'Pegasus Descending' brings taut mystery to seedy Louisiana

Book Watch

By: Christina Ashie

Posted: 9/12/06

Rooted in the eternally damp atmosphere of Louisiana and charged with the racial tensions of centuries, James Lee Burke's "Pegasus Descending" is a mystery novel, plain and simple.

"Pegasus Descending" is one in a series of novels by Burke featuring the ex-alcoholic, sometimes vigilante detective Dave Robicheaux. Robicheaux and his private investigator partner, Clete Purcel, are of the old school of law enforcement - men unafraid to break the law to see that justice is served. With colorful side characters, Molly, Robicheaux's ex-Catholic nun wife and Helen, Robicheaux's androgynous police chief, Burke polishes this mystery off nicely.

The plot line begins simply, but quickly becomes tangled into what one character calls a spider web. The plot is a phantom with the threads connecting the chain of events easily broken and difficult to recreate. The story starts as Robicheaux is called to the scene of an 18-year-old female's suicide. Through further examination of the scene, as well as the victim's life, Robicheaux begins to suspect that her death was a murder. The plot spices up as characters from Robicheaux's alcohol-hazed previous life in Florida begin appearing in Iberia Parish, La. As FBI agents, corrupted officials and Robin Hood-like grifters begin to collide, racial tensions escalate and everyone seems to be harboring secrets.

In addition to its riveting plot, Burke's novel has a score of promising characters, including Mary, Helen, a black dope dealer named Monarch and a shockingly crass coroner named Koko. Burke's tantalizing revelations about these characters' lives lead the reader to anticipate a complex unfolding of the nature of the characters, something rarely found in mystery novels. However, though Burke whispers secrets about the inner workings of the characters, he fails to utilize these revelations to explain their motivations. For instance, in almost every mention of Helen, Burke mentions her androgynous beauty, specifically the way her masculine and feminine sides fight for control of her face and body. Burke even relates stories of Helen's proclivity to violence when faced with sexual slurs, but he never gives us insight into her character or uses her androgynous nature for more than shock value.

Burke does, however, artfully depict a history of the racial tension and prejudice in Louisiana. With a unique mix of white Louisiana aristocracy, black dope pushers and black and white poverty, every conversation and investigative interview is shrouded by issues of color, racism and class. Even the justice-oriented Robicheaux occasionally finds himself succumbing to the racist postures of his ancestors when dealing with Monarch, the dope king of Iberia Parish.

The novel falters slightly toward the end as it briefly addresses the damage of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In light of the rest of the book, these references seem stilted, almost as if Burke wrote the entire novel and then added the details about the storms. The hurricane discussion is related only to a single earlier scene, also oddly out-of-place, in which Clete hollers to Robicheaux, asking him if he thinks they will ever have a hurricane as bad as the one in '64. Both the scene and the answer are inconsequential within the context of a generally tight plot.

Despite these few failings, the novel is a vibrant page-turner. With an intricate yet well played-out plot, as well as the swamps of New Iberia as the locale for mystery, Burke has created yet another successful mystery novel. "Pegasus Descending" holds tantalizing hints of the great book it could have been, with its interesting characters and high racial tension. However, it is fully acceptable for what it is, one of many novels turned out one-by-one by a great mystery writer to satisfy the voracious appetites of his loyal fans.