Who This Author Is

JAMES LEE BURKE has enough depth here to be more than a raw catalog rollup. This page pulls together 110 catalog-linked books across 1931 to 2023, which makes it easier to separate the strongest starting points from the noisier editions. The clearest lane here leans toward Classics & Literary Fiction.

Best for readers who want a dependable place to start before opening the full catalog list. If you want the easiest first click, start with Swan Peak and branch outward from there. UPB note: the strongest documented run here lands between 1931 to 2023; the most common copies on this page tend to come from Simon & Schuster and Pocket Books.

Best Place To Start

Swan Peak

Simon & Schuster • 2008 • longer commitment

It helps anchor a specific period of this author’s publishing run instead of blending into the undated shelf clutter.

Author At A Glance

Best known for: Classics & Literary Fiction entry points • common used copies from Simon & Schuster and Pocket Books

Genres and themes: Classics & Literary Fiction

Who this author is best for: readers who want a dependable place to start before opening the full catalog list

UPB note: the strongest documented run here lands between 1931 to 2023; the most common copies on this page tend to come from Simon & Schuster and Pocket Books.

Top Books To Start With

  1. Swan Peak

    Simon & Schuster • 2008 • longer commitment

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 2008 • 352 pages.

  2. Pegasus Descending: A Dave Robicheaux Novel (Dave Robicheaux Mysteries)

    Simon & Schuster • 2006 • longer commitment

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 2006 • 356 pages.

  3. In the Moon of Red Ponies: A Novel (Burke, James Lee)

    Simon & Schuster • 2004 • standard commitment

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 2004 • 322 pages.

  4. Last Car to Elysian Fields: A Novel

    Simon & Schuster • 2003 • standard commitment

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 2003 • 335 pages.

  5. Jolie Blon's Bounce: A Novel

    Simon & Schuster • 2002 • longer commitment

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 2002 • 349 pages.

  6. Cimarron Rose

    Pocket Books • 2014 • longer commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2014 • 416 pages.

  7. Black Cherry Blues

    Little Brown & Company • 2011 • standard commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2011 • 290 pages.

  8. The convict and other stories

    Pocket Books • 2009 • standard commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2009 • 228 pages.

  9. The Tin Roof Blowdown

    Pocket • 2008 • longer commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2008 • 352 pages.

  10. A Morning for Flamingoes

    Phoenix (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd ) • 2005 • longer commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2005 • 384 pages.

How The Picks Compare

More Books By JAMES LEE BURKE