Rating: 
Summary: River of Pleasure
Review: This was my introduction to Denis Lehane and all I can say is WOW!!!!! He's now in my Pantheon of contemporary mystery writers along with Michael Connelly, Ridely Pearson and a few others. I love his writing style -- arresting visual phrases -- as though he is a literary cinematographer, photographing scenes with words from unique angles and perspectives. His plot and characters have great depth and inter-connections. After I read it I raced out and purchased everything he has written and have just finished "Darkness, Take My Hand."
Rating: 
Summary: More of the Lower Depths
Review: Dennis Lehane's latest, a departure from his Kenzie/Gennaro series, has some things in common with them: unrelieved negativism; inarticulate lower-class denizens who hate themselves and everything about their environment, which apparently they can only escape through booze or death; third party narration that uses the hackneyed device of using the same street vernacular - which , by the way is very stilted and excessive - of the dreary characters. There isn't a sympathetic, or intelligent, Irishman, Italian, or African American in the lot, male or female. They have all been unalterably corrupted by their upbringing, making them self-indulgent, "oh, poor me" crooks, boozers, dopers, joyless fornicators or run-of-the-mill sluggards. Lehane appears to be trying to convey a personal "I've- been-through-it-all-myself" image of himself. C'mon, the guy doesn't even know that a catcher's shin guards are not called knee pads! Mystic River tries too hard for verisimilitude, with endless dialogue that has little to do with forwarding the tale. The plot devices represent the only skill that I see displayed here. Where are the critics coming from?
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Summary: Truer to Life than Patrick and Angie
Review: Those who believe that Patrick and Angie are true-to-life may well not enjoy Mystic River. Readers who believe life is more complex than that portrayed in Lehane's earlier, admittedly enjoyable, novels, will find Mystic River a welcome sign of Lehane's continued growth as a novelist. Life in the big city is, indeed, depressing, or at least has palpably depressing aspects. Heroes are rare, and despair is the fabric of daily life. Lehane has chosen to portray life as it is rather than to resolve the lives of his characters with clever endings and deux ex machina intervention. In my opinion, a more subtle book than the Patrick/Angie efforts and, therefore, as satisfying if not as therapeutic.
Rating:
Summary: no good guys no bad guys
Review: Mystic River is one of the most substantial books in any genre that I've read in a long time. Every character comes alive on the page, complete with enough condensed history to flesh out even the minor players. "Good" and "evil" exist as a backdrop but do not motivate the characters. My initial concern that the childhood tragedy that propels the rest of the story was an overdone theme was quickly overcome by the surprising direction that followed. Almost everyone in the book is testing the limits of love and finding out how far they will go to keep it. The three central figures, boyhood "friends" Sean, Dave, and Jim, are as conflicted about their actions as they are about the the nature of their relationships. They find very different ways of coping with both the past and the present, all taken to the extreme. Fate is the underlying catalyst, but the heart of this story is what they bring upon themselves.
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Summary: I wanted Kenzie and Gennaro...but what I got was even better
Review: If you're reading the reviews of a book, you're probably trying to decide whether you'll like it. Odds are, if you're reading this review, you're probably wondering if the book will be as good as the Kenzie and Gennaro series. It is. It is different, to be sure, than what Lehane offered to us in his first five novels...but in this case, different is good. I got hooked on the violent exploits of the Boston PI's of Lehane's popular series last summer and tore through all five novels in a month. I was salivating for a new one and excited to hear that Lehane had a book due out soon. I was utterly disappointed to hear that it wasn't going to feature Patrick and Angie...so disappointed that I waited to hear what others thought of the book before I bought it. Shame on me. Shame on you too, if you are wavering. Go get this book. It isn't the same as what you've read by Lehane. It is milder, more poignant, more introspective and, in the end, far more interesting and entertaining. These characters seem alive and tragic and utterly acceptable. I was finishing the book on a flight to Las Vegas and ended up having to sit in my hotel room and finish up the last 30 pages before I could even think of looking at the spectacular lights of Vegas. Get this book...it is his masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: A Heartwrenching Tragic Page Turner
Review: This book is like driving by an accident site; You can't turn away, but instead are forced to slow down with morbid curiosity.This was the first of Dennis Lehane's books I've read, but you can bet I'm going to snap the rest of them up now. He's a phenomenal writer with a gift for crackling dialogue, and fascinating multi-level characters.It's the story of three boys, Sean, Jimmy, and Dave, one of whom gets abducted, but escapes. Twenty five years later the estranged men's lives converge when one of their daughters is brutally murdered.No one gets out clean in Lehane's world, and the brilliant unravelling mystery creates a tragic chain reaction. With the domino effect in mind, it reminded me in tone of "A Simple Plan." I read the other day that Clint Eastwood has bought the movie rights to "Mystic...". I hope he can do justice to this moody, evocative, and excellently written book.
Rating:
Summary: WOW!!!!
Review: This is absolutely a gripping book! This story will keep you on the edge of your seat. It's almost impossible to know who the killer is and who exactly was murdered, anyway?! The characters in this book are the type that you kind of cheer for, eventhough some of them don't deserve the readers' loyalty. Great book. This book is, for sure, a mental ride and most definitely does not disappoint. What a page turner. Pick this book up...IT'S ONE OF THE MOST INTRIGUING BOOKS I'VE READ IN A VERY LONG TIME. I see why it's a best seller so quickly. Thank you Mr. LeHane.
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Summary: First Dennis Lehane book read- very disappointing.
Review: I have heard so much about Dennis Lehane that I felt obligated to read this new book. I'm kind of sorry that I did. Very convoluted, improbable plot; it tried the imagination. Perhaps the biggest fault of this book, however, lies in the main characters. Not one of them stood up as an admirable human being, and it was almost impossible for me (the reader) to develop any sort of rapport with any of them. For that matter, neither did the secondary cast of characters. They were all seriously flawed, and this set the tone for this novel. The reason that I gave this book two stars was because Lehane is obviously a very talented writer. From the way he handles words you can tell that given a different plot and a different cast of characters he could be one of the best.
Rating:
Summary: PAGE TURNER!!!!!!
Review: Terrific book, terrific story, terrific author! This is such a magnificent story, very gripping and quite a mental ride. If you're looking for something to read that is different as well as a page turner. The story is about a murder and there is no way that the reader can figure out who, why or was it really an accident. Very good book and a real page turner.
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Summary: Moves from writing to literature
Review: As a long time Lehane fan I was at first disappointed that Kenzie and Gennaro had gone on vacation. That disappointment didn't last one chapter as I began to notice new sharply defined prose and exciting structure emerge from Lehane's fecund mind. Sometimes I chose to read passages several times just to marvel at the quality of the writing.If you are new to Lehane's work may I suggest you start at the beginning with A Drink Before War so that you can appreciate this writer's growth. Some may quibble with the plot and characters in this one but it would be hard indeed to dislike the writing style and wordsmithing of the highest order. But as Dennis Miller says: "That's just my opinion but I could be wrong." As so many have said before me: "write faster Lehane!"
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