Another Kind Of Eden

I just finished reading Another Kind of Eden, James Lee Burke's latest novel. It is one of the few books by him I have read that were not Dave Robicheaux mystery novels, and I must say, it is a very dark story. I read a favorable review of it, and since it takes place during the 1960s in Trinidad, Colorado, which I recently passed through, I decided to give it a try. It features a young aspiring novelist by the name of Aaron Holland Broussard, who gets a job as a ranch hand near Trinidad. The area is plagued by grotesque murders, a vicious wealthy businessman and his son, a corrupt professor, and a drug-addled cult. The end of the story is exciting, but surprisingly supernatural. As in other books, Burke is trying to depict the struggle between good and evil, and the story actually ends on a positive note. Perhaps the lesson that good will triumph over evil makes it worth reading this novel. However, I am glad I did not stay overnight in Trinidad last month. I think from now on, I will stick to Burke's Dave Robicheaux stories.