James Lee Burke: New Book, Great Article

Fans of James Lee Burke will be happy to know that his 15th Dave Robicheaux novel, Pegasus Descending, was released on 18 July. The publication of a new book by Burke is always a Good Thing. Margaret Cannon, who reviews mysteries for the Globe and Mail, calls him the "gold standard" for mystery writers. Over at Rake's Progress I found an excerpt from a fascinating article on Burke by Skylar Browning. It covers Burke's work ethic, his world view, his horses, and much, much more. I've been wondering what his novels would be like, post-Katrina, because New Orleans has always been almost another character in them. I'll have to wait to get the book to see that, but now I've found an article he wrote on the aftermath of Katrina. The article, like all of his work, is poetic, evocative, compelling—and like his Dave Robicheaux novels, it speaks eloquently of his love for New Orleans. He says, "New Orleans isn't a city. It's a Petrarchan sonnet. There's no other place on the planet like it." For more information on James Lee Burke, check out his web page.