Heaven's Prisoners

This book wasn't as good as his first one. This one didn't hold my interest.

I have read all of James Lee Burke's books and many more than once as he is one of my three favorite authors. Heaven' Prisoners is book two in the Dave Robicheaux series and really sets the stage going forward in understanding the background and personality of Dave, an ex-alcoholic prone to bouts of depression and self inflicted conflict.Dave has left New Orleans behind and moved to New Iberia with his wife when one afternoon while out on the Gulf they witness a plane go down in the water killing four people but they are able to rescue a five year old little girl that instantly becomes part of their lives. However, Dave later finds that only three bodies were retrieved and so begins the story of what happened and why are the DEA and immigration authorities both involved in the investigation.Reading this book I marvel at the beautiful prose that revolves around the beauty and serenity of Southern Louisiana contrasted with the evil acts that man is capable of. The story is beautiful at times, while being very violent, crude and even occasionally very erotic mirroring the conflict within Dave's own mind. He constantly struggles with introspection trying to understand himself and the world we live in. I found the plot to be excellent and maybe a little less circuitous than that in some of his later novels. My greatest compliment is to say that I found this book so emotionally moving that I felt like going back and reading it all over again which I know I will at some time in the future. This book is that good and i highly recommend it as well as the whole series going forward!!

Nobody writes a story, like James Lee Burke!

SOME SPOILERS ! ! !Though I am definitely hooked on Burke's writing, this was not his best effort. In fact, I couldn't help but feel this book was written to eliminate Annie so the series could continue unencumbered. I don't think Annie could survive in Dave's world with any real contentment as they have such polarizing personalities and sensibilities. The scene where Annie gets killed but Robicheaux survives was a bit too convenient to be convincing. Nor does it seem that the man I've come to know as a tough straight talking introspective thinker like Dave would so quickly get over the likes of Annie and take up with a woman like Robin. This was a bit of a stretch and made me dislike his character for using others as he engaged in what appeared to be self-indulgence. I didn't see any real remorse or sorrow over Annie's passing--no period of bereavement, as I would expect from a man like Dave.The scenes regarding alcoholism and the demons that plague Dave are very believable and appear to be drawn from the author's own experiences. But, even in this regard, Burke went a little too far to the dark side. While we want a believable likeable protagonist we don't want to spend most of our time feeling sorry for him and in this novel Robicheaux seems to be wallowing in his own self-pity and using his wife's brutal murder as an excuse to act out.Burke has a special way of turning words into flowing prose unmatched in his genre. This book was no exception. While it was a gritty and horrific story, the setting, mood and dialogue sparked like electricity, leaving the reader panting for more. The prose is poetic in a lot of places and written so you're compelled to go back to taste it again and again.Burke also brings in characters that we care about, such as Alifair as well as characters that are vile and/or twisted--all of them fully fleshed out and multi-faceted. Again, Burke brings us into a place where we can feel the humidity and smell the bayou. At this, he is a master. He also has the potential to reminisce about the good old days and we remember along with him as though we too had experienced his history and it becomes our history. Burke creates a storyline that is tense, layered, and filled with complex characters and even though I felt this book was a bit of a filler for what is to come, it was still a exciting action-packed read that will keep you turning the pages far into the night.

Great author, suspense plus lyrical prose

James Lee Burke takes the reader deep into the violent past of Dave Robicheaux in HEAVEN'S PRISONERS.This is the second in the series. Dave has left the New Orleans police force, married Anne Ballard, and retreats to the ordinariness of a bate&tackle shop in the bayou.He and Annie are fishing in the Gulf when a plane goes down. The lone survivor is a female child. Not trusting the system he and Annie elect to raise her as their own. Alfair becomes a vital part of their lives and Dave extends every effort to keep it that way while battling his own demons.A Burke read is always on of the best.Nash Black, author of SANDPRINTS OF DEATH.

I am a pretty big fan of the Dave Robicheaux series but this was my least favorite book so far. I understand that Dave has a "cowboy" personality and always wants to rebel against any kind of authority figure but it was way overdone in this book.Also, I got pretty tired of young, really attra active women begging to sleep with Dave (a not-so-young alcoholic who has tons of issues and isn't particularly attractive). Once the third girl came after him, I was really rolling my eyes...All of that said, I really do like the series and have enjoyed many of the other books. I won't give up on Dave Robicheaux yet.

This is my second book, so far it’s pretty good, I enjoyed the first book better the story moved a lot faster then this one, other then that I recommend both books

My husband loves all his Dave Robisheau books and has a full collection of them now.