Crusaders Cross by James Lee
Burke
Good Trip Through Louisiana
Critically acclaimed and bestselling crime writer James Lee Burke returns
to Louisiana where his ever-popular hero, Dave Robicheaux, sleuths his
way through a hotbed of sin and uncertainty. For Dave Robicheaux, life in
Louisiana is filled with haunting memories of the past -- images from
Vietnam, the violent streets of New Orleans, and his own troubled youth. In
Crusaders Cross, a deathbed confession from an old schoolmate
resurrects a story of injustice, the murder of a young woman, and a time in
Robicheauxs life he has tried to forget. Her name may or may not have
been Ida Durbin. It was back in the innocent days of the 1950s when
Robicheaux and his brother, Jimmie, met her on a Galveston beach. She
was pretty and Jimmie fell for her hard -- not knowing she was a prostitute
on infamous Post Office Street, with ties to the mob. Then Ida was
abducted and never seen again. Now, decades later, Robicheaux is asking
questions about Ida Durbin, and a couple of redneck deputy sheriffs make
it clear that asking questions is a dangerous game. With a series of

horrifying murders and the sudden appearance of Valentine Chalons and
his sister, Honoria, a disturbed and deeply alluring woman, Robicheaux is
soon involved not only with the Chalons family but with the murderous
energies of the New Orleans underworld. Also, he meets and finds himself
drawn into a scandalous relationship with a remarkable Catholic nun.
Brilliant, brooding, and filled with the authors signature lyricism, Jim Burkes
latest novel is a darkly suspenseful work of literature.
Personal Review: Crusaders Cross by James Lee Burke
"..the breeze from the Bayou
keeps murmuring low....."
~Tammy- 1957~
With 108 reviews, this book hardly needs another one, but here goes.
When I first started this series, I planned to read one or two of Burke's as a
sort of comparison to another author who had become a favorite, David
Fulmer. I thought since Burke's writing was so prolific, that two of the
books might be enough, but I was wrong. It's a strong line of good reading
if one is drawn to the crime and punishment mystery novels. One feels as
well as mentally visualizes the Louisiana Bayou country- as the
spectacular descriptive paragraphs devoted to the land and foliage, the
beautiful changing colors of the skies, take you far beyond the written
word; the story itself pauses momentarily as the reader watches dark and
violent storm clouds roll in, reach landfall from the Coast, bringing the
scent and sound of the sea with it. It reads almost as a personal travelog
throughout, adding a Three-Dimension effect to his written words,
complimenting the story line immensely. You can sense that Burke
possesses a deep and abiding love of his chosen geographical location,
and gives it plenty of sensual ambiance. This is one of the things I look for
when trying to find authors I have not read before.
This particular one brings together Dave with a new love interest, who is -
of all things - a Catholic Nun, whose vows may be shaky but whose
philantropic and strength of character are rock solid; which is the
"something" he needs brought back into his life, has been searching for
desperately since he lost his home life, yearning even to the point of
bringing his grief time and time again to his recently deceased wife's grave,
seeking solice, trying to regain his focus and his strength from simply
sitting by her tomb and even imagining that she is guiding him from beyond
the grave, trying to let go of the earthly ties that keep him bound to her
because he still needs the rudder she provided. In the nun, Molly, who
soon becomes his lover, he finds this emotional sanctuary again, and in
this kind yet worldly person, probably finds the only things left to him that
he can accept, that can accept him.
It's tale is full of the usual set of corrupt, clever and debauched characters
that make up the bulk of a policeman and detective's work in New Orleans
and vicinity, and his old friend, the ex-with-good-reason-cop, who is the
raucus, enthusiastic and totally uncontrollable non-conformist Clete Purcel

makes his entrance in fine fettle as usual in keeping Dave's life stirred up
as Clete tries to run interference for him in misplaced and mismanaged
loyalty. Clete, for all his "bull-in-a-china-closet technique, is one of the
"constants" in Dave's life. Sometimes Dave is glad Clete is there in that
role, and sometimes he isn't quite, but it is always fun for the observer.
This time, the story features Dave's brother Jimmie and the strange
disappearance of a young prostitute who once saved their lives quite by
accident by being at the right place at the right time when Dave and
Jimmie were both teenagers without many mature thoughts between them.
They had become stranded by the tide in shark-sprinkled waters when the
girl appeared, and took them to shore. Jimmy especially feels an enduring
debt of gratitude, and refuses to let go of this girl or her memory even
when it becomes apparent that she is no good for anyone, herself
included. While this thread winds it's way through the story, a strange form
of alliance is noted - between criminals of both sexes who, while having no
conscience and no moral compass toward the world they perceive as their
battleground, develop and partially nurture their own relationships in a far
different way than the "accepted norm".
There was even an unexpected bonus for me in the Burke books; the
mention of titles of some of the music of the area - in particular "Jolie
Blon". Very tastefully built into the books suggesting the music of the area,
and I appreciated it quite a lot and took inspiration to find more of the
music because of it. Nothing like the power of suggestion to open up new
fields to explore.
Good books all, from what I have read thus far, intriguing character
development throughout - the idea grows on you until you find yourself
looking forward to the next one because you don't want to let go of any of
them - they have somehow become literary flesh and blood - real.
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