James Lee Burke Books In Order – The Complete List of Novels

James Lee Burke is a New York Times bestselling American author best known for his Dave Robicheaux crime mystery novels.

Here are the James Lee Burke books in order of publication for his New Orleans detective Dave Robicheaux, and the Texas Sheriff Hackberry Holland and family stories, standalone works, and short story collections. With books like Sunset Limited, The New Iberia Blues, The Tin Roof Blowdown, Black Cherry Blues, and Wayfaring Stranger, the author has made himself a name not only in the U.S. but also around the world among anyone who reads crime mystery novels.

Latest James Lee Burke Books

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Dave Robicheaux Books in Publication Order

1. The Neon Rain, 1987
2. Heaven’s Prisoners, 1988
3. Black Cherry Blues, 1989
4. A Morning For Flamingos, 1990
5. A Stained White Radiance, 1992
6. In Electric Mist With Confederate Dead, 1993
7. Dixie City Jam, 1994
8. Burning Angel, 1995
9. Cadillac Jukebox, 1996
10. Sunset Limited, 1998
11. Purple Cane Road), 2000
12. Jolie Blon’s Bounce), 2002
13. Last Car To Elysian Fields, 2003
14. Crusader’s Cross, 2005
15. Pegasus Descending, 2006
16. The Tin Roof Blowdown, 2007
17. Swan Peak, 2008
18. The Glass Rainbow, 2010
19. Creole Belle), 2012
20. Light of the World, 2013
21. Robicheaux: You Know My Name, 2018
22. The New Iberia Blues, 2019
23. A Private Cathedral, 2020
24. Clete, 2024

The Holland Family Universe Books in Publication Order

1. Lay Down My Sword And Shield, 1971
2. Two for Texas, 1982
3. Cimarron Rose, 1997
4. Heartwood, 1999
5. Bitterroot, 2001
6. In The Moon Of Red Ponies, 2004
7. Rain Gods, 2009
8. Feast Day of Fools, 2011
9. Wayfaring Stranger, 2014
10. House of the Rising Sun, 2015
11. The Jealous Kind, 2016
12. Another Kind of Eden, 2021
13. Every Cloak Rolled In Blood, 2022

Hackberry Holland Books in Publication Order

1. Lay Down My Sword And Shield, 1971
2. Rain Gods, 2009
3. Feast Day of Fools, 2011
4. House of the Rising Sun, 2015

Billy Bob Holland Books in Publication Order

1. Cimarron Rose, 1997
2. Heartwood, 1999
3. Bitterroot, 2001
4. In The Moon Of Red Ponies, 2004

Weldon Holland Books

1. Wayfaring Stranger, 2014

Standalone Books in Publication Order

• Half of Paradise, 1965
• To The Bright and Shining Sun, 1970
• Two for Texas, 1982
• The Lost Get-Back Boogie, 1986
• White Doves at Morning, 2002
• Flags on the Bayou, 2023

Short Stories and Short Story Collections

• The Convict, 1985
• Texas City, 1947, 1992
• Jesus Out To Sea, 2007 (includes Winter Light which was adapted into a movie)
• Harbor Lights, 2024

Anthologies in Order of Publication

• Louisiana Stories, 1990
• The Best American Mystery Stories 2006, 2006
• The Best American Mystery Stories 2008, 2008
• Delta Blues, 2009
• The Best American Mystery Stories 2009, 2009
• Books to Die For, 2012
• The Best American Mystery Stories 2014, 2014
• The Best American Mystery Stories 2018, 2018

Non-Fiction Books in Publication Order

• Ohio’s Heritage, 1989

James Lee Burke Biography – About the Author

The author was born in Houston in 1936, but he grew up in Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast. He graduated from the Southwestern Louisiana Institute, after which he also attended and graduated from the University of Missouri with a BA and MA in English..

While being a novelist is what we know him for best, he also had some interesting and odd jobs over the years, including being a land surveyor, a truck driver for the U.S. Forest Service, a pipeliner, a newspaper reporter, a college professor in English, a clerk, and social worker, to name just a few.

James Lee Burke’s books have received several awards, among others twice the Edgar award for Best Crime Novel of the Year. Heaven’s Prisoners and Two For Texas have been turned into movies.

For those authors who get discouraged by their books being rejected by publishers, here’s an interesting tidbit. His novel The Lost Get-Back Boogie was rejected for a total of 111 times before Louisiana State University Press finally published it. The book was nominated for a Pulitzer. Lesson to take away: never give up.

James Lee Burke’s daughter, Alafair Burke is also an established crime mystery writer with two main series (Ellie Hatcher and Samantha Kinkaid). Her books are also worth checking out.

The journey to read the James Lee Burke books in order will take you through over 40 novels he has written over many decades, including 3 main series, with the most popular one being detective Dave Robicheaux.

I have to admit, that I love the Dave Robicheaux series the most, however, I know many readers enjoy his other stories, including his standalone works as well. A New York Times bestselling novelist, James also wrote two collections of short stories that are worth reading. The Convict, released in 1985, features a dozen short tales set in the Deep South. Jesus Out to Sea, published in 2007, has an additional 10 American gripping tales. These two collections are well worth reading as well.

Needless to say, however, Dave Robicheaux, which currently consists of 23 published, with the latest book, Clete, released in 2024, is highly recommended if you like Southern mysteries with heavy baggage recovering alcoholic sheriffs solving murders in their own personal way.

Book Adaptations

Several of the James Lee Burke’s novels have been adapted to the big screen. The Robicheaux character appeared twice in films.

IHeaven’s Prisoners is a Dave Robicheaux book-to-movie adaptation in 1996 with Alec Baldwin as detective Dave Robicheaux and Kelly Lynch as Annie Robicheaux. Other actors are Eric Roberts and Teri Hatcher.

Two for Texas was adapted into a same-titled TV movie in 1998 with Scott Bairstow as Son Holland and Kris Kristofferson as Hugh Allison.

In the Electric Mist is another Dave Robicheaux book adaptation in 2009 with Tommy Lee Jones as detective Dave Robicheaux and John Goodman as Julie “Baby Feet” Balboni.

God’s Country is a movie adaptation of the short story Winter Light in 2022 with Thandiwe Newton, Joris Jarsky, and Jefferson White.

James Lee Burke Awards

• John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts in Fiction in 1988
• Black Cherry Blues – Edgar Awards Best Novel winner in 1990
• Sunset Limited – Dagger Awards Best Novel winner in 1998
• Cimarron Rose – Edgar Awards Best Novel winner in 1998
• Sunset Limited – Dilys Awards Best Book nominee in 1999
• Purple Cane Road – Dagger Awards Best Book nominee in 2000
• Jolie Blon’s Bounce – Dagger Awards Best Novel nominee in 2002
• Louisiana Writer Award for his enduring contribution to the “literary intellectual heritage of Louisiana” in 2002
• Jolie Blon’s Bounce – Edgar Awards Best Novel nominee in 2003
• Jolie Blon’s Bounce – Macavity Awards Best Novel nominee in 2003
• Pegasus Descending – Dagger Awards Best Novel nominee in 2007
• The Tin Roof Blowdown – Anthony Awards Best Novel nominee in 2008
• The Tin Roof Blowdown – BCA Crime Thriller of the Year Best Novel nominee in 2008
• The Tin Roof Blowdown – Dagger Awards Best Novel nominee in 2008
• Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America in 2009