Frank H. (perryfran) reviewed on 4/5/2020 + 1177 more book reviews

This is the second in the Dave Robicheaux series by Burke. I've read a few others in this series and recently went back and read the first one, Neon Rain, to get a perspective on how the stories progress from the start. Well this second novel is again a glimpse into the telling of Robichaux's story. In the first novel, he was a homicide detective working for the New Orleans PD. At the end of that novel, he quit the department and decided to open a bait and fishing shop where he grew up in New Iberia. At the beginning of the novel we find Dave married to Annie, a social worker from Nebraska, who we met in Neon Rain. Dave and Annie are out in their boat fishing when a drug smuggler's plane crashes nearly in front of them. Dave uses his scuba gear to dive down to the wreck and finds four dead people and a young Salvadoran girl who is still alive in an air pocket. He rescues the girl (who becomes his adopted daughter, Alafair) and reports the downed aircraft. But for some reason, the authorities only report that there were three dead bodies on board instead of the four Dave saw. So what's going on? Of course Dave decides to investigate and this leads him into a hornet's nest he probably should have kept away from. Dave finds that a childhood acquaintance and brutal hood, Bubba Roque, is somehow involved. There is a very tragic event that occurs that puts Dave back to his drinking ways and he must wend his way through a mire of killing and deceit.

This was a very hard-hitting crime novel that puts the reader into the time and place very well. Burke has a knack of describing the area including the bayous of Louisiana and the seedy dives of New Orleans. His characters are well-portrayed and really add to the story. This one also had a twist at the end that I wasn't expecting. Overall a really good read and hopefully, I'll read more of this series soon.

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