If you read these books in order, you will be introduced to the popular characters of Dave Robicheaux, the Holland family, and more.
James Lee Burke’s books are set in the wide-open skies of Montana.
Since he released his first book in 1965, Burke has published over 45 books, as well as many other works.
If you want to hear more about James Burke’s novels, you’ve come to the right place! Find out more about his books in order with this ultimate guide!
About James Lee Burke’s Books
James Lee Burke was born in December 1936. He is an American author who is best known for the Dave Robicheaux series.
He has won many awards for his novels over the years, including an Edgar Award for Black Cherry Blues.
The character of Robicheaux has been portrayed on the screen twice.
Burke has also written 5 miscellaneous novels, as well as 3 separate series about the Holland Family.
Burke was born in Houston, Texas. He attended the University of Louisiana and the University of Missouri where he studied for degrees in English Literature.
He worked in a number of different jobs over the years, and some of the books that he had written were rejected.
He worked as a truck driver, a newspaper reporter, and a social worker.
Dave Robicheaux Books In Order
The Dave Robicheaux series is James Burke’s more popular work. It follows the life of detective Dave Robicheaux in Louisiana and Montana.
The series begins in New Orleans. Burke is well known for his fantastic descriptive prose which sets the scene behind Dve Robicheaux.
In this book, Robicheaux travels to the mountains in Montana to help out a friend. While he is there, he unearths a larger plot that is a risk to them both.
Weldon Sonnier, an oil speculator, is the patriarch of a family who is intimately bound to the CIA, the Mob, and the Klan.
When the family is connected to a murder, Robicheaux is pulled into the family that is laden with murder, incest, and madness.
This novel follows Robicheaux as he attempts to confront the demons that stand in the way of his salvation.
Hollywood enters New Iberia and the specters waiting in the shadows for Dave are reawakened. He is faced with ghosts of a history that is better off left undisturbed.
He finds himself hunting a serial killer and he finds himself face to face with those who know his darkest torments.
James Lee Burke has been known as a national treasure. In this thriller, Dave Robicheaux is looking into the arrest of Aaron Crown, who was arrested for an old murder of a famous black civil rights leader.
The family of Crown was shiftless timber people who had ties to the Ku Klux Klan.
Dave Robicheaux is the only one who worries that he has been used as a scapegoat for the guilt of a generation!
In this novel, Dave Robicheaux finds himself at the center of a dangerous mystery that involves a girl from his past, stolen money, and gritty casinos.
In this book, Dave battles a very dangerous villain. Asa Surrette, who narrowly escaped the death penalty for a string of murders, is back to cause more chaos!
This is the 22nd novel in the series. It was voted one of the best crime novels by The New York Times Book Review in 2019.
In this novel, the death of a young woman sees Dave Robicheaux looking for the answer. The case takes him to Hollywood, and back to the backwoods of Louisiana.
This is the first book that follows the Holland family. It was published in 1971. This story introduces Billy Bob Holland, who is a product of the South.
This book introduces lots of new characters. It is set in a border town alongside a growing civil rights movement.
This is the second book by Burke that introduces the Holland family. This book features Son Holland who is the great-grandfather of the beloved hero Billy Bob Holland.
He escapes from a prison camp in Louisiana alongside a Native American woman.
This is another Billy Bob Holland book, which follows on from the one above. In James Burke’s novel, he finds out that jail cells have doors that revolve.
He also realizes that the government that he has sworn to serve may have become his enemy.
This novel by author James Lee Burke features Hackberry Holland Sheriff.
In this story, James Burke returns to the Texas border where a serial killer who was presumed dead is actually alive. Hackberry Holland ends up fighting for survival.
This thriller is drenched with atmosphere and intrigue. It sees a young boy go from a chance encounter with Bonnie and Clyde to the trenches of World War II.
In this novel we see James Lee Burke continue this Holland family saga.
It follows a writer, Aaron Holland Broussard, who is grieving the death of his daughter. At the same time, he is battling supernatural and earthly outlaws while he is grieving.
Aaron attempts to honor his daughter’s memory by saving some young men from a life of crime and by finding a murderer who has been hiding in plain sight.
Pros
Very emotional novel
Quite personal to Burke
Cons
Differs from the other novels in the series
Standalone Novels By Burke
Burke has also written some standalone novels. These include:
Now you have all the information that you need on Burke’s novels! He has many different novels.
His most famous series is the Dave Robicheaux series, which many people absolutely love!
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Novels Has James Lee Burke Published?
James Lee Burke has published over 40 novels. His Dave Robicheaux series has 23 books, and the Holland Family novels account for 13 novels. He has also written some standalone novels.
Where Is Burke From?
James Lee Burke was born in Houston, Texas, he went to the University of Louisiana and the University of Missouri.
He studied English Literature. He has worked in a number of different jobs over the years, before starting his career as an author.
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