Helpful Score: 3
Burke has such a poetic voice that all of his books are a pleasure to read. The Rocky Mountains provide a change of scenery from the bayous of Louisiana, but the power of Burke's voice remains the same. In this story, Dave Robicheaux and Clete Purcell's characters have considerable depth to them, developed over a period of time and several books. As usual, the evil in the world is depicted through several characters who somehow missed out on any redeeming personality traits. Other characters are buffeted by the actions of these folks. The story intertwines between the lives of people who seem to prefer to be left alone, who haven't made their mark on the world other than through a series of happenstance events.
Helpful Score: 2
This is classic Robicheaux....although set in Montana, not in his hometown of New Orleans. It seems to recall an earlier visit to Montana, but only teases the memory. There are plenty of bad guys, some too evil to be believed, but then that's the dark side of Burke. A very good read!