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Title: Bitterroot by James Lee Burke ISBN: 0-7432-0483-2 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pub. Date: 12 June, 2001 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.77 (44 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: This is as good a book as Burke's ever written.
Comment: I read a review of this in _Booklist_ or _Library Journal_ or somewhere which suggested that the characters of Billy Bob Holland and David Robicheaux were becoming almost indistinguishable. So I was very worried about how this book would read, since this is something I've noted before, particularly in the last Billy Bob book, _Heartwood_, which really did read like a retread of a Dave Robicheaux book (_Cadillac Jukebox_), with little but the names of characters changed. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Even though he's dealing with the same concerns that he deals with in other books, _Bitterroot_ is entirely new and different territory for James Lee Burke.
Perhaps it's because the setting has moved from Texas to Montana, also the setting for the Edgar-winning _Black Cherry Blues_ from his Robicheaux series. But this doesn't read like a retread of the Robicheaux books. It's got the same mix of dangerous, lowlife characters whom our protagonist can't seem to stop stirring up. But the fresh locations help to revive and invigorate the proceedings.
Billy Bob isn't just a mirror image of Dave Robicheaux--he's much more extreme than Dave. His attraction to violence seems much more ingrained and difficult to overcome, and he spends quite a bit of his time in the book musing about this fact. Sometimes, you just want to whack Billy Bob (or Dave, for that matter) on the head and tell him to stop messing around with the lowlifes, but he just can't seem to help it. And, ultimately, this is what we read Burke for: the battle of good vs. evil.
Coming on the heels of _Purple Cane Road_, _Bitterroot_ suggests that Burke has found a second wind to his writing and I, for one, could not be more excited to see what's next.
Rating: 5
Summary: JAMES LEE BURKE IS ONE OF THE BEST WRITERS IN AMERICA TODAY!
Comment: I made a promise to myself after reading HEARTWOOD last year that I'd buy the next "Billy Bob Holland" novel in hardback when it came out, rather than waiting for the paperback edition. It's a promise I'm glad I kept. In James Lee Burke's newest novel, BITTERROOT, ex-Texas Ranger Billy Bob Holland is back in true form, ready to protect his family and friends, and to put down anyone who gets in his face. When Billy Bob goes to Bitterroot, Montana to visit his old friend, Tobin "Doc" Voss, he expects to have a nice, relaxing vacation with maybe a little "fly" fishing thrown in. It turns out, however, to be anything but relaxing. It seems that a local mining company is polluting the rivers around Bitterroot with cyanide and Doc Voss is trying to put a stop to it. The mining company decides to fight back by hiring some hard-nose bikers and members of a certain white supremacist group (led by Carl Hinkel) to try and intimidate Doc. Since Doc is a former SEAL and did his fair share of killing in Vietnam, he's not the kind of guy who generally backs down. When Doc's sixteen-year-old daughter, Maisey, is brutally raped by three bikers, everything takes a turn for the worse. The men suspected of the crime are released from jail due to a lack of evidence and then are murdered, one by one, by an unknown assailant. Because of evidence found at the crime scenes, Doc is the number one suspect for the murders, and he has to ask Billy Bob to represent him as his lawyer. As if Billy Bob doesn't have enough to deal with, an ex-con by the name of Wyatt Dixon shows up in Bitterroot, seeking revenge against the former Texas Ranger for the death of his sister (a woman who killed all of her children). Then, there's a mobster by the name of Nicki Molinari, who's trying to retrieve some stolen money from a woman Billy Bob happens to be sexually involved with. All of this is just the tip of the iceberg. Before the novel is over, the body count is going to be sky high, and Billy Bob is going to have to answer some tough questions about love, family, friendship, and his violent nature. Not even the ghost of his late friend and partner, L.Q. Navarro, will be able to help him with this. In BITTERROOT, James Lee Burke shines at his brightest as he juggles a dozen or more subplots, spinning and weaving them into a gripping tale of violence, suspense and redemption. The character of Billy Bob Holland will have to delve deeply into his heart and examine his feelings for his close friend, Carol Temple, while at the same time, acknowledging that his son, Lucas, is now a man and must be allowed to make his own decisions, right or wrong. Billy Bob must also find a way to deal with his violent tendencies, understanding that he only feels alive when putting down men who deserve to be killed. This is especially true for the character of Wyatt Dixon, a man who's as deadly as a rattlesnake and is determine to teach Billy Bob a thing or two about revenge by going after the people he loves the most. Though the book is filled dozens of main and secondary characters, Mr. Burke manages to breathe life into each and everyone one of them through the use of individual quirks and nuances. Few authors have the skill to do this. The writing, of course, is sheer poetry to read. Mr. Burke has a finely tuned ear for dialogue and a vivid eye for description, bringing words together that reach into the reader's heart and soul, making him or her at one with the story. I have to say that, after three novels, the character of Billy Bob Holland is beginning to remind me more and more of Dave Robicheaux. Both men are filled with guilt at the lost of a close friend or wife. Each one also has a strong loyalty to friends and family, not to mention a strict code of honor that enables them to do whatever is necessary in order to protect the weak and innocent. There's even a rumor floating around that Mr. Burke will eventually bring both characters together in one book. That is definitely something all of Mr. Burke's fans would happily die for. Read BITTERROOT and find out why James Lee Burke is now considered to be one of America's best writers, then check out the "Dave Robicheaux" novel, PURPLE CANE ROAD, and discover why millions of people are addicted to this great author.
Rating: 4
Summary: More Like 3.7 Stars
Comment: I liked this book one whole heck of a lot but it also disturbed me on many levels as well. There are 4 main heros pitted agienst an equal number of bad guys. Billy Bob, his son, Doc and his daughter I also enjoyed the characte1r of the sheiff in the town but I guess he really doesn't count as a "Good Guy" because he is just doing his job.
The three bad guys are Clayton Dixon(the most menicing charcter in the book), Terry Witherspoon his annoying psychopath in training and a mobster who is about as stereotypical as they come.
Barring all of these it's a great book for what it is, there are good guys you can root for and bad guys you can hate. People familiar with a few James Lee Burke books will also take note there is also a ghost and several crazy people rounding out the cast something that no self respecting James Lee Berke book would be without.
Overall-I loved the character development, the thing that killed this book was the many plot threads and that its villains were disposed of much too easily and conveniently I almost felt cheated when the book was over. This is a book that will be perfect for long distance driving, because it keeps a listener or reader interested but not OVER interested.
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Title: Heartwood by James Lee Burke ISBN: 0440224012 Publisher: Island Books Pub. Date: 11 July, 2000 List Price(USD): $7.50 |
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Title: Cimarron Rose by James Lee Burke ISBN: 0786889306 Publisher: Hyperion Pub. Date: 01 June, 1998 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Burning Angel by James Lee Burke ISBN: 0786889047 Publisher: Hyperion Pub. Date: 01 August, 1996 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Purple Cane Road by James Lee Burke ISBN: 0440224047 Publisher: Dell Pub. Date: 08 May, 2001 List Price(USD): $7.50 |
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Title: Black Cherry Blues: A Dave Robicheaux Novel by James L. Burke ISBN: 0380712040 Publisher: Avon Pub. Date: 01 December, 1990 List Price(USD): $7.50 |
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