Rating: 
Summary: Dark and Memorable!
Review: I've read most of Dennis Lehane's books and find Mystic River to be the very best. Well-written and engrossing real-life characters make this a fast page turner. Although moody and dark, it has a feel of hopefulness. And who could write a more accurate portrait of the blue collar worker and his neighborhood? Yes, happiness comes in moments (when reading a Lehane novel), but sadness settles in...(when you have to wait for the next Lehane entry!)
Rating: 
Summary: Fast Paced, Full Developed Characters
Review: I was reluctant to read this book because I knew that Patrick and Angie were not part of the story and I felt I would be disappointed. I was wrong. This is a story that stands well on its own and caused me to realize that the one constant character that makes Lehane's books work so well is the city of Boston and the surrounding neighborhoods. He brings out all the quirks of the inhabitants and back streets of Boston in a masterful way.
This is a story of boyhood friends, whose friendship is broken apart by a tragedy. Another tragedy reunites them in adulthood, before tearing them apart, never to be untied as friends again.
Family, friendship, regret and guilt bounce off of each page of this fast paced novel. I feel that if I met one of Lehane's characters on the street, I would recognize them immediately. He has a great gift for story telling and I recommend this, as well as all of his other books.
Rating: 
Summary: Does this clown even know where the Mystic is!?
Review: The Mystic and Southie and Dorchester? That's like basing the MOB is Wellesley! For those that care, the Mystic borders Arlington, Medford, Somerville, Everett and Charlestown, all north of Boston(any part). Give this guy geography lessons then go get a good Ludlum book?!
Rating:
Summary: Realistic "Whodunit"
Review: This is the first book I've read by Dennis Lehane and given my research into reviews of his other books, I feel certain it won't be my last. MYSTIC RIVER was recommended to me by a bookseller as a 'real life mystery.' An accurate description indeed.Without having the benefit of perusing his other offerings, its difficult for me to know whether his story cadence and sentence structure is the same from book-to-book. Regardless, his style may take some readers by surprise. He has a tendency to utilize fragmented sentences in a noir style to accentuate a scene or description of a character. Slang and geographic innuendo is also used quite well in this book. In MYSTIC RIVER, Lehane sets the stage for the main characters and allows the reader to 'grow up' with them into adulthood. This lays the foundation for the main theme and the ultimate backdrop of intense intrigue. Lehane does an outstanding job of keeping the clues close to the vest throughout the story so as not to give away the answer to our mystery. Further, he will lead the reader down a path of ostensible righteousness only to foil the answer with the next chapter. This methodology keeps the reader turning pages; something any good author should strive for. The setting for the story is working-class Boston. To give proper affect to the geography, the aforementioned speech patterns can only be described as ethnic slang (Irish/Italian perhaps). The story begins by introducing three childhood friends, Sean Devine, Jimmy Marcus, and Dave Boyle. (Lehane describes the socioeconomic situations relative to each character in great detail, which plays a role in our mystery.) The three are "fighting" (as kids do) in the street when a strange car rolls up and two men, claiming to be cops, take Dave into "custody." After the car drives off, Sean and Jimmy are totally freaked out and become worried about what might happen to Dave. Four days later, Dave reappears after having escaped from the "cops." Well, as one might imagine, these weren't cops. Dave is now emotionally scarred and grows up with external and internal battles associated with his four-day absence. Twenty-five years pass and Lehane presents Sean as a state homicide detective, Jimmy as an ex-con turned heart-of-gold businessman, and Dave as a transient worker but with a loving wife and son. The story takes on weight when Katie, Jimmy's oldest daughter, is found brutally murdered and Sean, who has been estranged from Jimmy for literally twenty years, is assigned the task of finding Katie's killer. This provides the impetus of drawing the three former friends back together. Sean's investigation provides the fodder for conflict with Jimmy and ultimately, Dave. Jimmy, an ex-gangster in his own right, has his own idea of how justice should be doled out and Dave must explain to his wife (who happens to be the cousin of Jimmy's wife) why he came home the night of the murder covered in blood. Lehane has an excellent knack for stretching the story just enough to make it a bit nerve-wracking. An outstanding quality to be sure for a mystery writer. The amazing conundrum for me was as I felt I was being stretched out in certain spots, the pages were flying by. I won't go into the climax except to say that this is perhaps the only weak part of the book. Not weak from the standpoint of easy clues and obvious killer(s) but weak from a credibility point-of-view (i.e. is this really possible?). This fact is the only reason this book did not receive 5 stars. Definitely worth the read.
Rating:
Summary: Lehane's Best Work Yet
Review: Having lived in Dorchester and being a huge fan of the earlier Lehane novels with Patrick K. & Angie G. (and Bubba), I wasn't sure if I was going to get into this one. After the first 5 pages, I was saying Patrick & Angie who? Sure, Lehane takes liberties with some of the locations, but who cares! I don't want to talk about the story and give anything away, so I will simply say -- this is an excellent read! As much as Mr. Lehane's books would conceptually make good movies, I sincerely hope he refrains from selling any of his work for screenplays. No one can seem to get the accent down right (listen to the father in "Crossing Jordan" - so bad it's distracting)!
Rating: 
Summary: underwhelmed
Review: My first read by this author. Heard him interviewed on Fresh Air and ran out to get it. Maybe I expected more based on the interview, maybe not. But I found it not that engrossing of a story, but nice sentences scattered throughout the book. The story barely held my interest.
Rating:
Summary: Another Great Lehane Book
Review: After reading Lehane's other books in his "series", I wasn't sure if the subject matter of this one would hold my interest as a woman. But of course, excellent writer that he is, I should never have given it a second thought. This time he tells a fascinating story with enough twists and turns to keep the most experienced arm-chair detective interested. As a woman, I enjoy reading the psychological 'whys' from a male author's point of view. Lehane is particularly good at exposing the nerve endings of his characters. He's one of the best out there right now in this genre.
Rating:
Summary: Lehane's Masterpiece
Review: I am an avid mystery reader but this is the first review I have posted, which speaks to the power of this book. I'm a big fan of Pelecanos, Connelly and Lehane and this is the best book I have read from any of the three. Haven't been this impressed since I read American Tabloid.
Rating:
Summary: still a whodunnit
Review: Mystic River by novelist Dennis Lehane was recommended to me as a crime novel with a bit more than your average thriller diller: some philosphical speculation, some intellectual asides. In general, MR gets a notch or two above the average "Spenser for Hire" novel, but all in all it's still a hard-boiled whodunnit. There's some thinking going on about the state of the world, almost a lamentation for the good old days and simpler ways, but I can't say I was totally impressed with the cranial chit-chat. Especially when the lead characters--tough SOB's from what amounts to Boston's Warzone--begin using high-falutin' words and sophsticated language more appropriate for a graduate survey class in literature. Still, Lehane has a way with presenting suspenseful situations and has the occasional great turn of phrase ("It was like the waiting room to a riot."). It's a page-turner, sure; it just isn't in any danger of knocking "Grapes of Wrath" off its pedestal.
Rating:
Summary: Dark, brooding psychological thriller
Review: This is my fourth Dennis Lehane and it is quite different from Lehane's Kenzie/Gennaro P.I. series. After thinking about it, it was like peeling an onion--the more you read, the deeper you still had to go. The setting is still Lehane's Boston but this time in lower class neighborhood of the Flats and slightly better neighborhood of the Point. The story revolves around childhood friends Jimmy, Sean and Dave--from different neighborhoods but friends because of their dads. Life changes dramatically when child molesters posing as police take Dave away. Although Dave escapes after 4 days, things are never the same. Twenty five years later the three are reunited when Jimmy's 19 year old daughter, Kate, is found brutually murdered. Sean is the investigating state trooper and Dave is involved as a distant relative of the victim and possible witness/suspect. This is one of the best and most complex psychological thrillers I have ever read. At the beginning, Lehane teases you by seeming to reveal the murderer upfront but don't be fooled--nothing is easy and straighforward in this novel. Kate's murder is only one of many engrossing plots that involve the three men, their families, neighbors and lives. One recurrent theme is that the past comes back to haunt each of the three--relating to whether they did or didn't get into the car and what happened to them since that time. Revenge, loss, sorrow and demons are all key parts of this intricate plot. You won't see the ending coming until you get there and be warned that this is definitely noir and hard boiled. If you are like me, you will really enjoy the plotting and characterization and will think about this book for a while.
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