Lay Down My Sword and Shield

BACK IN PRINT AT LAST — THE MUST-READ NOVEL THAT INTRODUCES JAMES LEE BURKE'S TEXAS SHERIFF HACK HOLLAND

The hero of James Lee Burke's recent bestseller Rain Gods, cousin to lawman Billy Bob Holland, and a genuine product of the South, both old and new, Hackberry Holland makes his first appearance in this early gem from "America's best novelist" (The Denver Post). Against the backdrop of growing civil rights turmoil in a sultry border town, the hard-drinking ex-POW attorney yields to the myriad urgings of his wife, his brother, and his so-called friends to make a bid for a congressional seat — and finds himself embroiled in the seamy world of Texas powerbrokers. And when Hack attempts to overturn an old army buddy's conviction, and crosses paths with a beautiful union organizer who speaks to his heart in a way no one else has, he finds both a new love and a new purpose as he breaks free from the shackles of wealth and expectation to bring justice to the underserved.

Publishers Weekly

Hackberry Holland—a Texas attorney, Korean War vet, and candidate for Congress—is haunted by memories of his days as a POW and driven to finding relief at the bottom of endless bottles of alcohol and in public displays of potentially career-ending behavior. Stuck in a loveless marriage and a law practice he cares little about, Hack is given a shot of redemption when a fellow vet is thrown into jail on trumped-up charges. Hack's decision to help his former brother in arms and his subsequent involvement with a beautiful union organizer leads him on a journey of self discovery and a shot at personal redemption. Will Patton delivers a soulful, world-weary reading as bleak as the Texas landscape, a performance that expertly captures Burke's multileveled characterizations and rich descriptive passages. Patton's narrations of Burke's novels are the perfect marriage of writer and reader. A Gallery paperwork. (Feb.)

James Lee Burke was struggling through some lean times as a novelist -- he had published only one book in 15 years -- when a friend and fellow writer suggested he take a stab at crime fiction. The result was The Neon Rain, the first book in his successful Dave Robicheaux books. With a complex moral protagonist and a lush writing style, the series evokes the heady environment of the Louisiana bayou country.