FICTION

House of the Rising Sun

by James Lee Burke
S. & S. Dec. 2015. 448p. ISBN 9781501107108. $27.99; ebk. ISBN 9781501107160. F
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Former Texas Ranger Hackberry Holland travels to Mexico in 1916 seeking repentance and reconnection with his estranged son, Ishmael, a cavalry unit officer and World War I veteran. In tracking his son, he stumbles into the path of a conniving Austrian arms dealer named Andre. After a violent brawl that leaves four Mexican soldiers dead, Hackberry flees the country, carrying with him a stolen artifact that Andre left unattended. He soon discovers that the artifact is believed to be the Holy Grail. The backstory of Hackberry's two ex-wives and Ishmael unfolds as the stakes rise quickly in his conflict with Andre. Seeking retribution for Hackberry's actions, Andre focuses on Ishmael, causing chaos in west Texas and Mexico.
VERDICT Readers of best-selling Burke's novels about the Holland family (Wayfaring Stranger) will gravitate to this prequel featuring the well-known and notoriously cantankerous Hackberry Holland. The large cast features complex and compelling characters, and the action deftly builds to a roaring boil. [See Prepub Alert, 6/8/15.]
Reviewed by Emily Hamstra, Univ. of Michigan Libs., Ann Arbor , Oct 01, 2015
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