Prayers for Rain

Rating:
Summary: a book for the most discriminating mystery reader...
Review: 'Prayers for Rain' is my first Dennis Lehane book. I now think I'll read the rest. Why? Unlike many of the popular crime/mystery writers of today Lehane can *really write* as opposed to just tell a good story. 'Prayers for Rain' should be considered literature by any standard.

In this book we have a couple of private investigators following upon the odd suicide of a young woman. The more they dig into it the more strange things become. Before long it all becomes a bit unbelievable yet the author is so deft at spinning this story that each little twist comes as an exciting surprise (as opposed to a groan of disbelief). I should also add that much of the story is very violent, with some very cruel/sadistic moments.

But back to Lehane's writing ability. The prose is uniformly excellent, and the characters are very well-developed. Compared to the likes of Robert Crais and George Pelecanos, two authors I admire, Lehane is clearly the superior writer. It was a complete pleasure reading 'Prayers for Rain'.

Bottom line: slightly over-cooked story aside, 'Prayers for Rain' and Dennis Lehane are definite winners. Strongly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Gripping Psychological Thriller; Unforgettable Characters
Review: I was really wowed by this novel, the first I have read by Dennis Lehane. I really enjoyed the characters as well--Boston P.I. Patrick McKenzie, his trenchcoat wearing boyhood friend and gun runner Bubba Rogowski and his former partner Angie Gennaro, who grandfather is with the italian mob.

McKenzie is hired by Karen Nichols to stop a stalker. McKenzie and Bubba deliver a not so subtle threat/beating and all seems well. Mc Kenzie does not have time to return a second call from Nichols and the next time he hears about her is about her suicide on the news. Feeling guilty that he should have responded earlier, McKenzie starts investigating a bizzare case of psychological warfare, blackmail and murder that is fascinating and chilling all at once. There are lots of bad guys, including Nichols heartless parents and step brother. All is not what it seems in this broad conspiracy of evil. When the identity of the villain is revealed, the warfare becomes very personal, with the fight to the death.

Compelling,scary, and hard-to-put down, Prayers for Rain is not to be missed!!!!

Rating:
Summary: One-night read
Review: Mr. lehane delivers fast-paced, intricately plotted thrills once again with Prayers for Rain. As with his previous Kenzie-Gennarro novels, the reader is drawn into the story instantly...the apparent suicide of Emily Post-like Karen Nichols just doesn't make any sense. Patrick vows to find out what or who made her do this, even though he has been warned to leave well-enough alone. This book will make you almost stand up and cheer on Kenzie, Angela and their lunatic, yet lovable friend Bubba Rogowski as they journey closer and closer to the truth and the root of the evil. My only hope is that Mr. Lehane does not tire of continuing this fantastic series, much like some writers have in the past(ie, Patricia Cornwell). And my only regret is that I finished the book in one day, now i have to wait another year for the next chapter.

Rating:
Summary: Dark and all to Real
Review: Things haven't been going well for Patrick Kenzie, so when Karen Nichols hires him to get a stalker off her back, he doesn't give it his best effort. Then when Karen commits suicide he's consumed by guilt. With Angie and Bubba with him on the case, Patrick learns that there was more than a stalker in Karen's life and now all three of them are in danger.

This book is best read after the others in the series, but it is a stand alone novel. And like his other books, Lehane takes us on a ride to the dark side of human behavior, but he's such an excellent story teller that we're there before we know it happened. There is a lot violence here and it seems all too real, so real it's scary. Lehane paints his people with the brush of truth, his descriptions with the brush of fact. A five star book if ever there was one.

Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne

Rating:
Summary: A Tremendously Fun Read!
Review: This is my first Dennis Lehane book but it won't be my last. As a lover of crime fiction, especially Michale Connelly and James Lee Burke, I simply devoured Prayers for Rain. The dialogue is so snappy, and often so humorous, you don't realize an entire chapter has passed. It took me no time at all to get a sense of Kenzie, Bubba and Ange. These are characters you quickly get to know and care about. Kenzie has a love for the Marx Brothers, and I imagine that comes from Dennis Lehane himself, as the banter between the principals can be very funny. Despite the breezy and punchy style, there's enough darkness to satisfy the hard-boiled. And there is some effective writing here. There were several passages I made note of so that I could relay them to friends, the description and dialogue was that good. If you're going to the beach this summer, or even spending a weekend on the couch, you'll eagerly consume the zero-calorie treat that is this book.

Rating:
Summary: Twisted and Compelling
Review: This was my first venture w/this series by the author and I might have benefitted from reading the four previous novels involving Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro as some of the interplay between them alluded to previous matters. My first Lehane experience was Mystic River which, in my opinion, is a stand alone classic. This is a different breed of cat, but an interesting one, nonetheless.

Kenzie has helped a young woman who claimed that a man from her gym was stalking her and that he had in fact trashed her car. This matter is easily set right by Kenzie and his side-kick and protector, Bubba Rogowski. A few months later the young lady jumps naked from the 24th story of the Custom House Tower in Boston. Kenzie feels some moral responsibility to look in to the matter as he had neglected to return a call from the woman before heading of to Bermuda with a tempoary romantic interest and when he got back he had forgotten to call.

His looking into the matter sets him on a chilling course of events which are better read than described here. Kenzie/Gennaro/Rodowski make a formidable and somewhat entertaining team, although some of the diologue and situations strain credulity a bit. All in all, a read that you will enjoy and be reluctant to put down until the rather twisted ending is revealed.