Flags on the Bayou

by James Lee Burke

Flags on the Bayou by James Lee Burke is a historical novel set in Louisiana during the American Civil War. A lot of crimes take place and the narrative is fast-moving, though there is no mystery as such. It’s more about an eclectic crew of characters and how they cope on the run from justice. In the acknowledgments at the back of the book James Lee Burke—author of the Dave Robicheaux series, about a Louisana deputy sheriff—writes, “I consider Flags on the Bayou my best work.” The judges of the Edgar Awards clearly liked it too, awarding it best novel.