Dave Robicheaux
Encyclopedia
Dave Robicheaux is a fictional character
in a series of mystery novels by American
crime writer James Lee Burke
.
as sheriff's deputy. He is a recovering alcoholic whose demons stem from his service in the Vietnam War
and his impoverished difficult childhood in rural Louisiana; his mother abandoned the family (and was later murdered) and his father died in an oil rig explosion.
He still experiences periods of savage depression and nightmares, which are only exacerbated by the murder of his wife Anne Ballard, a social work
er. Recently, he has married the mobster's widow
Bootsie, a lupus
sufferer, and adopted the El Salvador
ian orphan
Alafair (the namesake of Burke's own daughter
), after he saves her from the wreckage of an airplane.
His best friend is the violent, alcoholic ex-police officer and private investigator / bail-bondsman Cletus Purcel.
in Heaven's Prisoners
and by Tommy Lee Jones
in In the Electric Mist
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in a series of mystery novels by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
crime writer James Lee Burke
James Lee Burke
James Lee Burke is an American author of mysteries, best known for his Dave Robicheaux series. He has won an Edgar Award for Black Cherry Blues and Cimarron Rose . The Robicheaux character has been portrayed twice on screen, first by Alec Baldwin and then Tommy Lee Jones...
.
About Robicheaux
Once an officer for the New Orleans police department, Robicheaux constantly breaches the ethical code over the course of just about every case he works on - seemingly without consequence - and currently pursues cases in New Iberia, LouisianaNew Iberia, Louisiana
New Iberia is a city in and the parish seat of Iberia Parish, Louisiana, United States, 30 miles southeast of Lafayette. In 1900, 6,815 people lived in New Iberia; in 1910, 7,499; and in 1940, 13,747...
as sheriff's deputy. He is a recovering alcoholic whose demons stem from his service in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and his impoverished difficult childhood in rural Louisiana; his mother abandoned the family (and was later murdered) and his father died in an oil rig explosion.
He still experiences periods of savage depression and nightmares, which are only exacerbated by the murder of his wife Anne Ballard, a social work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
er. Recently, he has married the mobster's widow
Widow
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
Bootsie, a lupus
Lupus vulgaris
Lupus vulgaris are painful cutaneous tuberculosis skin lesions with nodular appearance, most often on the face around nose, eyelids, lips, cheeks and ears. The lesions may ultimately develop into disfiguring skin ulcers if left untreated...
sufferer, and adopted the El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
ian orphan
Orphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
Alafair (the namesake of Burke's own daughter
Alafair Burke
Alafair S. Burke is an American author, professor of law, and legal commentator. She is the author of two series of crime novels, one featuring NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher, the other featuring Portland prosecutor Samantha Kincaid...
), after he saves her from the wreckage of an airplane.
His best friend is the violent, alcoholic ex-police officer and private investigator / bail-bondsman Cletus Purcel.
Appearances in movies
Robicheaux is played by Alec BaldwinAlec Baldwin
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
in Heaven's Prisoners
Heaven's Prisoners
Heaven's Prisoners is a 1996 feature film drama starring Alec Baldwin, Kelly Lynch, Mary Stuart Masterson, Teri Hatcher and Eric Roberts. It is based on a Dave Robicheaux novel of the same name by James Lee Burke. The film was directed by Phil Joanou...
and by Tommy Lee Jones
Tommy Lee Jones
Tommy Lee Jones is an American actor and film director. He has received three Academy Award nominations, winning one as Best Supporting Actor for the 1993 thriller film The Fugitive....
in In the Electric Mist
In the Electric Mist
In the Electric Mist is a 2009 Franco-American drama/mystical film based on the novel In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead by James Lee Burke...
.