The Recurring Cast
Character guide · 38 books · 1971 to 2026 · Mostly set in New Iberia, Louisiana

James Lee Burke

Crime and mysteryThriller and suspensePolice proceduralHistorical crimeNoir and hardboiledRural crimeLegal thriller

Dave Robicheaux, a Vietnam veteran and recovering alcoholic, is a sheriff’s detective in New Iberia, Louisiana, who fights corruption and his own violent temper with his volatile friend Clete Purcel. Burke’s Holland family novels range across Texas and Montana over a century.

Best estimate, compiled from series guides, publisher descriptions and reviews where available, and from memory otherwise. Book level only, not chapter level. Minor includes cameos and brief references. Each book carries a confidence rating in its tooltip. Some Holland family novels are left out.

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Who appears in which book

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James Lee Burke books in order

Each series in publication order, with its lead characters. Where the story runs in a different order, switch to Story order. Crossover books are marked and listed under their main series. Use My books to track what you have read.

Dave Robicheaux

25 books · Set in New Iberia, LouisianaPolice proceduralNoir and hardboiled
  1. 1The Neon Rain1987With Dave RobicheauxBuy on Amazon
  2. 2Heaven’s Prisoners1988With Dave RobicheauxBuy on Amazon
  3. 3Black Cherry Blues1989With Dave RobicheauxBuy on Amazon
  4. 4A Morning for Flamingos1990With Dave RobicheauxBuy on Amazon
  5. 5A Stained White Radiance1992With Dave RobicheauxBuy on Amazon
  6. 6In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead1993With Dave RobicheauxBuy on Amazon
  7. 7Dixie City Jam1994With Dave RobicheauxBuy on Amazon
  8. 8Burning Angel1995With Dave RobicheauxBuy on Amazon
  9. 9Cadillac Jukebox1996With Dave RobicheauxBuy on Amazon
  10. 10Sunset Limited1998With Dave RobicheauxBuy on Amazon
  11. 11Purple Cane Road2000With Dave RobicheauxBuy on Amazon
  12. 12Jolie Blon’s Bounce2002With Dave RobicheauxBuy on Amazon
  13. 13Last Car to Elysian Fields2003With Dave RobicheauxBuy on Amazon
  14. 14Crusader’s Cross2005With Dave RobicheauxBuy on Amazon
  15. 15Pegasus Descending2006With Dave RobicheauxBuy on Amazon
  16. 16The Tin Roof Blowdown2007With Dave RobicheauxBuy on Amazon
  17. 17Swan Peak2008With Dave RobicheauxBuy on Amazon
  18. 18The Glass Rainbow2010With Dave RobicheauxBuy on Amazon
  19. 19Creole Belle2012With Dave RobicheauxBuy on Amazon
  20. 20Light of the World2013With Dave RobicheauxBuy on Amazon
  21. 21Robicheaux2018With Dave RobicheauxBuy on Amazon
  22. 22The New Iberia Blues2019With Dave RobicheauxBuy on Amazon
  23. 23A Private Cathedral2020With Dave RobicheauxBuy on Amazon
  24. 24Clete2024With Clete PurcelBuy on Amazon
  25. 25The Hadacol Boogie2026With Dave RobicheauxBuy on Amazon

Billy Bob Holland

4 books · Set in MissoulaLegal thrillerNoir and hardboiled
  1. 1Cimarron Rose1997With Billy Bob HollandBuy on Amazon
  2. 2Heartwood1999With Billy Bob HollandBuy on Amazon
  3. 3Bitterroot2001With Billy Bob HollandBuy on Amazon
  4. 4In the Moon of Red Ponies2004With Billy Bob HollandBuy on Amazon

Hackberry Holland

4 books · Set in Texas border countryRural crimeNoir and hardboiled
  1. 1Lay Down My Sword and Shield1971With Hackberry HollandBuy on Amazon
  2. 2Rain Gods2009With Hackberry HollandBuy on Amazon
  3. 3Feast Day of Fools2011With Hackberry HollandBuy on Amazon
  4. 4House of the Rising Sun2015With Hackberry HollandBuy on Amazon

Holland family

5 books · Set in Texas and MontanaHistorical crimeNoir and hardboiled
  1. 1Wayfaring Stranger2014With Weldon HollandBuy on Amazon
  2. 2The Jealous Kind2016With Aaron Holland BroussardBuy on Amazon
  3. 3Another Kind of Eden2021With Aaron Holland BroussardBuy on Amazon
  4. 4Every Cloak Rolled in Blood2022With Aaron Holland BroussardBuy on Amazon
  5. 5Don’t Forget Me, Little Bessie2025With Bessie HollandBuy on Amazon

Characters

13 recurring and key characters, with the book each one first appears in.

New Iberia

The Hollands