Soooo....I liked the mystery portion and the characters Clare and Jordan, but absolutely hated the subject and the image of New Orleans. We all know, those of us who have been there and those who have not, that there is an unbelievable amount of corruption in New Orleans, and I don't think Barr's intention was to leave that as the only image, but the truth is that many will never look on New Orleans the same way. While I might believe that many of New Orleans' police and political representatives are corrupt, sanctioning this kind of corruption takes it too far for me. Bribes, yes; drugs, yes; child sexual abuse, no. Not in the wholesale way depicted here.
Fiction. Mystery. 2010. 378 pages.
I'm behind in my reading of this series and I'm sorely tempted to hop over the ones I've missed and read it. I had heard that the subject matter was quite dark and that this was a departure for Anna. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI have never read this author. I have been meaning to try one of her books, I really should but I don't know if this one would be for me.
ReplyDeleteKay - I haven't read Winter Study (which started Anna's emotional problems, I think), but I read Borderline, the next one, in which Anna's is recovering. I liked it. Burn kept me reading intently, but I never like the idea that pedophiles and perverts have protection. Barr doesn't give specifics about the abuse, but she keeps the idea firmly in your consciousness. It really is a departure.
ReplyDeleteSherri - Most of the Anna Pigeon novels are set in glorious National Parks and are well worth reading. I had no idea that the Park Service had Rangers in New Orleans, but Anna is actually there for a rest when she gets involved with the mystery. Some rest and recovery!