The Tin Roof Blowdown: A Dave Robicheaux Novel

At a friend's urging, I zipped through a couple of the early Dave Robicheaux titles — kind of liked HEAVEN'S PRISONERS — but this is the book that made a James Lee Burke fan of me. The prose is simple and apt, the imagery fresh, even startling, the moral observations trenchant, and most of the minor characters are persuasively well-drawn (including two, maybe three, of the women!), Otis Baylor and Bertrand Melancon being especially memorable.The narrative strategy (to counter the complaints of some reviews here) is sophisticated and effective. Alternating between sharply observed third-person omniscient narration and a first-person narrator was good enough for Dickens in BLEAK HOUSE — and it works here very, very well. The sites and movement of the story are so well grounded that my Cajun spouse, from St Mary Parish, could confirm nearly every temporal and topographic detail.What makes the reading experience even more powerful and affecting are the grief and rage and loss and love of place expressed, for New Orleans and Cajun country, in the aftermath of the calamitous one-two punch dealt by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. I had many friends displaced and otherwise affected by those storms, have heard their stories, their sadness, their fury; but never have I seen it given such full voice as it is here. Well done, Mr Burke, and thank you.

They just keep coming, one after another. When an author finds his groove, it is a real pleasure to read everything he/she produces.

Great detail about New Orleans during Katrina and Rita, the kind we didn’t see on the nightly news. Also a good mystery

Another fine tale from the Master storyteller, James Lee Burke. Keep'm coming Mr. Burke. As a fellow from Abbeville, I am always thrilled by your stories of my home state. I live in Texas now, but always enjoy my trips back home to visit family in Lafayette. You sir, are indeed a Master. Looking forward to your next tale from my home state.

While all book reviews are a matter of opinion, some subject matter is more personal for certain readers than others. James Lee Burke's novel The Tin Roof Blowdown brought back one of the most tragic experiences of my life. I confess I have bypassed most books concerning or having Hurricane Katrina as a backdrop. The memory strikes like a raw nerve being hit repeatedly by a dentist's drill. Some heartache never completely heals; we simply learn to live with it. The optimist in me wants to believe the major tragedies in people's lives will be the zenith of suffering for them and they will live the rest of their days with renewed reward. However, life is not always so just. When many were beginning to comprehend the effects of Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita arrived, adding to the destruction and loss in the region.In my hometown New Orleans, throughout Louisiana, and along the Gulf Coast, we all suffered in some capacity. Visitors to our region, who understand and appreciate our culture felt the pain. Worldwide, people extended their generosity. I have noticed many victims try not to measure their pain against others of the same tragedy; they seem to only nod in empathy. It is a silent understanding.When a friend recommended The Tin Roof Blowdown, my immediate reaction was anxiety. I had heard of it along with a list of other post-Katrina titles. I decided to exert some bravery, knowing full well the emotions would resurface. It is a well-constructed crime novel. While I think there were a couple of inaccuracies in the book, overall, Burke conveys the climate of the aftermath with striking detail without being overindulgent. His characters are strong. The menacing character, Ronald Bledsoe, is as creepy and tenacious as Max Cady from Cape Fear, but lacking the charm. My biggest flaw with this novel was a recurring first-person omniscience from protagonist and sometime narrator, Dave Robicheaux. I concede this is my first time reading Burke and his loyal readers must be accustomed to his style, but I found it a bit jarring to read a beautifully detailed first-hand account of a scene in which the character was nowhere near. I found myself asking, "How did he know?"Halfway through reading, I knew I had an impending vacation to Florida. I confess I was hoping to finish this novel so I could bring some lighter fare to the beach. A bit of fluff among the sun, sand, and surf seemed relaxing. A pressing project commanded my attention and prevented me from completing the book before my trip. Yet, as I held The Tin Roof Blowdown in the salt air and gazed over to the Gulf of Mexico, I was grateful. I thought about the progress that has been made in New Orleans and the region since August 2005. I thought of BP's rape of the waters in front of me, but thankful so much sea life had returned. I wondered about the next unknown challenge. I felt an overwhelming pride for our endurance and resiliency. I realized the book in my hands, for me, was the perfect beach read.

It gave an insight into the devastation inflicted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on New Orleans, and the mix of chaos, lawlessness and goodwill that intermingled in the aftermath. The story line was heavy but good, I would just like Clete to drink less and Dave to stop thinking about drinking alcohol.Ian M

This is a dark story with a dark setting - New Orleans in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Burke paints a picture of a lawless and frightening place in which nothing good happens to anyone and where the most ruthless, amoral and damaged individuals have freedom to terrorise those who are not so well adapted to this environment.Add in a direct threat to Dave Robicheaux and family, and his return to fighting his own demon - drink - and you have the ingredients for a dramatic novel. It is also a bleak one. Narrow self-interest and lack of respect for others drive most of the events described and there are few individuals who exhibit any redeeming characteristics.The writing - as ever - is superb. The characters - as always - complex enough to be interesting. Fans of Robicheaux will not be disappointed but this is most certainly not a light read, and if you are new to James Lee Burke I suggest you start with earlier novels in the series.

This is the first time I've read a James Lee Burke book and it certainly won't be the last. His fantastic description of the terrible aftermath of the New Orleans/Louisianna floods made the murder story sound true rather than fiction. The book provided a truer picture of the situation than any TV or newspaper report.Some readers may have a bit of difficulty with the southern language, but even so you'll have no problems with understanding the book.

I have read a lot of Burke's novels and love his descriptions of everything around the characters. I have missed a few of his books of late so will have to hunt them out to find out about when Robicheux moved from his bait shop, etc.The books always have a quirky title which eventually comes out in the story and this one is no different. A good read if you like Burke and his genre.

I admit to having read all of JLB's novels, but this one was a real touch on his dark side again. I dealt with the reality of the hurricane (as an insurance adjuster) but his writing on the event was more frightning as it involved real people and a place that really meant something to him. The main character too, Dave, whilst sometimes you have to say no-one is THAT unlucky, actually as an alcoholic with an anger management problem - he is probably very lucky. Well apart from hearing/seeing dead people and attracting psychopaths to his family anyway.......