James Lee Burke is the heavyweight champ, a great American novelist whose work, taken individually or as a whole, is unsurpassed
Michael Connelly
Richly deserves to be described now as one of the finest crime writers America has ever produced.
Daily Mail
The king of Southern noir
Daily Mirror
When it comes to literate, pungently characterised American crime writing, James Lee Burke has few peers.
Daily Express
Gripping stuff from the great American crime writer
OK Magazine
Burke is the master of his material. His reflective style infuses the book with a kind of sombre grace . . . As a thriller Bitterroot is never less than gripping. The twists and turns of the plot are deftly handled and he has an ear and an eye for nuance that allows him to create characters which manage to be both credible and archetypal, as if Burke is writing contemporary myths. The beauty and wildness of the Montana countryside, lovingly and vividly described, is both a fitting backdrop and a counterpoint to the savagery of the characters. Burke's most recent books, especially the Billy Bob Holland series, are powerful meditations on a wild, rural America that seems little changed from the world evoked by John Steinbeck. It is fine writing, that is far above the crime-fiction norm and it manages to stand comparison with the very best contemporary novels
Sunday Express
James Lee Burke's heroes are driven men, flawed by guilt and a deep rate. His books depict a modern America which still lives by the ideals of the old West . . . The beauty of Burke's lyrical writing does not mask the ugliness of the story . . . It's powerful stuff and confirms Burke's place in the forefront of contemporary American crime fiction
Sunday Telegraph
Still the greatest, bar none . . . there's nothing currently on show to match, let alone better, Burke's latest. His ambitions, like his achievements, remain unequalled. When he reaches for the top he shows every reader what's possible. Good gets better. The best is yet to come
Literary Review
As ever the sense of place is overwhelming, as Burke's Texas lawyer comes face to face with an old nemesis among the customary savage mayhem
Guardian
The 19th book from the Pulitzer Prize nominee, Burke's talent for weaving a compelling yarn will have readers glued to the pages
FHM
The hills and valleys, rivers and plains of the Bitterroot are lyrically described but are also seen as places of great potential danger . . . Bitterroot is beautifully written and still stands head and shoulders above most other crime fiction
Observer
James Lee Burke could not write badly if he tried: his evocation of the natural beauty of the mountain valley is brilliant, and some individual scenes, heavy with unstated menace and latent violence, are extremely powerful
Evening Standard
James Lee Burke is one of literature's finest cartographers of the dark side of the human heart . . . As usual the plot is labyrinthine, the characters lavishly drawn and Burke's writing sensational - especially his rendering of Montana . . . there is plenty here to enjoy, and if you manage to complete Bitterroot without planning a trip to Montana then you must have already seen Eden
The Times
The story itself is marvellously constructed but what makes Bitterroot a marvel are the characters, including two fearsome psychopaths, and the quality of Burke's writing . . . Bitterroot is of exceptional quality, a must-read of which Rendell herself would be proud
Scotsman
Burke's great strengths as a writer are in evident abundance here: Bitterroot is densely plotted, full of narrative urgency and a boiling anger at what the world has become and how vulnerable we are to its violence . . . This is truly excellent stuff from a stalwart of American crime writing
Uncut
Burke writes an intense, breathless prose that eminently suits his tales of dark passion and disturbed emotions
Irish Times