Who is Dave Robicheaux from Heaven's Prisoners and what is their importance?

Dave Robicheaux is the dominant character in the novel by any standard. He is the protagonist, the narrator, and is present in every scene. Much of the novel is given over to his personal introspection, personal history, and emotional consideration of events. He describes himself as middle-aged, physically fit, strong and fast, an accurate natural shot, and a recovering alcoholic. He has black hair with a whitish streak on one side—explaining why Robin Gaddis refers to him often as Streak. Dave is a man of action and finds paperwork and routine boring and irritating. His Catholic upbringing finds him often in church and he is devoted to and taken in by the bayou and the culture surrounding New Iberia. Dave has a complex history and is a subtle and interesting blend of devoted friend and husband, and vicious predator of evil-doers.