Rating: 
Summary: (4 1/2) The Sins of the Fathers
Review: Dennis Lehane is that rare author who manages to combines the ability of a masterful wordsmith with interesting plots and storylines that raise significant issues. I first read SHUTTER ISLAND (review 5/7/03) and was so blown away by the conclusion that I immediately decided to read more of his work. I next chose MYSTIC RIVER given the wonderful reviews that it generated; while it fully confirmed his incredible talents as an author, it was so unrelenting dark and depressing that I literally had trouble completing the book (review 6/27/03). My conclusion was that Lehane's view of the human experience (at least in regard to the subjects of his novels) could almost be summarized by the well known admonition "abandon hope all ye who enter here". I recently decided that I would attempt to read his acclaimed debut novel A DRINK BEFORE THE WAR since I am an avid reader of the genre (detective series). I knew it was the first of five volumes in a series with Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro as the central characters, and I was interested in reading his original work in order to see how his style and talents had evolved since then. I am very glad that I decided not to abandon his books after MYSTIC RIVER, since I found this a wonderful read despite my reservations described later in this review. This is a dark story involving a group of Boston politicos who hire Patrick Kenzie and his associate and high school friend Angela Gennaro to retrieve some documents purportedly stolen by a cleaning woman who has subsequently disappeared. However, their assignment quickly becomes complicated by violence directed against Patrick and by a subsequent murder; they realize that a simple case whose solution would ingratiate them with the wielders of political power in their city (and thus the dispensers of meaningful favors on occasion) involves much more than a few missing documents. Thus begins a powerful story that foreshadows many of the themes in Lehane's later books, especially the theme of abuse so powerfully examined in MYSTIC RIVER. Sin and redemption, hate and love, the continuation of hope in the face of overwhelming odds and the possibility and role of forgiveness in human relationships all figure prominently in this story. Numerous instances of both child and spousal abuse (physical and psychological) are central to this story; they are gradually revealed very skillfully by the author as we get to know Angela and Patrick. In addition, there are significant racial overtones and the threat of gang warfare is omnipresent as one of the many personal battles and turf conflicts to which the title refers. The conclusion is somewhat predictable and certainly foreshadowed, but the pleasure in this story is in the wonderfully descriptive passages which Lehane provides and the psychological depth of the main characters counterposed with the well recognized caricatures of many of the peripheral actors in this drama. My caution concerning this book and the indecision which I have about reading more of Lehane's work stems from the extreme amount of brutality and violence graphically depicted. While most of the violence is essential to the storyline, there is one torture scene so shockingly detailed that I recommend that the squeamish not read this book. However, my enjoyment of the author's narrative skills combined with an ending ambivalent enough to provide hope for the future that I decided that despite my qualms the book deserved a five star rating. AND THE TWO PAGE OPENING IS ONE OF THE BEST THAT I HAVE EVER READ, it provides a great hook and accurately sets the tone for the reading adventure that you will experience. Tucker Andersen
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding first novel by today's best detective writer
Review: For a first novel, this one truly delivers the goods. Few veteran writers have produced tenth novels as polished and as gripping as this one. The characters are all very well drawn, the situation well developed, and the complex situation resolved in satisfying fashion. My lone complaint is that the sexual chemistry between Kenzie and Gennaro seems forced in this one. Not all writers handle all aspects of a tale equally well. Lehane excels at violence, darkness, and suspense, not romance. One of the great things about this book is the almost tactile feel you get for Boston. One of the complaints that I have had with Robert Parker is that his Boston doesn't feel all that uniquely Boston. Substitute other street and place names, and you could have Chicago or Detroit or Philadelphia, or wherever. But Lehane absolutely nails the local scenery in Boston, the attitudes of locals in the neighborhoods. Occasionally you will see blurbs describing Lehane as the heir to Hammett or Chandler, but this does a tremendous disservice to all three. Lehane writes in no way like either of those two. He does not possess either's scintillating prose style, nor does he structure his stories in anything like the way that they did. The true comparison is with the third master of the American hardboiled detective story: Ross MacDonald. In nearly all of his novels, MacDonald works on a Biblical theme: "The sins of the fathers will be visited unto the second and third generations." In a typical MacDonald plot, someone dies or is abducted or commits a crime, and as he uncovers the evidence he learns that the root cause lies fifteen or twenty or even thirty years in the past. Lehane writes in precisely this manner, also focusing on the psychological damage that the past can inflict on innocents. Since the publication of A DRINK BEFORE THE WAR, Lehane has been the most interesting writer of detective fiction in the United States. He is still quite young, and it will be fascinating to watch his career in the future.
Rating: 
Summary: Good first start.
Review: If you like hard boiled, fast paced and sarcastic dark heros, this is right up your alley. A great introduction to a series of compelling and often morally challenging detective noir thrillers.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Five Star Debut
Review: Patrick and Angie, best friends since they were kids, are all grown up and are PI partners working out of a church belfry in Boston. Their ties from the neighborhood, that have carried on into their present lives, add more believability to this story than you'll find in most mysteries. They've been hired by some heavyweight politicians to find a cleaning lady who supposedly stole some government documents, but what she has taken is something else altogether. They find the woman and find out she's connected to not one, but two gang leaders, and they also find bodies piling up, one after another, and soon they're the target of both gangs. This book is a shocking ride though the dark side of racism, gang violence and poverty as it asks the question, is the right thing to do always the moral one. This first effort by Lehane is worth every one of five stars, would that I could give it more. Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne
Rating:
Summary: The Beginning for Dennis Lehane
Review: To find a great mystery writer is akin to a great bottle of wine for me. Dennis Lehane is one of the best mystery writers around. His stories center around Boston and South Boston is the neighborhood. In "A Drink Before the War" we meet Patrick Kenzie and Anglea Gennaro- a private detective team. Both are locked into their own mysteries- that of abvuse- Patick abuse from his father, a powerful man in his own right. And Angela abuse from her husband. The hint of a relationship is there, but it is subtle and nothing is out in the open.
This mystery opens with a cleaning woman who has stolen papers from an important Boston politico. She asks for assistance and as the storyline deepens- race relations between black and white come to the fore. The streets of Boston are explored and explained. There is violence in this mystery and some of it is not pleasant but somehow opens the mystery to deeper understanding. The writing is superb. This is the beginning of a series exploring Patrick and Angela's relationship and their business partnership. Come along on the journey of Dennis Lehane into the streets and neighborhood of Boston. One of the best writers available- collect all of his books. You will thank me. prisrob
Rating:
Summary: The Kenzie-Gennaro series begins
Review: After seeing Stephen King's recommendation to read the early Lehane detective novels, I thought I'd start from the beginning and give Dennis a try. I did this despite Mr. King's spotty record as a blurbist -- he often raves about books that are lousy if you actually read them. Anyway, this first one went by quickly, and I will read the 2nd K-G novel soon. The comparison to Robert Parker is a good one - not just because of the Beantown setting, but also in the inner and outer narration by Patrick Kenzie, the relationship between the male and female leads, and other areas. What's important, though, is it's a good read. The story has enough action to satisfy, there are a few mild plot twists, and the characters are relatively sympathetic. The character of Patrick Kenzie is pretty well developed, but I noticed the plot allowed no glimpse of his life outside of this story. For example, he is described as a womanizer by his partner and others, but no womanizing goes on during the pages of this book. Certainly the back story of his abused childhood is thoroughly explored. Still, I hope to get a broader look at who Kenzie is in later books in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Writing Crackles, but Often Glib
Review: Lehane is deservedly the new poster boy for crime fiction, noir, whatever you want to call it. And in A Drink Before The War he proves himself capable not only of intrigue, action, violence, and twists but also social commentary that some might feel is out of place or misplaced for the genre. However, I think it lifts the genre, placing the action in a time and place and mood that's just as garish and nightmarish as, say, Connelly's Los Angeles, but this is a nightmare world created entirely by human beings (as opposed to Connelly's LA which seems to be eternally haunted). The only reason I can't give this a five star rating is Lehane's penchant for glib dialogue. It's a failing that comes from his otherwise unerring ear for real speech. He tries to convey that kidding/flirting sense of humor between two old friends of the opposite sex, or a kind of graveyard humor at times, and it is annoying. I do plan on reading the rest of his work, but I hope he learns to drop the constant wise-cracking.
Rating: 
Summary: I guess I'm in the minority....
Review: ....because I didn't really care for this book. Although it's a somewhat fast read, it felt like it took forever to get through it because the story was unoriginal and uninteresting. Dennis Lehane knows how to write a good sentence, but all of those sentences didn't amount to much in this book. Honestly, I thought the story was quite boring and although I desperately wanted to get into it, I couldn't. The story was plodding and the book was filled with so much extra filler that it seemingly could have been cut in half. Cliches and stereotypes abound and it felt like Lehane used them to makeup for his lack of "street" knowledge. It was like watching a poorly made TV show or a made-for-TV movie on USA. I'm forced to scratch my head to figure out why so many people have favorable reviews for this book. I thought it was pedestrian and bland.
Rating: 
Summary: Overall, a pretty interesting story
Review: I read Lehane's A Drink Before the War at the recommendation of a friend who enjoyed this novel and the following in this series, Darkness, Take My Hand. Generally, I don't read stories of this genre, but with my friend's encouragement I did and I'm glad I did. The novel's main characters are Patrick McKenzie and Angela Gennaro, two witty private investigators who're based out of a church in the Boston area. They're given the seemingly simple assigment by some politicians of finding a cleaning women whom allegedly stole some important documents, but find the truth is more complex and dangerous. What I liked about this novel is the fact that the author really takes the time to develop the main characters and give them depth. Each one has their own demons. Kenzie deals with the memory of a horribly abusive father and Gennaro deals with a physically abusive husband. Also, there's a clear attraction between the characters which adds to the story. The author also adds depth to the story by taking the time to address issues of social and racial inequality, particularly the latter. It's clear certain characters in the novel are racist and even Kenzie must admit a certain amount of racism within himself, despite his abhorrence to this manner of thinking. Lehane adds to this story with his focus on this aspect and other types of moral ambiguity, making the story seem more realistic and there isn't a complete black and white and even the good guys can have horrible sides to their characters. I wouldn't say this particular novel is groundbreaking, but it is overall a good read and stays away from old cliches. It's about 300 pages long and is an easy read. I'd say it's worth picking up if you have even a slight interest.
Rating:
Summary: Dennis Lehane's perception of race relations
Review: A whole lot has been said about this book which is indeed a magnificent first novel and an addition to the hard boiled detective genre. However, little has been said about the racial themes in the book other than one negative review by an intelligent reviewer, but one who somehow got the wrong message. There are a number of black characters in the book, very unlike from each other. There are also a number of characters who use derogatory terms against blacks, and Lehane characterizes these people by the words they use in many cases. A reader who gives the book a quick read might misunderstand the author's perspective. But Lehane does deliver a message that says people are people, individual people. The prejudices of these people say something about the individual bearing such prejudices. Yet, Lehane also suggests, especially in one of the climactic scenes, that we are all contaminated by the aura of prejudice. In one telling sequence, the main character, Kenzie, succumbs to the poison of prejudice in his thinking. Fortunately, he shakes off the effects of this poison. So what I am saying to those who read this book, especially Afro-Americans, is to not read the book too quickly, and to realize that although some of the author's characters use ugly language, the author is definitely not in love with all of his characters and shows that in his narration. In fact, he is saying something about those particular characters if you read carefully enough to hear what he says.
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