This is the third of three novels with Sheriff Hackberry Holland as the protagonist. Hackberry, or Hack, is a very interesting but fault-laden hero. A veteran, not of Vietnam, but of Korea, he’s got a bad case of PTSD. At least he’s gained some measure of control over his alcoholism and lust for prostitutes. But he continues to struggle with nightmares and flashbacks to the war. His past intermittently haunts him, and having treated hundreds of cases of PTSD, Burke does a pretty good job of representing that condition. This book is a direct follow-up to Rain Gods, which was previously and favorably posted in the blog. Hack is now nearly 80 years old, but still serving as the elected sheriff of his county. The most evil guy you’ve ever heard of, Preacher Jack Collins, reappears. He was presumed dead at the end of Rain Gods, but now he’s back. Like Burke has done before, he throws a myriad of psychopaths at the reader, each with a different take on the current drama, whose story lines eventually crash into each other in unexpected ways. Hack’s deceased wife is a constant presence for him and serves as a nice source of tension in his interactions with Deputy Pam Tibbs, who previously was nearly killed by Collins, and with Anton Ling, one of the main players in the story. Ling provides Burke with the mechanism to write about Mexicans who sneak into the U.S. and the hardships they face in doing so. The action unfolds in the stretch of flat barren lands that spans Texas and Mexico. Burke does a good job with surprising changes in alliances among the characters, none of whom strike me as being “normal” folks. You don’t need to know more – it’s a good read.
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