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Title | : | Rain Gods (Hackberry Holland #2) |
Author | : | James Lee Burke |
Book Format | : | Hardcover |
Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
Pages | : | Pages: 434 pages |
Published | : | July 14th 2009 by Simon & Schuster |
Categories | : | Mystery. Fiction. Crime. Thriller. Suspense. Mystery Thriller. Audiobook |

James Lee Burke
Hardcover | Pages: 434 pages Rating: 4 | 4807 Users | 475 Reviews
Narrative Toward Books Rain Gods (Hackberry Holland #2)
The first of this Hackberry Holland trilogy Lay Down My Sword and Shield was released in 1971, it then took James Lee Burke 38 years to pen this sequel and fuck me was it worth the wait, 38 years of wisdom and experience have gone into these characters and it shows.Not for me of course because I’m lucky enough to read all three books one after the other, the first lay Hackberry Holland’s soul open for all to see and you don’t see characters laid as bare as this very often. In the first story Hack was an often infuriating man, took liberties with everyone around him and pretty much did everything his own way with no respect or recompense, just a long trip down Jack Daniels Way.
In Rain Gods, time has moved on for everyone, Hack no longer a lawyer is on a different angle of the law, he’s now a small town Texas Sherriff and an old man, somewhere in his fifties I guestimate because his wife is now dead, his kids up and away and Hack just has his role as a law enforcement officer and his horses to occupy him. If that wasn’t enough he finds himself caught up in the disturbing consequences of the massacre of 9 Thai women, illegal aliens used for drug trafficking. The search for justice pits Holland against drug dealers, pimps and one particularly psychopathic man who hastens death to those that are looking for it and some that aren’t.
Whereas the first in the trilogy primarily concentrated on Hack, his history as a POW and his almost death wish philosophy. Rain Gods opens up on a lot more characters, everyone of them flawed in some way, striving for redemption or just cold hard cash.
This is where we meet one of the most memorable characters I’ve ever encountered, ‘Preacher’ Jack Collins is a gun for hire, a complicated man whose actions surprised and shocked me several times, the self-styled left hand of God who spends a good portion of this book on crutches due to the fact a woman he was supposed to kill, bettered him and shot him in the foot. An unpredictable man who seems to find an edge in every conversation and this for me was the most compelling part of the story, the dialogue is absolutely riveting at times, Tom Stechschulte the narrator did a fantastic job and every conversation around the Preacher had a hint of danger to it.
And when Hack Holland meets Preacher Jack Collins, you’re never quite sure which way it’s going to go, especially when the Preacher carries a Thompson machine gun as his chosen method of a quick conclusion.
It’s not just a story full of Texan gangsters, there are several strong willed female characters that add to the story, Deputy Pam Tibbs being the most prevalent and it’s almost a joy to listen to her attempts to ensnare the wily old Sherriff in places he just doesn’t want to go.
James Lee Burke creates an atmosphere perfect for the occasion, there’s mention of the Alamo and tumbleweed amidst the carnage that is Rain Gods but this is a deep personnel story from both sides of the fence and I enjoyed it immensely. In fact I’m going to listen to the last one with thoughts of this going into my all-time top 5, it is that good.
Highly recommended
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Define Books In Favor Of Rain Gods (Hackberry Holland #2)
Original Title: | Rain Gods |
ISBN: | 1439128243 (ISBN13: 9781439128244) |
Edition Language: | English |
Series: | Hackberry Holland #2, Holland Family (Hackberry, Billy Bob, and Saga) #6 |
Literary Awards: | Deutscher Krimi Preis for 1. Platz International (2015) |
Rating Based On Books Rain Gods (Hackberry Holland #2)
Ratings: 4 From 4807 Users | 475 ReviewsEvaluate Based On Books Rain Gods (Hackberry Holland #2)
Many people see West Texas as empty just sun, stones, and scrub. But it is also home to one of mans least convincing attempts at civilization. The 1930s gas stations and 1950s motels have succumbed to the blistering sun, the relentless wind. Long since humiliated, they just try to survive. Its a perfect home to the misfits that populate Rain Gods, even the good guys have lasting damage that leaves them trying to survive. Were deep into Burke country.Ive only read Burkes Dave Robicheaux novels,James Lee Burke is a great writer, who delights in intellectual asides, precision pastel description, and discursive moral tirades that could rival a fundamentalist preacher, threaded through thriller novels that feature strong-willed, emotionally damaged (from military service and the loss of a wife), recovering addict (usually alcohol) lawmen facing off against a hard-bitten, intelligent, psychopaths who have little or no care for humanity. There is usually a sidekick, a loyal compadre of
Rain Gods by James Lee Burke (Hackberry Holland Series, #2)The story concerns trafficking Asian girls all forced to swallow balloons of China White and brought across the border, destined for prostitution. Something went wrong and the nine girls are murdered, their shot up bodies buried at an abandoned church, near the border in Southwest Texas. When Sheriff Hackberry Holland unearths their remains it's evident modern day slavery, drug mules and human trafficking were all aspects of this

4.5★"We decry violence all the time in this country, but look at our history. We were born in a violent revolution, and we've been in wars ever since. We're not a pacific people." James Lee BurkeFrom a goodreads review: "Fuck me. Burke is such a goddamn badass."If that language offends, you probably do not want to read these books. In this one Hackberry is an aging sheriff with a bad back, nursing sobriety, and hes still a badass. Plus, our author is an equal opportunity writer and his women are
I found a JLB book that I had not read at a booksale and bought it for $1. This story revolves around the Holland family, which Burke has written several books about, these books are typically based in Texas.Excellent, The Holland Family Saga books are fantastic.
Decided to start on Burke with a recent one. This seems a summing up of lifetime of themes and disheartening portrait of America. Like a home grown Le Carré or Greene, Burke uses a page turning thriller to capture the tenor of the times so accurately and artfully it will hold up as a historical novel. And what an ugly face he gives America, a litany of the ills of this fading empire including human trafficking, drug mules, the scarcity of opportunities for emotional scarred veterans, Russian and
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