It pains me to say it, but I didn’t enjoy the latest James Lee Burke book, The Hadacol Boogie. My good friend Dave Johnson put me on to him many years back and I’ve enjoyed his writing immensely. His evocative descriptions of southern Louisiana are captivating, and remain so in this book.
His main characters are Louisiana police detective Dave Robichaux and his sidekick Clear Purcel. Both of these men have had a ton of tragedy in their life. It’s not generally the focus, but it’s a factor in why they do what they do.
There are some side characters in this story that took up a lot of space but I struggled to see how they moved the story along. I wasn’t nuts about the side story involving Confederate gold. That’s a trope that’s been done to death in my opinion.
The story, for me, was disjointed and the ending did not really wrap up loose ends. The further I got into the book the more elliptical the writing became and less lyrical.
I still look forward to his next book, but this one just didn’t satisfy.
The Amy Experience 
good to know. I tried to comment. I’m a huge james lee burke reader.
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