Search - Heartwood

I enjoyed this book partly because it was set in Texas near where we have spent some winter months several times; there were place names familiar to me. More than that though, the style of James Lee Burke really appeals to me. His descriptions are layered, he writes details that make the plot more colorful without really being absolutelu necessary, and he is loyal to his voice throughout the novel. Better have a notepad handy...I counted 20 characters in the first 90 pages or so. It's all about those details and fleshing out the whole story.

Though I usually read his novels starring Dave Robichaux, this was the first with Billy Bob Holland. While they have different professions and distinct personalities, their locales are not too far apart. The reader can tell, though, that Burke is familiar with both. I've finally learned that he tosses in a little nugget making the reader think he has missed something, then a bit later the connection is made. Burke is not an author to be read while one is multi-tasking!

I'd read Burke if he started writing on the backs of cereal boxes.