James Lee Burke

Author
Lamar High School

American author best known for his mysteries, particularly the Dave Robicheaux series

Biography

James Lee Burke (born December 5, 1936) is an American author best known for his mysteries, particularly the Dave Robicheaux series. He has twice received the Edgar Award for Best Novel, for Black Cherry Blues in 1990 and Cimarron Rose in 1998.

Burke was born in Houston, Texas, but grew up on the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast. He attended Southwestern Louisiana Institute and the University of Missouri, receiving a BA and MA from the latter. He has worked at a wide variety of jobs over the years, including working in the oil industry, as a reporter, and as a social worker. Shortly before his move to Montana, he taught for several years in the Creative Writing program at Wichita State University in the 1980s.

Burke and his wife, Pearl, split their time between Missoula, Montana and New Iberia, Louisiana.

His daughter, Alafair Burke, is also a mystery novelist.