booksiloved.com - Book reviews of books the reviewer really liked

A review of A Drink Before the War

by Dennis Lehane

The book that introduced people to the detective team of Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro.

Reviewed by: Michael J. Griffin
About Michael J. Griffin

A Drink Before the War I was introduced to Dennis Lehane's series in an unusual way. It was around this time two years ago, and James Patterson was promoting his new book "Roses are Red." I was at one of the events and after he spoke, he was signing copies of the book. I'd asked a question about getting an agent during the question and answer period, and since he was talking to each person as he signed their book, he'd remembered my agent question. He asked what I was writing, and I replied that I was writing a series of mystery novels. He then asked who my influences were, and I replied that Robert B. Parker was my main influence. He asked if I had heard of Dennis Lehane. I responded in the negative, and he got a scrap of paper, wrote Lehane's name and the title of this book. After thanking him, I went over to the mystery section, found the book and bought it that night.

I found myself enjoying Lehane's voice in this novel, how real his protagonist, Patrick Kenzie seemed. His ache and regret that his partner and childhood best friend, Angie Gennaro is in a physically abusive relationship. The fact that her husband was also one of the childhood gang makes the matter worse.

Kenzie doesn't have much time to reflect on this, as he is asked by a couple of prominent senators to track down a former cleaning woman who has taken some sensitive documents from one of the senators' offices. Kenzie is one of the best at finding missing people, and he does find the woman in pretty short order. It's when he does that things turn very dicey very quickly, as the woman is gunned down. He finds himself in the middle of a gang war that is actually being conducted between a sociopathic father and his bastard son.

Kenzie can't go at this alone, and he enlists the help of Gennaro and another childhood friend of theirs, the psychopathic Bubba Rogowski. Bubba may be a psycho, but he's a psycho that Kenzie and Gennaro are more than happy to have on their side.

Lehane gives each character an authentic voice, so that even murderous people like the father seem human. The book winds to a great showdown and there's also an explosive resolution to Gennaro's situation with her husband.

Perhaps one day, when I'm signing copies of my detective series, I'll be able to recommend a Lehane book to someone whose book I'm signing. Probably not when I'm just starting though, I need as little competition as possible.

Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: A Drink Before the War

Copyright © by Michael J. Griffin, 2002

Reviewed by Michael J. Griffin:
-- A Prayer For Owen Meany - by John Irving
-- The Secret History - by Donna Tartt
-- Tuesdays with Morrie - by Mitch Albom
-- The Lovely Bones - by Alice Sebold
-- She's Come Undone - by Wally Lamb
-- Rules of Prey - by John Sandford
-- Once More Around The Park - by Roger Angell
-- On Writing - by Stephen King
-- Dave Barry's Greatest Hits - by Dave Barry
-- The Christmas Train - by David Baldacci
-- Artemis Fowl - by Eoin Colfer
-- Prey - by Michael Crichton
-- Shrink Rap - by Robert B. Parker
-- Tricky Business - by Dave Barry
-- Hit Man - by Lawrence Block
-- Without Fail - by Lee Child
-- A Drink Before the War - by Dennis Lehane
-- The Day After Tomorrow - by Allan Folsom
-- I.Asimov - by Isaac Asimov
-- The Blue Nowhere - by Jeffery Deaver
-- Cryptonomicon - by Neal Stephenson
-- The Millionaires - by Brad Meltzer









Home ------- All the Reviews