyterian Record, published by Presbyterian Record on May 1, 2001. The length of the article is 513 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: Remember the Titans.(Review) (movie review)
Author: Edward McNulty
Publication: Presbyterian Record (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2001
Publisher: Presbyterian Record
Volume: 125Issue: 5Page: 45

Article Type: Movie Review

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This digital document is an article from Commonweal, published by Commonweal Foundation on March 27, 2009. The length of the article is 1482 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: Walled in: 'The Class' & 'Wendy and Lucy'.(Screen)(Movie review)
Author: Richard Alleva
Publication: Commonweal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 27, 2009
Publisher: Commonweal Foundation
Volume: 136Issue: 6Page: 18(2)

Article Type: Movie review

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This digital document is an article from The Hemingway Review, published by Thomson Gale on September 22, 2006. The length of the article is 1679 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Simon and Schuster's Hemingway Audio Collection.(A Moveable Feast. The Old Man and the Sea. A Farewell to Arms.For Whom the Bell Tolls. Islands in the Stream. To Have and Have Not. )(Sound recording review)
Author: Todd Giles
Publication: The Hemingway Review (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 22, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 26Issue: 1Page: 128(4)

Article Type: Sound recording review

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