James Lee Burke – Swan Peak

This 2008 novel by the talented James Lee Burke once again features his popular protagonist, Dave Robicheaux, along with his troubled but trusty partner Clete Purcel. But rather than the familiar streets of New Orleans and Louisiana bayous, the duo travels to the mountains of Montanta for some post-Katrina healing. But rather than a relaxing vacation, they encounter the deaths of some hikers, suggesting a serial killer is loose in the hills. A review in the Sunday Telegraph said of Burke: “His lyrical prose, his deep understanding of what makes people behave as they do, and his control of plot and pace are masterly.’ This novel, said another reviewer in the Guardian, “confirms his position as one of the finest American writers.”