I'm a long-time fan of James Lee Burke, especially his one-off novels and Dave Robicheaux series. On occasion, however, I enjoy plucking up something different, often out of order, to refresh my acquaintance.

Another Kind of Eden draws upon the Holland family saga, which has a historical foundation inspired by his family history. This one features Aaron Holland Broussard's story about an itinerant farm worker, former professor, and unpublished author. Readers pick up on the story shortly after Aaron picks up work on a Colorado farm and falls for a young brooding artist with ties to an odd hippie commune.

With the backdrop of dark and violent farm families, secretive farmhands, mysterious Comanches, and an untrustworthy protagonist (because he has blackouts and cannot tell the difference between dreams and reality), Burke keeps readers guessing which one (or ones) might be the serial killer preying on local women. Even the local detective, dying of cancer, seems impossibly lost in looking for an out-of-town ally.

Although short for a Burke novel, the author works overtime twisting what begins as a historical crime novel into a horrifically nightmarish dreamland where reality and illusion and allegory are all the same. By the end of it, it is equal parts menacing and chaos — a journey that dispels the allure of the American west and the free-love promise of the sixties.

While the writing is as addictive as any, Another Kind of Eden feels a little soulless in how crass and uncaring so many characters become by the end. Nobody seems to care about anyone, even themselves, as they slip into an unexpected supernatural world with monsters and monikers. Or maybe, one might wonder, into the madness of Aaron's mind, as Burke alluded to early in the novel.

If you're looking for something different, dive right in. Just don't make this your introduction to Burke, imo.