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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
Here we are. The fifth book in Lehane's "Kenzie/Gennaro" series and thus far the only one to be made into a film.
I did enjoy this one, as I have all of Lehane's other works I've read thus far.
A little girl goes missing and a deadbeat mom, some other members of the family, the cops, and some sleazy drug lords are all wound up in it. But I don't think you could ever guess how this one plays out.
This one is a nice, solid offering from Lehane, as are all the other books thus far in the series. The characters are developed, the moral issues thought-provoking, and the plot nice and page-turningly effective. That said, I really don't think Lehane has done anything new here. He's even gone the missing person route once before in the series and though this is a child he's dealing with being taken here (which tugs at the brain and the heartstrings nicely), it's still another Kenzie/Gennaro mystery novel.
I don't mean to say that the book is not a great read. It's really quite good. So I guess what I AM saying is that if you've enjoyed the series thus far, keep reading. This one will be no disappointment, but really nothing fresh to the series, either.
I did enjoy this one, as I have all of Lehane's other works I've read thus far.
A little girl goes missing and a deadbeat mom, some other members of the family, the cops, and some sleazy drug lords are all wound up in it. But I don't think you could ever guess how this one plays out.
This one is a nice, solid offering from Lehane, as are all the other books thus far in the series. The characters are developed, the moral issues thought-provoking, and the plot nice and page-turningly effective. That said, I really don't think Lehane has done anything new here. He's even gone the missing person route once before in the series and though this is a child he's dealing with being taken here (which tugs at the brain and the heartstrings nicely), it's still another Kenzie/Gennaro mystery novel.
I don't mean to say that the book is not a great read. It's really quite good. So I guess what I AM saying is that if you've enjoyed the series thus far, keep reading. This one will be no disappointment, but really nothing fresh to the series, either.
Grisly subject, great read... Dennis Lehane has a lot of opinions, and is not afraid to put them out there, and it makes an interesting (and good) read.
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I first read this book around three years ago, and it took me less than three days. I re-read it a couple of days ago and it took me three weeks. This happened because I already knew what was going to happen, and so, wasn't so excited to keep reading. Still, Dennis Lehane is pretty much the only policial writer I read and for a good reason. There was still a part where I cried and the end is still one that doesn't leave us immediatly; that keeps us thinking. So, it wasn't as interesting as the first time I read it, but it still was a damn good book.
So, I've basically praised the Kenzie and Gennaro series in every single one of my reviews regarding this series. Gone, Baby, Gone is no exception. In fact, Gone, Baby, Gone may be my favorite of this series, case-wise.
One minor complain (very, very, very minor) that I've had over this series was that the cases weren't amazing. Well, in Gone, Baby, Gone, Lehane stepped up that aspect like you wouldn't believe. The case in this book was gripping, gritty, and heartbreaking. It was also crazy twists galore. I think Lehane might be the ONLY mystery writer that doesn't make me guess the whodunit. In fact, I don't even bother trying to guess because I KNOW I'll be wrong and I'm not usually wrong.
Anyway back to the heartbreaking thing, what I liked most about Gone, Baby, Gone was that it wasn't your typical mystery "fluff" (ala James Patterson or whoever actually writes his novels). Lehane brings up complex questions of what is right and wrong, the law, and basically everything else. What was heartbreaking was that in Gone, Baby, Gone there were no winners.
Again, Gone, Baby, Gone is highly recommended. It's definitely my favorite one (so far) in this series. It was thought-provoking, captivating, and superbly written.
One minor complain (very, very, very minor) that I've had over this series was that the cases weren't amazing. Well, in Gone, Baby, Gone, Lehane stepped up that aspect like you wouldn't believe. The case in this book was gripping, gritty, and heartbreaking. It was also crazy twists galore. I think Lehane might be the ONLY mystery writer that doesn't make me guess the whodunit. In fact, I don't even bother trying to guess because I KNOW I'll be wrong and I'm not usually wrong.
Anyway back to the heartbreaking thing, what I liked most about Gone, Baby, Gone was that it wasn't your typical mystery "fluff" (ala James Patterson or whoever actually writes his novels). Lehane brings up complex questions of what is right and wrong, the law, and basically everything else. What was heartbreaking was that in Gone, Baby, Gone there were no winners.
Again, Gone, Baby, Gone is highly recommended. It's definitely my favorite one (so far) in this series. It was thought-provoking, captivating, and superbly written.
I thought "Mystic River" was a better book. This was more a straight forward procedural/mystery. Both books left me a little stunned, however. Lehane doesn’t pull any punches.
I saw the movie version a few years back with my boyfriends mother. The book, once again, blows Hollywood out of the water. If you saw the movie, you will want to read the book. I enjoyed reading it. I like the authors writing style. There were plenty of twist along the way. I felt a variety of emotions while reading it. It was fast paced and once I began it I did not want to put it down. I went back and purchased the previous three books based off of my enjoyment of this one. There were some mentioning of previous cases but I did not have a difficult time with following the story even though I had not read them.
Posted at Shelf Inflicted
I knew this was going to be a very dark story. After reading the very disturbing Darkness, Take My Hand, about a vicious and sadistic serial killer who knew no limits when it came to human depravity, I didn’t imagine it could get much worse. I was wrong.
Though Patrick and Angie are tired of the violence and inhumanity that plagued their earlier cases, they agree to accept this latest case of a four-year-old girl who was abducted from her bed. Amanda’s mom, Helene, who is far from the perfect parent, uses drugs, drinks, and is addicted to TV. Amanda has a loving aunt and uncle who desperately want her to be found.
Patrick and Angie realize that a child’s disappearance must be solved quickly, or it will never be. With the help of two detectives in the Boston Police Department who believe in their own brand of justice, the denizens of their rough Dorchester neighborhood, and of course, Bubba, Patrick and Angie plunge headlong into one of their most difficult, complex, and emotional cases, confronting bad parenting, child abuse, pedophilia, and murder. They learn about themselves and each other, and discover that life and justice are not always black and white.
I had a difficult time putting the book down and enjoyed the growth of Angie and Patrick’s relationship, their feelings about children, and the questionable characters with good intentions. The story left me shaken and numb and thinking about it for days.
It was a great movie too!
I knew this was going to be a very dark story. After reading the very disturbing Darkness, Take My Hand, about a vicious and sadistic serial killer who knew no limits when it came to human depravity, I didn’t imagine it could get much worse. I was wrong.
Though Patrick and Angie are tired of the violence and inhumanity that plagued their earlier cases, they agree to accept this latest case of a four-year-old girl who was abducted from her bed. Amanda’s mom, Helene, who is far from the perfect parent, uses drugs, drinks, and is addicted to TV. Amanda has a loving aunt and uncle who desperately want her to be found.
Patrick and Angie realize that a child’s disappearance must be solved quickly, or it will never be. With the help of two detectives in the Boston Police Department who believe in their own brand of justice, the denizens of their rough Dorchester neighborhood, and of course, Bubba, Patrick and Angie plunge headlong into one of their most difficult, complex, and emotional cases, confronting bad parenting, child abuse, pedophilia, and murder. They learn about themselves and each other, and discover that life and justice are not always black and white.
I had a difficult time putting the book down and enjoyed the growth of Angie and Patrick’s relationship, their feelings about children, and the questionable characters with good intentions. The story left me shaken and numb and thinking about it for days.
It was a great movie too!