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Book Review: The Glass Rainbow

    Hey, everyone. I hope you guys are having a pleasant new year.
    I just finished reading James Lee Burke's latest novel. The title is The Glass Rainbow and its very good. Burke has this series about a police detective in Louisiana, named Dave Robicheaux. The guy has more hangups than I do, with a friend named Clete Purcell who is in worse shape. The series is full of compelling characters. In this book Dave is trying to solve a murder case involving some young women who were abducted. Dave and Clete try not to let the law get in their way too much.
    Burke's books are a view into a world which is darker than anything we want a steady diet of. What I mean is, read one of Burke's books, then read something else. Otherwise it can get a bit depressing. Of course I have always followed that formula with any author, even more mellow guys like Edgar Rice Burroughs. It prevents your favorite authors from growing stale.
    In my opinion, James Lee Burke is one of the top ten living authors at this time. His stories are absorbing reads and I have only started one which I couldn't recommend. The Glass Rainbow is gritty crime drama at it's grittiest but don't read it if you can't stand some bad language. I give the book 4 stars out of 4, without hesitation.
    I have often visited Louisiana and it is one of my favorite places. I like the people and I like its diversity. Nobody knows the places and people like Mr. Burke. Many years ago I went to the Sugar Bowl at the Super Dome in New Orleans. The night before, I went up to Bourbon Street and watched the revelry of the two opposing sets of fans. I sipped beer, leaning on a lamp post, and marveled that all the drunks weren't getting rolled. In Burke's books he says that tourists are off limits under the strict orders of the mob and the police.
    The Super Dome was an interesting experience for me. It was the first domed stadium I had ever been in and I couldn't believe how small it felt. I sat in the upper deck and it seemed I could almost touch the roof. Years later I watched the tragedy unfold there as Katrina's aftermath was being dealt(?) with. I had a hard time imagining how people kept from going nuts in that place for so many days. I whine if I have to stay cooped up here at home too long.
    From the author's green retreat, I'm CE Wills.
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