Alafair Burke… in Her Father's Footsteps
Posted: Friday, July 11, 2008
by Jay Hopson
Several years ago I came across a series of crime drama books written by James Lee Burke and fell in love with Lee's writing. His very readable tales usually include the daughter of Dave Robicheaux named Alafair, so imagine my surprise after reading most of Lee's books to find he has a daughter himself named Alafair, who is a great crime writer in her own right.
Alafair Burke knows her stuff from the streets to the courtroom. During her own tenure as a liaison to the police department, she worked directly out of the police precinct, trained officers in search and seizure, and wore a Kevlar vest for night-shift ride alongs. That kind of inside know-how brings her books to life, infusing frequent real life moments into every action packed chapter.
Her books feature two distinctly different heroines, the first, feisty Portland prosecutor Samantha Kincaid was introduced in Burke's first novel, " Judgment Calls ." Samantha continued in the next two books and then NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher was introduced in "Dead Connection ." Ellie (like Alafair) was raised in Wichita, Kansas. Her father was a police detective who spent his career hunting a serial killer that evaded police for thirty years (sound familiar?)
Burke's latest book is to be released next month. " Angel's Tip " promises to be her best yet, receiving accolades throughout the publishing industry. Once again, Detective Ellie Hatcher will delve into unsolved murders, one step behind a killer. Praised by authors like Faye Kellerman, Tami Hoag and Sandra Brown, it is destined to take up residence with the finest of crime fiction!
Library Journal says this about Angel's Tip : "Lots of suspense and plot twists galore keep the pages turning, but the story lines about Hatcher, her boyfriend, her brother, and her partner deserve the credit for making this novel a winner. Highly recommended ..."
Alafair Burke is a must read for this summer. If this is the first you have heard of her, you are in for a real treat! Take the time to look into her intriguing work. More on "Angel's Tip"
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)I love to read, Jay, and Angel's Tip sounds great. Thanks for the introduction!Thank you Lorrie, You will love it!
hi jay, what a good idea for a story, kind of like Oprah's book club:) i'm sure this book will be read by many because of your effortless writing style, and descriptive hints. thanks for sharing, best regards, sue thomAh now, my head is swelling.lol. Thank you for your ever kind and encouraging words! and thanks for joining my fan club!
Great article. I can completely relate to those type novels. Have you read James Patterson or Patricia Cornwell. They are fabulous too.Roschelle,
Thank you for commenting and for joining my fan club. Yes, I love Patterson and have read a few of Patricia Cornwell's. They are great reading too.
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