This book, while not the first in the series, is the one where Dave rescues the little girl who will become his adopted daughter, and I consider it the true foundation for the rest of the series. ( )

Dave Robicheaux ha devuelto su placa de policía, ha dejado Nueva Orleans y no es más que un detective retirado en la tranquila Luisiana. Allí, con la ayuda de su mujer, está logrando superar la pesadilla de la guerra de Vietnam y vencer su adicción al alcohol. Pero un día, un avión se estrella en las aguas del golfo y él presencia el accidente. Logra salvar con vida a una niña, a quien decide ocultar. El motivo es que todos los ocupantes del avión accidentado, que han fallecido, eran ilegales, y Robicheaux y su esposa no están dispuestos a entregar a la pequeña a las autoridades. Sin embargo, el detective muy pronto descubrirá que no solo los agentes de inmigración están interesados en la misteriosa jovencita.

This is the second of the series, and I liked it a lot. If you don't care anything about New Orleans, you might find parts of it boring as he describes the geography, the people, the basic flavor of the area. ( )

It is a mystery, telling too much will give it away. Bad people do very bad things and Dave Robicheaux goes after them. In this story we find out how his daughter Alafair came to be part of his family. Heaven's prisoners is #2 in the series. ( )

I ran across an article about James Lee Burke. I wanted to read what all the fuss was about. Well-rounded characters speaking dialogue so crisp it doesn’t need tags. Really incredible lines lesser writers would come across as hokey or out-of-place like, “…curled inside a wooden box of your own pain….” Admittedly, this novel may be a little dated by modern standards. His ability to transport the reader into the setting is second to none in my opinion. I understand the fuss; very impressive and well worth the reader's time. ( )