Prayers for Rain

Rating:
Summary: Best of the series!
Review: 'Prayers for Rain' is by far the best in the series.All of them are excellent reads of the highest order. This book has wonderfully rounded characters that even if you are not famililar with Angie and Patrick you'll still instantly feel like you know them.The story is excellent, the characters are excellent and as always Dennis Lehane has written another wonderful book.Hopefully he'll write another edition in the series but for now I'd recommend picking up Shutter Island or Mystic River.

Rating:
Summary: The best of the series
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: 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: Funny and Original Crime Novel
Review: It was startling to read this book because Dennis Lehane's writing style is so distinctly unique and engrossing. I was drawn into the story from the start because the narrative was funny, smart and original. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of the characters which made them come alive on the page which is a real accomplishment for any writer.

The plot was intriguing and compelling and I somehow ended up reading the whole book in the space of one day (and most of the night!). I had never read a Kenzie / Gennaro / Rogowski crime novel before and so I was new to the characters, but they all seemed to me to be very well developed and interesting. I even liked the fact that Bubba was more like a superhero than a real life human being. However, I was shocked by some of the things that the lead characters did, for example, arranging for criminals to be beaten up severely and other shady dealings which made me a bit uncomfortable.

Overall Prayers For Rain was a great introduction for me into this series. The excellent humour was a real surprise and definitely made me read on and there was a satisfying twist at the end. The twists and turns of the plot were entertaining and the action scenes were described really well. I'll certainly be checking out other Lehane books in the future. Highly Recommended.

JoAnne

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: Prayers for Rain
Review: The only thing I can say about Dennis Lehane is: "When's the next one going to print?" For myself, I thought 'Prayers' dialogue was a bit snappier, more colorful, than the others but that's me. One of the many things I enjoy about Lehane's writing is that he puts as much effort into the last ten pages as he did the first ten. In detective and mystery stories, that's rare indeed.

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: Lehane is addictive
Review: This guy (Lehene) is good. What a teriffic plot, and I find myself laughing out loud with the banter between Angie, Patrick, Bubba (is this guy a piece of work or what?). This is great reading. If you can get the unabridged book on tape, it is worth the extra $$$. The readers "Basten" accent adds a dimension to the story that cannot come thru in written form.

Rating:
Summary: The Best One! Mr. Lehane, when is the next one coming out?
Review: This was by far the best Genero/Kenzie novel of the series. I loved this book. Everything about it. In this one, you really got to see the emotional side of Bubba. Made him more likeable.
The storyline kept me riveted and not wanting to put the book down. I was happy to see Angie and Patrick back together. The ending was very good and left you thinking the character could possibly come back in a future book.
I'm scratching my head wondering why this was the last book of the series and why Lehane hasn't published another. It's been 5 years. I will be watching for it.

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.