technicat reviewed Gone, Baby, Gone by Dennis Lehane
pretty good Boston noir with some fun characters and distinctly non-fun subject matter, and lots of gunplay
4 stars
This is my first in the Kenzie and Gennaro series (I don't like reading them out of order, but what can you do) and the least favorite of my Lehane reads, partly because the subject matter is so disturbing (but what can you do) and a dour tone pervades the story, except for an entertaining half page where the narrator complains about The Smiths (but in general lauds 80s music). Probably the end would have had more impact if I hadn't seen the end of the movie, nevertheless the book is skillfully written with some entertaining characters (I'll have to read the previous books in this series just to find out who Bubba is) and moves the suspense along, excelling in the action scenes (the body count is high enough I couldn't place some of the deceased's names at the end) and imparts a Bostonian flavor that feels true from …
This is my first in the Kenzie and Gennaro series (I don't like reading them out of order, but what can you do) and the least favorite of my Lehane reads, partly because the subject matter is so disturbing (but what can you do) and a dour tone pervades the story, except for an entertaining half page where the narrator complains about The Smiths (but in general lauds 80s music). Probably the end would have had more impact if I hadn't seen the end of the movie, nevertheless the book is skillfully written with some entertaining characters (I'll have to read the previous books in this series just to find out who Bubba is) and moves the suspense along, excelling in the action scenes (the body count is high enough I couldn't place some of the deceased's names at the end) and imparts a Bostonian flavor that feels true from my few years there, down to the white guys joking about how they're white guys.
