Helpful Score: 2
Another great Dennis Lehane book: he's a master of portraying the gritty side of Boston, and his characters really come to life.
Karla B. (mskarlamae) reviewed A Drink Before the War (Kenzie & Gennaro, Bk 1) on + 34 more book reviews
This is a terrific mystery/suspense novel by the writer of Mystic River. Begins the Kenzie/Gennaro series, and I can't wait to read another after having read this one!
Marie M. (malm548) - , reviewed A Drink Before the War (Kenzie & Gennaro, Bk 1) on + 121 more book reviews
I enjoyed this book very much. It draws you in quickly.
Karen D. (Kraduate) reviewed A Drink Before the War (Kenzie & Gennaro, Bk 1) on + 35 more book reviews
This is both Dennis Lehane's first novel as well as the first in the Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro PI series. It's written in true noir style with gritty characters in the even grittier setting of Boston's rough neighborhoods. Lehane's writing is littered with impassioned political rhetoric and heavy-handed examinations of the racial tensions that plague my native Boston. I found myself wondering if the views are all Patrick Kenzie's or if Dennis Lehane is using his characters to express his own frustrations. In the end it doesn't matter, Lehane captures Boston perfectly.
Kenzie and Gennaro are hired by a Senator to find some âdocumentsâ allegedly stolen by the cleaning woman. The case isn't as simple as it initially sounds and Patrick and Angie are soon caught in a web of lies that connect the State House to two rival gangs. They struggle with doing right by their clients or doing the right thing, and their lives are in constant danger. They are bound to each other and the case by their experiences with domestic abuse and racial divide.
By mid-novel the characters were as comfortable for me as a pair of old sneakers, albeit with a few stuck pebbles and untied laces.
Kenzie and Gennaro are hired by a Senator to find some âdocumentsâ allegedly stolen by the cleaning woman. The case isn't as simple as it initially sounds and Patrick and Angie are soon caught in a web of lies that connect the State House to two rival gangs. They struggle with doing right by their clients or doing the right thing, and their lives are in constant danger. They are bound to each other and the case by their experiences with domestic abuse and racial divide.
By mid-novel the characters were as comfortable for me as a pair of old sneakers, albeit with a few stuck pebbles and untied laces.
Crystal B. (Sunshine) reviewed A Drink Before the War (Kenzie & Gennaro, Bk 1) on + 142 more book reviews
Great book! 1st in the Kenzie/Gennaro series. Good suspense. I liked the characters a lot. It is about sensitive subjects - racism and child molesting so some may find it offensive but I thought it was very thought-provoking.
Starts a bit slow but gets interesting about half way through, hang in there.
The story line is a common one today but the writing style is, as usual, quite good.
The story line is a common one today but the writing style is, as usual, quite good.
