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From Amazon
In Darkness, Take My Hand, Dennis Lehane gives readers an authentic view of the Boston suburb of Dorchester, the scene of A Drink Before the War, winner of the Shamus Award from the Private Eye Writers of America. Dorchester, a solid blue-collar town with no shortage of good spots at which to sully up to the bar for a beer, is tarnished by a 20-year string of strangely similar killings. Patrick Kenzie, a local, becomes the improbable hero of this tale when he makes it his business to solve the slayings. The characters he encounters in Dorchester, with their distinctive accents and colorful pasts, make this mystery not only thrilling, but wildly entertaining.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
In his outstanding second novel, Lehane (whose debut, A Drink Before the War, won a Shamus award) explores horror close to home. Boston PIs Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro agree to help psychiatrist Diandra Warren. Her patient, using the name Moira Kenzie, has said she was abused by Kevin Hurlihy, a sociopathic Irish Mafia henchman who grew up in Angie and Patrick's neighborhood. Hurlihy may have threatened the doctor, who fears that her son, Jason, may be in danger. While Patrick and Angela shadow Jason, another former neighbor, Kara Rider, is found crucified. Sensing a connection, Patrick seeks out a retired cop turned saloonkeeper who recalls a hushed-up crucifixion murder in the neighborhood 20 years ago. The suspect in that killing is in prison, so he can't be murdering again, can he? As Patrick probes painful memories, he faces losing the woman he loves, Grace Cole, who is appalled at the brutality invading their lives. By the time Patrick and Angie realize how the murders relate to their own youth, they are the next targets. The showdown is unpredictable, like the New England autumn which, in Lehane's depiction, is informed by a wind "so chilly and mean it seemed the exhalation of a Puritan god." The story is densely peopled with multidimensional characters; there are no forgettable, walk-on roles on Lehane's stage. Lehane's voice, original, haunting and straight from the heart, places him among that top rank of stylists who enrich the modern mystery novel. Author tour.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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First Sentence
Angie and I were up in our belfry office trying to fix the air conditioner when Eric Gault called. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Angie and I were up in our belfry office trying to fix the air conditioner when Eric Gault called. Read the first page
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very much enjoyed it. Here's what you need to know.,
By
This review is from: Darkness Take My Hand Mm (Mass Market Paperback)
First, I thought the book was excellent. Great writing, very visually descriptive and nicely put together. Excellent characters that are complex and believable and interesting. I can see why Mr. Lehane uses them again and again in his future novels (a male and female pair of Private Detectives). The book is written in the first person primarily, which I normally don't care for but works well here because it's not overdone (thus giving the reader many perspectives). The villains and situations are very dark (as the title suggests) and I would compare Mr. Lehane's "monsters" to the likes of Thomas Harris' Hannibal Lector although the descriptions of the acts done on others are not quite as graphic (which can be a plus, if you're reading while eating lunch for example). The plot is a clever mystery and realistic on all levels especially regarding the main character's (Patrick) relationships with the other characters in the novel. If you enjoy authors like Patricia Cornwell or Thomas Harris or Phillip Margolin, then I recommend you try this novel. You won't be disappointed.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
competent Lehane mystery falls short of 'classic' status...,
By lazza (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Darkness Take My Hand Mm (Mass Market Paperback)
'Darkness, Take My Hand' is certainly a book not for the squeamish, as are Lehane's other books. In it we have our Boston private eyes (a man/woman pairing who, naturally, form something beyond a professional relationship) embroiled in a mystery where psychopaths mutilate residents of an inner Boston neighborhood. As the story unravels we understand these criminal monsters actually have their origins many years earlier, with a direct relationship to one of the private eye's own childhood. This book is filled with Lehane's characteristic plot twists, and the story matures nicely to a fine conclusion.But this book is not great. I felt the prose was somewhat weaker than in other Lehane novels; this man is capable of writing *literature*. But 'Darkness...' seems to be relatively devoid of witty dialogue or sparkling prose, unlike for example 'Prayers for Rain'. However Lehane is still in fine form with wonderful characterizations. Bottom line: a nasty and disturbing story of depravity and corruption. Not amongst Lehane's best but still a very worthy read.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Clearly Five Stars!!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Darkness Take My Hand Mm (Mass Market Paperback)
I love the Kenzie/Gennaro series, and this is the best in the bunch. Great plotting, wonderful primary and secondary characters, and ruminations on the nature of evil that don't distract from the suspense.
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