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jeffmauch's review against another edition
4.0
Another gem from Dennis Lehane here. This is a bit of a departure from the gritty, present day novels I mostly associate with Lehane (Gone Baby Gone, Mystic River, Moonlight Mile), but it's still the lovable setting of the city of Boston. This time it's Boston post WWII and prior to prohibition. It also has characters you can't help but root for: Danny Coughlin, the honest cop that follows what he thinks is right, regardless of the consequences. Luther, the African American on the run who again, like Danny, is trying to be the good in the world and do right by everyone. Thomas, Danny's father, the old guard, torn between the world that was and the better world that may be that Danny envisions and is fighting for. I really enjoyed this book quite a bit, particular the way Lehane tied Babe Ruth into multiple parts of the book as a means to not only tie the storylines together, but to give us a sense of time and place from an outside perspective to the events within.
hokielin's review against another edition
4.0
WOW. Great book that made 700 pages fly by. Set in Boston during and post WWI, its about race relations, public policy, corruption, and Hoover's FBI tactics and policies, with the personal and emotional stories to make the characters very real. The goodreads synopsis is very good. Lehane somehow manages to keep the narrative to only what's necessary, rarely an extraneous word. Thank goodness, given the length. But it makes every word interesting and relevant, and the pages keep turning. The story surrounds the Coughlin family, a wealthy Irish immigrant family with power and connections in the Boston police department, and Luther Laurence, a black man arriving in Boston after trouble in Oklahoma. The secondary characters in the story are just as exciting as the primary ones, however, and you always want to know how everyone is connected. The historical background seems based in fact (although I can't confirm), making this all the more interesting. You get a feel for what it must have been like to live during that time, whether you were more privileged or just the opposite. I highly recommend this book!
heidiimmes's review against another edition
2.0
There were about 50 pages that I actually enjoyed. It's just about impossible to care for most of the characters. Eh.
dannb's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Learned a lot. Characters are interesting; however, in this case, I think the author tried to weave too many topics together. There are effectively 2-3 really good stories in this book that should be "separated out," even if the characters cross over into each other's books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
jsholman2002's review against another edition
5.0
I am really enjoying the many different story lines about to converge.
reachant's review
5.0
I have to say I loved this book. When I bought it I had gone looking for Shutter Island, but they didn't have it so I bought this instead and I wasn't disappointed. The historical nature of the story and the ease of writing kept me engaged for the whole 700 pages. I'm a Lehane fan for sure.
chicagobob's review against another edition
4.0
Very good to excellent realistic historical fiction set in Boston around the end of WW I. Probably 4.5 stars, not just 4.
Our main hero is a Boston cop, son of a Big Man in the Boston Police Department. Lots of real-world characters (e.g., Babe Ruth) and events, leading up the great Boston police strike and riots of 1918.
Our main hero is a Boston cop, son of a Big Man in the Boston Police Department. Lots of real-world characters (e.g., Babe Ruth) and events, leading up the great Boston police strike and riots of 1918.
dogtrax's review against another edition
5.0
Using historic Boston as the backdrop, Lehane weaves an tight thriller with lots of threads.