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Book Review By F. Scott Sinclair
Purple Cane Road by James Lee Burke

Detective Dave Rabicheaux is obsessed with the murder of his mother. He longs to solve the most important investigation of his career...and life. He must set the record straight. Was his mother murdered, or not? And why? Did crooked cops kill his mother? And if they did, how far does the trail lead? To the top levels of law enforcement in the state of Louisiana? He must use his friends at the bottom, and in high places in Louisiana to complete the investigation. The bait is set. How far will the villains--dirty cops, hit men, etc.--run with the line? You're sure to find out, because when the hook's set, the actions of the villains brings the true killers out into the daylight. On the way to solving his mother's murder, Detective Dave Robicheaux must deal with the process society sanctions more and more each day: executions. The murder of his mother haunts him, and so does the forthcoming execution of a black woman accused of murder. A double-edged sword, that tears Dave apart. An excellent read!


Plot & Themes
Tone of story - depressing/sad
How difficult to spot villain? - Difficult, but some clues given
Time/era of story:
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 80%
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
descript. of violence and chases - 10 %
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40 %
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10 %
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status:
Age: - 40's-50's
Ethnicity/Race

Main Adversary
Identity: - Female
Profession/status:
Eccentric: Yes
Motive of antagonist - power
The antagonists are: - evil politicians
How sensitive is this character?

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Deep South

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
Explicit sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - vague references
Amount of dialog - significantly more descript than dialog
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