James Lee Burke.  No discussion of descriptive writing should ever take place without mentioning his name. Kudos to author/friend Eric Poor for introducing me to this fine writer.  The phrase you hear all too often (as mentioned in previous posts) when it comes to writing is to "show" and not "tell."  Well..James Lee Burke tells all, but does it so well that he leaves you begging for more.  In his Dave Robicheaux series, the writing is  ripe with mind-numbing similes and metaphors that go layers deep.  And that's only part of the story.   

A couple of things about his books. 

First of all, you won't race through them.  His writing style is too captivating.  You'll see, hear, smell, and feel the world around his characters.  It's a sensory experience that puts you in the middle of the story and stops you in your tracks.  Don't be surprised if you find yourself rereading whole paragraphs or asking yourself, "how did he come up with that?"  

Secondly, no matter how good a sleuth you are, you'll have to wait until the end to find out "who done it."   His plots twist and turn.  They're loaded with unforgettable characters, locations, and pieces of history, rooted in the landscape of southern Louisiana.     

Looking for a good read?  One  that will grab you from front cover to back?  Look no further than James Lee Burke.  Pick one, any one.  I dare you to stop there.