The Tin Roof Blowdown

A Dave Robicheaux Novel

By: James Lee Burke

Narrated by: Will Patton

Winner of the 2008 Audie Award for Mystery

Dave Robicheaux returns in an adventure as timely as real life: the fight against crime, and the fight for life in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

In the waning days of summer 2005, a storm with greater impact than the bomb that struck Hiroshima peels the face off southern Louisiana. This is the gruesome reality Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Detective Dave Robicheaux discovers as he is deployed to New Orleans. As The Tin Roof Blowdown begins, Hurricane Katrina has left the commercial district and residential neighborhoods awash with looters and predators of every stripe. The power grid of the city has been destroyed; New Orleans reduced to the level of a medieval society. There is no law, no order, no sanctuary for the infirm, the helpless, and the innocent. Bodies float in the streets and lie impaled on the branches of flooded trees. In the midst of an apocalyptical nightmare, Robicheaux must find two serial rapists, a morphine-addicted priest, and a vigilante who may be more dangerous than the criminals looting the city.©2007 James Lee Burke. All rights reserved; (P)2007 Simon and Schuster Inc. All rights reserved.

Hurricane Katrina can't stop crime

James Lee Burke's The Tin Roof Blowdown meshes the horrible destruction and death wrought by Hurricane Katrina, and later Rita with the usual sorts of criminals as well as the opportunists and looters. Several men from the hard hit Lower 9 steal a boat and head to an area of wealthy homes and begin looting, getting way more than they expected.

One of the homes they loot is owned by a mob boss and contains items beyond their wildest dreams, another house on the block holds a family of three, the daughter a rape victim who identifies those looters as the rapists who had attacked when she was still in high school. A third home has a racist man out to "protect" his neighborhood with his friends.

When two looters are shot, Dave Robicheaux gets involved in the investigation. With a cast of characters only Burke can imagine, the investigation grows as well as the danger to all involved - including Dave's family.

Burke never holds back in his description of the devastation caused by nature, the poor safety net offered the people, or the struggles involved in finding food and shelter.

Some of the characters made my skin crawl, and Dave's friend Clete irritates me in his drinking and violence, the book is a good read

Excellent in every way.

Interesting story line, realistic characters, riveting and fascinating. another Robicheaux and Purcell classic. 5 stars for sure.

Most Exciting Mystery Ever

The author has woven a wonderfully exciting story into the excitement of hurricane Katrina.
A heart-stopper.
Don't miss it!!

Katrina in tangible experiences of desperation and chaos.

I found my attention to the story itself distracted by the details of the experience.