Another Kind of Eden
The American West in the early 1960s appears to be a pastoral paradise: golden wheat fields, mist-filled canyons, frolicking animals. Aspiring novelist Aaron Holland Broussard has observed it from the open door of a boxcar, riding the rails for both inspiration and odd jobs.
Jumping off in Denver, he finds work on a farm and meets Joanne McDuffy, an articulate and fierce college student and gifted painter. Their soul connection is immediate, but their romance is complicated by Joanne’s involvement with a shady professor who is mixed up with a drug-addled cult. When a sinister businessman and his son who wield their influence through vicious cruelty set their sights on Aaron, drawing him into an investigation of grotesque murders, it is clear that this idyllic landscape harbors tremendous power—and evil. Followed by a mysterious shrouded figure who might not be human, Aaron will have to face down all these foes to save the life of the woman he loves and his own.
The latest installment in James Lee Burke’s masterful Holland family saga, Another Kind of Eden is both riveting and one of Burke’s most ambitious works to date. It dismantles the myths of both the twentieth-century American West and the peace-and-love decade, excavating the beauty and idealism of the era to show the menace and chaos that lay simmering just beneath the surface.
In the captivating novel "Another Kind of Eden" by James Lee Burke, readers are transported to the tranquil shores of Louisiana's Gulf Coast, where a small town named New Iberia holds secrets that run deeper than its bayous.
The story revolves around Dave Robicheaux, a former police detective who now works as a private investigator. Dave is a man haunted by his past, battling inner demons while trying to maintain a semblance of peace in his life.
When a wealthy plantation owner named Robert Boudreaux hires Dave to investigate the disappearance of his daughter, Lana, Dave finds himself entangled in a web of deceit and danger. Lana, a free-spirited young woman, vanished without a trace, leaving her family and friends in despair.
As Dave delves deeper into the investigation, he uncovers a hidden world of corruption, greed, and long-buried family secrets. He soon realizes that Lana's disappearance is just one piece of a much larger puzzle that involves land development schemes, political power plays, and a ruthless killer who will stop at nothing to protect their interests.
With the help of his loyal friend and former partner, Clete Purcel, Dave navigates the treacherous waters of New Iberia, facing off against formidable adversaries and navigating treacherous terrain. Along the way, he encounters a cast of unforgettable characters, each with their own motivations and secrets.
"Another Kind of Eden" is a gripping tale that explores the complexities of human nature, the weight of the past, and the lengths people will go to protect their own interests. James Lee Burke's masterful storytelling and vivid descriptions bring the setting and characters to life, immersing readers in the sultry atmosphere of Louisiana and the dark underbelly that lies beneath its surface.
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