From Publishers Weekly
In a muddy, weed-filled coulee, Louisiana detective Dave Robicheaux begs an escaped convict for his life and is left more troubled by his lack of courage than by his gunshot wounds. Burke ( Half of Paradise ) proceeds to balance the resulting self-doubts of his tough, sympathetic hero with a complex, credible plot in his latest Cajun mystery. Robicheaux, a widower, leaves his small town for New Orleans, where he used to be a cop, to run a sting operation for the DEA. He engineers drug buys aimed at incriminating the local drug lord, an ex-Marine with nightmares and a habit from Vietnam, while trying to ferret out Jimmie Lee Boggs, the killer responsible for the coulee incident. Vivid supporting characters include Robicheaux's former NOPD partner Clete Purcel; an old true love now the widow of a Mafia figure; Gros Mama Goula, a juju woman; and Tony Cardo, the jumpy dealer whose inner struggles reflect Robicheaux's. Attentive to language and atmosphere, Burke delivers action on churning Gulf waters, in city streets, in deserted fields and within the souls of his memorable characters--and a fully satisfying resolution. Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.



"A nifty, gritty thriller that takes a double dip into crime New Orleans style"


Book Description

Clutching the shards, of his shattered life, Cajun detective Dave Robicheaux has rejoined the New lberia police force.

His partner is dead -- slain during a condemned prisoner's bloodyflight to freedom that left Robicheaux critically wounded...and reawakened the ghost of his haunted, violent past.

Now he's trailing a killer into the sordid head of die Big Easy-caught up in the lethal undercurrents of a mob double-cross...confronting his most dangerous enemy: himself


About the Author
James Lee Burke is the author of nineteen novels, including eleven starring the Detective Dave Robicheaux. Burke grew up on the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast, where he now lives with his wife, Pearl, and spends several months of the year in Montana.

ANNOTATION

Cajun police detective Dave Robicheaux knows the Sonnier family of New Iberia--their connections to the CIA, the mob and to a former Klansman now running for state office. And he knows their dark and murky past. Now an assassination attempt has drawn Robicheaux into the Sonniers' web of madness, murder, and incest.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Cajun police detective Dave Robicheaux knows the Sonnier family of New Iberia -- their connections to the CIA, the mob, and to a former Klansman now running for state office. And he knows their past -- as dark and murky as a night on the Louisiana bayou.

An assassination attempt and the death of a cop draw Robicheaux into the Sonniers' dangerous web of madness, murder and incest. But Robicheaux has devils of his own. And they've come out of hiding to destroy the tormented investigator -- and the people he holds most dear.

Filled with the usual Burke combination of brilliant action and a stunning novelistic theme, A Stained White Radiance will keep Burke's fans riveted -- and win him many new ones.

FROM THE CRITICS

Chicago Tribune

Takes Off Like A Rocket . . . Burke Drops In Color And vibrant Characters With Masterly Precision. His Action Scenes Crackle.

Detroit Free Press

Intense, Moving. . . Electrifying . . . Burke Is A Gale-Force Wind . . . You Have To Look Hard To Find A Better Writer.

Boston Sunday Herald

A nifty, gritty thriller that takes a double dip into crime New Orleans style.

Detroit Free Press

Intense, Moving. . . Electrifying . . . Burke Is A Gale-Force Wind . . . You Have To Look Hard To Find A Better Writer.

Boston Sunday Herald