Rating: 
Summary: American Tragedy
Review: To some extent it's unfortunate that Lehane is viewed as just as a writer of crime fiction. He's more than that. His pre-Mystic fiction was ok, but predictable, which makes the leap Lehane has made with both Mystic River and Shutter Island so startling. Both books were written by a writer who has a thorough understanding of tragedy -- and I mean tragedy as found in novels such as Jude the Obscure, or King Lear, or even the Orestia. Yes, the novel's action hinges on coincidence, but Hardy (and Shakespeare) used that device as well. And like those two, I don't feel Lehane's use of it damages the novel, since the overwhelming force of the story told swamps that element. Mystic River is a story about America, family and neighborhood (notice I'm not saying friendships). But mostly it's the downside of all those things, and how they sit within the larger traps of our lives. There is a little hope -- but not much. And yet there are also choices, no matter how grim our lives are. Each character in Mystic River eventually has to make a choice -- often a fatal one, no matter how well-meaning. Don't be put off by the deliberate pacing of the novel, since in the end this will reinforce the deeper tragedy. I think it's time that Lehane be discussed in the same breath as Cormac McCarthy, Stewart O'Nan, and Larry Brown, all frequenters of the American Night.
Rating:
Summary: So gripping I could not wait to get home each day to read it
Review: I have not read a book this powerful in a very long time. It grabbed on to me and would not let go. Just when I thought I had something figured out, the next chapter brought on something more. I went straight to the theater to see the movie after finishing the book. First off, I could not understand why Jimmy's last name was changed from Marcus to Marcum. Then felt that the movie left out so many key elements from the book. With only five minutes of the men as boys, it did not give you a chance to see their personalities. I give the movie a C, but the book an A+++++++. I now plan on reading future Dennis Lehane books. Thank you Dennis for a fine piece of work.
Rating:
Summary: Read and be deeply moved (or at least depressed)
Review: The mystery is peripheral to the incredible human tragedy that permeates every page with dark tragedy. I was able to figure out whodunit about halfway through the book but it didn't lessen my enjoyment of the novel in the least. There were plenty of horrifying scenes left for me to discover. There is a darkness here that has rarely before been so beautifully articulated.
Rating: 
Summary: skip it!
Review: This book was very easy reading and very predictable. The basic story line is three very young friends have this bad experince between them. They grow older and their lives once again come together with a all new tradgey. I found the book very dry and it left a bad taste in my mouth. This is the first Lehane book I have read, My advice would be to skip the book and watch the movie....
Rating: 
Summary: so much steam going into it, but fizzled in the end
Review: The first two-thirds of this book were compelling and well written - although I think most of the dialogue was trite and weak throughout. Once the identity of who is responsible for Katie's murder the book colapses into a sappy, unbelievable ending with even more lousy dialogue. It could have been great, but it seems the author lost his focus and just wanted to end it. I will see the movie and see if the dialogue is silly or if they spiced it up some for the big screen.
Rating:
Summary: Loved the movie, but...
Review: I think I'm having a "saw the movie first" problem. The movie was simply amazing... the story was the perfect length, it's taut, gripping... but I just can't say the same thing about the book. The stuff's all there (plus great background on the characters, which only a novel can give you), but overall it just lacks the energy of the movie. It spins its wheels, especially during the first half of the book. The book is still not a waste of your time, but when you have a movie this good... it's hard to recommend a book that's only ok.
Rating:
Summary: It's a page turner!
Review: Couldn't put this book down. Although you have a pretty good guess who killed Katie Marcus half way through the book, Lehane keeps the story twisting and turning and you are never really sure who the killer is until the end. Lehane is great at building his characters, especially Jimmy (father of Katie) and Sean (police investigator)who were childhood friends, and describing how lifes threads intertwine. This is the second book I've read of Lehane (Shutter Island was the other). He's become my new favorite author.
Rating:
Summary: A different thriller
Review: I bought "Mystic river" because of all the hype made about Clint Easwood's adaptation to the big screen. I haven't watched the movie yet, but I can say the book is very, very good. Lehane is not an usual writer. "Mystic river" is, in a very shallow analysis, a policial whodunnit. But Lehane's style of writing turned this complex thriller in a psychological trip. In the beginning, there are three friends: Dave, Sean and Jimmy; when they are kids, one of them has a traumatic experience, and after that, their lives will be forever changed. When they grow up, their relationship is cold, distant, and then the daughter of one of them is murdered. The mistery is to solve who killed the girl. But this book is much more than that. Lehane's development of his characters is extreme, especially the psychological part. But Lehane is never explicit. Many things are understated and hidden from the reader, but that doesn't mean the author pulls rabbits out of his hats in order to mantain the reader's attention. There's no magic here, just a well told story that gripped me from the first chapter. After I finished the book, I realised it was one of the most real stories I've ever read. It's heavy, it's in-your-face, and it's good. Grade 9.0/10
Rating:
Summary: A Thrilling Thriller
Review: In 1975, three eleven year old boys, Jimmy, Sean and Dave, are contemplating stealing a car in the mean streets of Boston. Sean isn't interested, Jimmy really wants to and Dave will do anything Jimmy wants. They get into a fight and are stopped by men who purport to be police officers. The men coerce Dave into their car, while Jimmy and Sean do nothing to stop what they know in their hearts is a kidnapping. Dave escapes after 4 days--but none of those boys' lives is ever the same. Fast forward 15 years--Jimmy is an ex-con, Sean is a homicide detective and Dave's life is really a series of mistakes and bad choices. They are all living their separate lives until the brutal murder of Jimmy's 19 year old daughter throws them together again. Mystic River is a truly a thrilling thriller. The writing is terrific, it pulls you in immediately and keeps you reading. It's quick, snappy and smart, a notch above most other thrillers out there. The three men are all believable, well-developed characters, as are many of the other players in the novel. Mystic River is an excellent, diverting read. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful and heartbreaking
Review: Mystic River is the first Lehane novel I've read. It will NOT be the last. This novel is amazing. As a mystery, it's predictable. I knew pretty well who had killed Katie Marcus by about page 150. But, really, that's not what the book is about. It's about pain and fragility of the human condition, as all good crime novels are about. The plot is pretty simple. Three childhood friends are reunited by the murder of a young woman. Jimmy Marcus, the girl's father, is an ex-con who has been on the straight and narrow for years. Sean Divine is the cop investigating the murder. Dave Boyle, who as a boy was kidnaped and abused, is related to Jimmy by marriage; he's also the prime suspect. As the novel progresses, it's obvious that this murder is just the beginning of a series of tragedies, as each character tries to decipher how best to handle this awful crime. The conclusion is heartbreaking and sickening, and completely unforgettable. An excellent novel.
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