Not normally a reader of crime fiction, I came to this novel after glimpsing numerous laudatory reviews of James Lee Burke's work - and I was not disappointed. "The Tin Roof Blowdown" follows the author's serial anti-hero, Dave Robicheaux, through a criminal investigation taking place against the backdrop of Hurricane Katrina's devastation of New Orleans. It's a marvellously evocative device that creates tension in the plot, and many moments of vivid description from the author. This is a very well written book that should provide stimulation for literary readers as well as for those who just want to get their teeth into a good mystery. The final paragraph is one of the most lyrical I've read in recent years, whether in literary or commercial fiction.