Status
Available
Call number
Call number
F Bur
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Hyperion Press (1994), Edition: First Printing
Description
Fiction. Literature. Mystery. Short Stories. HTML:A FORGOTTEN NAZI SUB BRINGS OLD HATREDS TO THE SURFACE They're out there, under the salt â?? the bodies of German seamen who used to lie in wait at the mouth of the Mississippi for unescorted American tankers sailing from the oil refineries of Baton Rouge out into the Gulf of Mexico. As a child, Dave Robicheaux had been haunted by the sailors' images; then, as a young college student, he'd discovered one of their sunken subs while scuba diving. Years later, in a New Orleans populated by desperate hustlers and millennium - watchers of all stripes, Robicheaux, a detective with the New Iberia sheriff's office, finds himself and his family at serious risk, stalked for his knowledge of a watery burial ground by a mysterious man named Will Buchalter â?? a man who believes that the Holocaust was one big hoax. A masterpiece of suspense, Dixie City Jam takes listeners deep into the human heart of dar… (more)
Subjects
Original publication date
1994
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User reviews
LibraryThing member wildbill
This book is number seven in the Dave Robicheaux series. It is a well written and fast paced mystery in what is becoming one of my favorite series.
The story centers around a German U-boat sunk a short way out in the Gulf of Mexico from the Mississippi river. That area was a busy shipping lane and a
Finding the U-boat again becomes important after a cop from NOPD hangs a murder case on Batist. After the charges are dismissed Robicheaux is $11,000.00 in debt. The cop, Nate Baxter, really hates Robicheaux from Robicheaux's days on the New Orleans PD. A mobster named Hippo Bimstine, his nickname comes from his girth, is willing to pay Robicheaux big bucks to locate the sunken boat. Bimstine is also an active member of the Jewish Defense League. This begins a story populated by local mobsters, NOPD officers and a white supremacist named Will Buchalter. Besides Bimstine the mobsters include Tommy Lonighan who grew up in New Orleans with Bimstine and is a competitor in the gambling business. The Calucci brothers are all purpose slime balls who are the victims of some creative acts of destruction courtesy of Clete Purcel. Brother Oswald Flat provides some local color and philosophical observations.
The murder that Batist was accused of turns out to be part of a series of unusually violent and grotesque killings involving inner city drug dealers. Those killings are another ongoing plot line in the book. While working on the case Robicheaux meets Sergeant Lucinda Bergeron a black woman detective for NOPD who is also on Nate Baxter's s**t list. Lucinda Bergeron has a 17 year old son named Zoot who is befriended by Robicheaux.
The prime bad guy is Will Buchalter who enters the story by performing a sexual assault on Bootsie. After that incident Buchalter haunts the Robicheaux family. Bootsie turns to alcohol and pills to numb her fear and Dave can only watch. Buchalter is a sadistic psychopath who wants the information Dave has on the U-boat. The violent struggle between them is the emotional center of the book. During her troubles Bootsie gets to know a nun named Marie Guilbeaux who remains in the story to the end.
Having introduced the characters and the story lines I don't really want to give away much more. The twists and turns in the story are artfully done and keep the story moving at a fast pace.
One of Burke's hallmarks and a strength of his writing is his vivid description of physical background in each scene which makes them more vivid and realistic. The flora and fauna are carefully named and described. Often there is one animal, such as a gar fish, that reappears in successive scenes. In this book it is sting rays, one gets stuck on Batist's hook and then they are seen seen in the waves and swimming in the ocean. He also gives historical descriptions of buildings that are a backdrop to the action. The weather is carefully described and I can guarantee a number of colorful lightning flashes.
The ongoing inner dialog of Dave Robicheaux brings humanity to the story. The attention to the background and Robicheaux's ongoing moral dialog give Burke's books depth that is not often present in many mysteries that are plot driven.
Burke's writing is at his best in this book. He switches back and forth amongst the different plot lines and the characters constantly grow and change. The last 50 to 75 pages accelerate the action in the rush to the end.
James Lee Burke provides a well written thoughtful story with great depth. He always holds my interest and his characters and background add to the enjoyment of the book.
The story centers around a German U-boat sunk a short way out in the Gulf of Mexico from the Mississippi river. That area was a busy shipping lane and a
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hunting ground for the U-boats in WW II. As a teenager Robicheaux had seen the remains of a sunken merchantman. Later while scuba diving in college he came across one of the U-boats that had been sunk in that area.Finding the U-boat again becomes important after a cop from NOPD hangs a murder case on Batist. After the charges are dismissed Robicheaux is $11,000.00 in debt. The cop, Nate Baxter, really hates Robicheaux from Robicheaux's days on the New Orleans PD. A mobster named Hippo Bimstine, his nickname comes from his girth, is willing to pay Robicheaux big bucks to locate the sunken boat. Bimstine is also an active member of the Jewish Defense League. This begins a story populated by local mobsters, NOPD officers and a white supremacist named Will Buchalter. Besides Bimstine the mobsters include Tommy Lonighan who grew up in New Orleans with Bimstine and is a competitor in the gambling business. The Calucci brothers are all purpose slime balls who are the victims of some creative acts of destruction courtesy of Clete Purcel. Brother Oswald Flat provides some local color and philosophical observations.
The murder that Batist was accused of turns out to be part of a series of unusually violent and grotesque killings involving inner city drug dealers. Those killings are another ongoing plot line in the book. While working on the case Robicheaux meets Sergeant Lucinda Bergeron a black woman detective for NOPD who is also on Nate Baxter's s**t list. Lucinda Bergeron has a 17 year old son named Zoot who is befriended by Robicheaux.
The prime bad guy is Will Buchalter who enters the story by performing a sexual assault on Bootsie. After that incident Buchalter haunts the Robicheaux family. Bootsie turns to alcohol and pills to numb her fear and Dave can only watch. Buchalter is a sadistic psychopath who wants the information Dave has on the U-boat. The violent struggle between them is the emotional center of the book. During her troubles Bootsie gets to know a nun named Marie Guilbeaux who remains in the story to the end.
Having introduced the characters and the story lines I don't really want to give away much more. The twists and turns in the story are artfully done and keep the story moving at a fast pace.
One of Burke's hallmarks and a strength of his writing is his vivid description of physical background in each scene which makes them more vivid and realistic. The flora and fauna are carefully named and described. Often there is one animal, such as a gar fish, that reappears in successive scenes. In this book it is sting rays, one gets stuck on Batist's hook and then they are seen seen in the waves and swimming in the ocean. He also gives historical descriptions of buildings that are a backdrop to the action. The weather is carefully described and I can guarantee a number of colorful lightning flashes.
The ongoing inner dialog of Dave Robicheaux brings humanity to the story. The attention to the background and Robicheaux's ongoing moral dialog give Burke's books depth that is not often present in many mysteries that are plot driven.
Burke's writing is at his best in this book. He switches back and forth amongst the different plot lines and the characters constantly grow and change. The last 50 to 75 pages accelerate the action in the rush to the end.
James Lee Burke provides a well written thoughtful story with great depth. He always holds my interest and his characters and background add to the enjoyment of the book.
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LibraryThing member Joles
I highly enjoyed this book. Between its setting in the jazz city of New Orleans and the washing up of a submarine the action is intense at times while reflective at others. It is a quirky kind of book, but I would definitely read it again.
LibraryThing member JBreedlove
Dave Robicheaux takes on some Nazis in what is not his best but still is another page turner by Burke. Reading this one there were some obvious gaps in logic by some of the characters. A beautiful nun? Where was Batiste the whole time and other. But, still a good Robicheaux novel with action and
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well written descriptive paragraphs. Show Less
LibraryThing member mazda502001
This is the 7th in the Robicheaux series and once again Burke delivers a good story. I love his descriptions of New Orleans and Louisiana - you can almost feel the heat and sweat.
Back Cover Blurb:
It's out there, under the salt of the Gulf of Mexico, off the Louisiana coast - a buried Nazi
But decades later, when a powerful Jewish activist wants the sub raised, Robicheaux's knowledge puts him at the center of a terrifying struggle of conflicting desires. A neo-Nazi psychopath named Will Buchalter, who insists that the Holocaust was a hoax, wants to find the submarine first - and he'll stop at nothing to get Robicheaux to talk.
Back Cover Blurb:
It's out there, under the salt of the Gulf of Mexico, off the Louisiana coast - a buried Nazi
Show More
submarine. Detective Dave Robicheaux of the New Iberia Sheriff's office has known of its existence since childhood, when he was terrified by nightmares of the evil Nazi sailors just offshore. Then, as a teenager, he stumbled upon the sunken sub while scuba diving - but for years he kept the secret of its watery grave.But decades later, when a powerful Jewish activist wants the sub raised, Robicheaux's knowledge puts him at the center of a terrifying struggle of conflicting desires. A neo-Nazi psychopath named Will Buchalter, who insists that the Holocaust was a hoax, wants to find the submarine first - and he'll stop at nothing to get Robicheaux to talk.
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LibraryThing member andyray
Clete Purcell goes off the beam in this one (and no! he doesn't do it everfy book), as Dave and he investigate what is so important nationally and inmternationally about a Nazi sub burfied off the coast of Louisiana, a leftoverf from the brfigade blockers the Nazi's sent here to destroy our war
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production. Show Less
LibraryThing member devenish
Dave Robicheaux is a detective working in the New Orleans area of America. A sunken Nazi submarine has been discovered just off the Louisiana coast. Various factions are interested in raising it,including crime-bosses and Neo-Nazis. Robicheaux knows the approximate position of the sub and this
This is my first reading of a book by James Lee Burke and I report with mixed feelings. The writing is without doubt superb with great descriptions of the area. My reservations are with the characters however. They are (with a couple of exceptions) whether hero or villain,completely and utterly vile ! The so-called good and law-abiding characters are just as likely to kill and maim,as are the bad guys.
I am therefore in a quandery with this one - On one hand,here we have a obviously good writer who has produced a very readable and exciting book. On the other side of the coin we have one of those stories that leave a nasty taste in the mouth and characters with which one has little or no sympathy.
Although the rating as given is not perfect , my 3½ is the nearest to my overall feeling with this one.
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knowledge brings him and his family to the attention of some very nasty people.This is my first reading of a book by James Lee Burke and I report with mixed feelings. The writing is without doubt superb with great descriptions of the area. My reservations are with the characters however. They are (with a couple of exceptions) whether hero or villain,completely and utterly vile ! The so-called good and law-abiding characters are just as likely to kill and maim,as are the bad guys.
I am therefore in a quandery with this one - On one hand,here we have a obviously good writer who has produced a very readable and exciting book. On the other side of the coin we have one of those stories that leave a nasty taste in the mouth and characters with which one has little or no sympathy.
Although the rating as given is not perfect , my 3½ is the nearest to my overall feeling with this one.
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LibraryThing member MarieTea
I love James Lee Burke! I've read almost all of this series. His character, Dave Robicheaux struggles with being a recovering alcoholic and suffers from PTSD. As an author I feel Burke is extremely honest and open, while revealing a character who is not. His work gives me great insight into an
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addictive, conflicted, sometimes violent man. But this character is also loving and passionate and devoted to those he loves. I would say redemption is one of Burke's main themes. Show Less
LibraryThing member jepeters333
Under the salt of the Gulf of Mexico, off the Louisiana coast lies a buried Nazi submarine. Detective Dave Robicheaux of the New Iberia Sheriff's office has known of its existence since childhood. Then, as a teenager, he stumbled upon the sunken sub while scuba diving - but for years he kept the
Show More
secret of its watery grave. Decades later, when a powerful Jewish activist wants the sub raised, Robicheaux's knowledge puts him at the center of a terrifying struggle of conflicting desires. A neo-Nazi psychopath named Will Buchalter , who insists that the Holocaust was a hoax, wants to find the submarine first - and he'll stop at nothing to get Robicheaux to talk. Show Less
LibraryThing member Quickpint
My first James Lee Burke and my first Dave Robicheaux. I was impressed by the quality of the prose, by its occasionally gentle insights into the human condition, by the evocative lyricism of the New Orleans setting and its language. Great characters, great pacing. I was utterly capitivated by the
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opening chapter, which describes Robicheaux's first encounter with the Nazi U-Boat, but this plot device eventually became as a silly as an Indiana Jones movie. Ultimately there are lots of silly things about this book, but it grabs you. Will probably read at least one more in the series, and more by Burke. Show Less
LibraryThing member john.cooper
As he approached the seventh entry in his more or less annual Dave Robicheaux series of Louisiana thrillers, James Lee Burke seems to have felt he had a problem to solve. After the digression into the magic realism of In the Electric Mist, a return to a more standard hard-boiled mystery would seem
Wait! Let's make him a Nazi sociopath.
Mmm, not enough. Let's make him a gay Nazi sociopath.
No, wait--how about a gay Nazi sociopath who's a sadist and an expert torturer!
But what would such a character want from Dave? Hmm, Dave dives--let's say there's a sunken Nazi U-boat drifting around the Gulf coast for the last fifty years, and only Dave knows where it is. And the gay sadist Nazi sociopath wants it because--well, he's a Nazi! And, of course, the U-boat is full of Nazi treasure, which U-boats are known to carry.
The subtleties that make Burke's work interesting are mostly abandoned. Once again, there's an Italian mob family also involved. In every book, New Orleans has a new mob family that has always run things. Robicheaux always knows the leaders personally, and not infrequently, beats them up with something like impunity, which is usually explained as the result of pragmatism on the part of the criminals, although the same criminals are described as able to hold grudges for years and settle them in frightening and disgusting ways, regardless of surface appearance.
Preposterousness, of course, is not a dealbreaker when it comes to thrillers like this. But it should be more artfully disguised. Burke has always been great at making things emotionally realistic, however over-the-top the situation. Yet in one scene, Robicheaux returns home after a particularly brutal session with the villain, and the effect on his wife and 12-year-old daughter of seeing him badly injured is never acknowledged. That's the kind of easy out I wouldn't have thought Burke would allow himself. I think Burke erred, a few books back, in giving his hero a wife, a small daughter, and a well-known home address, given the danger he's frequently in, and the meanness of the characters he contends with. Their characterization suffers, as it does here, as they repeatedly become targets to be protected.
Has Burke put his real gifts aside and fallen into mere formula?
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to be in order. But who would make an interesting villain? You can't just have an ordinary sociopath. It's always a sociopath.Wait! Let's make him a Nazi sociopath.
Mmm, not enough. Let's make him a gay Nazi sociopath.
No, wait--how about a gay Nazi sociopath who's a sadist and an expert torturer!
But what would such a character want from Dave? Hmm, Dave dives--let's say there's a sunken Nazi U-boat drifting around the Gulf coast for the last fifty years, and only Dave knows where it is. And the gay sadist Nazi sociopath wants it because--well, he's a Nazi! And, of course, the U-boat is full of Nazi treasure, which U-boats are known to carry.
The subtleties that make Burke's work interesting are mostly abandoned. Once again, there's an Italian mob family also involved. In every book, New Orleans has a new mob family that has always run things. Robicheaux always knows the leaders personally, and not infrequently, beats them up with something like impunity, which is usually explained as the result of pragmatism on the part of the criminals, although the same criminals are described as able to hold grudges for years and settle them in frightening and disgusting ways, regardless of surface appearance.
Preposterousness, of course, is not a dealbreaker when it comes to thrillers like this. But it should be more artfully disguised. Burke has always been great at making things emotionally realistic, however over-the-top the situation. Yet in one scene, Robicheaux returns home after a particularly brutal session with the villain, and the effect on his wife and 12-year-old daughter of seeing him badly injured is never acknowledged. That's the kind of easy out I wouldn't have thought Burke would allow himself. I think Burke erred, a few books back, in giving his hero a wife, a small daughter, and a well-known home address, given the danger he's frequently in, and the meanness of the characters he contends with. Their characterization suffers, as it does here, as they repeatedly become targets to be protected.
Has Burke put his real gifts aside and fallen into mere formula?
Show Less
LibraryThing member TobinElliott
A much better entry in the Robicheaux series than the previous one. Excellent plot, realistic action, and some decent stakes. And the villain was likely one of the best seen in the series so far.