Preview
  • Pegasus Descending

  • By: James Lee Burke
  • Narrated by: Will Patton
  • Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (2,091 ratings)

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Pegasus Descending

By: James Lee Burke
Narrated by: Will Patton
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Publisher's summary

A troubled young woman breezes into Detective Robicheaux's hometown of New Iberia, Louisiana. She happens to be the daughter of his friend: a friend he witnessed gunned down in a bank robbery, a tragedy that forever changed Robicheaux's life.

The twists begin when Trish Klein, the only offspring of Robicheaux's Vietnam-era buddy, starts passing marked hundred-dollar bills in local casinos. Is she a good kid gone bad? A victim's child seeking revenge? A promiscuous beauty seducing everyone good within her grasp? And can Robicheaux make peace with his friend's murder in time to figure out how a local mobster fits into all the schemes and death? Will his life be whole again when it has been shattered by so much tragedy?

In Pegasus Descending, James Lee Burke explores psyches as much as evidence, and tries to make sense of human behavior as well as his characters' crimes. Richly atmospheric, frightening in its sudden violence, and replete with the sort of puzzles only the best crime fiction creates, Burke's latest novel is an unforgettable roller coaster of passion, surprise, and regret.

©2006 James Lee Burke. All rights reserved (P)2006 Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.
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Critic reviews

"The novel is steeped in complex personality studies, lyrical prose, and richly drawn depictions of Mr. Burke's beloved bayou country." (The New York Times)
"With peerless naturalistic descriptions and lush, metaphysical imagery, Burke creates another challenging morality play for his flawed, everyman hero." (Publishers Weekly)
"Everything that makes this series so compelling - the elegiac, seductively lyrical prose; the complex character of Robicheaux; the lovingly evoked bayou setting - is here in abundance....The fact remains that no serious reader of hard-boiled fiction should ever miss a moment of Dave Robicheaux in action." (Booklist)

What listeners say about Pegasus Descending

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

sultry and atmospheric

Will Patton is a fabulous reader who makes all the characters and the setting come alive. Clete, Helen, Dave and Molly seem like people I''ve met. I can almost feel the humidity and smell the dust. I read and enjoyed James Lee Burke before I started listening to his books. But his books almost demand to be heard. Bravo!

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing story and narrator, from one who has little comfort in stories from the Deep South. English BA, psychologist. If souther

I was reticent to listen to this book. I don't care for prison movies or stories about the south. But the reviews were good, and I am running slim on books to listen to.
After hearing the narrator on the sample , I knew I would be comfortable with someone who could actually speak the language of the story.
At times the names did get confusing. But, this was of no matter against the story. Dave's wife could have had more of a role. She is the beginning of a great character. I will look look forward to listening to more stories in this series.
Give it a good try, it is more than worth it. Luckily , with Audible you have nothing to lose. I am usually a Mitch rapp, Davenport , flowers.....demille fan, along with all the others that fit in. This was similar, but so much richer. Made me want to go back to places I thought I would never attempt to see. It also brought a tear at the need. It's the only book that done that and only one that made me laugh out loud. (That was a different book.)

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent read.

Like all JLB novels, I loved every part of it. I am addicted to Dave and Clete. On to the second reading of the entire series.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

It's a Shame

The story is quite entertaining. But, the reader embarrased me to death. I've downloaded more than 150 audiobooks in the last few years and this is the only time I have been so disappointed in a narrator. 30 years as an petroleum landman, mostly in South Louisiana, means I have actually verbally dealt with a hundreds of people from the very towns of New Iberia, Lafayette, Thibeadeau, Morgan City, New Orleans, and they have a wonderful full bodied accent that sounds absoutely nothing like this lame excuse for a reader. If you can't do the accent, just please, speak plain english, use Scott Brick, or find new voices. Don't ruin another good book with a bad narrator.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

The best Burke yet

This is the best written and best narrated book is this whole web site. I have read every Burke book that was written and I have loved Will Patton reading and Cajun accent since "Jolie Blond Bounce" . Excellent

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

More left wing rhetoric than usual

Well written and performed as always. However i found it more politically partisan than any of Burke’s other books in the series - white privilege/guilt, anti-capitalist,
global warming, “social justice,” etc. I endured it simply to find out who killed who.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good Entertainment, Well Written & Performed!...

I thoroughly enjoyed this listen. This is best one that I've listened to so far. I've listen to three others. This story is rich in characters and atmosphere. My favorite character is Clete. I don't like thinking of Clete as Dave Robichaux's sidekick because he's much more than that. Not only are they good friends who understand and know how the other thinks, they are also detectives and they have each other's back!

In this well written story, there are 3 or 4 murders, each one complicated. Are they related to each in some way or not? Dave Robichaux goes on the hunt for the clues. What makes Burke's stories so very unique for me are the settings, the poetic language peppered with many Louisiana's sayings which adds to the flavor and richness of the story. The characters are well developed and the mystery and complexity of the story lines are easily followed. There is a good amount of humor which is very entertaining. My favorite character, Clete, is "laugh-out-laugh funny" in how he come up with Louisiana sayings and phrases with a nonchalant attitude even in the face of danger. Nothing fazes Clete!

As one reviewer noted, " Will Patton is the embodiment of the New Iberia detective." Will Patton's performance is always exceptional. Patton uses many voices which are realistically southern Louisiana. His accent leaves you feeling that you are in fact down in New Iberia on the Bayou Teche ... Highly Recommend....

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

One of my favorites

I can't get enough of the Dave Robicheaux novels (unabridged)with Will Patton narrating. The characters were engaging, but I especially liked the plot of this one. Burke's prose, as always, is lyrical, full of Southern imagery. Very literary but never boring.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Big Fan

Being from California, I love hearing the tales of Dave Robicheaux and New Orleans. What an interesting and historical place. James Lee Burke always tells an interesting story and I wish I had begun them in chronilogical order so I could keep up with all of his wives and Clete's activity. But, I have nearly listened to them all and am greatful he has kept the same narrator, who does a fantastic job. Love em!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

JLB does it again

James Lee Burke (my fave writer) + Will Patten (my fave narrator) + the great character Cletus Purcell all together make for a compelling & great audiobook book worth a well spent credit. Loved it.

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1 person found this helpful