From Publishers Weekly
As the murder of a local cop draws him into the painful conflicts of a bayou family, sadistic villains and interior demons plague Cajun police detective Dave Robicheaux in this satisfying novel of suspense. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Kirkus Reviews
Another dark rhapsody on Burke's favorite themes--power and vengeance, organized crime, maverick Louisiana lawmen, and nightmares from Vietnam--all pulled together more tightly than ever by the Sonnier family, threatened by somebody (oilman brother Weldon's mob contacts? televangelist brother Lyle's stray sheep? sister Drew's old political enemies? brother-in-law Bobby Earl's followers in the Aryan Nation? hateful paterfamilias Verise, long presumed dead in a tanker explosion?) who first shoots out Weldon's window and then executes a cop in the family basement. There'll be more violence--much more--and enough guilt for everybody, as New Iberia detective Dave Robicheaux, instead of maundering over the issues, as in Black Cherry Blues (1989) and A Morning for Flamingos (1990), turns in his finest performance to date. By no means a well-made detective story--the Sonniers' coincidental bad luck rivals Job's--but a wholly original tale of crime and revenge, inside and outside the law. This series keeps getting stronger and stronger. -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.



"Takes Off Like A Rocket . . . Burke Drops In Color And vibrant Characters With Masterly Precision. His Action Scenes Crackle.



"Intense, Moving. . . Electrifying . . . Burke Is A Gale-Force Wind . . . You Have To Look Hard To Find A Better Writer"


Review
The San Francisco Examiner James Lee Burke is the best writer of detective fiction on the American scene and A Stained White Radiance is proof.


Book Description

Cajun police detective Dave Robicheaux knows the Sonnier family of New Iberia--their connections to the CIA, the mob, and to a former Klansman now running for state office. And he knows their past, as dark and murky as a night on the Louisiana bayou.

An assassination attempt and the death of a cop draw Robicheaux into the Sonniers' dangerous web of madness, murder and incest.

But Robicheaux has devils of his own. And they've come out of hiding to destroy the tormented investigator--and the two people he holds most dear.


About the Author
James Lee Burke is the author of nineteen novels, including eleven starring the Detective Dave Robicheaux. Burke grew up on the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast, where he now lives with his wife, Pearl, and spends several months of the year in Montana.

ANNOTATION

Cajun police detective Dave Robicheaux knows the Sonnier family of New Iberia--their connections to the CIA, the mob and to a former Klansman now running for state office. And he knows their dark and murky past. Now an assassination attempt has drawn Robicheaux into the Sonniers' web of madness, murder, and incest.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Cajun police detective Dave Robicheaux knows the Sonnier family of New Iberia -- their connections to the CIA, the mob, and to a former Klansman now running for state office. And he knows their past -- as dark and murky as a night on the Louisiana bayou.

An assassination attempt and the death of a cop draw Robicheaux into the Sonniers' dangerous web of madness, murder and incest. But Robicheaux has devils of his own. And they've come out of hiding to destroy the tormented investigator -- and the people he holds most dear.

Filled with the usual Burke combination of brilliant action and a stunning novelistic theme, A Stained White Radiance will keep Burke's fans riveted -- and win him many new ones.

FROM THE CRITICS

Chicago Tribune

Takes Off Like A Rocket . . . Burke Drops In Color And vibrant Characters With Masterly Precision. His Action Scenes Crackle.

Detroit Free Press

Intense, Moving. . . Electrifying . . . Burke Is A Gale-Force Wind . . . You Have To Look Hard To Find A Better Writer.

Boston Sunday Herald

A nifty, gritty thriller that takes a double dip into crime New Orleans style.

Detroit Free Press

Intense, Moving. . . Electrifying . . . Burke Is A Gale-Force Wind . . . You Have To Look Hard To Find A Better Writer.

Boston Sunday Herald