Read as part of CBR13Bingo: Machine. The book revolves around a missing Nazi sub sunk in the Louisiana Gulf Coast as a MacGuffin.
Sigh.
Every Dave Robicheaux novel will feature things that will both delight and frustrate me…
The good…
-Some wonderful descriptions of south Louisiana atmosphere, both weather and culture. You really feel like your transported to the place but not in a gratuitous way.
-A few True Detective-esque reflections on the nature of life and crime that’ll take my breath away and keep me wanting more.
-A critical spin on the overall job of law enforcement and how it interacts with a state that’s essentially a banana republic.
The bad…
-A coterie of bad guys who come from Italian backgrounds because despite taking down the mob in almost every book, the mob still has a bottomless supply of Italians.
-A super packed plot that just doesn’t need the complexity with which Burke gives it.
-Too many characters, a few of them greatly fleshed out, others half baked cliches.
This one is no different. There’s a plot around a missing Nazi sub near Dave’s house but it also perfectly coincides with an unfolding mob war in New Orleans and other such nonsense. My attention drifted a lot, only to be brought back when Burke would drop some key knowledge or a nifty paragraph. These books are unlike anything else in crime fiction, which is why I’ll keep reading. I just wish they were more focused and better edited.