Rating: 
Summary: Boston Boy
Review: Lehane is unmatched as a writer of local color, and he is a master mimic of mannerisms and speech patterns.I'm a Boston boy myself (Center Street in Roxbury)--lived there for a few years when I was a kid. From my side of the tracks, the black side, I did not see too much of Dorchester growing up. The people who lived there were the "other." Once upon a time, my mother, who did house work back then, became employed by a family in Dorchester. They were nice people, owned a big German shepherd, had a backyard with a swing set in it, gave nice gifts to me and my little brother at Christmas. For years, I used to wish we lived in Dorchester. Little did I know. One thing that Lehane is good at in the Kenzie/Gennaro series is exposing the other side of the "other." They are normal working stiffs just like the rest of us. Sometimes they are less than normal. I like this second book better than the first one (A DRINK . . .) for number of reasons. First, Angie is free of her abusive hubby. I wasn't sure where that was going in the first place. Second, the Irish mob is very scary. Third, Bubba. And finally, the serial killer (whose identity I shall not reveal to you who haven't read the book)--the killer is, for want of a better word, "likable." If my own child had died tragically, I am sure I would not go around killing people, but I do see where he's coming from. The loss scarred him, transformed him, but left his basic personality intact. So he goes about his day, doing his job, being everybody's friend, and his dark tendencies go unnoticed. Now I have to run out and get a copy of Mystic River. Good job, Dennis. Your work is both entertainment and inspiration to all of us from the program. You are the master. Lead on.
Rating: 
Summary: A Very Dark Novel
Review: Set in Boston, this story begins with an investigation by our twin heroes, private criminal investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro, into a seemingly innocuous case. A client's son is being observed and photographed as he goes about his day to day life at college. Unknown to his mother, the son senses that he is being stalked. A photograph of him arrives anonymously in his mother's mail one day and she brings in Patrick and Angie to investigate. They make initial inquiries with their underworld contacts who also happen to be their prime suspects. It soon becomes clear that they are not involved. Time passes, nothing happens and it appears that there is really no threat to the young man and the investigation is suspended. As the saying goes..."Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water..." he is found gruesomely murdered. The trail is cold at first but as new murders occur, a pattern evolves, and a possible link is established to other murders committed over twenty years previously. Struggling to convince themselves that they are making any real headway with their investigations, Patrick and Angie find themselves targeted by evil forces and their lives are clearly in great danger. The tension builds as they fight fear of the unknown by the unknown and the very real threat to their wellbeing. A little bit of relief is provided for the reader with the side stories of Patrick's relationship with his lover, Grace, and Angie's with her ex-husband. This is a well written, horrific and suspense filled thriller, even though some of the horrors do just stretch the imagination. The writing style, in which the main characters go off into trains of thought in between actual dialogue, takes some getting used to. When reading the spoken words of the various shady and criminal characters in the book it helps to imagine them talking in the guttural hoarse style of the Godfather. If you don't like gruesome murder and violence this book is not for you. If however you enjoy a scary, tension filled ride, jump aboard and enjoy the journey.
Rating:
Summary: Dark and bloody but good.
Review: Summarizing the plot premise makes it sound like just another private eye serial killer thriller. A string of gruesome murders by a killer who taunts his victims with threats. The murders are somehow linked to events of twenty years previously and to the family of Patrick Kenzie, the detective. Very strong subplots about Kenzie's affair with Angie ( his partner, ex-wife's sister and ex-wife of his ex-best friend) and about his relationships with Boston policemen and firemen. In spite of the cliche elements and echoes of Thomas Harris (mutilation, a cunning sociopathic prisoner) it is set apart by the high literary quality of the writing.
As in "A Drink Before Dying" the downside is the dark and gloomy atmosphere. There is some bitter humor and sharp satirical social observation but the overall effect is depressing (I suppose you could say the same about Hamlet).
On the credibility/ plausibility side, I keep wondering why Kenzie stays in Dorchester if he finds it such a terrible place. Phil half explains why Angie never leaves but Kenzie is a single 35 year old making $48000 a year and never seems to enjoy much of Boston.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping and Suspenseful
Review: This, the second of Lehane's Kenzie/Gennaro novels, was gripping and suspenseful from prologue to epilogue. We know from reading the prologue that Kenzie and Gennaro are about to go through a harrowing experience. Still, I was not prepared for the chilling and gruesome events that unfold. There are many twists and turns as Lehane sustains a high level of suspense throughout. The writing is very good, although not flawless, and the mystery is well plotted. There are little details here and there that seem implausible, but they are easily overlooked under the sheer weight of the narrative. I was mildly disappointed in the first Lehane novel (A Drink Before the War) mostly because it seemed like Kenzie was too much of a cheap imitation of Spenser, and the writing seemed a bit amateurish at times (but I still thought it was very entertaining and a good introduction into a new series.) In this one, though, Lehane seems more confident as a writer and Kenzie has become a much more realistic and convincing character. Angie Gennaro is a wonderful character that you can't help but fall in love with. With this novel, Lehane has definitely become one of my 'must read' authors. Highly recommended!
Rating: 
Summary: Couldn't even get through it!
Review: After reading "Drink..." his first book and finding it terribly difficult to finish it I thought I'd give Lehane another try. I wanted to be more objective. WRONG!! I bought 5 of Lehane's books for my summer reading and now have donated them to a local thrift shop. I don't get all the rave reviews... I found them boring and there was nothing to hold my attention. Oh well.....
Rating: 
Summary: "A Drink Before the War" was better.
Review: Lehane's first book, "A Drink Before the War," astonished me. "Darkness," the second in the series, was a letdown, and I would give it just 3.5 stars if that option were available. Don't get me wrong - I like violence, as long as I don't have to participate in it or watch it. But in this book, there was just too much. Towards the end I found myself wondering how Lehane could possibly surpass, in quantity and quality, all the gore that piled up throughout the book, and, when I finally got there, I felt the finale was more contrived than horrifying. Having said this, I did like the treatment of the father-son theme, which evolved from "A Drink" into something far more sinister in "Darkness." And I think I know why I was disappointed by this book, not because it isn't as good as the first, but because an earlier reviewer of "Darkness" mentioned that in it Kenzie came to terms with his father, and thus himself. I did not see this. How anyone could come to terms with someone like the father who is revealed in this book is beyond me. I will certainly read on, and I am sure this series will continue to surprise and horrify me and give me pleasure. I have never tired of Spenser, but I did stop reading Stephanie Plum because after four books I just didn't care about her any more, and I got tired of the supporting cast. Lehane, please do not do this to us, because you are far too good a writer to let this happen.
Rating:
Summary: Riveting and extremely fast paced
Review: I really enjoyed "A Drink Before The War" and I had heard that Lehane gets better with each book. Wow, was that ever right. This book is so good it gives you chills. Sure that's an overused cliche, but it couldn't be more true. Ever once in a while you see a great movie like "Usual Suspects", "Sixth Sense", or "Memento" and it draws you in and keeps you thinking about it way after. This book has that same characteristic. When I tried to put the book down, I found myself thinking about it so much that I had to pick it right back up and ignore the chores I should be doing. Lehane has an incredible knack for drawing you in and creating great characters. An integral part of the story are the gruesome serial killings that surround the neighborhood that Kenzie and Gennaro grew up in, but there is much more than that. The characters, the dialogue, and unpredictable twists keep you asking for more. Prior to this book I had tired of serial killer stories and the formula storytelling surrounding them. Don't be deterred by that here. This book is not the same old, same old. I can't recommend this book more.
Rating:
Summary: ANOTHER GOOD ONE!!
Review: Lehane's first book, A Drink Before the War was good and this one is too. I think this one is more stomach churning. It was very hard to put down and do something else. Places in it are vey terrifying. Kenzie and Gennaro are caught in the middle of a serial killers rage. Are there one or two. Only time will tell. Several people Kenzie cares about are killed and most in a bad, bad manner. The end was good as the killer was caught but will Kenzie and Gennaro ever be the same again??? Wonder how the next book can pick up the peices and go on? If you like a book that will hold your attention and make you scared to go to bed, this is the book for you. You knows you lurks out there?? Will Patrick Kenzie be affected for ever? As it says on page 213 in paperback, " You can't clean sewers for a living and come home smelling like soap. It"ll eat at you, as long as you do this work. It'll hollow you out."
Rating:
Summary: Second book is one of the best...
Review: The second book in the Kenzie/Gennero (don'tcha just love those last names?) appears to be, in my opinion, one of the best in the series. It explores more of Patrick's past, and as well as his neighborhood's. It also explores, in great (and almost disturbing) depth, the phyche of a madman and his motives. Great book. I pretty much now try to base all my thriller writings on the workings of this book. Good job, Dennis. -Jack
Rating:
Summary: The Tangled Web
Review: Throw on your trenchcoat, suspend your disbelief and go along for a thrilling ride through a world of untold evil and unexpected redemption, courtesy of Dennis Lehane and his terminally romantically thwarted duo of private eyes, Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro. Boston is plagued by yet another series of brutal serial killings, but the modus operendi this time is crucifixion, not strangulation, and the victims seem random. But are they? When Angie and Patrick find themselves investigating a threat against the son of an old client, they find that there may be more commonality lurking among the fiend's victims than meets the private eye. The tale unfolds through a series of horrific events, the ruminations and reminiscences of scores of unforgettable characters, and a jailhouse interview with the face of evil itself. The book is peppered with hard boiled detective speak straight out of Elmore Leonard, updated with references to "N'Sync" and Bill Clinton. The language is one of the many fun parts of the read, but it's the characters, and the age-old unfolding struggle between good and evil within each of them, that really give it merit. A couple of drawbacks: the book is like a maze. It takes the concentration of Bobby Fischer, or at least a very elaborate flow chart, to keep all the characters and their histories and interrelationships straight. A lot of the violence and grotesquerie is gratuitous and a little insulting to the intelligence of the reader, as if he needs every salacious detail of disembowlment and dismemberment to keep him awake enough to wade through the plot's complexity. Nonetheless, don't take it too seriously, don't struggle overmuch with the minutiae, and the unique honesty of Lehane's prose, even while shamelessly derivative, will get under your skin.
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