A Morning for Flamingoes

A Dave Robicheaux Novel

By: James Lee Burke

Narrated by: Mark Hammer

Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Dave Robicheaux felt the bone-grinding pain rip through his body as the .45 did its damage. Through the agonizing haze that enveloped him, he heard an almost inhuman laugh: the hideous, victorious cackling of Jimmie Lee Boggs - a sound he would never forget.

It had started out as an ordinary prisoner transfer, then turned into a blood bath when the convicted murderer got hold of a gun. Robicheaux could still hear that contemptible laughter, replacing the horrors from 'Nam he relived every night, echoing in the still of his darkened bedroom.

When Boggs is spotted in New Orleans, Robicheaux follows, joining a DEA sting operation in the Quarter. Poised for revenge, he prepares to face his fears and silence the laughter once and for all. But, in the murky water of the Pearl River, Robicheaux finds that some things are more important than sweet, simple revenge.

More mayhem? Listen to another of James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux thrillers.

©1990 James Lee Burke (P)1993 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"A highly spiced gumbo of vice, violence, voodoo." ( Observer)

Thought Provoking Thriller

Dave Robicheaux is one of my favorite sleuths, and James Lee Burke is a superlative author. His prose is gorgeous, so much so that at times I stopped to record a particularly pithy observation in my journal, to chew on in the future.

This is a marvelous book that will grab your attention and hold it throughout; I couldn't stop listening until I reached the end.

Some reviewers have commented on the narrator. I've heard both, and although I like the Swan Peak narrator better, Hammer does an acceptable job.

Don't miss it!

Mark Hammer does James Lee Burke Justice

It’s a paring made in listener heaven. What Burke puts on the page, Hammer brings to life with his smokey voice and easy Louisiana drawl. The book is a relatively early one so it felt a little dated. That might be because I’ve read several more recent ones as Robicheaux as aged. In my opinion, Burke is one of our great American writers. You can’t go wrong choosing his books.

I wished it would have lasted longer 😪

Another wonderful tail by one of my favorite authors (James Lee Burke) and one of the best on going series ever!

OK, but not the best

What did you love best about A Morning for Flamingoes?

Burke continues his excellent prose with Robicheaux's gritty reality offset by his own mental demons.

What other book might you compare A Morning for Flamingoes to and why?

The story line is similar to previous Robicheaux novels - and continues the story of the New Orleans detective. Check out "Neon Rain" for a great novel and narration.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

I guess I prefer Will Patton's narrations over Mark Hammer's. This is probably a personal preference that you may not share.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I don't have the time to listen to a book in one setting, generally, but I nearly did just that with the "Neon Rain"

Gripping thrill ride

James Lee Burke does a terrific job weaving the storyline with the thoughts and feelings experienced by each character in this book.

PLEASE LEARN TO PRONOUNCE THE WORDS!

I loved the plot, love Dave, loved the book ... but the mispronunciation of so many South Louisiana words - particularly names of places - was terribly distracting. Except for this single but distracting problem, Hammer, the reader, does a fine job with the local dialect. But Mark - PLEASE call someone who lives in the area, and learn to pronounce unfamiliar terms before you do a day's work in the reading room.

A good book in a good series.

James Lee Burke is a good writer who creates vivid settings that have a genuine feel, and to me, this is one of his best. His hero, Detective Dave Robicheaux, is at his most troubled, yet his most convincing as he goes undercover in a drug sting after being shot by a sociopathic killer.

Burke's storytelling is at its best here. Robicheaux, as always, struggles with past alcoholism, demons, and the need to balance justice against revenge, yet in "Flamingoes" his ethical dilemmas are at their most convincing, and several of his adversaries are at their most complex. Old characters take on new life, new characters surprise you, and the interactions are convincing and integral to the story.

Even the setting is more original, wandering out of the French Quarters and into less familiar areas of New Orleans.

A flaw with most of Burke's novels is his use of stereotypes, especially ethnic and gender stereotypes, but that flaw seems less pronounced here. He still does not portray educated African Americans or women strong enough to not need Dave's wisdom or brawn, but his characters have more life of their own in this one.

Overall, one of his best, and a good novel on its own, independent of the series. Even the narrator, Mark Hammer, is better in this one, though he still mispronounces local names. A good listen.

Beautiful series strong as ever

When dealing with a series there seems to be a point in which the author seems to be phoning it in and the series just degrades. I see no evidence of this happening yet in the James Lee Burke series, the writing is still beautiful, the action exciting and the description of the people and places of South Louisiana good enough to make you feel like you just paid a visit to the place. I am excited to start my next installment in the series and my hope is that it is just as good as this one was.
Highly Recommended

Another great one!

Gripping until the end! I got used to the narrator when I listened to the book before this. not my favorite.

Undiscovered gem

Would you listen to A Morning for Flamingoes again? Why?

The way all the characters speak in that beautiful southern semi-poetic way is wonderful. The author is very capable of describing things in the most descriptive way, and knows when and where to do it, as opposed to those authors who bog you down describing everything.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The grandmother - the way she spoke

Have you listened to any of Mark Hammer’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

N/A

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No