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A review of Mystic River

by Dennis Lehane

Violence erupts in the working-class neighborhoods north of Boston, and three men estranged from an incident that occurred in their childhood are drawn inexorably together in this tense, dark thriller.

Reviewed by: Lynne Quido
About Lynne Quido

Mystic River Dennis Lehane is best known for his series of police procedurals set in the Boston area. Leading characters Kenzie and Gennaro, two private investigators that have a complex relationship, are two of my favorites in the mystery genre. Lehane's departure from the duo was released in 2001 departed somewhat from his mainstream, but remained faithfully close to Beantown. It is also available in paperback.

Set in a blue-collar neighborhood, "Mystic River" is written in a classic noir fashion with terse, fragmented sentences that move with the pace of the events. Sean, Dave and Jimmy grew up in the tough part of town as friends until Dave was abducted for four days by men that the boys believed were "cops". Twenty-five years later, the events of those four days have generated a wide gulf between the former friends, and they've followed very different paths in life. Sean's a cop, Jimmy's an ex-con with the proverbial "heart of gold" and Dave holds "on and off" jobs; but is blessed with a successful relationship with wife and son. The men are drawn together against their wills when Jimmy's oldest, Katie, is murdered and the case is assigned to Sean.

There are no easy clues, no obvious killers, no way for the sins of the past not to be revisited in the lives of those present. In particular, Jimmy and his wife, Annabeth Marcus, seem to capable of walking off the pages of the novel to become two people caught in unexpected tragedy, who might very well be your own neighbors. Lehane does not shy away from violence, and this makes his novels a little too lurid for some. However, with the violence, you also get an author who is skilled at weaving the past and present. Lehane demonstrates how the events of childhood, and the shaping that occurs based on your childhood environment, ultimately set the course you follow for your whole life.

It's a stark story of lives wrapped together in such a way that a collision is unavoidable. Although the same suspense that follows his regular series is present, I believe that the author has gone above and beyond the genre in both characterization and plot motivation. When you've finished, you'll be breathless, and "Mystic River" will be firmly entrenched in your favorites. Read "Mystic River" and get ready for "Shutter Island", Lehane's new offering that will be available in May, 2003!

Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: Mystic River

Copyright © by Lynne Quido, 2003

Reviewed by Lynne Quido:
-- The Whore's Child: And Other Stories - by Richard Russo
-- The Murder Book - by Jonathan Kellerman
-- Tuesdays with Morrie - by Mitch Albom
-- Girls' Poker Night - by Jill A. Davis
-- Dead Midnight - by Marcia Muller
-- The Jesus Thief - by J. R. Lankford
-- The Prettiest Feathers - by John Philpin, Patricia Sierra
-- Wherever You Go, There You Are - by Jon Kabat-Zinn
-- Demolition Angel - by Robert Crais
-- The Eight - by Katherine Neville
-- Mystic Rivert - by Dennis Lehane









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