Tag Archives: Dennis Lehane

REVIEW: The Death of Sweet Mister – Daniel Woodrell

8 Replies

I’ve become a fan of Daniel Woodrell of late. I’ve enjoyed two of his novels so far and can happily add another one:  The Death of Sweet Mister. Published in 2001, the novel is set in the same place as the others, in the small town of West Table or the Ozarks and is self labeled as country noir. Daniel Woodrell seems to have made the Ozarks his main theme which has defined him. The tales he has to tell so far have been gripping.

The Death of Sweet Mister is a coming of age story set during the 1960′s with the title being a metaphor and an endearment for our 13-year-old narrator, Morris “Shug” Akins. Mystery writer Dennis Lehane wrote the foreword and in it  Lehane explains what makes Daniel Woodrell’s work so well received. To quote Lehane, Woodrell is one of the “few writers  to have captured lives laid to waste by generational poverty.”  Continue reading →

Four Books I Plan To Read

9 Replies

These are the most anticipated reads for me this year:

Broken Harbor – Tana French (Viking Adult, July 2012)
Kill You Twice – Chelsea Cain (Minotaur, Aug 2012)
Phantom – Jo Nesbø (Knopf, October 2012)
Live by Night – Dennis Lehane (William Morrow, Oct 2012)

Commentary: I’m reading Broken Harbor right now. This is Scorcher Kennedy’s book. He was a minor character in Faithful Place. Broken Harbor came out in the UK July 19th and the US release date is July 24th. Huh? Weird timing that. I’ve had Phantom for a long time now but decided to hold off reading/reviewing until closer to the US release date. Last but not least, I am looking forward to Dennis Lehane’s Live by Night, a sequel of sorts to his first historical fiction novel, The Given Day that I still haven’t read yet but I will and when I do this blog will be a barren place.  Continue reading →

Looking Ahead: New 2012 Crime Fiction Novels

2 Replies

It’s good to be reminded of what’s coming out especially if you use the library. It’s good to get those requests in early. This is not an exhaustive list.

BLACK SKIES (UK, June 21, 2012) by Arnaldur Indridason, previous title was Outrage (UK)  Synopsis: A man is making a crude leather mask with slits for eyes and mouth, and an iron spike fixed in the middle of the forehead. It is a ‘death mask’, once used by Icelandic farmers to slaughter calves. He has revenge in mind.

Meanwhile, with Detective Erlendur absent, his baseball-loving colleague Sigurdur Óli is in the spotlight. A school reunion has left Sigurdur Óli dissatisfied with life in the police force. Iceland is enjoying an economic boom and young tycoons are busy partying with the international jet set. In contrast, Sigurdur Óli’s relationship is on the rocks and soon even his position in the CID is compromised: when he agrees to visit a couple of blackmailers as a favour to a friend he walks in just as a woman is beaten unconscious. When she dies, Sigurdur Óli has a murder investigation on his hands.  Continue reading →

Synopsis:

Combining edgy suspense and the vivid period detail that made The Given Day a smashing
success, award-winning, bestselling author Dennis Lehane delivers a masterful epic of
Prohibition-era America told through the story of a charismatic young gangster on his
rise through the glitz and the violence of the Roaring 20s. (Oct 2012)

Commentary: 

This book has already been optioned by Warner Bro. for actor Leonardo DiCaprio. As a fan of Dennis Lehane’s work, I can’t wait to read this one. My favorite books by him are: Mystic River, Darkness Take My Hand, Gone Baby Gone, Shutter Island and Prayers For Rain. You can preorder your copy here (Amazon) and B&N.

Moonlight Mile – Dennis Lehane

“Moonlight Mile” (2010) by Dennis Lehane is the long-awaited, most anticipated sixth entry in the PI series that featured Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro. The series is set in the author’s hometown of Boston. These characters were introduced to us in A Drink Before the War (1994)


Warning: This review contains spoilers for Gone, Baby, Gone.

Moonlight Mile takes up 12 years after the events in Gone, Baby, Gone. Amanda McCready was kidnapped at age four. Her mother, Helene, was a neglectful parent. Patrick and Angie took on the case of finding her and the outcome shattered their relationship. In “Moonlight Mile” the two are back together and are tracking down now sixteen-year old Amanda McCready, who has once again disappeared.

Times are hard and money is tight in the Commonwealth. Since we last caught up with Patrick and Angie, their relationship has changed. Work wise, Patrick’s been subcontracting with an elite security firm, Duhamel-Standiford. He hopes to get an offer from them for something more permanent. He desperately needs the work. However, Patrick’s been accused of having “class rage.” The clients he’s asked to protect are somewhat shady but for Patrick, it’s just a job. Before the security firm will hire him though, he must to learn how to keep his opinions to himself and bury the guilt of doing assignments that make him feel morally uncomfortable. Continue reading →