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

Published by Atlantic Monthly Press on January 23, 2024

The stories in Harbor Lights feature people who have been in prison and people who might end up in prison. Some are drifters, others are professionals. Some live in solitude, others share their life with a child. Most have experienced a significant loss. Some have given up on life, others are still trying to figure it out. They are all from the deep South although some have migrated to the West. Nearly all the protagonists try (not always successfully) to cling to their moral center. Collateral characters are often racists and white trash who never had a moral center. A few characters are ghosts.

Three stories feature Burke’s recurring character and alter-ego, Aaron Holland Broussard. “Deportees” tells a story of Aaron’s grandfather as he stands up to southern hatred of Mexicans and Japanese-Americans during World War II.

The title story is told from Aaron’s perspective as the son of a man who defied the FBI by telling the press about his sighting of a German submarine while fishing off the coast of Louisiana. In retaliation, the FBI arrested the woman with whom Aaron’s father was having an affair, accusing her of being a communist spy. The story is about the ugly truth a boy learns about his father and the far uglier truth he learns about the country in which he lives.

The melancholy that pervades the novella “Strange Cargo” is almost overpowering. Aaron may have symptoms of cancer that he refuses to let his doctor diagnose because (in the doctor’s view) Aaron believes he deserves to die. All the things he loves are in the past. Following Holland family tradition, Aaron stands up to a tobacco chewing sheriff who is known for his racism, antisemitism, homophobia, and vindictiveness. The sheriff is haunted by the ghost of a slave just as Aaron is haunted by the ghost of his daughter. Aaron also sees spirits of slave chasers and their victims. If this were a different kind of story, the supernatural might threaten to get in the way. Since the story is ultimately a contemplation of death — its many causes and its effects on others — the supernatural makes a fitting contribution. It is also an exploration of southern hypocrisy, which Aaron comes to understand as an inevitability, even in his own life. The story requires Aaron to confront his family’s past (as well as his own) and, in doing so, addresses issues that arise in Another Kind of Eden and Every Cloak Rolled in Blood.

In “The Assault,” the police take little interest in investigating a beating that a couple inflicted on a professor’s (admittedly drunken) teenage daughter. The helplessness he has felt since his wife died in a car accident for which he blames himself is amplified by the assault, contributing to his sense of failure as a husband and father. While he is fishing with a Black professor, he has an encounter with racist rednecks. The police are more interested in the professor’s response to abuse than they are in the abuse inflicted upon the professor's daughter. A series of confrontations escalate from threats to violence. This is one of Burke’s most intense stories and my favorite in the volume.

“Going Across Jordan” tells the story of two drifters who ride the rails and enjoy a special kind of freedom. The older man irritates the authorities by singing Woody Guthrie songs. While working on a ranch in Wyoming, the younger man makes a foolish decision to accept his boss’ offer to borrow his Cadillac to bring a pretty Black girl back to the ranch. The young man learns that people with power who do favors for the powerless always have an ulterior motive. He also learns something about love and about achieving justice without resorting to violence.

I did not dislike any story in the collection, although three stories I liked a bit less. “A Distant War” is a story that would be at home in the Twilight Zone. A veteran whose radiator hose breaks brings his half Vietnamese son into the wrong bar (and maybe the wrong dimension) where he meets the wrong people at the wrong time. “Big Midnight Special” is a story about fighting and country music told in the setting of a prison. A seismologist who works in the oil drilling industry sleeps with the wrong married woman before all hell breaks loose in “The Wild Side of Life.”

Every story in this collection provokes thought. A reader might easily choose any of them as a favorite. All are told in a prose style that elevates grittiness to elegance in a way that only James Lee Burke can. This collection is a must for his fans.

RECOMMENDED

Harbor Lights is a collection of short stories by the master storyteller, James Lee Burke. Disturbing and thought-provoking, the stories take the reader through mysteries, thrillers, and heart-breaking grief. Burke's prose is poetic and his historical references thought-provoking. His characters are flawed and complex and the settings integral to the stories, resulting in stories that challenge the reader. I found at least one story very difficult to process, but my feelings for the book were overall positive. Another must-read for JLB fans.
Thank you, NetGalley and Orion Publishing for making this advance copy available.

I usually love this author, but these stories did not feel much like his novels. I liked a few of them, particularly the last one, Strange Cargo. That was the longest story in this volume and it reminded me the most of his other books. The writing here was beautiful as always, but maybe the stories were too bleak for me. 3.5 stars rounded up for the quality of the writing. If you are new to Burke, I recommend that you start with another book.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

For fifty years James Lee Burke has been leading the way among American novelists in general, not just crime writers. His lyrical, multi-layered explorations of the darkness, addiction, and evil that can exist within humanity, alongside white-hot light, have raised the bar and inspired countless authors.

Harbor Lights brings the same and different for long-time Burke fans; there’s no Dave Robicheaux and it’s a collection of eight thematically (and genealogically) entwined stories, rather than a single tale, but there’s plenty of what we’ve come to expect. In each story he soaks us in time and place, abuts richly evoked settings with stark violence, and makes us witness to cruelty and humanity through the eyes of downtrodden characters, while crafting a semi-permeable membrane between eras.

Two prison inmates are set up to fight each other in “Big Midnight Special”; a history professor takes matters into his own hands after his daughter is beaten up at a bar in “The Assault”; a farmer and his grandson try to protect Mexican immigrants in “Deportees”; federal agents intimidate a war veteran who reported a burning oil tanker in the titular tale.

An impressive collection that whets the appetite for backlist revisiting as well as whatever comes next from a living legend.

Unable to read before the title expired since it was limited to a PDF viewable on the NetGalley app. Very disappointed.

James Lee Burke is well known for his all encompassing mysteries, whether full length novels or short stories as in HARBOR LIGHTS. The eight stories in this collection are all excellent examples of Burke at his best. As in all collections, I enjoyed some more than others but they all evoke a reader to feel emotions without becoming different versions of the same story, as so many authors do. Many of Burke's familiar characters appear in the stories as they face aging and it's accompanied events. If you area a Burke fan, you'll love these. If you've never read any of Burke's work, this is an excellent example of the quality of his writing.

Harbor Lights in Murky Waters

Four stars. I cannot believe I would give James Lee Burke anything less than five, but here it is.

“Harbor Lights” is a collection of short stories by one of our greatest writers. I have read dozens of his books through the years and, even at 87, he shows no signs of slowing down, with a much-anticipated novel, “Clete,” scheduled for June and another, “Don’t Forget Me Little Bessie,” finished and slated for next year.

What “Harbor Lights” brings us is a theme Mr. Burke has been focusing on the past few years. In the witnessing of good versus evil, he remains convinced that some people are different, springing from a different gene pool, with the capacity and nature to bully. It is the burden of good people to confront this evil– frequently in these stories in a violent way. Burke’s heroes are often men moved to their violent side due to some uncontrollable episode or justifiable response to the harm to others.

Burke’s works have always had violence woven in, with the evil in the past walking hand in hand with the evil of the present; as he says, since Cain bashed Abel with the rock The same venom which fed the atrocities of slavery still runs in the veins of many today. In his last few books, I keep harkening back to the disillusioned Sheriff Ed Tom Bell from Cormac McCarthy’s “No Country for Old Men,” an older man unable to fathom the evil people are capable of.

“Harbor Lights” is a five-star read, but a four for me. His prose is beautiful, his characters unforgettable, the plotlines riveting, and there are always thought-provoking themes. I just want to see a glimmer of hope from one of my favorite authors, but he is painting very believable cages of despair. On the plus side, I am champing at the bit to tear into June’s “Clete” release. Clete from the Robicheaux series is one of my favorite characters and it is about time he gets his own vehicle.

Thank you to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

#HarborLights #NetGalley

James Lee Burke is one of the most acclaimed mystery writers of our time, with a list of accolades including multiple Edgar awards and the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Award. However, the vast majority of his prolific output has been full-length novels. His current short story collection, “Harbor Lights,” is his first such effort in fifteen years. After reading these stories, I understand why Burke prefers the longer form. The stories are descriptive with colorful characters, but several ramble on with little point.

The stories in “Harbor Lights” have settings ranging from the Louisiana Bayou country to the Rocky Mountains. Most take place in the past, either the Depression/World War II era or the more recent 1960s. Several feature members of the Holland/Broussard family who are the protagonists of various Burke novels. However, they are self-contained and require no knowledge of other Burke's works.

The best story in the collection is the last and longest, “Strange Cargo.” Aaron Broussard, an aging writer who may be dying of cancer, returns to his ancestral home in the Louisiana Bayou. There, he runs afoul of the local redneck sheriff, who is determined to thwart Aaron’s plans of turning his property into an animal sanctuary. But Aaron is also visited by ghosts, including his dead daughter, who serves as his conscience, and slaves who lived in the area before the Civil War. (A younger version of Broussard is also the main character in the collection’s title story, set during World War II.) The mix of reality and the supernatural works, thanks to a setting where the paranormal occurrences seem plausible. Although Burke evokes the atmosphere of his settings in every story, the feeling is most evident here.

If supernatural elements figure in the best story in the book, they also dominate the worst, “A Distant War.” Vietnam war veteran Francis Holland, another member of the family, and his young son are trapped in a small New Mexico town when his car breaks down. The local mechanic keeps finding more things wrong with the car, so he has to wait. And as he does, he realizes that this town is home to many people who have been dead for decades or more. While “Strange Cargo” made sense, “A Distant War” gets more bizarre and confusing as it progresses, eventually becoming a total mess.

Fortunately, the other stories in the collection are better. One that doesn’t feature the Holland clan is “Going Across Jordan.” Set in the 1950s, it features two drifters who travel the West, taking odd jobs and occasionally serving as union organizers. They eventually acquire a female companion and the hostility of a well-known Western actor. Like most stories in “Harbor Lights,” the pace in “Going Across Jordan” is leisurely, but the characters are well-developed enough to make readers care.

“Deportees” is a historical tale that seems very relevant to modern-day issues. Set in the days after Pearl Harbor, it describes the efforts of federal authorities to find and deport illegal Mexican immigrants in the United States. The authorities fear, with no justification, that the migrants are enemy agents of some sort. A young Aaron Broussard lives with his grandfather, a renowned retired lawman hiding some migrants on his property. The story becomes a battle of will between a retired lawman and the current law, although I’m sure the author had modern-day immigration issues in mind when he wrote this wonderfully prescient story.

Looking at “Harbor Nights” as a whole, the book contains one very good story, three good ones, three fair stories, and one mess. That would average out to a three-star rating. But even the fair stories are pleasant enough to read, even though they eventually don’t go anywhere. So, I’m raising the rating to 3.5 stars, rounded to four based on the last story. But readers who want the best James Lee Burke experience are better advised to read some of his novels rather than this uneven collection.

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.

Collection of eight stories that have love, friendship, revenge and violence. There are beatings, Nazis being encountered and attacks on a local village. These stories have unexpected heroes emerge that let you know there are good people out there in the world.

Seven short stories and one novella- each one in Burke's distinctive voice and incorporating his recurrent themes. Burke explores darkness and corruption and leavens those (if it's possible) with a touch of the paranormal. He's once again bring us men fighting evil and defying convention. These are not interlocking stories but there are characters his fans will remember from various novels. Strange Cargo, in particular, revisits Aaron Broussard, whose deceased daughter Fannie Mae speaks to him and who must deal with a sheriff who is harassing him. It's best appreciated if you've read the novel Every Cloak Rolled in Blood. Aaron- and Burke's- grief at the loss of their fictional and real daughters comes through loud and clear. Much of his writing is melancholy but there's always a bright spot, sometimes very small, but it's there. These move in time and place- they are wonderfully atmospheric. I'm a long time and unabashed fan of Burke, who always makes me think. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Terrific.

Each of these stories, many of which have appeared elsewhere, bears similarities to the full length novels of James Lee Burke. They are difficult, gritty and beautifully written. One is even a continuation of a previous novel. The reader may find themselves in the familiar territory of Bayou Teche, or the wooded areas of Washington State, but Burke's touch is unmistakable. Highly recommended.

I love James Lee Burke but I couldn't read him all the time because it's too depressing. This collection is dark, literary, and brilliant. While slow moving, the situations are intense and the characters are complicated and compelling. I particularly love how complicated the situations were, and it was easy to be on the side of someone committing morally ambiguous acts. I also really love revenge stories because they make it seem like there is balance in the world.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

"There are no explanations for human evil. Only excuses." (Dean Koontz)

James Lee Burke ventures into a composite of short stories this time. But these are not just ordinary stories to fill a page. Harbor Lights taps at the window that gives full view into the nature of human evil. Since the beginning of time, humans have had the tendency to grind the spirit of another into the dirt while whole souls stand in witness. It has happened continuously from the initial steps of Cain and Abel, to the very present, and then far expected to echo into the halls of the future.

Burke does what he does best. He's always had his finger on the pulse of humanity. His characters reflect the worst of society while showcasing those who stagger upwards in fighting the good fight. As long as there is breath within us, we will stand upright against those who drag the fetid air of evil into the town square. And with it is the unending battle from birth until death.

We'll travel from 1942 during World War II along the Louisiana coast in the Gulf of Mexico from real threats of German submarines. We'll stretch our footprints out West onto the plains of Colorado as folks are taking on backbreaking work to stay alive. And in the mix of all that are those who rule by the fist. Each and every story is injected with the likes of those who seek power and cast out their might on a regular basis.

The last story, Strange Cargo, is a continuation of a previous novel of Burke's, Every Cloak Rolled in Blood. It features, once again, Aaron Broussard, a successful writer up in years who still mourns the loss of his daughter, Fannie Mae. (Burke lost his own daughter as well.) Broussard lives along Bayou Teche and will come up against the likes of Sheriff Jude Labiche who leans hard on others with a heart encased in darkness and personal revenge.

Once again, James Lee Burke bends and formulates words that touch the soul. "As you get older, you discover there are lots of ways to die." He relates to those who have knelt within their own Garden of Gethsemane. Powerful, impactful, and unforgettable, Harbor Lights brings Southern grit to the forefront. And yet, it speaks to all times and for all ages.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Atlantic Monthly Press and to the exceptionally talented James Lee Burke for the opportunity.

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.

James Lee Burke writes dynamic literary fiction and is an acclaimed and popular figure in American crime stories laced with lyrical prose. This book contains eight short stories and a novella. These gripping tales vary in time and location. They are set around the Sothern marshlands near the Gulf of Mexico and the plains of Colorado. Their usual backdrops are the grim, gritty southern prisons, trailer parks, campsites, and saloons. A common theme is a person who must overcome obstacles threatening their peace of mind. These are stories of extreme violence, revenge and survival by an individual in despair who lives under a sense of threat from evil forces. These individuals consider themselves good people but are compelled to fight back in order to find peace. They feel that resorting to violence against evil is justified when they realize they have no other choice. The evil may represent corrupt law enforcement, government agencies, brutal correctional officers, neo-Nazis, a famous Western actor, and KKK history.
They struggle to make a moral decision between good and evil and must fight the evil facing them. I found the stories well-written, with descriptions that immerse one in unfamiliar, gloomy surroundings with an eerie sense of foreboding and dread. These are uncomfortable stories, but I strongly recommend Burke's novels to those who enjoy literary thrillers.
Harbour Lights will be published on January 23. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early ARC.

This is a DNF for me. I couldn't get into any of the stories. Writing was great but the characters were eh and the pacing was incredibly slow. My first foray into James Lee Burke, so maybe I'm just not his audience though I would be willing to try a full length novel of his.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

James Lee Burke is one of my favorite modern authors, he writes majestic books that span years and even generations, so I was highly interested when I had s chance to read and review one of his short story collections.

Harbor Lights is a masterpiece, with Burke's talent concentrated like lightning caught in a bottle, eight freestanding, short stories (each of which is an individual gem of heroism and highlights Burke's addictive storytelling ability).

Harbor Lights is a collection of stories that offer pretty dark and gloomy scenarios. The author refuses to serve us the anticipated tales of poetic justice. The protagonists of these stories, even when destined to suffer the injustice of the system, realise their own shortcomings and even empathise with the agents who try to defeat them. But each story, while set in a deeply dark and depressing environment, never denies its readers a glimpse of the harbor lights that are illuminated on a distant horizon.

This is my first James Lee Burke book. Harbor Lights is a story collection which move from the marshlands on the Gulf of Mexico to the sweeping plains of Colorado to prisons, saloons, and trailer parks across the South, weaving together stories of love, friendship, violence, survival, and revenge. It was not my favorite but I will be reading more of James Lee. Burke.