Rain Gods: A Novel

In Rain Gods, James Lee Burke returns with a powerful crime thriller set along the Texas-Mexico border. Sheriff Hackberry Holland hoped his new post in a small border town would offer distance from his troubled past, but the discovery of nine murdered migrants buried behind a church pulls him into a brutal and far-reaching conspiracy. As Holland and Deputy Pam Tibbs investigate, the case quickly spirals into a web of crime bosses, hired killers, and hidden motives.

Meanwhile, a traumatized Iraq War veteran, Pete Flores, and his girlfriend, Vikki Gaddis, are on the run, unsure who they can trust or who wants them dead. With federal agents, ruthless criminals, and a calculating killer-for-hire closing in, Holland must navigate violence, corruption, and moral ambiguity to uncover the truth. Dark, atmospheric, and morally complex, Rain Gods showcases Burke’s masterful storytelling and his deep exploration of justice, guilt, and the human soul.

Paperback, Very Good