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James Lee Burke returns us to the adventures of death-bedevilled Dave Robicheaux in this adventure, having aired his alternative protagonist, Billy Bob Holland in last year's MOON OF RED PONIES. Burke and Robicheaux share certain aspects of their lives: for example, both are recovering alcoholics, each has a talented daughter named Alafair and they both spend time in New Iberia, Louisiana. In Chapter 1 of CRUSADER'S CROSS, Dave Robicheaux reflects on his past: how, in 1958, he and his half brother Jimmie, the man with whom he shares a face, had been working five days on, five days off. During an off break they had spent time on Galveston Island but, foolishly, had failed to note, when on a sandbar, that they were in danger of being taken by a shark as the tide was rising. They were rescued by a young girl named Ida Durbin. As the days passed, Jimmie fell in love with Ida despite discovering she was a prostitute and the two planned to run away together to marry and live in Mexico. On the night of the proposed elopement, Ida disappears. Later, the brothers hear that Ida was murdered by men who did not wish her to leave the profession which made them money. In the present day, Dave, the recovery of his alcoholism retreating as he mourns the death of his wife Bootsie, his retirement from the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Department and the departure of his daughter Alafair to college, is reminded of Ida Durbin when Troy Bordelon, with whom he went to college, is dying in hospital after a fight but requests Dave's presence at his bedside. He tells Dave that he saw Ida being kidnapped by police and a pimp. He did not see Ida being killed but blood he saw on a chair implied her demise. A serial killer is at work, kidnapping, raping and murdering women in the vicinity of Baton Rouge. Robicheaux becomes involved in the investigation while at the same time pondering the possibility that Ida Durbin still lives. Jimmie, who never married, permits his old obsession to recapture him and Dave's closest friend, the uncontrolled Clete Purcell, takes unto himself the twin investigations. Then Dave meets Molly Boyle, a woman thought by most to be a nun but who, in fact, has not taken her vows. As is customary with Burke, the book bears a strong social message. He has an eclectic cast of characters ranging from the corrupt powerful rich, through police of doubtful social value to the poor and oppressed. Also as is customary, a goodly portion of the tale is told employing local idiom. In a way this is unfortunate since there are readers who refuse to attempt to translate this in their minds. For Burke to alter his characters' voices would be for the story to lose some of its conviction and authenticity so readers must be prepared to come to terms with the dialogue or miss out on wonderfully constructed novels. There is always an element of violence but this is combined with an intriguing mystery for the tragedy-dogged Louisiana detective.
Reviewed by Denise Pickles, November 2005
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