James Lee Burke- Cimarron Rose (Hyperion 1997) 3.25 Stars
Billy Bob Holland has just found out that his illegitimate son, Lucas Smothers, has been arrested for a brutal rape and murder. Now he must reconnect with a son he has had nothing to do with for many years and try to prove that he is innocent, even if it means destroying his own reputation forever. Lucas had been found in a drunken stupor near the scene of the crime, and feels terrible about the fact that he does not know whether or not he committed the crime, but Billy Bob has information that proves his son did not commit the crime. He must make powerful enemies in order to find the actual killer, and messing with the rich can be a dangerous game.
I have read a book that is later in this series, and I enjoyed it much more than this one. Cimarron Rose had many annoying scenes where Billy Bob goes back to his days in the Rangers when his friend L.Q. Navarro died and Billy Bob pictures his old friend constantly, having whole conversations with him, making me question his sanity. These scenes were not only irritating, but they were also very distracting. Billy Bob is a very deep character, although in this book I saw a side of him a really did not like, the side of him that enabled him to nearly beat someone to death and break laws he is supposed to uphold. I did enjoy the overall plot as it was complex and kept my mind going to figure out what he was going to do next, although at times I found it a little tedious.
I recommend Cimarron Rose to Burke fans only.
For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com
Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
www.eloquentbooks.com/kidsonacase.html
