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Dave Robicheaux

by James Lee Burke

24 books Started 1987 Latest 2024
Publication Reading Order

The Dave Robicheaux is a Crime Fiction / Mystery series by James Lee Burke, made up of 24 books published between 1987 and 2024. It begins with The Neon Rain (1987), and is best read in publication order. The most recent entry is Clete (2024), spanning 37 years of storytelling.

24books
37years active
5decades
~1.6yrs between books
2024latest release
# Title Year Buy
1980s
1 The Neon Rain 1987 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
2 Heaven's Prisoners 1988 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
3 Black Cherry Blues 1989 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
1990s
4 A Morning for Flamingos 1990 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
5 A Stained White Radiance 1992 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
6 In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead 1993 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
7 Dixie City Jam 1994 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
8 Burning Angel 1995 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
9 Cadillac Jukebox 1996 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
10 Sunset Limited 1996 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
2000s
11 Purple Cane Road 2000 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
12 Jolie Blon's Bounce 2002 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
13 Last Car to Elysian Fields 2003 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
14 Crusader's Cross 2005 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
15 Pegasus Descending 2006 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
16 The Tin Roof Blowdown 2007 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
17 Swan Peak 2008 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
2010s
18 The Glass Rainbow 2010 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
19 Creole Belle 2012 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
20 Light of the World 2013 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
21 Robicheaux 2018 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
22 The New Iberia Blues 2019 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
2020s
23 A Private Cathedral 2020 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia
24 CleteLatest 2024 Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia

Dave Robicheaux series: frequently asked questions

What order should I read the Dave Robicheaux series?

Start with The Neon Rain (1987), the first book in the Dave Robicheaux series by James Lee Burke. Follow the books in publication order for the best reading experience.

How many books are in the Dave Robicheaux series?

There are 24 books in the Dave Robicheaux series by James Lee Burke, published between 1987 and 2024.

What is the first book in the Dave Robicheaux series?

The first book in the Dave Robicheaux series is The Neon Rain, published in 1987 by James Lee Burke.

What is the latest book in the Dave Robicheaux series?

The most recent book in the Dave Robicheaux series is Clete (2024) by James Lee Burke.

More books by James Lee Burke View all series and reading orders →
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About James Lee Burke

James Lee Burke (born December 5, 1936) is an American author of detective fiction and crime thrillers. He is best known for his series featuring Detective Dave Robicheaux, a Cajun homicide detective based in New Iberia, Louisiana. Born in Houston, Texas, Burke grew up in Texas and Louisiana. He served in the U.S. Army from 1955 to 1958 and later worked as a newspaper reporter and editor in Texas, Louisiana, and New Mexico. He began writing fiction in the 1970s. Burke has written over 40 novels, including "The Neon Rain" (1987), "Heaven's Prisoners" (1988), "In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead" (1993), and "Cimarron Rose" (1997). His books have been praised for their atmospheric settings, vivid characters, and complex plots. Burke has won numerous awards, including the Edgar Award (twice), the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America, and the Louisiana Literary Award. His work has been translated into more than 20 languages.

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About the Dave Robicheaux series

James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux novels are widely considered some of the most beautifully written crime fiction in America. Robicheaux is a Cajun detective and recovering alcoholic in Louisiana's bayou country, a man haunted by Vietnam and by violence, struggling to hold onto grace in a corrupt and brutal world.

Burke writes like a poet — lush, elegiac prose about the Louisiana landscape, the weight of history, and the thin line between justice and vengeance. The plots are dark and often violent, anchored by Robicheaux's volatile friend Clete Purcel.

Read in order from "The Neon Rain" to follow Dave's recovery, family and demons, though Burke's atmosphere makes nearly any entry a rewarding place to start.