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A review by daisyknox
Prayers for Rain by Dennis Lehane
5.0
I absolutely love this story, for so many reasons, not the least of which is because it’s the first of the series that I read. Yes, it’s book five but I had no clue at the time. Prayers For Rain introduced me to Lehane as an author more than a decade ago and he remains a favorite still today.
Time has passed since the events in Gone, Baby, Gone and the Patrick Kenzie we meet isn’t the one we know and love, he’s a shell of that man. He and Angie split up because of the way the Amanda McCready case ended. She’s gone to work for a corporate security outfit and he works alone but no longer seems to have the stomach for this work.
Patrick learns that a former client committed suicide and he’s wracked with guilt when he remembers that he neglected to return her call weeks ago. Karen Nichols was a sweet young lady with a seemingly perfect life and a seemingly minor problem for him to solve, so her death is shocking. Patrick wonders what drove poor Karen to her death and learns that her picturesque life fell apart almost instantly after their last contact.
Those around him question Patrick’s need to understand Karen’s decline and the bent of vigilantism he shows in the quest. But his instincts prove to be correct when he discovers Karen Nichols was driven to suicide by an unknown enemy. Someone carefully orchestrated the destruction of every aspect of her life in rapid succession, leaving her homeless, penniless and alone after even causing her family to turn their backs.
Her story is so compelling, it provides the leverage needed to finally entice Angie back to their partnership. Bubba plays his biggest role yet and shines as always, bringing humor and a few surprises. It doesn’t take long for Karen’s tormentor to notice Patrick and focus on him, so once again, our MC’s become prey.
This story, although still dealing with some heavy subject matter at certain points, is far lighter and funnier than the darkest of the series, so it’s a nice breath of fresh air. Showing the passage of time and how their lives have changed was a nice touch and somewhat surprising, considering how the series kept ripping out my heart and stomping all over it.
I’d dare say that the ending to this story is the gritty series’ own version of happily ever after, which was a lovely surprise.
Time has passed since the events in Gone, Baby, Gone and the Patrick Kenzie we meet isn’t the one we know and love, he’s a shell of that man. He and Angie split up because of the way the Amanda McCready case ended. She’s gone to work for a corporate security outfit and he works alone but no longer seems to have the stomach for this work.
Patrick learns that a former client committed suicide and he’s wracked with guilt when he remembers that he neglected to return her call weeks ago. Karen Nichols was a sweet young lady with a seemingly perfect life and a seemingly minor problem for him to solve, so her death is shocking. Patrick wonders what drove poor Karen to her death and learns that her picturesque life fell apart almost instantly after their last contact.
Those around him question Patrick’s need to understand Karen’s decline and the bent of vigilantism he shows in the quest. But his instincts prove to be correct when he discovers Karen Nichols was driven to suicide by an unknown enemy. Someone carefully orchestrated the destruction of every aspect of her life in rapid succession, leaving her homeless, penniless and alone after even causing her family to turn their backs.
Her story is so compelling, it provides the leverage needed to finally entice Angie back to their partnership. Bubba plays his biggest role yet and shines as always, bringing humor and a few surprises. It doesn’t take long for Karen’s tormentor to notice Patrick and focus on him, so once again, our MC’s become prey.
This story, although still dealing with some heavy subject matter at certain points, is far lighter and funnier than the darkest of the series, so it’s a nice breath of fresh air. Showing the passage of time and how their lives have changed was a nice touch and somewhat surprising, considering how the series kept ripping out my heart and stomping all over it.
I’d dare say that the ending to this story is the gritty series’ own version of happily ever after, which was a lovely surprise.