James Lee Burke gives poetic voice to the wounded and flawed heroes of his latest novel, Swan Peak. Clete Purcel and Dave Robicheaux, seeking respite from scars Katrina inflicted upon their beloved New Orleans, are visiting a friend in northwestern Montana. They become embroiled in multiple mysteries and personal tragedies that involve a serial killer, star-crossed lovers, religious charlatans, mobsters, and surprising redemption.
The conflict between good and evil often taking place within the same person is a strong undercurrent in all the Burke novels I've read. Dave Robicheaux's soul is troubled by the small and terrible cruelties individuals inflict upon one another. As much as he may try to remove himself from the pain of others, he is inevitably drawn into the fracas surrounding their lives. Dave reflects that all he can do is, "to somehow leave behind a gesture, a cipher carved on a rock, a good deed, some visible scratch on history that will tell others you were here and that you tried to make the world a better place."
"The great joke is that any wisdom most of us acquire can seldom be passed on to others. I suspect this reality is at the heart of most old people's anger." - Dave Robicheaux
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