Rating: 
Summary: ADULTS VS KIDS!!!!
Review: A good read. I got a little tired of the talking about all good or bad things in life and the world around us. Other than that was very good. I was afraid it was a "Spencer" copy cat, but Patrick Kenzie is a man of his own and Angela Gennaro comes on big time. They are smart and very human. They make mistakes and are scared at times. They can shoot people and those they shoot make the world a better place. Their office is in the belfry of a church--pretty neat when they tell you why it is there. Has a good ending.... Remember, [Roland]is the kid, only 16 years old but street wise much older. A good story line and good moral character for Kenzie and Gennaro. She really did one good think with Phil, but need to read to find out what. Think you will enjoy this if you like a wise guy private eye and smart sidekick. Almost forgot Bubba, he has a very good part in the book, would like to see more of him.
Rating:
Summary: 4 1/2 Stars for a Great Start
Review: I enjoyed this book very much, and I think it's obvious from the other reviews that this book is enjoyed by the masses. Lehane is now a widely popular author and he earned his reputation by writing gripping books. It's hard to believe this is his first one. Many authors show the potential from the start, but few show the ability to characterize and provide a great story on their first try. This book delivers. If you are a fan of Robert Parker, Robert Crais, or Harlan Coben be sure to jump in on a Lehane novel. If you haven't read any of those authors, don't be intimidated it's time to pick this book up. I regret waiting as long as I did.
Rating: 
Summary: A Hooking First Novel
Review: God this guy writes great! I had read "Mystic River" first, and thought I'd go back and begin his series of mysteries involving Boston detectives Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro. Lehane spares no punches in this tough, racist, violent city with gang fighting, and racial wars. The detecives debut begins when Patrick is hired by a group of prominent senators to find a missing cleaning woman who has stolen some important documents.What they uncover unleashes a violent chain of events. His dialogue crackles and smacks right to the point, with Gennaro and Kenzie igniting enough sexual chemistry to blow the city up. Fantastic book!
Rating:
Summary: An Outstanding and Varied Series
Review: If you're reading this review, it's probably because you haven't yet tried Dennis Lehane and are wondering if you should. The answer is an emphatic yes, and this is where to begin (Lehane's books must be read in order, because he divulges earlier secrets in later books).Lehane is an excellent writer, there are unexpected twists that even the most sophisticated reader is unlikely to guess, he includes interesting and thought-provoking social criticisms, his protagonists are likable, and gore is kept to reasonable limits necessary to the plot. Lehane is far more interesting than James Lee Burke, whose protagonist is all too reminiscent of John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee and who repeats themes too often (bad guys beat up hero, hero gets even by punching out bad guys, et cetera). If you like mysteries and/or crime stories, Lehane is well worth trying.
Rating:
Summary: Grisham, watch out!
Review: One of the best books I read in the past 3 years. Great story telling. Conflicts between love, races, an abusive father and son, while the story is going on without a hitch. It helps that I am from the Boston area and know the area he talked about but never really dared to step foot on (I'm out of ther now). Dorchester, Jamica Plain, vow!! I love the dark humors, the wise cracks, the dark romance. The only thing is Bubba sounded like superman, but I can live with that. The politics reminded me so much of those guys, Kevin White and Tip from Somerville. Anyone konws who they are? I'd recommend this book WITHOUT any reservation.
Rating:
Summary: "Drink" all of Dennis Lehane's books
Review: I got hooked on Lehane 4/13, read "Drink...." on Friday, "Darkness...." on Saturday/Sunday and started "Sacred" on Monday, hope to start "Gone..." tonite and then onto to "Prayers...". This series is excellent! Angie and Patrick are a great team of PIs. You think you have the plot figured out and then there is a twist. And Bubba...will you marry me? HA HA! I love Bubba, the illegal arms trader who lives in a run down, booby trapped warehouse. My kinda guy in this day and age. Anyway, I wouldn't steer you wrong... this is an excellent series. I hope Mr. Lehane continues with the Patrick/Angie stories.
Rating:
Summary: Hot town, summer in the city....
Review: There are many impressive and likeable things about this debut novel. The writing is terrific, particularly the dialogue and Patrick's inner reflections. There's lots of cynical wit - both dry and humorous. Lehane makes Patrick a character who the reader cares about - and one that you want to follow into further books in the series. Likewise, the plot of Boston gang warfare intermingled with Massachuesetts state politics works pretty well. Lehane also does a terrific job of conveying the atmosphere of many aspects of summertime Boston - most of which are never seen by tourists. Still, I'm debating if I'll continue reading this series as a matter of my personal taste. Foremost, this is very gritty, hard-boiled stuff and I found it pretty depressing. Also, I really struggled with the character of Patrick's partner Angie. I found it hard to empathize with her abusive relationship with her husband. She also plays second fiddle to Patrick in a way that left me cold. Bottom-line: A top-notch read for fans of the hard-boiled school of mysteries. Those of us with more of a taste for cozy mysteries should read with caution.
Rating:
Summary: No Darker Justice
Review: I'm a latecomer to Dennis Lehane's series about Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro, a private detective partnership working in the worn down city of Dorchester, Mass. For some reason the books never made it onto my radar screen until lately. Despite its popularity, I was completely unprepared for the power of "A Drink before the War." It is with a great deal of glee that I look forward to reading the rest. When several Massachusetts politicians offer Kenzie and Gennaro what sounds like a simple job of tracking down the office cleaning woman so as to retrieve some stolen documents it sounds like a walk in the park. Little did the partners suspect that the trail would lead them past the theft into an ever-darkening nightmare of racism, lies, murder, and crimes far worse. For Jenna Evangeline is no simple thief. Once Kenzie tracks Jenna down he quickly realizes that taking the documents was no simple act of theft, but that Jenna was acting out of some inner need for justice. Before she can show him the documents Jenna is gunned down horribly in the streets with Kenzie as a witness. Kenzie and Gennaro find themselves entangled in a confrontation between two gang lords, Socia who was her ex-husband, and Roland who was their son. Buried in their enmity is a terrible tragedy. Because of the light, comic banter that often takes place between Kenzie and Gennaro there is a strong temptation to compare them to Robert Parker's Spencer. But there are far darker currents in Lehane's work. A violent, abusive father has permanently scarred Kenzie, and Gennaro is trapped in a marriage with a wife beater. Indeed, many of their fellow character are similarly broken, and the tone of "A Drink before the War" is more reminiscent of Andrew Vachss than Parker. This is a powerful book, with a compelling story. Lehane's writing is eminently readable and, as I've already indicated, his dialog is superbly crafted. There is, perhaps, a bit too much preaching for my taste, but this hardly is a defect. My only quandary is that, while "A Drink before the War" is a five star piece of writing, I already know that the series gets even better. How am I going to rate the rest???
Rating:
Summary: A Drink Before the War
Review: This is a first-rate novel, and the reviewer who gave it a 1-star because of excerpts should read the hardcover edition which have no excerpts because this is Lehane's first novel.
Rating:
Summary: A great first novel
Review: I totally enjoyed this book. For a first novel it's one of the best I've read. The characters are great,I especially got a kick out of Bubba. Can't wait to read more of Lehanes work.
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