[book_talk] book review--James Lee Burke--again!

From: "Bonnie L. Sherrell" <blslarner@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Blind Chit Chat" <Blind-Chit-Chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Books for the Blind" <Books4theblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Blind Book Lovers Cafe" <bblc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Book Talk" <book_talk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 05 Apr 2013 00:39:59 -0800

_Pegasus Descending_ by James Lee Burke
narrated by Will Patton

Dave was still working for the New Orleans Police Department when he was sent to
southern Florida on an exchange program, teaching in the police academy during
the day and drinking the evenings away at a bar that resembled a mosque.  Here
he befriended Kevin Klein, a war hero from the Vietnam conflict and now a guard
for an armored car company.  Kevin's addiction, however, was gambling, and since
the death of his wife he'd been indulging heavily in it, to the point that local
mobsters were putting the screws to him for money he'd borrowed and gambled
away.  One day the savings and loan across the street from the bar was robbed
just as the armored car arrived to make a delivery, and one of the robbers, most
likely Lefty Raguzzo, made a point of blowing Kevin's face away with a sawed-off
shotgun.  Dave witnessed the robbery, and was ineffective at dealing with it
since he was drunk as a lord at the time.

It was this experience that led Dave Robicheaux to become active in Alcoholic's
Anonymous, even though he did so too late to save his job with the N.O.P.D.

Years later Dave, now married to ex-nun Molly Boyle, finds himself having to
investigate the doings of a lovely young lady who identifies herself as Trish
Klein, Kevin's daughter.  She's passing marked bills around at casinos
throughout the southeastern states, bills that apparently came from a bank heist
a few years in the past, one that Lefty Raguzzo apparently took part in.  Dave
wants desperately to put Lefty away for Kevin's sake, but how is he to deal with
Trish Klein?  She is definitely involved in a card-counting scheme and he's
caught her slipping a set of weighted dice onto the Craps table at a casino that
Raguzzo has ties to.  But is she herself dirty, out to take vengeance on those
who killed her father, or what?  And when Cletus Purcell falls for Trish, it
appears that the big man's tendencies to take no prisoners are going to send him
to prison this time.

This was one of the faster-paced books in the series, although once again Dave
and Clete both suffer injuries that should have put them away permanently. 
Again, I got this from Audible to read while I'm commuting, and as usual I'd
often find myself staying in the car to listen after I'd reached my destination.
 A fascinating look at a fascinating portion of our country.
Bonnie L. Sherrell
Teacher at Large

"Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very 
wise cannot see all ends." LOTR

"Don't go where I can't follow."

[book_talk] book review--James Lee Burke--again!

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