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Haunting suspense and captivating villains, the hallmark of James Lee Burke's bestselling novels of evil and redemption, are brilliantly evoked in his new Billy Bob Holland opus, the follow-up to the popular and critically acclaimed Bitterroot. "James Lee Burke tells a story in a style all his own, in language that's alive, electric. He's a master at setting mood, laying in atmosphere, all with quirky dialogue that's a delight." --Elmore Leonard In James Lee Burke's last novel featuring Billy Bob Holland, Bitterroot, the former Texas Ranger left his home state to help a friend threatened by the most dangerous sociopath Billy Bob had ever faced. After vanquishing a truly iniquitous collection of violent individuals, Billy moved his family to west Montana and hung out a shingle for his law practice. But in In the Moon of Red Ponies, he discovers that jail cells have revolving doors and that the government he had sworn to serve may have become his enemy. His first client in Missoula is Johnny American Horse, a young activist for land preservation and the rights of Native Americans. Johnny is charged with the murder of two mysterious men--who seem to have recently tried to kill Johnny themselves, or at least scare him off his political causes. As Billy Bob investigates, he discovers a web of intrigue surrounding the case and its players: Johnny's girlfriend, Amber Finley, as reckless as she is defiant--and the daughter of one of Montana's US senators; Darrel McComb, a Missoula police detective who is obsessed with Amber; and Seth Masterson, an enigmatic government agent whose presence in town makes Billy Bob wonder why Washington has become so concerned with an obscure murder case on the fringes of the Bitterroot Mountains. As complications mount and the dead bodies multiply, Billy Bob is drawn closer to the truth behind Johnny American Horse's arrest--and discovers a greater danger to himself and to his whole family. How Billy Bob strikes back at evil and protects his kin is the masterful triumph of In the Moon of Red Ponies. Beautifully written, with an intriguing plot and characters whose conflicts seem as real as life itself, this novel shows James Lee Burke again in the top form that has made him a critical favorite and a national bestseller.… (more)
User reviews
Two men attempting to kill Johnny sneak up to his home but he ambushes them. One dies and the other hospitalized. When the hospitalized man is suffocated, Johnny is arrested.
Former Texas Ranger, and lawyer, Billy Bob Thornton is convinced the Johnny is innocent and puts his ranch up for collateral for Johnnys bail. Another Indian is killed and something (spoiler) from the dead Indian is put in Billy Bob's mailbox.
There is much discussion of Indian law on the reservations and how an Indian is treated once a crime is committed off the reservation.
We also meet a great character, Wyatt Dixon who alsmost killed Billy Bob's wife, Temple, in a past book. Now Wyatt is released from prison and claims to be reborn. He wants to repay his misdeed to Billy Bob.
When there is a break in at a research lab where defense contracts are stolen, Johnny is again a suspect.
James Lee Burke is at his best in this novel. His descriptions of the land are wonderful. I found myself reading portions of the book more than once just to enjoy the writing.
The plot is well told and Wyatt Dixon is one of the great characters Burke has developed.
Billy Bob is a lawyer and he fights the good fight for underdogs. But he is no pushover and when Wyatt Dixon, a psychopath who buried Billy Bob's wife alive in Bitterroot, is released from jail on a technicality he is ready to do whatever is necessary to protect his family. He is thus confused when Dixon starts to offer him help with another case. This case involves a young Indian man, Johnny American Horse, who is suspected of breaking into a government research facility and stealing data. As a result of this theft hired killers have been sent to Montana to kill Johnny. Wyatt Dixon seems to have some inside knowledge about the danger but he is not part of it.
By the end of the book Holland and Dixon seem to have come to a truce and the plot against Johnny has unravelled but not all those responsible have paid for their involvement. That's one of the things I like about Burke's books--things don't get wrapped up in a nice neat package and the books are, as a result, much more realistic.
I listened to this book read by Will Patton who is absolutely perfect to narrate Burke's books. My one complaint is that the book was abridged; if I had noticed this before I downloaded it I probably would not have taken it out. But I didn't find out until the end so I guess it wasn't really obvious. There were a few disconnects that I'm sure would have been covered if the full book had been produced. So boo to Simon and Schuster Audio for abridging this.
I make no bones about being a James Lee Burke fan; in my view he is one of the best writers in the US, regardless of genre. But I find the Billy Bob Holland books slightly less to my taste than those
This one is a bit tighter than earlier episodes, although there are still a lot of diversions into Native American Culture, and I find Billy Bob's conversations with his dead partner a little irritating. The dark side of most of the characters, even Billy Bob, is accentuated and there is a high level of violence.
What comes across strongly in this book is Holland and Burke's lack of faith in law enforcement generally and the government at all levels and the fact that the real villains are not only not prosecuted and punished, but very often actually prosper.