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Buy The Tin Roof Blowdown: A Dave Robicheaux Novel (Dave Robicheaux Mysteries) by James Lee Burke available and for sale on Brightsurf
| View Larger Image | The Tin Roof Blowdown: A Dave Robicheaux Novel (Dave Robicheaux Mysteries)
by James Lee Burke
| | List Price: | $26.00 | | Price: | $17.16 | | You Save: | $8.84 (34%) |  | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours | | | | | Sales Rank: | 18349 | | Studio: | Simon & Schuster | | | Binding: | Hardcover | | Number Of Pages: | 384 | | Publication Date: | July 17, 2007 | | Publisher: | Simon & Schuster |
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Product Description
In the waning days of summer, 2005, a storm with greater impact than the bomb that struck Hiroshima peels the face off southern Louisiana.This is the gruesome reality Iberia Parish Sheriff's Detective Dave Robicheaux discovers as he is deployed to New Orleans. As James Lee Burke's new novel, The Tin Roof Blowdown, begins, Hurricane Katrina has left the commercial district and residential neighborhoods awash with looters and predators of every stripe. The power grid of the city has been destroyed, New Orleans reduced to the level of a medieval society. There is no law, no order, no sanctuary for the infirm, the helpless, and the innocent. Bodies float in the streets and lie impaled on the branches of flooded trees. In the midst of an apocalyptical nightmare, Robicheaux must find two serial rapists, a morphine-addicted priest, and a vigilante who may be more dangerous than the criminals looting the city. In a singular style that defies genre, James Lee Burke has created a hauntingly bleak picture of life in New Orleans after Katrina. Filled with complex characters and depictions of people at both their best and worst, The Tin Roof Blowdown is not only an action-packed crime thriller, but a poignant story of courage and sacrifice that critics are already calling Burke's best work. |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 115 reviews)
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Very Flawed Book 
It's as if Hurricane Katrina's destruction of New Orleans has obliterated James Lee Burke's storytelling abilities with equal fury. For, he has come up with a story that is vague, unfocused, undramatic and even borders on dishonesty. I think Burke's reached that point where his iconic characters -- Dave Robichaux and Clete Purcel -- have aged to the point where they are no longer interesting. In fact, they've become pathetic children. If I were asked to describe the plot, I would have trouble. It's all over the place -- organically and geographically. There are a lot of characters here but you have trouble figuring out where they fit in or why they exist in the first place. And I found very distasteful Burke's handling of the hurricane itself. His descriptions of NOLA being clobbered are incredibly vivid and heart-rending. But, then I Googled "Hurricane Katrina myths" and found many of them cast in bronze in the pages of "Tin Roof." I would have hoped that the author would have set the record straight, at least on some of the more exhuberant fantasies that came out of this disaster. Also, Burke often laments that drunks and gamblers blame all their problems on God, but then he turns around and blames all the problems of Hurricane Katrina on -- you guessed it -- George Bush. He gives scant attention to the almost-criminal neglect of the city's mayor and the state's governor, which, of course, is where the REAL culpability lies. Why does Burke give these hacks a pass? I would postulate it's because Burke, as a famous local writer, is part of the Louisiana establishment and criticism of current pols would not go over well with the local populace. I read Burke for escape and have thoroughly enjoyed most of his books. But if he is now going to slip over the edge into political propaganda, like some other popular but tired novelists seem to be doing, he loses me as a reader. Because when he offers up such a lousy novel as this, he can't afford to compound the felony by giving us political malarkey.
July 18, 2008 | |
Vintage Burke 
I had wondered what James Lee Burke was going to do with the aftermath of Katrina. Was he going to continue with the fictional Detective series? Was he going to just ignore it and come out with something which had nothing to do with that hurricane and its affect on the region. But, of course, vintage James Lee Burke comes out with another powerful novel which indeed dealt with one of the most deadly and costly national disasters in history. No one but James Lee Burke can weave a national tragedy and a fictional character which makes everyone relive those terrible images those of us who do not live in New Orleans experienced. James Lee Burke is the king of crime fiction, and, like always, his books are always worth waiting for.
June 30, 2008 | |
Best one yet! 
This book is overwhelming. The devistation of Katrina left New Orleans in a dreadful state and Mr. Burke tells it like it is. With all the details of reality and sorrow. I was so overcome with emotion, it brought tears to my eyes and I felt so helpless and still do. If you did not read this you must, each of his books leave me with such a feeling of gratitude. He is a wonderful author and I thank him for sharing his part of the world with us.
June 15, 2008 | |
book: The Tin Roof Blowdown
Arrived in very good time. Excellent condition. Once I got into the book enjoyed the relevancy and story a lot. Wasn't sorry I recommended it for my book club, based on Amazon reviews.
March 29, 2008 | |
Best Burke Ever
I'm a huge James Lee Burke fan. I've read every book he's written and feel Tin Roof Blowdown is the best yet. With skill and deftness, he wove together the many different facets of society affected by Hurricane Katrina into a riveting story. As always, his style is gritty yet lyrical. His use of sensory detail drew this reader so deeply into the story I had to take "time-outs" to catch my breath.
As a writer, I love to read his novels for the intricate plotting and lovely imagery. Tin Roof Blowdown is his best yet.
Marilee Brothers aka Lee GrantierCastle Ladyslipper
March 19, 2008 | |
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