James Lee Burke
James Lee Burke was born on December 5th, 1936 and is currently 89 years old. James Lee Burke was born in Houston, Texas, USA. Burke attended University of Louisiana at Lafayette where he received a B.A. English Literature and University of Missouri where he received an M.A. English Literature.
James Lee Burke is known for writing in the Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, and Crime Fiction genres.
James Lee Burke is the author of the Dave Robicheaux series which currently consists of 25 novels. The Dave Robicheaux series started in 1987 with the novel The Neon Rain. The most recently released novel in the Dave Robicheaux series was The Hadacol Boogie which was released in 2026. There are no upcoming novels for the Dave Robicheaux series.
James Lee Burke has also written the Holland Family Universe series which has 14 books including Lay Down My Sword and Shield and Two for Texas.
The Real Book Spy named
Robicheaux one of the
Best Crime/Mystery Thrillers of 2018.
James Lee Burke: Awards & Accolades
James Lee Burke has won multiple awards including: The Edgar Award, Grand Master, in 2009 and the Crime Writer's Association Award, Diamond Dagger Award, in 2024.
Many of James Lee Burke's books have won awards, including:
- Black Cherry Blues won the Edgar Award, Best Mystery Novel, in 1990.
- Dixie City Jam won the Hammett Prize, Best Crime Novel, in 1994.
- Sunset Limited won the Crime Writer's Association Award, Gold Dagger Award, in 1998.
- Cimarron Rose won the Edgar Award, Best Mystery Novel, in 1998.
- Last Car to Elysian Fields won the Audie Award, Best Male Narrator, in 2004.
- The Tin Roof Blowdown won the Gumshoe Award, Best Mystery Novel, in 2008.
- Books to Die For won the Agatha Award, Best Non-fiction, in 2012 as well as the Anthony Award - Best Non-Fiction Book in 2013, Macavity Award - Best Mystery Critical/Biographical in 2013.
- Light of the World won the Spur Awards, Best Contemporary Western Novel, in 2014.
- Flags on the Bayou won the Edgar Award, Best Mystery Novel, in 2024.
The following novels by James Lee Burke were also nominated for these awards:
- Black Cherry Blues: Macavity Award, Best Mystery Novel (1990).
- Cadillac Jukebox: Crime Writer's Association Award, Gold Dagger Award (1996).
- Cimarron Rose: Hammett Prize, Best Crime Novel (1997). Barry Award, Best Novel (1998).
- Sunset Limited: Dilys Award, Best Mystery Novel (1999).
- Heartwood: Hammett Prize, Best Crime Novel (1999).
- Purple Cane Road: Los Angeles Times Book Prize, Best Mystery/Thriller (2000). Crime Writer's Association Award, Gold Dagger Award (2000).
- Jolie Blon's Bounce: Crime Writer's Association Award, Gold Dagger Award (2002). Hammett Prize, Best Crime Novel (2002). Macavity Award, Best Mystery Novel (2003). Edgar Award, Best Mystery Novel (2003).
- Pegasus Descending: Crime Writer's Association Award, Gold Dagger Award (2007).
- The Tin Roof Blowdown: Anthony Award, Best Mystery Novel (2008). British Book Awards, Crime and Thriller Book of the Year (2008). Crime Writer's Association Award, Gold Dagger Award (2008).
- Rain Gods: Crime Writer's Association Award, Gold Dagger Award (2010).
- The Glass Rainbow: Macavity Award, Best Mystery Novel (2011).
- Feast Day of Fools: Hammett Prize, Best Crime Novel (2011). Spur Awards, Best Western Long Novel (2012).
- Books to Die For: Edgar Award, Best Critical/Biographical Work (2013). Edgar Award, Best Critical/Biographical Work (2013). CrimeFest, H.R.F. Keating Award (2013).
- Wayfaring Stranger: Goodreads Awards, Best Historical Fiction (2014). Hammett Prize, Best Crime Novel (2014). RUSA Awards, Historical Fiction Award (2015).
- A Private Cathedral: CrimeFest, eDunnit Award (2021).
James Lee Burke: Lists & Other Mentions
- Cadillac Jukebox was a Telerama: The 100 Best Thrillers Selection in 2024.
Related Authors
Fans of James Lee Burke also enjoy these authors:
- Attica Locke, author of the Highway 59 Series.
- Karin Slaughter, author of the Will Trent Series.
- Jonathan Kellerman, author of the Alex Delaware Series.
- J.A. Jance, author of the Joanna Brady Series.
- Adrian McKinty, author of the Detective Sean Duffy Series.
- Andrew Gross, author of the Ty Hauck Series.
- Peter Lovesey, author of the Peter Diamond Series.
- Ed McBain, author of the 87th Precinct Series.
- Jo Nesbø, author of the Harry Hole Series .
- Jane Harper, author of the Aaron Falk Series.
James Lee Burke: F.A.Q
When was James Lee Burke Born? How old is James Lee Burke?
James Lee Burke was born on December 5th, 1936. James Lee Burke is currently 89 years old.
Where was James Lee Burke Born?
James Lee Burke was born in Houston, Texas, USA and is American.
What awards has James Lee Burke won?
James Lee Burke has won the following awards: Grand Master at the Edgar Award (2009) and the Diamond Dagger Award at the Crime Writer's Association Award (2024).
What book awards has James Lee Burke won?
What was the first book James Lee Burke wrote?
The first book written by James Lee Burke was Half of Paradise, published in 1965.
What was the most recent book James Lee Burke wrote?
His most recently released work was The Hadacol Boogie on February 10th, 2026.
What is the most popular book by James Lee Burke?
Based on the number of readers on Book Notification, the most popular James Lee Burke book is
The Neon Rain. Here are his most popular books:
- The Neon Rain (7.65)
- Heaven's Prisoners (8.04)
- Black Cherry Blues (8.07)
- A Stained White Radiance (8.1)
- A Morning for Flamingos (8.59)
What genres does James Lee Burke Write?
James Lee Burke primarily writes in the Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, and Thriller genres. His work includes sub-genres such as Crime Thriller, Police Procedural Crime Fiction, and Detective Mystery.
Are there upcoming new books by James Lee Burke?
James Lee Burke does not have any upcoming books with a set publication date within the next few months at this time.
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How many books has James Lee Burke written?
James Lee Burke has written 48 books excluding contributions to anthologies. 25 books in the Dave Robicheaux Series, 14 books in the Holland Family Universe Series, 7 books in the Hackberry Holland Series, 4 books in the Billy Bob Holland Series, 2 books in the Weldon Holland Series, 6 Standalone Novels, 1 Short Story/Novella, 3 Short Story Collections.