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    Black Cherry Blues
    Black Cherry Blues
    Black Cherry Blues
    Audiobook12 hours

    Black Cherry Blues

    Written by James Lee Burke

    Narrated by Mark Hammer

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Dave Robicheaux had begun to put the pieces of his broken life together again when an old friend turned up on his doorstep, dredging up old memories and new threats.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateMay 23, 2008
    ISBN9781436141970
    Black Cherry Blues
    Author

    James Lee Burke

    James Lee Burke is a New York Times bestselling author, two-time winner of the Edgar Award, and the recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts in Fiction. He has authored forty novels and two short story collections. He lives in Missoula, Montana.

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    Reviews for Black Cherry Blues

    4/5

    484 ratings28 reviews

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    • 4/5
      James Lee Burke is truly an American treasure and original.His Dave Robicheaux series is truly remarkable. The plotting throughout is fast paced, his. Characters drawn to perfection, showing all facets of humanity from good to evil, rich to poor tragedy to triumph. His descriptions of landscapes of the bayou country of Louisiana to the mountains and forests of Montana will transport you throgh his words as if you were there.

    • 2/5
      Too many thin characters
      Not much here. Wasn't interesting
      to me.
    • 4/5
      Love this guys work. Have been reading him for years. I think this was one of his best . Might be because it’s the first audiobook of his I’ve listened to. No opportunity speed read away the prosey parts while chasing the. Exciting bits. He’s a master.






    • 4/5
      I enjoyed and will continue with the series...liked the south Louisiana setting, he is great at setting the mood of the location. A lot of scenery descriptions, which were beautiful but too long. I love the relationship between Dave and Alafair, his young, adopted daughter.
    • 3/5
      Overall, the superior writing elevates some less-than-superior plot points for this novel.

      Burke is a phenomenal writer, and can evoke a mood, or an atmosphere, or a locale with ease. His characters are complex, emotional beings. But, while the author (thankfully) didn't have Robicheaux fall off the wagon this time, he made some curious choices.

      I won't really get into the plot stuff, because I'd prefer to stay away from spoilers. But I have to say, I got very sick of all the dream sequences with his dead wife.

      Having said that, I'll still read a substandard novel by Burke over a lot of other authors' finest works.
    • 3/5
      This third book in the Dave Robicheaux finds him just trying to care for a little orphaned girl, and trying to escape a murder charge. This one has Montana flavor as well as the Louisiana flavor that can't help but bleed through, and I enjoyed the setting. Robicheaux has some pretty sketchy friends, and now surprisingly, things are not going well. I enjoyed the mystery, but this felt more like a mood piece to me than an edge of your seat mystery. The use of the word “Negro” felt dated to me, but I don't know if that was intentional. I enjoy this series.
    • 4/5
      A bit of a change of pace after the first two Robicheaux novels, this one focuses less on action and more on Robicheaux's character under extreme stress: a threat to his child, and the prospect of going to prison. Most of it takes place not in southern Louisiana but near Billings, Montana, where Robicheaux briefly relocates to investigate the main witness against him in his upcoming case. Although he doesn't fall back into drinking, Robicheaux's other faults, including a hot temper, impulsive violence, and an uncommon lapse in judgment, get him in a lot of trouble, making the story a bit troubling to those who would prefer that the hero suffers more from the forces of evil than from his own demons and infirmities. A dash of humor would be welcome, too. Still, this is an uncommonly intelligent and nuanced tale that came by its Edgar award honestly, and Burke's thrillers continue to make, say, Michael Connelly's look like comic books in comparison.
    • 5/5
      James Lee Burke is the novelist that just keeps on giving... to me. I picked up his first in the Robicheaux series about a month ago, loved it, thoroughly enjoyed the 2nd, and just completed the 3rd, 'Black Cherry Blues'. It's equally good. Burke's literate, lyrical prose in the tough 'crime' genre is a breath of fresh air, his characters are wonderfully developed and memorable, and the star, Dave Robicheaux, is as complex a personality you'll encounter. This series, so far, is simply fantastic.Black Cherry begins down in the bayou and ends there, but most of the action takes place in the mountains out west. Robicheaux runs into some old acquaintances and quickly gets mixed into a complicated situation with a couple really bad dudes who threaten his little daughter. That's too much for Robicheaux, a man of action if there ever was one, so he takes matters into his own hands and beats the crap out of both of them. However, one of the guys takes the opportunity to kill his fellow miscreant in a way that makes it appear Robicheaux did the murder. Dave's arrested, manages to get himself released on bond, and travels west with his daughter to track down the real murderer before he finds himself in prison among a population he, in many cases, helped put there. Early on and throughout the story Dave is helped by a Federal agent tracking the crew, his former partner on the New Orleans police force is likewise thoroughly involved in the action, and things get even more complex as Mafia characters are encountered and enmeshed in various conspiracies. Robicheaux nearly runs out of time before his murder trial, but a solution comes to him in a dream and things end up working out.Robicheaux is a fantastic character, a tough recovering alcoholic Vietnam vet ex-cop with a highly developed conscience and a bias toward action, sometimes violent action. He's respectful toward women but has experienced tough luck (and then some) on the romantic side. Since his retirement from the force, he runs a bait shop in a little town on the bayou where he tries, unsuccessfully so far, to lead a quiet life. One interesting aspect of the series is the glimpse we get into 80's-era policing, racial issues, and other societal topics that are still relevant and evolving today. It's fascinating stuff.The real 'star' of the series, though, is Burke's writing. He can paint a picture like no other in this genre, he's great with dialogue, he's not averse to using unique devices like dream passages in his stories, and his pacing is excellent. I'm not sure where this series is heading but I'm sure happy I jumped on the bus to find out.
    • 3/5
      Audiobook: James LeeBurke is a master. His writing is vivid, the characters well-drawn, and the plots intriguing. Dave Robicheaux is an ex-New Orleans cop whose-partner, Dixie Lee, now a “lease-man” for an oil company thinks he has overheard two other lease men discussing burying a body. Unsure as to what he heard and what to do about it, he seeks Dave’s help. In the meantime Dave chain-whips a bad guy (he really should have known better) and the guy turns up dead so Dave is facing a murder charge. He’s been a homicide detective but apparently has little faith in their ability to solve the crime and find the real killer so he heads for Montana to sort things out where his murder charge is resolved (are you really surprised) in the midst of Native Americans fighting against a land hungry oil company (that’s probably a redundancy). There was something a bit off about this novel. Perhaps it was that Dave was no longer in Louisiana; perhaps it was the -- to my mind -- excessive guilt-ridden self-examination that seems more a plea for forgiveness from others than seeking to understand himself; perhaps it was the excessively slow cadence of the reader who I normally like very much (Will Patton); perhaps it was the implausible plot and would you take your six-year-old daughter on a dangerous mission? or, perhaps it was that I didn’t get the same sense of place that usually pervades Burke’s Louisiana Robicheax novels. Then again it might have been the outrageous way he solves the case. Personally, had I been the social worker, there is no way I would ever have placed Alifair with Dave given the level of violence with which he surrounds himself.But he does write beautifully.
    • 5/5
      In the 1990 Edgar Award winning novel, "Black Cherry Blues" Dave Robicheaux is mourning the death of his wife, Annie.Dave's troubled college roommate Dixie Lee Pugh tells him that he (Dixie) overheard two men discussing two men they murdered in Montana.When Dave checks into it, the two men become aware of Dave's interest. They make a mistake in threatening Dave's six-year-old step daughter Alafair. Dave reacts with a rage that he's known to release at times like this and he is arrested. He's charged with the murder of one of the men and the other is the main witness against him.We follow Dave's actions as he travels to Montana. He runs into his old homicide partner Clete Purcel who is currently working for a minor gangster, Sallie "Sal" Dio. Sallie has Dixie Lee purchasing land deeds and there is a conflict with AIM, the American Indian Movement.Dixie is an interesting character who is an accomplished musician and tells of being such places as Brooklyn, New York where he appeared at a concert with Chuck Berry. Clete Purcell is memorable for his idiosyncrasies and loved for his fierce loyalty to Dave. Dave's adopted daughter, Alafair, is a sweetheart. She wonders why her fellow students and teachers think it's odd that she speaks with a Creole dialect.Dave Robicheaux is a troubled character who fights against his alcoholism, his bouts of rage, and his torment of letting down people in his past such as his murdered wife.Burke is one of our most talented suspense writers. "Black Cherry Blues" was his first commercial success. Dave is a defender of the defenseless and is often pitted against big business and governmental bureaucracy.He's also a highly literate author.
    • 4/5
      After so many strong recommendations for titles by James Lee Burke, I finally picked up Black Cherry Blues , the 3rd in the Dave Robicheaux series. What a great mystery! This book won the Edgar award in 1990 for best mystery novel. Normally when I read a mystery, I am completely focused on the plot. But, listening to this book, I couldn't help but appreciate the excellent writing and well developed characters. I loved how the 'bad guys' were the scum of the earth and the good guys weren't much better! The narrator, Mark Hammer, is perfect for this series. His Cajun dialect immediately places you in the heart of New Orleans. If you are looking for a gritty mystery AND a good novel, then try this series - you won't be disappointed.
    • 4/5
      This Edgar Best Novel winner is set partially in Louisiana (the locale for most of Burke's Dave Robicheaux series) and partly in Montana. Dave Robicheaux is a former cop who now runs a bait shop and fishing boat rental business. He has been horrifically widowed in a previous book and now shares his life with a six-year-old Salvadoran orphan girl whom he rescued and has named Alafair.

      One day, Robicheaux runs into an old classmate -- sort of a Jerry Lee Lewis type who's been through some hard times, mostly caused by his own actions. Later Dixie Lee, for that is his name, contacts Robicheaux with a concern. He's overheard two co-workers in the oil leasing business discussing what he believes to have been a double murder. Robicheaux doesn't really want to get involved, but almost before he knows it he's been charged with the murder of one of the suspected killers -- a murder he knows he didn't commit. The ramifications of the case take him and Alafair to Montana, where he runs into another old friend -- his former, now disgraced, police partner Clete. Dave Robicheaux must investigate the case, involving Mafiosos, Indians, drugs, and oil leases, keep his adopted daughter safe, and make it back to Louisiana in time for his court date. It's a thrilling story.

      This book is an interesting combination of extreme violence and lyrical nature description, the toughmindedness of an AA stalwart and the tenderness of a man learning to be a father to a traumatized little girl. I highly recommend it to anyone who is able to bear the descriptions of violence.
    • 2/5
      A plot driven crime novel described as a page tuner and so I turned the pages - quicker and quicker as this pedestrian thriller started to leave a very bad taste in my mouth. There would appear to be 15 novels featuring the ex-cop Dave Robicheaux and this is the third in the series, heaven forbid that I would have to read another oneThe novel is set in the Cajun world of the Louisiana Bayous, which would appear to be brim full of psychopaths and sociopaths, only slightly less dangerous than the hills of Montana which is the other destination for this novel. Robicheaux, who is probably more sociopathic than psychopathic, fits into this world like a glove as he bullies his way to the stories inevitable conclusion. It is indeed a man’s world, a sort of survival of the fittest, where the only mature person that shows any love and affection is brutally murdered - well it just serves her right for being so soft. The novel is written in the first person and so it is an unrelenting tract featuring Robicheaux view of the world. …ask yourself, have you ever known anyone whose marriage was saved by a marriage counselor, whose drinking was cured by a psychiatrist, whose son was kept out of a reform school by a social worker? In a badass, beer-glass brawl, would you rather have an academic liberal covering your back or a hobnailed redneck?”But of course it is all OK because Robicheaux is a good catholic and he can find redemption by talking to and confessing to a local priest.The novel was published in 1990 and so may be a fairly early example of a modern day cop thriller. The sort of thing that is made into endless American movies, where only the really tough survive and almost everybody else is a victim, and the institutions are so corrupt that the only way through is by doing “what a mans got to do”. No doubt more recent novelists have taken this genre to new heights by making the violence even more visceral, the cops even more corrupt and the politicians and power junkies even more manic. If they have I do not want to read themOn the plus side Burke writes well and does his best to avoid some of the clichés. His descriptions of the Bayou country are vivid and his use of metaphors can be inventive. He largely avoids the temptation to slip into porn when talking about his female characters but his insistence in describing in detail the clothes of the six year old Alafair is a little weird. Women are either whores or virgins and sexism abounds. This book was chosen by a member of my book club who is visiting the U S A soon and was keen to read a novel to tie in with her trip. If I was her after reading this I would cancel the trip. No I did not like this book, all that machismo was too much for me. I can enjoy a trashy book if there is some humour, some interest or some wit but this stuff is just sick. 2 stars
    • 4/5
      Evil crept into Dave Robicheaux's bayou world one night and destroyed the woman he loved. Now it's threatening the life of his innocent child. Framed for murder, the Cajun ex-cop is traveling far from his Louisiana home to clear his name, to help a friend, to save what remains of his family - seeking justice in Big Sky Country. . . and revenge.
    • 5/5
      I give this the big 5-0 because it has everything I have come to expect from James Lee Burke: quality writing; wonderful characterization; excellent pacing, plus a tenderness he doesn't show in all his novels.
    • 3/5
      My Three-Star rating to this Robicheaux probably doesn't give the proper credit to this book. I'm an avid fan of Mr. Burke so I have read each of his novels as they have been released over the last few years so I'm probably a little burned out with the character. However, having spent several months in the Missoula, Bonner, Flathead Lake areas of Montana quite a few years ago, I enjoyed reliving my experiences through Mr. Burke's descriptions of the area. Also, when I've finished the book, I'm glad things worked out for Dave.
    • 4/5
      This is number three in the Dave Robicheaux series and it won the Edgar Award in 1990.The book opens with Dave having a flashback about the viscous murder of his wife Annie in the previous book. She and his father appear to him throughout the book. This book is more of a straight detective novel than some of Burke's later books in the series.Dave runs into an old friend of his from college, Dixie Lee Pugh. Dixie was a rock and roller until he went to prison for a DWI homicide and then he became just a drunk. Dave gets tied in with a couple acquaintances of Dixie's, Dalton Vidrine and Harry Mapes. Dixie tells Dave about two murders committed by Vidrine and Mapes. Dave thinks they have threatened Alafair so he wreaks some serious violence on both of them. The only problem is that after he leaves Dalton Vidrine gets murdered, probably by Mapes. Dave gets arrested and with Mapes testimony it looks like he is headed to Angola. So Dave gets out and decides to go after Mapes and get him for the murders Dixie told him about. Solve a crime so you don't go to jail.To find Mapes, Dave and Alafair go to Montana. There he runs into Cletus who is working for Sally Dio a small time greaseball. Cletus is living with Darlene Desmarteau whose brother Clayton was one of the people Vidrine and Mapes murdered. The actions of the characters create a convoluted plot accompanied by Burke's quota of violence and murder.The story is excellent with a frantic pace. The details are left for the reader to discover. Robicheaux's inner dialog is not as persistent as his later books. Burke's gift for description of the landscape and everything else has not yet blossomed. This book is a hard boiled gritty mystery where the plot and the Cajun flavor provide the entertainment.I enjoyed the book very much. It is the kind of book you sit down to read and forget to get up until you are done. The Black Cherry blues is a song by Dixie Lee Pugh written in an isolation cell." You can toke, you can drop,Drink or use.It doesn't matter, daddy,"Cause you're never gonna loseThem mean old jailhouseBlack Cherry Blues."
    • 3/5
      Have you read Lee Child's Reacher books? (If not, close this book and go start that series right now.) Dave Robicheaux is similar enough to Jack Reacher that this series comes *so* close to being good.The author, however, is too descriptive. Yeah, I know, books are supposed to be somewhat descriptive but... if you're reading a "kick-butt" book, do you really care that there are pecan trees in the backyard, or that Dave can flyfish? Naw... you don't.There's some action, but it's so buried inside of the environmental descriptions and the "flashbacks" to falling-down-drunk-Dave that it's hard to find sometimes.And I can't figure out why the author is obsessed with using the word Negro as an adjective. I know it's a late-80s book, but still, does it matter what race the waitress or the gardener or the guy driving by in his car is? Not to the plot anyway, but the author made a point of telling us every time someone was not of Western European descent.But... I'll keep reading the series because there is some rough-n-tumble going on here, and some outside the rules justice... which is what I'm looking for.
    • 4/5
      Plot-wise, this isn't one of Burke's best. But it's very revelatory of the man, Dave Robicheaux, as he struggles to recover from the violent death of his wife, protect his adopted daughter, and keep himself alive, sober and out of the state pen at Angola. Most of the action takes place, not in Louisiana, but in Montana, where Dave is searching for evidence to prove his own innocence and a government witness's guilt in a murder for which he has been charged. A lot of poetry in the prose.
    • 5/5
      No one writes mysteries like James Lee Burke. The most beautiful writing, the best plotting and the most unforgettable characters.
    • 4/5
      This is the third in the Dave Robicheaux series and I love reading about the American South and Robicheaux's criminal world. Burke really knows how to tell a story - a wonderful writer.Back Cover Blurb:Personal tragedy has left Dave Robicheaux close to the edge. Battling against his old addiction to alcohol and haunted nightly by vivid dreams and visitations, Dave finds his only tranquility at home with his young ward Alafair. But even this fragile peace is shattered by the arrival of Dixie Lee Pugh who brings with him a brutal trail of murder and violence.Robicheaux reluctantly agrees to help out his old friend but becomes more involved than he bargained for when he finds himself suspect Number One in a series of bloody killings. Forced to leave his home, Robicheaux's precarious existence reaches breaking point when Alafair's life is threatened.
    • 3/5
      This was an okay read. I felt the hopping between Louisiana and Montana made the story a bit disjointed. He won an Edgar Award in 1990 for this book but, I'm curious to the reasoning. I read this for a library book club and was glad that I did. He did a very good job with describing locations and the environment. I will give him another try.
    • 3/5
      I suppose I got what I deserved, starting in mid-series. The mystery aspect was fine, but Robicheaux is mourning his wife and is rather pathetic as he wallows in his sorrow. This is a rather wordy effort and probably a third of the words could've been cut. Of course, some of the atmosphere would've been lost, but as is, it was no page-turner for me.
    • 4/5
      It's been a while since I read the first two and I had to stop this in the middle to read an Early Reviewer book. When I picked it back up a few days later it seemed to drag on. There is no doubt that Burke has a skill for detailing the environment. I just wish in this case he had put a bit more work into the Characters.
    • 4/5
      Best Dave Robicheaux book so far. It is the 3rd in the series and tied up some of the looser ends from the first two books. Descriptive and generally well written. Robicheaux went from hunted to hunter a little fast but it was a good read.
    • 4/5
      James Lee Burke can really write. He is right up there with John MacDonald. Robicheaux can match MaGee slug for slug. Start witht eh first and read the entire series.
    • 3/5
      I know I should adore James Lee Burke's Robicheaux novels, so I keep plodding my way through them. But each time the same nagging doubts return:**Haven't I read this before? **Is it really possible for a middle-aged man to be simultaneously so superbutchtoughrowdy as Dave, and such a righteous force for Truth, Justice and The American Way?**Doesn't James Lee Burke look like a Stesoned Hobbit in his PR photos?Okay, I'll just stop. I know this series has many devoted fans, and deservedly so, I guess, but I just can't seem to connect with it.
    • 4/5
      An ex-New Orleans cop comes up against Native Americans, oil company roughnecks, and Mafia honchos on the rugged Montana landscape. Number 3 in the series.