Authors · NYT Hardcover Fiction

James Lee Burke

Charting Aug 21, 1994 → Jun 30, 2024 · 75 weeks with chart power

Peak Power: 2.96%; week of Sep 2, 2007
Career Power: 336; share-weeks
Weeks at #1: 0; weeks as the top author

Peak Year: 46; August 2007 – July 2008
Peak Five Years: 114; September 2005 – August 2010
Top-five weeks: 12; weeks ranked 1–5
Longevity: 75; weeks with chart power
Dominance: 11.01%; week of Oct 16, 2011
Comebacks: 5; August 2000, November 2003, August 2006, January 2018, August 2020

Comebacks (thresholds from `config/scoring.json`)
Kind	Trough began	Returned	Trough weeks	Longest absence	Prior peak	Return share
After absence	Dec 8, 1996	Aug 27, 2000	194	108	1.20%	1.33%
After decline	Aug 4, 2002	Nov 2, 2003	64	61	2.70%	1.13%
After decline	Dec 7, 2003	Aug 6, 2006	138	85	2.70%	1.05%
After absence	Oct 6, 2013	Jan 28, 2018	223	107	2.96%	1.16%
After decline	Apr 21, 2019	Aug 30, 2020	69	69	2.96%	1.20%

Ranked by weekly Power Share, part of the ChartReign Power model — not the list's own positions (config version 4, Sep 22, 2026). How it works →

Exponentially smoothed share of the week's total power (the primary metric).

Titles on the NYT Hardcover Fiction

24 books · 336 share-weeks of Career Power

Power contributed is what each book earned this author: their weekly Power Share, split across their books (a featured credit takes its reduced share). Book Power is the book's own figure, the same for every author on it. Bar length compares books within this list.

Title	Peak	Weeks	On chart	Power contributedPower	Book Power
The Tin Roof Blowdown	#4August 2007	6	August 2007 – September 2007	37.9	37.8
Purple Cane Road	#6August 2000	6	August 2000 – September 2000	33.5	33.5
Pegasus Descending	#4August 2006	5	August 2006 – September 2006	24.3	24.3
The New Iberia Blues	#4January 2019	4	January 2019 – February 2019	22.9	22.9
The Glass Rainbow	#6August 2010	5	August 2010 – August 2010	22.0	22.0
Swan Peak	#5July 2008	3	July 2008 – August 2008	16.3	16.3
Creole Belle	#5August 2012	3	August 2012 – August 2012	16.3	16.3
Feast Day of Fools	#3October 2011	2	October 2011 – October 2011	15.2	15.2
Light of the World	#5August 2013	3	August 2013 – September 2013	14.6	14.6
Cadillac Jukebox	#13September 1996	6	August 1996 – September 1996	14.2	13.8
Rain Gods	#6August 2009	3	August 2009 – August 2009	13.5	13.5
Robicheaux	#6January 2018	3	January 2018 – February 2018	13.5	13.5
Last Car to Elysian Fields	#11November 2003	4	October 2003 – November 2003	12.0	12.0
Dixie City Jam	#11August 1994	4	August 1994 – September 1994	11.2	11.2
A Private Cathedral	#3August 2020	1	August 2020	11.0	11.0
Jolie Blon's Bounce	#10June 2002	3	June 2002 – July 2002	10.5	10.5
Bitterroot	#7July 2001	2	July 2001 – July 2001	10.0	10.0
Wayfaring Stranger	#9August 2014	2	August 2014 – August 2014	7.2	7.2
Cimarron Rose	#13September 1997	3	August 1997 – September 1997	7.0	7.0
Crusader's Cross	#10July 2005	2	July 2005 – August 2005	7.0	6.9
Sunset Limited	#9June 1998	2	June 1998 – July 1998	6.6	6.6
The Jealous Kind	#8September 2016	1	September 2016	5.5	5.5
Clete	#15June 2024	1	June 2024	2.1	2.1
Burning Angel	#15August 1995	1	August 1995	2.1	2.1