Lay Down My Sword And Shield by James Lee Burke

Hackberry Holland had his entire life set out as soon as he was born.  Youngest son of a state Senator and esteemed lawyer, Holland was to follow in his footsteps, be a partner in the family law firm along with his brother and when the time is right, run for the Senate himself.  He lives on the family ranch, a pristine estate with rolling lawns and a gorgeous mansion.  He is married to the prestigious and elegant Verisa, the epitome of a prized Southern belle. 

But somewhere along the way, Hackberry realized he didn't want any of it.  He served as a corpsman in the Korean War and was captured and imprisoned as a POW for three years.  That experience and the torture and inhumanity he experienced there changed him forever and made the riches and prestige seem like nothing more than a thin paper veneer.  He spends his time drinking, cruising in his Cadillac, spending time with other women and looking for something that seems to make a damn.

Holland gets a call from one of his old war buddies who has been imprisoned.  Ramos has been imprisoned due to his activities attempting to organize the migrant workers who harvest all the Texas crops.  When Ramos is railroaded and sent for five years to the worst penitentiary in the state, Holland finds his new mission.  Working with the migrants, he falls in love with Rie, who has come from the North to help with their fight.  Now he has a mission and a fight he can believe in.  But can Hackberry escape his past and its obligations?

James Lee Burke is a legend in the mystery genre.  He has won two Edgar Awards and was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America.  This is an early work of Burke's and he goes on later to write other novels about Hackberry.  It may be difficult for readers to get past the initial impression of Hackberry, when he is flailing about in a drunken state, hurting those around him as he tries desperately to find something he can believe in and build his life around.  Yet ultimately, Holland's determination to help those who society has ignored makes him an admirable figure.  This book is recommended for mystery readers.