Harbor Lights by James Lee Burke

Dark and disturbing look at times, places, and people I had trouble relating to or liking. At times I wondered if the author saw himself in some of the characters he put into the stories and if so, what that said about him.

HARBOR LIGHTS: This story has a man’s son encounter things he would have been better off never seeing or thinking about. Infidelity, mental illness, abuse of authority, war, and secrets left a bad taste in my mouth at the end of the story.

GOING ACROSS JORDAN: Migrant workers, pushing unions for the workers, two men doing what they think is right, another man abusing status and power to rape a woman, a beating and death, MacCarthyism, and more. Not sure if two came out happy in the end or not.

BIG MIDNIGHT SPECIAL: Prison is not a place I would want to be and especially not in the South when this story was written. Choices were limited and freedom for Arlen rather difficult to achieve in a healthy manner.

DEPORTEES: Three generations with issues to deal with. Alcohol abuse, rape, deportation of illegal immigrants, another corrupt cop, and a murder again didn’t leave a speck of light for any at the end of the story

THE ASSAULT: A widowed professor with a daughter who is beaten outside a bar does some sleuthing that gets more than one person in trouble. Another story with bigotry, murder, and consequences that no doubt follow those that survive

THE WILD SIDE OF LIFE: Elmore, a seismographer, is a Vietnam veteran who realizes some he works with are corrupt and evil, he tries to save a woman in an abusive relationship, and seems incapable of dealing with his demons and settling down.

A DISTANT WAR: Strange story of a father and son having car trouble and ending up in what seemed to be a time-warp-alternative-dimension. Creepy and disturbing with historical elements, racist people, and a feeling of disconnection. Not sure what happens to the main characters.

STRANGE CARGO: Ghostly story with Broussard talking to his daughter’s ghost, another corrupt cop, murder of an innocent man, mixed messages, and the feeling at the end that nobody in the story was happy and there was no hope for anyone.

Did I enjoy this book? No
Was it well written? Yes
Would I recommend it to others? Only if they like dark unsettling stories without hope

Thank you to NetGalley and Atlantic Monthly Press for the ARC - This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars ( )

I feel like Burke keeps writing the same thing over and over again, sometimes with different names. ( )

There are times when it's okay to read grim and painful stories and there are times when it is not. I've been reading James Lee Burke for decades and while I have noted the increasing darkness work mostly it has not been a problem. This time, this year, and this place in my life I cannot read these stories.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.com. ( )