Cimarron Rose (1997) Signed First Edition Reference

Cimarron Rose marked Burke’s second Edgar Award and the debut of Billy Bob Holland, a Texas Ranger turned lawyer whose family roots connect to the Holland dynasty introduced in Lay Down My Sword and Shield. Published in 1997, the novel takes Burke into Texas, where Holland defends his illegitimate son against a murder charge while confronting the violence embedded in his own bloodline.

The Holland Connection

The Billy Bob Holland novels eventually led to the Hackberry Holland series, creating a multi-generational family saga across Burke’s crime fiction. Cimarron Rose is the first chapter in this parallel narrative, and collectors who pursue the Holland line alongside the Robicheaux series find a richer, more complex portrait of Burke’s Southern world.

First Edition Identification

Publisher: Hyperion, New York Publication date: 1997 Format: Hardcover in dust jacket

The Edgar Award for Best Novel — Burke’s second — gave the book a significant publicity boost.

Signed Copy Market Values

• Signed first edition, fine/fine: $75–$200
• Unsigned first edition: $15–$35

The Edgar Award and the series-launcher status give Cimarron Rose a slight premium over contemporaneous Robicheaux titles. It occupies an interesting position in Burke collecting as the bridge between his two major series.