In 1942, Aaron Broussard and his father, James, are fishing in the Gulf of Mexico when four bodies are found bobbing in the water. Both are disturbed by the discovery. James alerts authorities to the corpses but chooses to retain his anonymity. As they return to town, they are harassed by a couple of government agents looking to intimidate James into providing information. The creeping feeling of paranoia is distinct in “Harbor Lights,” the initial offering in the story compilation bearing the same name.

In “Going Across Jordan,” Buddy and R.B. are a pair of itinerants who have found their way out west. Both men are escaping their past, as their previous years have left nothing but trouble in their wake. They begin work on a ranch in Wyoming belonging to a Hollywood star, and they soon find out that the persona of an actor is often as genuine as the roles they play on screen. The bonds of friendship and the intolerance for ideological differences form a crucial part of this fantastic tale.

"Burke’s skill is in eliciting sympathy for his characters as they traverse through their individual trials. Readers will find themselves alongside these people hoping for the best and preparing for the worst."

Arlen only wants to strum his guitar and master the chords of the great blues artists while serving hard time in “Big Midnight Special.” His nose gets out of joint when he learns that the prison shot caller, Jody, wants him to participate in a boxing match against his friend, Wiley. Arlen despises Jody and says he will not get involved. The world around Arlen begins to crumble as Jody retaliates step by painful step.

The remaining entries are distinct and memorable. Aaron Broussard is featured in a few tales, each story more poignant than the last. The final piece in the collection, “Strange Cargo,” finds an aged Aaron living in the bayous of Louisiana surrounded by familial ghosts and the restless ghosts of history. He has utilized his large home to construct an unauthorized animal sanctuary/zoo that has led to scrutiny by a sheriff from a bygone era. Aaron’s problems are compounded when the apparition of a nude and beaten African American man begins to appear. The events of the present force Aaron to reckon with the past (both recent and historical) in this emotional yarn.

HARBOR LIGHTS is an anthology of outstanding stories from the pen of legendary author James Lee Burke. The wounds that linger in the men who populate these tales are both physical and psychological, from wars both foreign and domestic. Each narrative brings with it a protagonist weighed down by the burdens of life, death and often survivor’s guilt. Men like James and Aaron Broussard are haunted by the roads they took in life, but still redemption seems possible. Burke’s skill is in eliciting sympathy for his characters as they traverse through their individual trials. Readers will find themselves alongside these people hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.

Burke’s bibliography (specifically his Dave Robicheaux series) has cemented him as one of the premier mystery writers over the last 30 years, but the selections offered in this book illuminate a writer of even greater scope.