Last Car To Elysian Fields

Dave Robicheaux #13

by James Lee Burke

'A lyrical and lovely novel that takes Burke back to the top of the crimewriting tree where he richly belongs' Independent On Sunday

It is a rainy late-summer's night in New Orleans. Detective Dave Robicheaux is about to confront the man who may have savagely assaulted his friend, Father Jimmie Dolan, a Catholic priest who's always at the centre of controversy. But things are never as they seem and soon Robicheaux is back in New Iberia, probing a car crash that killed three teenage girls. A grief-crazed father and a maniacal, complex assassin are just a few of the characters Robicheaux meets as he is drawn deeper into a web of sordid secrets and escalating violence.

A masterful exploration of the troubled side of human nature and the dark corners of the heart, peopled by familiar characters such as P.I. Clete Purcel and Robicheaux's old flame Theodosia LeJeune, LAST CAR TO ELYSIAN FIELDS is vintage Burke - moody, hard-hitting, with his trademark blend of human drama and relentless noir suspense.

Praise for one of the great American crime writers, James Lee

'James Lee Burke is the heavyweight champ, a great American novelist whose work, taken individually or as a whole, is unsurpassed.' Michael Connelly

'A gorgeous prose stylist.' Stephen King

'Richly deserves to be described now as one of the finest crime writers America has ever produced.' Daily Mail

Fans of Dennis Lehane, Michael Connelly and Don Winslow will love James Lee

Dave Robicheaux Series

1. The Neon Rain
2. Heaven's Prisoners
3. Black Cherry Blues
4. A Morning for Flamingos
5. A Stained White Radiance
6. In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead
7. Dixie City Jam
8. Burning Angel
9. Cadillac Jukebox
10. Sunset Limited
11. Purple Cane Road
12. Jolie Blon's Bounce
13. Last Car to Elysian Fields
14. Crusader's Cross
15. Pegasus Descending
16. The Tin Roof Blowdown
17. Swan Peak
18. The Glass Rainbow
19. Creole Belle
20. Light of the World
21. Robicheaux

Hackberry Holland Series

1. Lay Down My Sword and Shield
2. Rain Gods
3. Feast Day of Fools
4. House of the Rising Sun

Billy Bob Holland Series

1. Cimarron Rose
2. Heartwood
3. Bitterroot
4. In The Moon of Red Ponies

* Each James Lee Burke novel can be read as a standalone or in series order *

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Detective, Suspense

364 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 23, 2003

About the author

James Lee Burke is an American author best known for his mysteries, particularly the Dave Robicheaux series. He has twice received the Edgar Award for Best Novel, for Black Cherry Blues in 1990 and Cimarron Rose in 1998.

Burke was born in Houston, Texas, but grew up on the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast. He attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the University of Missouri, receiving a BA and MA from the latter. He has worked at a wide variety of jobs over the years, including working in the oil industry, as a reporter, and as a social worker. He was Writer in Residence at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, succeeding his good friend and posthumous Pulitzer Prize winner John Kennedy Toole, and preceding Ernest Gaines in the position. Shortly before his move to Montana, he taught for several years in the Creative Writing program at Wichita State University in the 1980s.

Burke and his wife, Pearl, split their time between Lolo, Montana, and New Iberia, Louisiana. Their daughter, Alafair Burke, is also a mystery novelist.

The book that has influenced his life the most is the 1929 family tragedy "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner.

Reviews

[Cathy DuPont · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although the Dave Robicheaux series has a uniform thread which runs through every book, they are not all the same. Every story, to me, is unique and can stand alone if need be.

However "Last Car..." is in my opinion, the best one I've read in a long time and deserves five stars which I'm very stingy with by the way.

Published in 2003, James Lee Burke is at the top of the game.

James Lee Burke is one my of top five writers alive today. Amazing writer.

Many thanks to whoever suggested I read Burke. He's given me so many hours of reading pleasure.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

This was probably the most depressing book in the Dave Robicheaux series that I have read so far. His third wife; Bootsie; has died, His adopted daughter; Alafair; is away at school in Oregon, his home; that his father had built; has burned to the ground, he sold his boat rental and bait shop, and Helen Solileau; once his partner; is now sheriff. Cletus Purcel, his former partner in the NOPD and now a PI, is the one unchanging rock in Dave's life. Thank goodness for Clete. He is a loyal and faithful friend and his antics will again leave you shaking your head or laughing or both.

As is usually the case there is a large cast of characters and many subplots in this story. The story opens with Robicheaux back in New Orleans investigating the brutal assault of an old friend, Father Jimmie Dolan, a Catholic priest who always seems to be the center of controversy. Father Jimmie asks Dave to help investigate the presence of a toxic landfill near St. James Parish. He also mentions the story of blues singer Junior Crudup, who entered Angola Penitentiary in the 1950s and was never heard from again. Meanwhile back in New Iberia three local teenage girls are killed in a drunk-driving accident, the driver being the seventeen-year-old daughter of a prominent physician. Somehow the author manages to weave all of these together. The thread that binds all of these subplots together is power and greed. Another common theme in the series.

The world Dave grew up in was gone and he wants to pretend otherwise. He is not happy to see Walmart, malls, developments, etc. encroaching his beloved bayou. The main theme in this book seems to be change. And dealing with change. Another theme is Southern Louisiana's past prison farm system and convict labor. The story seamlessly navigates between the past and present and does an excellent job describing the brutality of this system. It isn't the 1940's or 50's anymore but the past may not be dead as voices from the grave remind Dave.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trying to come up with explanation as to why I never heard of this author and can't. My enjoyment of this book will require that I catch up as able with the other Robicheaux books written by James Lee Burke. Authentic characters and settings, hard-nosed police work that matched the challenges, beautifully crafted descriptions of place and ample updates from past life events that provide enough background information for stand-alone reading. Another element I embrace - hilarious moments.
Movies? Missed them. However late to the game, I plan to read the full series. I love this guy after just one book.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last Car to Elysian Fields is the thirteenth book in James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux series. In this installment, Dave is on his own. Alafair has gone off to school and his third wife, Bootsy has died. When his friend Father Jimmie Dolan is threatened because his actions are making the wrong people angry, Dave tries to throw some interference.

Dave also begins to look into the mysterious disappearance of a old blues singer, Junior Crudup, who went into Angola prison but never came out, nor did he die according to any prison records. And between these two story lines, Dave ends up face-to-face with an IRA assassin, kidnapped, and suspended.

Many series will be stale by book thirteen, but James Lee Burke somehow manages to keep Dave and Clete from ever becoming old or cliche. I listened to this book on audio read by Mark Hammer, and as I've mentioned before I do not think there is a better match of reader and book. Experiencing a Dave Robicheaux novel read by Mark Hammer is something every crime fiction fan should indulge in at some time, even if you're one of those people who believe you don't like listening to audio books. This is a purely magical experience. Hammer's gritty sound coupled with his seemingly natural ability to nail all the dialects is amazing in and of itself. But when you couple it with his interpretation of Burke's words and themes, the experience becomes heavenly. In this book alone, Hammer has the regular southern dialect of the main characters but he also seamlessly alternates to a thick Irish brogue and an Italian mobster accent. A "failure to communicate" is a common occurrence in Dave Robicheaux novels, as the reader will find through the repetition of the single word "what?" Through Hammer's voice, you can hear confusion from this word, you can hear frustration, you might hear anger. But that simple word is the best example of how Hammer interprets the novel, he NEVER just reads the novel.

Burke, of course, is well-known for his distinct talent at developing setting, the Louisiana bayou setting. But his characters are also exquisitely developed in each novel. One of the elements of his writing that keeps me coming back time after time is the uncanny way Burke evokes both loathing and sympathy from me for almost every character. He can create a revolting antagonist, but there will be some point in the book where I feel sorry for the poor sap. It never fails. And I end up asking myself, "why do you feel sorry for this guy?" And then my brain is in overdrive, and I devour books that ignite that process inside me. The books that make you look beyond the black and white and see all the gray that's really there. Dave Robicheaux, Burke's protagonist, is not always a likable character. And Burke challenges his readers to reach deep down inside and make a connection with this man. I think this particular book points that challenge out rather explicitly through the character of Castille LeJeune who repeatedly tells Dave that the meaning of his literal words is eluding LeJeune.

Clete Purcel is one of my favorite characters in crime fiction, but I don't think I'd ever want to know him in reality. I sure wouldn't want to get on his bad side. But what reader can resist Clete's witticisms? Or his undying devotion to Dave? And Helen Soileau's sarcasm is equally entertaining. These two characters do a lot to lighten the heaviness of Burke's tone.

James Lee Burke manages to do what few authors can, he manages to make me believe that each book I read is better than the one before it. That is an amazing accomplishment!

[Ubik 2.0 · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Il mondo in cui ero cresciuto era scomparso”

Chi nutrisse dubbi sulla grandezza di James Lee Burke, quanto meno nel suo genere ma secondo molti anche oltre, può cimentarsi in un semplice esperimento: Immaginare un incipit in cui il detective narrante e il suo socio rintracciano un balordo e irrompono a casa di questi per intimidirlo con le buone o le cattive maniere; più tardi Robicheaux (perché ovviamente è lui il detective in questione…) viene condotto da un amico in una baracca dove è in vendita un cimelio: una chitarra appartenuta a un grande bluesman defunto.

Facile eccepire che si tratta di per sé di una situazione banale, scontata, in cui ci siamo imbattuti in decine di polizieschi; ma basta sfogliare le pagine del primo capitolo di “Ultima corsa per Elysian Fields” per essere sorpresi e trasportati all’interno della Louisiana di Robicheaux: la curiosità di dare un’occhiata ai luoghi (New Iberia, New Orleans ed i bayou circostanti) può essere soddisfatta tramite Google Maps, individuando mille riferimenti, diretti (Il “Café du Monde” è proprio al suo posto) o indiretti (la bettola con le colonnine verdi all’angolo fra la Magazine e la Napoleon è chiaramente il locale di Goldie dove tutto inizia); infine, con Spotify o Youtube o quel che si vuole, si può mettere in sottofondo The Midnight Special con la voce di Leadbelly e allora l’effetto è totale: fino alla parola “fine” non sarà più possibile abbandonare la Louisiana, i bayou, la cucina cajun, i nubifragi sulle paludi, le donne fatali e le ville esagerate dei ricchi rampolli dei possidenti, le piantagioni di canna da zucchero e i tramonti sul Golfo.

Questa magia, che almeno su di me agisce quasi sempre, non è dovuta solo all’oggettivo incanto dei luoghi ma allo stile particolare dell’autore, genuino figlio del Sud degli States (nato in Texas e residente in Louisiana), di cui conosce profondamente Storia e leggende, miti ed ambiente che inserisce nei suoi romanzi con abilità e gusto dei particolari: anche se insignificante ai fini della trama, non si trova mai citato un albero, un animale, un cibo o una bevanda che non sia individuato col suo nome e spesso con la sua origine, strettamente legata alle tradizioni di questa terra, meticcia quanto nessun altra negli Usa.

Sull’altro piatto della bilancia Burke, anche in questo romanzo, può lasciare insoddisfatto chi ama il giallo costruito sulla ricerca del “colpevole” tramite prove e indizi, perché questo aspetto è sviluppato molto meno della contorta e sofferta psicologia dei personaggi, primo fra tutti Dave Robicheaux, reduce dal Vietnam (proprio come il collega Harry Bosch inventato da Michael Connelly), frequentatore con scarso successo delle riunioni degli AA, due volte vedovo, con una tendenza a cacciarsi nei guai seconda solo a quella dell’ineffabile “socio” Clete…

In definitiva siamo alle prese con un “noir”, e l’aggettivo francese ben si attaglia a questo territorio in gran parte francofono in salsa cajun, dove, in modo più concreto e deciso di altri episodi, Dave Robicheaux (e Burke con lui…) si espone schierandosi apertamente contro ogni forma di sfruttamento, razzismo, inquinamento, soprusi passati o presenti, lasciandosi talora andare a riflessioni malinconiche ed inusuali per un poliziesco:
”Il mondo in cui ero cresciuto era scomparso o non c’era più. Avrei voluto fingere che non fosse vero, trovare spiegazioni per il decadimento, per i centri commerciali, per la spazzatura sparpagliata lungo le strade, per le querce vecchie di secoli che gli imprenditori edili abbattevano con orgoglio quasi patriottico. Nella mia vanità volevo credere che io e altre persone avremmo potuto cambiare e cose. Ma questo non sarebbe accaduto né nella mia vita né in quella dei miei figli.”

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of the same? Yes and no. Largely true to form, and another solid installment in the Robicheaux story arc, yet one that, for me, was stronger in the momentum than the memorable category. Basically, it cruised along nicely, with the pages turning frequently and easily, all contributing to a (probably predictable) late night (OK, well into the morning) session to see it through to the end.

It's not just that the themes are darker - JLB plumbs the dark depths rather consistently - but I no longer think it's my imagination; overall, I felt like the last couple have been somewhat lighter in the lyrical department, with less graphic, colorful, emotive imagery. Maybe I was just overly focused on the plot and the latest cast of characters ... or maybe I've just come to expect too much. To the extent that one of the Robicheaux's I read early on (before I committed to the author and the series) is a more recent work, I remain optimistic about the direction in which that trend will veer.

Also, obviously, decisions were made with regard to the core cast of characters, and I'm guessing those decisions pleased some more than others. This reader was somewhat disappointed - it was like family members not showing up for the holiday festivities. Alas.

Given the number of balls in the air, the ending - tying up the loose threads - felts not to so much rushed, but almost haphazard, although at least one subtle (no spoiler) zinger buried in there was a nice touch.

By my count, that's between 15 and 20 JLB's for me (.... I think it's 18, but who cares?), and I don't expect to stop anytime soon. Indeed, I already have the next two in my to-read pile (but I almost never read them consecutively... I think I like knowing I've got one in the pile for when I'm looking for a safe/reliable choice). If I continue to ration, I expect I'm still a few (or at least a couple) of years away from catching up to the author on Robicheaux...

[Aditya · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the main features of the Robicheaux series that keeps it fresh in spite of broadly similar plots is the evolution of its protagonist. Robicheaux's fortunes alternate every three to four books as he is either finding a modicum of peace or plunging into newer depths of loss. The latest cycle started at Purple Cane Road (#11) and focussed on tearing down Robicheaux all over again. So in Last Car to Elysian Fields he is at a nadir that the series last explored at its very inception.

The series has dwelled a lot on Robicheaux's alcoholism but it is his other demon - violence that comes to fore here. I still remember that in A Morning for Flamingoes (#4), Robicheaux tried his best to capture a sadistic escaped convict alive even when he shot and left Robicheaux to die. The man we see in the first half if the book is a far cry from that. Robicheaux basically unloads on a lowlife simply because he happened to cross his path on a bad day and plays an ancillary part in getting him killed. Burke's protagonist are never a barrel of laughs but Robicheaux in the first half of the book is dark and repulsive even by those standards. But the character doesn't suffer because his bad decisions seem product of pent up helplessness and frustration, they have consequences and he grows from it. Plus Robicheaux is never treated as a hero, most others characters treat him with pity and derision.

Burke's gift of exquisite characterization is not exclusive to the protagonist. Clete Purcell, the only constant in Robicheaux's life shifts from cracking crass yet scathing jokes to being a psychotic one man wrecking crew. He is always smart enough to tell Robicheaux how insane his plans are and always loyal enough to double down on the insanity. The other characters are archetypes Burke has used numerous times before. The rich, amiable white man - Castille Lejeune who appears to be respectability personified except Robicheaux is convinced that there is no depravity he has not dabbled in. The oppressed black man - blues singer Junior Crudup whose greatest crime is having a dream and whose greatest dream is being treated with an approximation of respect. The ex lover - married daughter of Lejeune. The last archetype doesn't work, Robicheaux is never portrayed as a ladies man so it is not credible he has lovers crawling out of the woodwork every second book.

The plot has Robicheaux hounding Lejeune to find out what happened to Crudup. Another major strand deals with a moral hitman (another Burke archetype) trying to kill a Catholic priest Robicheaux is fond of. The plots entwine at the very end and fit more snugly than most other narratives that happen to be as sprawling as Last Car to Elysian Fields. As always in Burke books, it is marred with violence and as always Burke shows violence begets nothing but tragedy.

Another thing that I love in the series is the symbolism that is always present in the background. The priest and the hit man are equally delusional about being principled because the first master their principles serve is their burgeoning pride. Robicheaux's misfortune is rivalled by that of another character - Dr. Parks. The both of them have the same first instinct to resort to violence against convenient targets but Parks restrains himself and that ends in a tragedy for him. So Parks manages to be a better man than the protagonist but still ends up losing. None of this is subtle but neither is it spelled out. Like the best books the more you think about Burke's work, the more you get out of it.

A singer reusing his riffs and tunes is considered acceptable but an author is never afforded the same goodwill with reused plotlines. And there is not a shred of originality here. Burke has used all these ideas before. Maybe it is more obvious to me as I have read about 20 Burke books in last 1.5 years. But when they happen to both entertaining and thematically rich, I can't complain much. So more of the same but I have always afforded more importance to how the book is written rather than what it is about. Rating - 4/5.

[The Girl with the Sagittarius Tattoo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate to say this, but what a muddled, convoluted plot! There was way too much going on in this one, and I don't just mean the character count.

But every longtime cop will tell you that the criminals who scared him most were the ones who looked and talked like the rest of us and committed deeds that no one, absolutely no one, ever wants to have knowledge of.

Let's see... first, there was the traffic-related death of a carload of teenaged girls who had been served at a drive-thru daiquiri. The grieving father of the driver is out to get everybody responsible for serving his daughter alcohol. Next, there's the LeJeunes. Dave and Clete suspect that patriarch Castille may have a connection to a missing blues man who disappeared from Angola prison in 1951. His daughter, Theodosia LeJeune, had a one-night stand with Dave way back in his drinking days, and she never misses a chance to remind him of it. Then there's what going on with Father Jimmie Dolan. The town priest has a hitman after him - a Belfast man named Max Coll, whose motivations are as nebulous as his behavior.

Update on all regular side characters: Alafair is off at college out of state. Clete Purcell plays a big role in this novel, as usual. Dave has sold the bait shop to Batiste - right after Dave's house burned down in the period between this book and the last. It's damn sad not having that house on the bayou as a setting, and I hope Dave eventually rebuilds it. Helen Swallow has taken over as Sheriff of Iberia Parish. Major updates behind the spoiler tag. Bootsie finally died from Lupus complications, not long before Dave's house burned down. I never liked her character, although Dave struggles without her in this book. Sadly, our dear little Tripod, the three-legged raccoon that has been a part of the series since the very beginning, was described as old and unable to contain his bladder anymore. I have a bad feeling he won't make it into the next books. Dave, Alafair and Batiste have taken good care of him, as evidenced by his unusually long life.

Next up, Crusader's Cross.

[Terence M - [Quot libros, quam breve tempus!] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to audiobook - 2014 - prior to my commencing writing reviews

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another JLB masterpiece...."Wasting no time on preliminaries, Dave and his old buddy, p.i. Clete Purcel, end the opening scene pummeling one-time porn actor Gunner Ardoin for beating New Orleans priest Jimmie Dolan and are soon facing Gunner’s civil suit and his likely innocence. But there are more than enough sleazeballs to go around, from Gunner’s mobbed-up boss Fat Sammy Figorelli to waste-management contractor Merchie Flannigan to Merchie’s wife, crime-writer Theodosha LeJeune, to Theo’s father, spuriously genteel Castille LeJeune, whose 1951 blues recording of imprisoned Junior Crudup is practically the last anybody heard from Junior before he vanished from Angola Prison. Things heat up further with the fatal car crash of Lori Parks, a teenaged veteran of Ecstasy and DWI charges, who bought the daiquiri that pushed her over the line from an obliging boy who worked for Castille LeJeune. Dave, of course, keeps straying outside his jurisdiction to threaten or batter lowlifes, but this time he’s bookended by Lori’s father, who’s determined to avenge her, and by Father Jimmie, dogged by a visiting killer whose moral conflicts bear an uncomfortable resemblance to the priest’s own."

[Rainer Bantau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Burke delivers, as usual. Excellently written, intriguing, and highly enjoyable reading.

[Jonah Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been a big fan of James Lee Burke for years, but after a handful of Dave Robicheaux stories there gets to be a sameness about these books that triggers the law of diminishing returns. Don't get me wrong. The writing is excellent, the narrative compelling, the characters rich and fully realized. There's just such an abiding sense of hopelessness in the stories that you begin to wish Burke would move on to something else. All the good guys are flawed to the point of tragic and all the bad guys are so sleazy, so amoral, that you feel like there must be no good end in store for humanity - or at least humanity in the Louisiana Delta. Maybe that's a good thing. I don't know. I just found myself wishing for a more hopeful and satisfying end here. If you haven't read Burke before, by all means give him a try. I think you'll enjoy him. If however you've already read a few of his books, you might want to do a mental check-up on yourself to make sure you're up to another one. Just sayin'.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Lee Burke is an exquisite writer and Dave Robicheaux is a wonderful character channeling many "middle aged" male items of angst...plus he carries a gun, got a cool job and great friends...I'm all out of order with the series, but enjoyed this tale of Dave digging into 50 year-old missing Blues Master who disappeared on a work gang...along the way we run into a rebel priest, an IRA hitman and a bunch of assorted NOLA lowlifes...though I've read most of the series, I really think I enjoy Will Patton's interpretation of Dave on the 2 books on CD I've encountered...either way Burke's stories are really entertaining!

[Jackson Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Burke’s writing is gorgeous and elegiac but this book doesn’t so much have a plot as a mood and I found it’s dour musings about the failure of modernity in comparison to the glorious innocence of the 50s shortsighted. The elements of a great crime novel are here, but it’s stung together too loosely for me to really appreciate it. I’d like to read one of his earlier books and see if it resonates.

[Bill Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite ...

James Lee Burke is a masterful storyteller. His descriptive narratives are wonderful, and I like them better than his stories, sometimes. This book had too many characters, and I kept wishing I were reading a print book so I could flip back and reread to keep them straight. I’ll read the next one, and I hope it is a better story.

[Jeremiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

A big let down for a variety of reasons. First, having this wife die "off screen" seems like a cop out. We also don't see any sign of his daughter at all. I had to check and make sure I didn't miss a book in between when I read that she was dead in the first chapter. I feel like a big opportunity was lost to see Dave engaged in some real sadness, especially if he managed not to drink.

This book was really scattered plot-wise, and like many of the Robicheaux series, you had all sorts of murder and mayhem occurring simply because people are too stubborn to have a conversation. Dave is guilty of this dozens and dozens of times in the series. For someone who is in AA, he is a very poor listener. I can see why we've never seen him acting as sponsor to someone else. He'd blow them off and they'd fall off the wagon the first time they needed his help.

So many of the villains in this series are interchangeable with each other--rich whites from plantation families who have beautiful damaged wives who always seem to have a thing for Dave, and blase attitudes about their family histories. They're all tangled up in money and politics, and Dave hates them just because they're rich people. It's a song that's gotten pretty old. Gotten through 13 of these books, I suppose I'll go ahead and keep reading until I get to the end, but James Lee Burke seems to have gotten into a formula that he can't seem to knock himself out of.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dave Robicheaux and his close friend Clete Purcel really balance each others characters in the three James Lee Burke novels I have read to date. Clete has no restraint drinks heavily as a private eye/ bounty chaser has fewer legal restrictions than Dave does as a police officer In New Iberia, Louisiana. Clete acts rashly and end up jail to be helped by Dave, who almost always is shot at or held prisoner only to be rescued by Clete.

The beating of a catholic priest, and the death of three teenage who had purchased drinks at a drive by daiquiri store without ID's leads to a contract on the priest. Blods flows and Dave ansd Clete try to work together to solve the cases both old and new. Max Coll an Irish Hitman adds to the story. Be careful where point you that gun someone is going to die.

History, the blues, a black blues artist, prison camp number nine, a world war two war hero, contract killer, a buried body, and porn stars, only in New Orleans

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love James Lee Burke's books and this one is no exception. They are gritty and violent but not in a gratuitious way. I know I have gone over the edge because I am starting to think of Detective Dave Robicheaux and his sidekick Private Investigator Clete Purcel as real people. I recommend Burke's books to anyone who loves a good mystery, who wants to breathe and eat in New Orleans as if they were really there, and who enjoys seeing the growth of a character as the books are written.

[Tom S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of course, another great book from James Lee Burke. Dave Robineaux is such a honest and flawed man, this series is a gem. Once again, there are problems in New Iberia Louisiana, and Dave is in the middle of it. His sidekick Clete, is one of my favorite characters.

[Jeff Tankersley · Rating 2 out of 5]

An old friend of Detective Robicheaux is a controversial and provocative Catholic priest who has been poking at some specific criminal hornets' nests in New Orleans and suffers a brutal beating. As Dave works to find the culprit, the priest is enlisting his help in another case not being investigated by the police, a woman's land being overrun with pollutive toxins and its connection to a long-missing blues musician.

As a reader of the first twelve books of the Robicheaux series and avoiding reading book jackets to save myself from spoilers, I had no idea that "Last Car to Elysian Fields" (2003) had a serious change in situation for Dave between the last book and this one. This isn't a spoiler because it happened before the book takes place but for those who don't want to know, look away now; before this story starts Dave's wife Bootsie has died, finally losing her battle with lupus, his daughter Alafair has left home for college, his old house on the bayou that his father built and that he and his wife and daughter shared burned down in an electrical fire, and he sold his bait and boat business to his old friend Batist.

The pre-book change has an effect like one of those time jumps that TV shows do when they want to clear the decks, close some open threads offscreen, and reset things. This also has us a little worried for the recovering alcoholic Robicheaux; he's living alone and in mourning and thus might have a tougher time staying sober.

We still have Clete, though, so that's all good.

I am a big fan of the "reset" in the series, but those situational changes for Dave don't really translate when it comes to the main crime he's investigating here, a fifty-year-prior possible death at a prison work camp, a scenario we've seen in prior episodes of the series and is now kind of just a running theme that doesn't work as well anymore. Generational sins and multi-generational fallout.

Another social ill that Dave tackles is the legal sale of daiquiris at drive-thrus, which is a very specific issue that Burke seems to have a problem with and makes it a source of added violence and vengeance in "Last Car."

Verdict: This one doesn't work as well as the other Robicheaux detective stories I've read; not very well-told, a lack of relatable criminals and victims, a lack of the soul-searching questions we're usually supposed to answer, a step down from the prose that made prior Burkes at the same time hopeful and terrifying, and a mostly uninteresting plot that had me yawning frequently, something that rarely happened reading one of these before.

Jeff's Rating: 2 / 5 (Okay)
movie rating if made into a movie: R

[Paul Pessolano · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Last Car to Elysian Fields” by James Lee Burke, published by Simon & Schuster.

Category - Mystery/ Thriller. Publication Date - 2003.

If you have been following my reviews you know that Burke is, by far, my favorite mystery writer. I often wonder why I just don’t just give the book five stars and just tell everyone to read it, you just can’t go wrong.

Burke gives a description of New Orleans as it was and as it is now. He weaves a mystery around Louisiana that few can match. He does this with his main character, Dave Robicheaux, a veteran of Vietnam who is haunted by his tour of duty there and a severe alcoholic problem that he struggles with every day. He is accompanied by Cleve Purcel, who deals with his own devils from Vietnam and a true alcoholic who has no plans of changing. Dave and Crete are former law enforcement officers of New Orleans who are no longer on the force due to their conduct. Crete is now a P.I. and Dave is a detective on a force just outside of New Orleans. They are both bosom buddies who would do anything for each other.

In this story Dave becomes entangled with a Catholic Priest who seems to be at the center of every controversy. The priest is brutally beaten and Crete tries to even the score. Meanwhile, three teenage girls are killed in an automobile accident after they made a stop at a Daiquiri Drive-Thru. This leads both Dave and Crete on a mission to find out if their deaths were caused by their illegal purchase of alcohol. This, of course, leads them to the shabby underground of New Orleans. As the investigation progresses so does the crimes and those implicated in them.

Just another great novel from Burke that includes great prose and an exciting mystery/thriller that includes his two great characters and a great supporting cast.

[Watchdogg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last Car to Elysian Fields (Dave Robicheaux #13) by James Lee Burke
Published September 23, 2003 by Simon & Schuster

For the curious -
Elysium (/ ɪˈlɪzi.əm, ɪˈlɪʒəm /), otherwise known as the Elysian Fields (Ancient Greek: Ἠλύσιον πεδίον, Ēlýsion pedíon) or Elysian Plains, is a conception of the afterlife that developed over time and was maintained by some Greek religious and philosophical sects and cults.

Elysian Fields Avenue is a broad, straight avenue in New Orleans named after the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris. It courses south to north from the Lower Mississippi River to Lake Pontchartrain, a distance of approximately 5 miles (8.0 km).


My thoughts -
I rediscovered this book lingering on my shelves and decided to give it another go only to discover that I had never read it before. I could hardly believe that I owned a JLB novel that had escaped my attention all this time. I've had the book since prior to 2007, my last move.

A little more violent than some of the others, but just as captivating. It's all here folks - a Miami hitman seeking to take out a Catholic priest, a wide assortment of unscrupulous characters, Dave more out of control than usual and fighting his demons throughout with stinking thinking, and Clete pursuing his own type of justice.

Highly recommended for mystery readers who can get past an assortment of society's most aberrant characters including vicious prison guards and whores who give twenty-dollar blow jobs. Not for the squeamish.

An easy four stars, perhaps even more, but I doubt I would ever be prepared to read it again.

[Colin Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three young women burned to death in a car wreck after having brought alcohol at a roadside kiosk. This inevitably leads to wholescale murder and mayhem. As so often in these stories they start off as well crafted tales and then descend into unrestricted violence, much committed by Dave Robicheaux and his mate Cletus Purcell. Perhaps it's just me. Unfortunately, it takes away my enjoyment of the vivid descriptions of the area, the people and their lives.

I had put this series down but somehow must have brought this one from a used book site and on a recent clear up it came to light and I decided to read it before passing it one. It made a- one book space on the shelf.

Fortunately, there are a few more books on my pile but the virus has caused the closure of the library and bookstores. Electronic resources are still available and that may be the route ahead if nothing to bad happens.

[Havers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Die Lücken schließen sich, dem PENDRAGON Verlag sei Dank. Nachdem nun „Straße der Gewalt“ (Last car to Elysian Fields, 2003), Band 13 der Dave Robicheaux-Reihe von James Lee Burke (erstmals in deutscher Übersetzung von Jürgen Bürger) vorliegt, warten von den mittlerweile zwanzig Romanen „nur“ noch sechs auf die Übertragung ins Deutsche. Da die Veröffentlichungen leider nicht in Reihe erfolgen, ist es bisweilen schwierig für den Leser, mit den Veränderungen der Lebensumstände des Protagonisten Schritt zu halten. Aber nach kurzem Einlesen, bekommt das schon ohne größere Schwierigkeiten sortiert.

„Straße der Gewalt“ setzt an einem Punkt ein, an dem es für Dave Robicheaux gar nicht gut läuft. Sein Haus ist niedergebrannt, die Liebe seines Lebens ist tot, seine Adoptivtochter hat die Koffer gepackt und ist nun am College. Deprimierend, denn alles, was ihm Halt gab, ist nun dahin, und als einzige Konstante ist nur noch sein Kumpel Clete Purcel übrig geblieben.

Jimmie Dolans Hilferuf, Priester und Freund aus alten Tagen, kommt genau richtig und führt Dave und Clete zurück an die alte Wirkungsstätte, mitten hinein in das dunkle Herz des „Big Easy“. Illegale Müllkippen, verseuchtes Grundwasser, ein spurlos verschwundener Blues-Musiker, skrupellose Schläger und Mafia-Killer, drei tote Teenager – und mittendrin Robicheaux und Purcel auf ihrem Kreuzzug. Die unbequemen Kämpfer mit Prinzipien und Moralvorstellungen, die sich nur ihrem eigenen Gewissen verpflichtet fühlen und auch dementsprechend agieren, haben sie doch nichts mehr zu verlieren.

James Lee Burke ist ein begnadeter Geschichtenerzähler, der vollkommen auf diese Fähigkeit vertrauen kann, was er einmal mehr in „Straße der Gewalt“ beweist. Er muss den Leser nicht mit obskuren Täuschungsmanövern in die Irre führen oder auf der Zielgeraden mit billigen Tricks den Täter aus dem Hut zaubern. Stattdessen bietet er seinen Lesern eine komplexe Story mit zahlreichen Handlungssträngen – inklusive eines Exkurses in die Geschichte des Strafvollzugs in Louisiana - und einer Vielzahl an Personen, zu deren Handlungen er aber im Detail die entsprechenden Hintergrundinformationen liefert, was wiederum für die gewünschte Tiefe sorgt. Absolut gelungen. Und natürlich schafft es Burke wie immer mühelos, alle losen Handlungsfäden am Ende stimmig zu verknüpfen. Hier gibt es absolut nix zu meckern – James Lee Burke ist zweifelsfrei eine Klasse für sich!

[Dwayne Keeney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mysteries are plentiful if a little convoluted. I miss Alafair, Batiste and the bait shop but have been waiting several books for Bootsie's departure. She, and her impact on Dave, have never been more interesting. Max Call is the most interesting 1-novel character since Dixie Lee Pugh. Watching Dave struggle has not been as interesting in some time.

[Callie · Rating 4 out of 5]

some of this one was too americana melancholia for me. although the Junior Crudup storyline was interesting and as always, the plot was bananas (in an enjoyable way).

as always, Cletus and Helen were the best parts. i hope we see more of clotile, but I doubt we will.

notes for me:
~ The genesis of Snuggs and Tripod!!!
~clete and the opera and the sex workers + clete and the exploding, very mobile home + Clete running his mouth at the cafeteria unaware

[Tracey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not very impressed with this read. Very slow to get going and the story was not very good or intriguing for a thriller.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clear voice, fun read

[Nick Stika · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy my trips to the deep south with James Lee Burke. His books are so atmospheric and you really do get the feeling you are there when he describes his scenes. Love his books.

[jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

a third of a slow way through this book (not the book's fault), i thought i'd give myself entirely to that most overused of parts of speech, the adjective. i do this because james lee burke is a great user of adjectives, and even when he uses them abundantly he doesn't overuse them at all. but i will. because i want to. the following adjectives describe one aspect or another of this book, while also encompassing, all of them, the book as a whole. the most hackneyed (but nonetheless correctly applicable) adjectives are in ALL CAPS. some adjectives are repeated because i don't feeling like checking, some for effect. some, i'm putting there just to trick and confuse you. the ones in bold stand out because of thicker lines.

SULTRY, STEAMY, leafy, autumnal, SODDEN, LUSCIOUS, green, HUED, explosive, reflective, melancholy, DRUNKEN, SOZZLED, soaked, LONGING, desperate, hopeful, SMOKY, barbed, sarcastic, sharp, cutting, EDGY, sleepless, broken, hurt, smelly, putrid, dirty, filthy, BOOZY, olfactory, visual, LONELY, black, noirish, brown, DARK, sunny, bright, shadowy, perverted, compassionate, forgiving/en, fallen, redemptive, assuaging, taut, tense, INTENSE, adroit, skillful, DEADLY, dead, buried, inner, outer, joyless, deadened, guilty, guilt-ridden, miserable, abject, criminal, murderous, uncontrollable, pathetic, TOUGHASNAILS, sordid, compulsive, unheeded, lost, COOL, uncool, detached, lonely, alone, male, masculine, TESTOSTERONE-FUELED, tender, cuddly, needy, unhinged, enduring, surviving, SWAMPY, BRINY, purple, violet, blue, yellow, red, flaming, inflamed, infamous, DUSKY, dusty, loving, entire, disembodied, BLOODY, wounded, injured, inured, urgent, urinary, fecal, gastric, hungry.

***

i'm still impressed with james lee burke's use of language, but this was a tough book to finish. first, a reflection on language and the mystery genre. i have never been much of a genre reader, so reading mysteries this last year has given me new thoughts to think. here's one: through mysteries, american readers are digesting a tremendous amount of literary, sometimes experimental, sometimes difficult fiction. i don't know what the demographics of james lee burke's readers are, but this readership is certainly doing some heavy lifting. JLB writes real-deal existentialist fiction (the recurring character of the catholic priest and the pervasive presence of catholicism are a dead giveaway) and uses the language of faulkner. this is serious lit.

but i had a hard time finishing this book because the violence got the better of me. i realize dave robicheaux's self-hatred is a sort of indictment of his actions, but there is also some unquestionable lust in the vigilantism he and his best friend practice. this lust is a definite turn off for me. men brutally killing men, setting men up to be killed, battering men around like matches in matchstick boxes -- nah, i don't think so. i don't care if these men love their daughters and their dead wives. i don't care if they do it to protect women. i especially don't care if they do it to protect women. i really don't.