I don't know why I have stayed away from James Lee Burke for so long. He is a master of character and setting and this book is no exception. Set in the Rio Grande borderlands of Texas, there are bad people out there killing Asian women behind an abandoned church and a few good ones like Sheriff Hack Holland who is bound and determined to bring them to justice. And the nature of justice is certainly a question at play here. Even the bad guy has his own "code"--somewhat reminiscent of the psychopath in No Country for Old Men-- but that doesn't mean you would want him to date your daughter. Hack is a pretty tortured soul after the death of his 2nd wife, trying to find peace in a simple existence that includes creating beautiful gardens in the inhospitable Texas hardpan. He carries a load of guilt for past transgressions both as a husband to his first wife and as a prisoner in a Chinese camp. Nevertheless, the people who work with him see his integrity and compassion and are drawn to him, in spite of his prickly stubborness. Human beings are complicated and so are their relationships; Burke's ability to draw you into knowing his characters is what sets these novels apart from lesser police/detective procedurals, much as with P.D. James' work. I was a big fan of the Dave Robichaux novels (Burke's earliest protagonist) and I think I will get to know some of his newer ones now that I've reconnected. This is a thoughtful book that takes time to read and digest, and it's worth savoring.
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