Rating: 
Summary: As noir as they get
Review: Dennis Lehane is great. His Kenzie/Gennaro series, of which "Sacred is the 3rd novel, is THE noir series of the decade. The writing is smoothe and sure, the jokes are funny, the heroes are sympathetic. Basically, this is an ideal private dick series.
Well, I've praised Lehane enough for one review, now more about the book itself. First of all, as the 3rd book of the series it's better to be read after "A drink before the war" and "Darkness, take my hand". It's not necessary, but it's better that way, at least 'cause some of the previouse events are mentioned and if you read those novels after this one it could ruin some strong plot surprises in them.
'Sacred' finds our heroes on a search for a missing heiress. Of course, when a lot of money is involved, nothing is what it seems, and nobody can be trusted. The plot of the book, while strong, is not very original, but Lehane's writing moves it up to a whole new level. You care for the characters, and that's a major point for the book.
Towards the end of the novel there are some scenes which ring a bit false for my ear, and that's what cost this book a star. Basically, coupled with the plot, it could've cost it two, but the way Lehane managed to use a religiouse cult as part of the novel, without putting it in the center of it, earned him one star back.
Bottomline: Not the best in the series, but still way above most other writers.
Rating:
Summary: Very much enjoyed it. Here's what you need to know.
Review: First, this is the 3rd book in the series. If you're like me and prefer to read a series in the order that it was written (and hence evolve with the characters), you'll want to get this book along with the other two that precede it (Drink Before the War & Darkness, Take My Hand). Also, Lehane does talk some about the plots that took place in the two previous books and those references will be lost on you if you start with book 3. With that said, I thought the book was very good. Like his others, it was filled with great writing, was very visually descriptive and nicely put together. Lehane's strong suite is his excellent characters. They are complex, believable and interesting. I can see why Mr. Lehane uses some of them again and again in his novels (a male and female pair of Private Detectives). The book is written in the first person primarily, which I normally don't care for but works well here because it's not overdone (thus giving the reader many perspectives). Unlike his first two books, the villains and situations are not quite as intense so I was a shade disappointed there. He makes up the slack though in the plot with this one as it is even more of a twisty-turn mystery than the others. Overall, if you enjoy authors like Patricia Cornwell or Thomas Harris or Phillip Margolin, then I recommend you try this novel. You won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: great
Review: great book, hilarious, more so than his others, true its slightly more light than his usual books but its still good
also to the guy who says that dylan has no album called positively 4th street. The guy in the book said "look for songs, not albums". So when they found positively 4th street it is because they were looking for the names of dylan SONGS. And yes, dylan has a song called that.
Rating: 
Summary: You'd think Bob Dylan was sacred
Review: I'm annoyed by the Bob Dylan criticism. He does have a song "Positively Fourth Street" which no one is debating. As for the album deal, Jay says, and I quote, "'Songs,'he said. 'Not albums' (Sacred, 174)". I don't know why the title is italicized instead of in quotes but so far there has been no blatant reference to the title being that of an album. Rather, it was made quite clear that it was a song.
As for the rest of the book, that little fact can't help or hurt it. I personally find that this book is an excuse for Angie and Patrick to go to Florida, maybe an excuse to wear sunglasses too though they were doing that earlier in the book as well, so they don't need an excuse. It's funny and all, it cracks me up for the most part except the scenes with Bubba. Bubba is just getting old. I would say it's a good thing this book is funny (I mean really funny) because that's the only thing I feel it has going for it. That and the...uh...tension between Angie and Patrick. I hate to admit it but that's the way it goes. Oh yeah, and some observations based on Shakespeare's words "The ornament of beauty is suspect", this quote is even in the epilogue, summing the novel up.
Sacred is supposedly a loose reworking of The Big Sleep. It's about a greedy millionaire (or is it billionaire), hiring Patrick and Angie to find his missing daughter. Patrick's old friend and mentor Jay, who was the first person hired to find missing young woman, is also missing. The opening is great, with Patrick and Angie being followed by someone they dub "The Weeble". Patrick thinks he's James Bond and stuff, but he's not though he's the protagonist and I guess that results in ultimately the same thing. And there is a shower scene. Pardon me, two. There's two shower scenes. Though I highly doubt you'd ever see the ending of this book in a Bond movie, but I don't know, it's possible. Anything's possible, just look at Die Another Day. Joking.
Anyway, Patrick is as funny as ever in this, some great scenes like when he plays the raving lunatic at a place called Grief Release, going on about "fin de siecle", the end of the world. Oh yeah, and Patrick doing a Marilyn Monroe imitation. In Darkness, Take My Hand, Lehane alludes to Thomas Harris' series. In Sacred there's an obvious allusion to L.A. Confidential, or maybe I'm wrong. But it reminds me of the old Rollo Tomassi gag, with the "message beyond the grave". And I think I sensed an allusion to a Sharon Stone movie here too, the missing woman was even named Desiree Stone and there was a certain thing she said. Lehane blatantly promotes Toni Morrison and Gabriel Garcia Marquez some more. And Florida too, this book could be a brochure for the state where Lehane went to college, if only it weren't for the not-so-little jabs at the superficiality and the inner ugliness and the heat. But there's a great section where a character tells Patrick and Angie that "It's not fruitless" and Angie asks if the guy is referring to his drink or their business trip to St. Petersburg. I do think this book had to be written though. I can see the elements of Sacred that were later tied into the intricate plot of Dennis Lehane's first stand-alone novel. And I enjoyed reading it, great entertainment, darker than most, though not as dark as Lehane's other stuff. Still.
Rating: 
Summary: thank god
Review: It sucks that there aren't going to be any more books by John A MacDonald, but knowing that Dennis Lehane is around takes some of the sting out of it.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed
Review: It was my outright admiration of "Mystic River" that caused me to pick up the Kenzie-Gennaro series. At last, I told myself, Lehane is one writer with enough prose and storyline to keep me glued. Gee, he even writes like Jeffrey Eugenides to some extent. River was a terrific read, I highly recommend it -- this one though, is QUITE different. Perhaps Lehane was developing as a writer, so given that this was an earlier novel, I shouldn't expect too much.
Well, anyway, the story revolves around a millionaire trying to find his missing daughter. Soon the plot spirals to include embezzlement, calculated murder and layers upon layers of lies -- so much so that the plot became pretty unbelieveable towards the end (I was pretty incredulous at one point, then slowly but surely, that was replaced by detachment -- I even managed to put off the climax rather easily for a nap). In addition, do note that the series is meant to be read in the correct sequence. Explicit spoilers from the earlier books can be found here -- so beware.
Nonetheless, that isn't my biggest grouse. Having been treated to rich characters in "Mystic River", the characters in "Sacred" were about as card-boardish as they come. The dialogue between Patrick and Angela can be rather irritating at times -- they joke a lot, and there were portions where the book read like a screenplay. Plenty of dead pan quips that didn't entirely work for me. In the end, as much as I hate saying this (given that I loved "Mystic River"), "Sacred" read like Hardy Boys. Well, just thought I'd warn ya tho.
Rating:
Summary: Mediocre
Review: Not bad but doesn't hold a candle to Robert Parker, Robert Crais or ev en Harlan Coben(who in my eyes is the true master of suspense). Story itself is interesting but gets more boring as the book goes on. Patrick has too many moral issues for a tough guy(which is what he is supposed to be) and he is always hell bent on doing the right thing(yawn!). Angela can't get over her issues with her husband who used to beat the crap out of her. Geez, get a grip already. Blah, blah, blah.
Rating:
Summary: Lehane Just Keeps Writing 5 Star Books
Review: Private Investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro are back. They've closed their office, because of what happened in the last book ("Darkness Take My Hand") and are adamant about not taking on any more cases. At least for a while. But dying billionaire Trevor Stone has different ideas. He has the pair kidnapped, so that they're forced to listen to his proposal. They don't want to, but he offers them twenty grand just to hear what he has to say. Then he tells them about how his darling daughter, who turns out not to be so darling after all, has gone missing in Florida. He's sent PI Jay Becker after her, the man who taught Patrick the biz, but he's vanished as well.This book takes us out of the seamier side of Boston and isn't as dark as Lehane's last two novels. Though this one is a little lighter in tone, it's still full of the twists and turns we've come to expect from Lehane and, like his last two books, this one too is worth every one of those five stars. Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne
Rating:
Summary: Lehane is smoking
Review: The only problem with Dennis Lehane is that he writes so well, that his books just fly, and you regret that its over so soon. I started this book and finished in the same day. I can't remember the last time I read a book in one day, and believe me I read a lot. The reason this only gets 4 stars is that comparing it to "Darkness Take My Hand" it would be hard not to fall a little short. That book was so good it gave me chills. Now on to this book, once again Kenzie and Gennaro are drawn into an intriguing case, where nothing is what it seems. There are plenty of twists and turns that jump out at you. The dialogue and action don't miss a step. While I state this isn't as great at the previous book in the series, it is still very good and well worth the read. While it is true that you don't need to read the other books prior to "Sacred", there are however references to the events in those books that give away their endings, so I encourage you to read in order. Lehane has quickly become one of my favorite authors. He is right on par with Harlan Coben, but with a darker edge. If you haven't read Lehane or are yet to read this book, you are missing out. Pick it up now, so you aren't the last one in on this great author.
Rating:
Summary: Another great novel
Review: This series just keeps getting better and better. Dialog is top notch and the characters are great in this novel as well. Really completes the first "trilogy" of the Kenzie/Genaro series very nicely.
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