I've read all of the Burke's Dave Robicheaux series up through this one, and I finally found myself getting a little irritated by the hero's constant wallowing in his self-loathing because of his alcoholism. When I dared to bring up this response on a James Lee Burke fan site, I found myself taken to task by Facebook trolls who apparently appreciate Dave's deeply seated flaw more than I do. I still appreciate Burke's beautiful prose and canny insights into human nature, but the hero's constant drumbeat of self-hate got to me a little. Also, Burke categorically states at one point that he is against capital punishment, but it's OK for Dave and his pal, Clete Purcel to go after the bad guys under a "black flag," one meaning of which is to give no quarter and take no prisoners. Still a good read but not a "keeper" for me.

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