Dennis Lehane crafts compelling narratives that delve into the gritty realities of urban life, particularly the complex social fabric of Boston. His work is renowned for its unflinching exploration of morality, the enduring impact of trauma, and the struggle for redemption in unforgiving circumstances. Lehane's signature style combines a deep psychological insight into his characters with a keen eye for atmospheric detail, drawing readers into stories where loyalty and betrayal often intertwine. His novels are celebrated for their suspenseful plots and profound examinations of human nature under duress.
The master of the new noir, Dennis Lehane brilliantly interweaves beauty and violence, integrity and evil in this thrilling, powerfully resonant novel. A beautiful, grief-stricken woman has vanished without a trace. So has the detective hired to find her. And a lot of money. Enter saavy, tough-nosed private investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro. Rooted in the no-nonsense streets of Boston's blue-collar Dorchester, they've seen it all—and survived. But this case leads them into unexpected territory where nothing is sacred—a land of lies and corruption where trusting anyone could get them killed . . . where taking any step could be their last.
'Small Mercies is thought provoking, engaging, enraging, and can't-put-it-down
entertainment' Stephen King'A jaw-dropping thriller... a resonant, unflinching
story written by a novelist who is simply one of the best around' Gillian
FlynnNew York Times bestselling author Dennis Lehane returns with a
masterpiece to rival Mystic River - an all-consuming tale of revenge, family
love, festering hate, and insidious power, set against one of the most
tumultuous episodes in Boston's history.'Mrs. Fennessy, please go home.''And
do what?''Whatever you do when you're home.''And then what?''Get up the next
day and do it again.'She shakes her head. 'That's not living.''It is if you
can find the small blessings.'She smiles, but her eyes shine with agony. 'All
my small blessings are gone.'In the summer of 1974 a heatwave blankets Boston
and Mary Pat Fennessey is trying to stay one step ahead of the bill
collectors. Mary Pat has lived her entire life in the housing projects of
'Southie', the Irish American enclave that stubbornly adheres to old tradition
and stands proudly apart.One night Mary Pat's teenage daughter Jules stays out
late and doesn't come home. That same evening, a young Black man is found
dead, struck by a subway train under mysterious circumstances.The two events
seem unconnected. But Mary Pat, propelled by a desperate search for her
missing daughter, begins turning over stones best left untouched - asking
questions that bother Marty Butler, chieftain of the Irish mob, and the men
who work for him, men who don't take kindly to any threat to their
business.Set against the hot, tumultuous months when the city's desegregation
of its public schools exploded in violence, Small Mercies is a superb
thriller, a brutal depiction of criminality and power, and an unflinching
portrait of the dark heart of American racism.
Master of new noir Dennis Lehane magnificently evokes the dignity and savagery of working-class Boston in Darkness, Take My Hand , a terrifying tale of redemption. Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro’s latest client is a prominent Boston psychiatrist, running scared from a vengeful Irish mob. The private investigators know about cold-blooded retribution. Born and bred on the mean streets of blue-collar Dorchester, they’ve seen the darkness that lives in the hearts of the unfortunate. But an evil for which even they are unprepared is about to strike, as secrets that have long lain dormant erupt, setting off a chain of violent murders that will stain everything – including the truth. With razor-sharp dialogue and penetrating prose, Darkness, Take My Hand is another superior crime novel from the author of Mystic River; Gone, Baby, Gone; and Shutter Island .
"In the summer of 1974, a heatwave blankets Boston and Mary Pat Fennessy is trying to stay one step ahead of the bill collectors. Mary Pat has lived her entire life in the housing projects of Southie, the Irish American enclave that stubbornly adheres to old tradition and stands proudly apart. One night Mary Pat's teenage daughter Jules stays out late and doesn't come home. That same evening, a young Black man is found dead, struck by a subway train under mysterious circumstances. The two events seem unconnected. But Mary Pat, propelled by a desperate search for her missing daughter, begins turning over stones best left untouched--asking questions that bother Marty Butler, chieftain of the Irish mob, and the men who work for him, men who don't take kindly to any threat to their business. Set against the hot, tumultuous months when the city's desegregation of its public schools exploded in violence, Small Mercies is a superb thriller, a brutal depiction of criminality and power, and an unflinching portrait of the dark heart of American racism. It is a mesmerizing and wrenching work that only Dennis Lehane could write"-- Provided by publisher
The master of the new noir, Dennis Lehane magnificently evokes the dignity and savagery of working-class Boston in this terrifying tale of darkness and redemption. Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro’s latest client is a prominent Boston psychiatrist running scared from a vengeful Irish mob. The private investigators know something about cold-blooded retribution. Born and bred on the mean streets of blue-collar Dorchester, they’ve seen the darkness that lives in the hearts of the unfortunate. But an evil for which even they are unprepared is about to strike as secrets long-dormant erupt, setting off a chain of violent murders that will stain everything—including the truth.
The tough neighborhood of Dorchester is no place for the innocent or the weak. A territory defined by hard heads and even harder luck, its streets are littered with the detritus of broken families, hearts, dreams. Now, one of its youngest is missing. Private investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro don't want the case. But after pleas from the child's aunt, they open an investigation that will ultimately risk everything—their relationship, their sanity, and even their lives—to find a little girl-lost.
Boston private investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro's relationship has hit the skids - their long-standing professional commitment and growing romance have disintegrated due to seemingly irreparable personal differences. But despite these problems, IPrayers for Rain/I brings them together again to close down a predator whose Imodus operandi/I seems to put him beyond the law. This killer's insidious murder weapon is within his victims' minds: no smoking gun, no bloody knife, just merciless manipulation until despair drives his targets to kill themselves. As Patrick and Angie attempt to identify and save his next victim, this sinister force turns on them and thus begins a dangerous battle of wits: a tormenting, life-threatening game of psychological warfare in which simple survival seems a mixed blessing - because not even the winner will emerge unscathed.
US Marshal Teddy Daniels has come to Shutter Island, home of Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane, to find an escaped murderer named Rachel Solando. As a killer hurricane bears down on the island, the investigation deepens and the questions mount. How has a barefoot woman escaped from a locked room? Who is leaving them clues in the form of cryptic codes? And what really goes on in Ward C? The closer Teddy gets to the truth, the more elusive it becomes. And the more he begins to believe that he may never leave Shutter Island. Because someone is trying to drive him insane ... -- From the Back Cover.
Boston private detectives Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro try to protect the son of a prominent psychiatrist in the midst of an ever-growing body count and a list of clues that point impossibly to a serial killer who has been in prison for twenty years.
Set in a gritty neighborhood, the story revolves around a bartender who becomes entangled in a robbery gone wrong and a complex relationship with a mysterious woman. Themes of loyalty, redemption, and the impact of the past weave through the narrative, as characters confront their choices and the consequences of their actions. The Drop explores the darker side of human nature while maintaining a gripping pace, showcasing Lehane's signature storytelling style.
