Heaven's Prisoners is without question one of my favorites of his novels. That rich Louisiana atmosphere and food, oh yes, the food! drew me in completely.

The references to "The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner" were perfect for Dave's thoughts on the violence that is drawn to him. I read that book in high school and to this day if I do a "wrong", I try hard to do a "right" to absolve my feelings of guilt. Will the "rights" make up completely for the "wrongs" done and free the albatross? I question that a lot.

Thank you Mr. Burke for the lovely afternoon, whisking me away to the South and making me too, regret the passing of simpler times. ( )

This book is so dark and Dave Robicheaux acts so stupidly and selfishly--with disastrous consequences--that it is almost enough to make me quit the series. The story also drags on too long. Compared to the first book in the series, Neon Rain, I wasn't sure this was even the same character. In the end, Burke succeeds in leaving us with something, and we realize what a damaged character Robicheaux is. I guess if he had made it crystal clear in the first book, perhaps it would have been more difficult to publish. At this point, as a reader (or listener) you just have to buy in to whether you are willing to follow the character down what appears to be a long dark road. It's made a bit easier by the fact that Burke is a real stylist, and the picture of Cajun Country and New Orleans he paints is as real as it gets. Few novels immerse the reader in a more convincing world. As an audiobook, this suffered from being read by Mark Hammer rather than the superb Will Patton. Hammer isn't bad in his own right, but whereas Patton made each voice distinct, in a lot of the dialogues in this book, it is hard to tell Robicheaux from the other characters. In the end, I guess I'll recommend this, but expect to be infuriated.... ( )

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. ( )