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boleary30's review against another edition
3.0
After Gone, Baby, Gone I knew there would be a letdown, but I didn't expect it to be this big. While I still love Kenzie, Gennaro and Bubba, the villains in this book were awful. They were bad just because they were bad, no real deep rooted involvement with the other characters in the book. Just bad guys that like to harm others.
genizah's review against another edition
3.0
Would have given this one four stars (so much Bubba!) except for the awful cliche that was the last couple of pages.
shelfimprovement's review against another edition
4.0
I have had a ridiculously hard time finding something to read for the last two weeks or so. I keep starting books, getting ten pages in, and never mustering the desire to get back into them. Somehow, over the last year or so Dennis Lehane has become a reliable reading rut-buster for me. I'm almost disappointed to finish the Kenzie and Gennaro books, because I don't know where else to find quick reads that aren't totally mindless or abhorrently written.
This might actually be my favorite Kenzie and Gennaro book thus far. It's more psychological than crime thriller, and that might be why. The events of Gone Baby Gone have led to Patrick and Angie taking a break from each other, professionally and personally. Patrick is hired by the uber buttoned-down Karen Nichols to put an end to unwanted harassment from a douchey gym rat. He only briefly hesitates when he hears a message from Karen a few weeks later as he is heading out the door on vacation, then forgets to return the call and puts Karen Nichols out of his mind entirely until six months later when she kills herself by jumping off a building downtown. Racked with guilt, Patrick decides to look into the events that led up to Karen's suicide and begins to realize that what has been written off a string of crummy luck might be more than that: a bizarre, dark plot of manipulation and revenge.
Even though I enjoyed the book, I find myself with not a lot to say about. Lehane relies a little too heavily on pop psychology for my tastes, but his plot is focused and deliberate and I enjoy Patrick's dry narrative. The villain is sinister without becoming a caricature, and I didn't solve the mystery too early this time. The book just sucked me in and I didn't want to let go until I got to the end, which has been difficult to come across lately. A perfect quickie read.
This might actually be my favorite Kenzie and Gennaro book thus far. It's more psychological than crime thriller, and that might be why. The events of Gone Baby Gone have led to Patrick and Angie taking a break from each other, professionally and personally. Patrick is hired by the uber buttoned-down Karen Nichols to put an end to unwanted harassment from a douchey gym rat. He only briefly hesitates when he hears a message from Karen a few weeks later as he is heading out the door on vacation, then forgets to return the call and puts Karen Nichols out of his mind entirely until six months later when she kills herself by jumping off a building downtown. Racked with guilt, Patrick decides to look into the events that led up to Karen's suicide and begins to realize that what has been written off a string of crummy luck might be more than that: a bizarre, dark plot of manipulation and revenge.
Even though I enjoyed the book, I find myself with not a lot to say about. Lehane relies a little too heavily on pop psychology for my tastes, but his plot is focused and deliberate and I enjoy Patrick's dry narrative. The villain is sinister without becoming a caricature, and I didn't solve the mystery too early this time. The book just sucked me in and I didn't want to let go until I got to the end, which has been difficult to come across lately. A perfect quickie read.
lolxero's review against another edition
5.0
Man... The guy was a psychopath, had my stomach in knots for the last half if the book. Dennis Lehane has always been one of my favorites, but damn, this is one of his best.
diannamorganti's review against another edition
4.0
Good installation into the Kenzie and Gennaro series. Lots of unexpected twists and turns. I LOVE the peek into Bubba's life :)
stenaros's review against another edition
4.0
And we come to the end (for now?) of the Kenzie/Gennaro saga. In this book Patrick Kenzie takes on a simple stalker case that turns out to be so much more. Bubba is great in this book, for all the Bubba fans.
This book was a perfect flying companion. I absorbed it for much of my flight from Portland to Amsterdam. I am eagerly awaiting the next novel in the series, but I gather it will be awhile, if ever. I'll just have to re-read the series.
This book was a perfect flying companion. I absorbed it for much of my flight from Portland to Amsterdam. I am eagerly awaiting the next novel in the series, but I gather it will be awhile, if ever. I'll just have to re-read the series.
lareads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
martyfried's review against another edition
5.0
First read: 4.5 stars.
Really enjoyed this one. Lots of action, lots of bad to very bad people, though sometimes it was hard to know who the bad guys actually were. I was a little disappointed at times when Patrick Kenzie seemed to make somewhat dumb or naive errors, but I suppose it makes it more real when the heroes aren't perfect. He's pretty good, though, and I enjoy his wisecracks, along with some of the other characters. I also like his childhood friend, Bubba, who is a good friend to have in a pinch. And a bad enemy to have at any time. His first inclination is to just kill someone he doesn't like, and if you mistreat dogs... watch out.
There were a lot of twists and turns throughout the book, starting with an extremely nice, sweet woman who goes downhill so fast and so far, it makes no sense. And that's the story - how did it happen? You'll have to read the book to find out.
Second read: 5 stars, because now I know the lead-in and the characters.
I think I enjoyed it more the 2nd time. I don't usually reread books, but for some reason, I read this before I got in to the series. After reading the series from the beginning, I really enjoyed it, and didn't remember any details for this one. It had some of the usual plot twists, and the one at the end was a bit unsatisfying, and somewhat hard to believe, or at least understand how it could happen that way. Still, it was a great read, and well, it is fiction so being hard to believe doesn't have to be an impediment.
Really enjoyed this one. Lots of action, lots of bad to very bad people, though sometimes it was hard to know who the bad guys actually were. I was a little disappointed at times when Patrick Kenzie seemed to make somewhat dumb or naive errors, but I suppose it makes it more real when the heroes aren't perfect. He's pretty good, though, and I enjoy his wisecracks, along with some of the other characters. I also like his childhood friend, Bubba, who is a good friend to have in a pinch. And a bad enemy to have at any time. His first inclination is to just kill someone he doesn't like, and if you mistreat dogs... watch out.
There were a lot of twists and turns throughout the book, starting with an extremely nice, sweet woman who goes downhill so fast and so far, it makes no sense. And that's the story - how did it happen? You'll have to read the book to find out.
Second read: 5 stars, because now I know the lead-in and the characters.
I think I enjoyed it more the 2nd time. I don't usually reread books, but for some reason, I read this before I got in to the series. After reading the series from the beginning, I really enjoyed it, and didn't remember any details for this one. It had some of the usual plot twists, and the one at the end was a bit unsatisfying, and somewhat hard to believe, or at least understand how it could happen that way. Still, it was a great read, and well, it is fiction so being hard to believe doesn't have to be an impediment.
ncrabb's review against another edition
3.0
While this book is part of a series, I had no problem leaping into it and feeling as if I belonged there. Karen Nichols is the kind of woman you'd want as a friend or even a daughter. She possesses a kind of sweet innocence that lets her find good in everyone around her. She's squeaky clean, positive about her life, and riding the crest of a happy wave that shows no downward spirals.
But Karen has a little problem, and she has come to private investigator Patrick Kenzie for help. She's being stocked by a guy who, for whatever reason, is trying to drain from her everything that is good and kind and uplifting about her.
Patrick manages to fix the stocker problem or so he thinks, and everyone gets on with their lives. But just as he is about to leave for a sex-saturated vacation with a young female attorney, a phone call comes in from Karen Nichols. She sounds horrible. All that effervescence that once was a hallmark is gone, and she is again asking for help. But Kenzie is so intent on getting off to a vacation start that he essentially ignores the call. Not long after that, Karen leaps to her death, and Kenzie is left to wonder why and how someone of her optimism and good cheer could die so suddenly and violently.
He brings in a couple of friends to help him investigate the death. The girl is Angie, a former lover who, by virtue of her genealogy, has connections to the Boston-area mafia. The other is Bubba Rogowski, a somewhat mentally bent ex-military guy who fears nothing and is great at intimidation. The deeper they dig into Karen's death the more they realize that nothing about her final six months was coincidental. Even her parents have things to hide, and the sociopathic nature of the guy responsible for Karen's downfall keeps him one step ahead of them. Worse yet, he begins to exploit the weaknesses of Kenzie and his team such that those they love are also now threatened similarly to Karen.
So this sounds like a fast-paced page turner, right? If so, why would I be cautious in recommending it to you? Because the violence is neck snapping and gut wrenching. The levels of profanity and vulgar language here is way high. I get that many of you who follow me here are ok with that kind of thing in your books, and so I realize I run the risk of alienating one or two of you who may question why I would bother to write such warnings. But I'm convinced there are people who can take violence and vulgarity in books only in small doses if at all. It's for those folks that I cautiously recommend this. The book is written in a snappy, staccato style that doesn't allow for a lot of wool gathering and mind wandering. If you start it, you'll stay with it. Much of Boston and its environs are vividly described, and the author uses place as a great vehicle to keep you very much engaged in the book. Just
please be aware that the language in here is pretty salty and the violence is graphic in places.
But Karen has a little problem, and she has come to private investigator Patrick Kenzie for help. She's being stocked by a guy who, for whatever reason, is trying to drain from her everything that is good and kind and uplifting about her.
Patrick manages to fix the stocker problem or so he thinks, and everyone gets on with their lives. But just as he is about to leave for a sex-saturated vacation with a young female attorney, a phone call comes in from Karen Nichols. She sounds horrible. All that effervescence that once was a hallmark is gone, and she is again asking for help. But Kenzie is so intent on getting off to a vacation start that he essentially ignores the call. Not long after that, Karen leaps to her death, and Kenzie is left to wonder why and how someone of her optimism and good cheer could die so suddenly and violently.
He brings in a couple of friends to help him investigate the death. The girl is Angie, a former lover who, by virtue of her genealogy, has connections to the Boston-area mafia. The other is Bubba Rogowski, a somewhat mentally bent ex-military guy who fears nothing and is great at intimidation. The deeper they dig into Karen's death the more they realize that nothing about her final six months was coincidental. Even her parents have things to hide, and the sociopathic nature of the guy responsible for Karen's downfall keeps him one step ahead of them. Worse yet, he begins to exploit the weaknesses of Kenzie and his team such that those they love are also now threatened similarly to Karen.
So this sounds like a fast-paced page turner, right? If so, why would I be cautious in recommending it to you? Because the violence is neck snapping and gut wrenching. The levels of profanity and vulgar language here is way high. I get that many of you who follow me here are ok with that kind of thing in your books, and so I realize I run the risk of alienating one or two of you who may question why I would bother to write such warnings. But I'm convinced there are people who can take violence and vulgarity in books only in small doses if at all. It's for those folks that I cautiously recommend this. The book is written in a snappy, staccato style that doesn't allow for a lot of wool gathering and mind wandering. If you start it, you'll stay with it. Much of Boston and its environs are vividly described, and the author uses place as a great vehicle to keep you very much engaged in the book. Just
please be aware that the language in here is pretty salty and the violence is graphic in places.