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In the Moon of Red Ponies: A Novel
In the Moon of Red Ponies: A Novel
In the Moon of Red Ponies: A Novel
Audiobook12 hours

In the Moon of Red Ponies: A Novel

Written by James Lee Burke

Narrated by Tom Stechschulte

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

Haunting suspense and captivating villains, the hallmark of James Lee Burke’s bestselling novels of evil and redemption, are brilliantly evoked in his new Billy Bob Holland opus, the follow-up to the popular and critically acclaimed Bitterroot.

“James Lee Burke tells a story in a style all his own, in language that's alive, electric. He's a master at setting mood, laying in atmosphere, all with quirky dialogue that's a delight.” —Elmore Leonard

In James Lee Burke’s last novel featuring Billy Bob Holland, Bitterroot, the former Texas Ranger left his home state to help a friend threatened by the most dangerous sociopath Billy Bob had ever faced. After vanquishing a truly iniquitous collection of violent individuals, Billy moved his family to west Montana and hung out a shingle for his law practice. But in In the Moon of Red Ponies, he discovers that jail cells have revolving doors and that the government he had sworn to serve may have become his enemy.

His first client in Missoula is Johnny American Horse, a young activist for land preservation and the rights of Native Americans. Johnny is charged with the murder of two mysterious men—who seem to have recently tried to kill Johnny themselves, or at least scare him off his political causes. As Billy Bob investigates, he discovers a web of intrigue surrounding the case and its players: Johnny's girlfriend, Amber Finley, as reckless as she is defiant—and the daughter of one of Montana's US senators; Darrel McComb, a Missoula police detective who is obsessed with Amber; and Seth Masterson, an enigmatic government agent whose presence in town makes Billy Bob wonder why Washington has become so concerned with an obscure murder case on the fringes of the Bitterroot Mountains.

As complications mount and the dead bodies multiply, Billy Bob is drawn closer to the truth behind Johnny American Horse’s arrest—and discovers a greater danger to himself and to his whole family. How Billy Bob strikes back at evil and protects his kin is the masterful triumph of In the Moon of Red Ponies.

Beautifully written, with an intriguing plot and characters whose conflicts seem as real as life itself, this novel shows James Lee Burke again in the top form that has made him a critical favorite and a national bestseller.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateJun 8, 2004
ISBN9780743539425
Author

James Lee Burke

James Lee Burke is a New York Times bestselling author, two-time winner of the Edgar Award, and the recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts in Fiction. He has authored forty novels and two short story collections. He lives in Missoula, Montana.

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Reviews for In the Moon of Red Ponies

Rating: 3.9842767874213836 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Classic JLB set in western Montana. Over the top bad guys, a sympathetic anti-hero, and questionable authority figures and actions. Still has great descriptive paragraphs with cutting insights.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Burke tells a story that, again includes relations with American Indians and corporations that set their own gains above ecological benefit. Neither the good guys nor the bad guys are always what they seem. Author's descriptive writing style sometimes gets in the way of a good story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is definitely a 3 1/2 star read, and after a bit of deliberation I rounded the rating up.
    I make no bones about being a James Lee Burke fan; in my view he is one of the best writers in the US, regardless of genre. But I find the Billy Bob Holland books slightly less to my taste than those featuring Dave Robicheaux, but I still want to read them and I always enjoy them.
    This one is a bit tighter than earlier episodes, although there are still a lot of diversions into Native American Culture, and I find Billy Bob's conversations with his dead partner a little irritating. The dark side of most of the characters, even Billy Bob, is accentuated and there is a high level of violence.
    What comes across strongly in this book is Holland and Burke's lack of faith in law enforcement generally and the government at all levels and the fact that the real villains are not only not prosecuted and punished, but very often actually prosper.


  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I'm a big fan of James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux books but I hadn't really warmed up to this series with Billy Bob Holland. However, now that Billy Bob is living in Montana and working in Missoula I'm becoming more interested. Missoula and the Bitterroot Valley is one of those places that gets into your blood and you never quite get free of it. Since James Lee Burke lives there now I suspect he has found that as well.Billy Bob is a lawyer and he fights the good fight for underdogs. But he is no pushover and when Wyatt Dixon, a psychopath who buried Billy Bob's wife alive in Bitterroot, is released from jail on a technicality he is ready to do whatever is necessary to protect his family. He is thus confused when Dixon starts to offer him help with another case. This case involves a young Indian man, Johnny American Horse, who is suspected of breaking into a government research facility and stealing data. As a result of this theft hired killers have been sent to Montana to kill Johnny. Wyatt Dixon seems to have some inside knowledge about the danger but he is not part of it. By the end of the book Holland and Dixon seem to have come to a truce and the plot against Johnny has unravelled but not all those responsible have paid for their involvement. That's one of the things I like about Burke's books--things don't get wrapped up in a nice neat package and the books are, as a result, much more realistic.I listened to this book read by Will Patton who is absolutely perfect to narrate Burke's books. My one complaint is that the book was abridged; if I had noticed this before I downloaded it I probably would not have taken it out. But I didn't find out until the end so I guess it wasn't really obvious. There were a few disconnects that I'm sure would have been covered if the full book had been produced. So boo to Simon and Schuster Audio for abridging this.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    There just isn't anything not to like as Burke takes us through convolutions of polot, but he always smooths it out in the end, although all the good guys are not certain or visible and all do not live. When I give a book five stars, it is saying to the writer: "you are btter than me. I could not write so well as this." Billy bob Holland seems to be somewhat lost as an attorney to anyone. Guess that is because Burke's lead man has always been a lawman.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Good story of Missoula, Montana private investigator intertwined into murders, and intrigue. For me Burke's writing is a little on the depressing side with lots of looks at the bad sides of human nature and plenty of alcohol which may be realistic for some parts of society, but I feel he over emphasizes it.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Wyatt Dixon is one of the best Burke (semi-)villains. And I enjoyed Johnny American Horse elements, although the mystical elements were a little overwhelming (not only with him but throughout the book). The ending seemed a little anti-climactic.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Johnny American Horse is attempting to stop the oil companies from drilling on Indian land and thinks they put a hit on him.Two men attempting to kill Johnny sneak up to his home but he ambushes them. One dies and the other hospitalized. When the hospitalized man is suffocated, Johnny is arrested. Former Texas Ranger, and lawyer, Billy Bob Thornton is convinced the Johnny is innocent and puts his ranch up for collateral for Johnnys bail. Another Indian is killed and something (spoiler) from the dead Indian is put in Billy Bob's mailbox.There is much discussion of Indian law on the reservations and how an Indian is treated once a crime is committed off the reservation.We also meet a great character, Wyatt Dixon who alsmost killed Billy Bob's wife, Temple, in a past book. Now Wyatt is released from prison and claims to be reborn. He wants to repay his misdeed to Billy Bob.When there is a break in at a research lab where defense contracts are stolen, Johnny is again a suspect. James Lee Burke is at his best in this novel. His descriptions of the land are wonderful. I found myself reading portions of the book more than once just to enjoy the writing.The plot is well told and Wyatt Dixon is one of the great characters Burke has developed.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A nuanced entry in this series by Burke. This is a study of good and evil—neither the good guys or the bad guys are always what they seem. Most characters are flawed and are some shade of gray. Two characters that begin as unattractive show save themselves through courage and belief. Others—who typically are members of the good guys turn out to be working with the bad guys. In the end, only some of the bad guys get punished and several of the good guys get hurt, suffer, or die. During the course of the story, Billy Bob must identify and accept some of the darker colors that are part of his soul.