The Neon Rain by James Lee Burke: A First in Series MystereBook

The Neon Rain by James Lee Burke. A Dave Robicheaux Mystery. First Appearance: March 1987.

James Lee Burke had already written five novels before The Neon Rain was published. It was actually the second book in the series we read, the first being Black Cherry Blues, which in 1993 — the year we read it — had just won an Edgar Award for Best Novel. We were so taken with the character that we sought out the previous two books and have been fans ever since. (We're lucky enough to have hardcover first editions of all of Burke's early books in the series.)

Two of the Dave Robicheaux mysteries have been adapted for film. The first in 1996 was Heaven's Prisoners, the second in the series, which starred Alec Baldwin as the Cajun cop. We liked it more than most people, based on some of the reviews and scores we've seen, but think the most serious problem was the casting of Baldwin as Robicheaux.

Much later, in 2009, Tommy Lee Jones was cast as Robicheaux in an adaptation of the sixth book in the series, In the Electric Mist with the Confederate Dead. (The movie title was shortened to In the Electric Mist.) Here the casting seems spot on, with Jones capturing a lot of what's right about the character. We enjoyed this film quite a bit, saying in our review, "The performances are uniformly outstanding, the direction crisp, the bayou scenes dripping with atmosphere, and the plot intricate without being confusing."

But it all started with The Neon Rain. Pocket Books is currently offering this first in series ebook title for just $3.99. If you haven't read any of Burke's Dave Robicheaux books, there's no better time to start. (The 14th in the series, Creole Belle, is published this coming Tuesday, July 17th.)

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The Neon Rain
James Lee Burke
A Dave Robicheaux Mystery (ebook)

Pocket Books, July 2010

Also available: Hardcover, Trade Paperback, Audible Audio formats

Detective Dave Robicheaux has fought too many battles: in Vietnam, with killers and hustlers, with police brass, and with the bottle. Lost without his wife's love, Robicheaux's haunted soul mirrors the intensity and dusky mystery of New Orleans' French Quarter — the place he calls home, and the place that nearly destroys him when he becomes involved in the case of a young prostitute whose body is found in a bayou. Thrust into the world of drug lords and arms smugglers, Robicheaux must face down a subterranean criminal world and come to terms with his own bruised heart in order to survive.

      

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