Search - Mystic River

The book came before the movie, and it's at least as powerful. This is the ideal book for swapping: you'll never need to read it again because you'll never forget it.

Torrid novel of three friends from Boston. One man's life was altered by a childhood trauma. Another man become a homicide detective, the other a reformed master thief. When one man's daughter is murdered, the three men's lives again intersect at a point which will lead to tragedy, shattering revelations and a true test of friendship and commitment. Brooding,psychological and powerful.

Really great book! Wow, super page turner.

While I haven't seen the Oscar-nominated movie based on Lehane's book, the book itself is terrific. Three boys are forever changed when one of them, David Boyle, is abducted by two men at a young age. He returns days later but nothing remains the same. One of the boys, Jimmy, is a former criminal who's seemingly eager to get back into that world when his nineteen-year-old daughter Katie is murdered in a local park. David is immediately suspected, even by his wife, but the eventual revelation of the real killers is shocking. Meanwhile, Sean has become a detective and now faces the unpleasant task of possibly arresting David for Katie's murder and dealing with Jimmy's simmering rage. The descriptions of the neighborhoods are great and while some characters seem adrift in hopelessness, Lehane's writing elevates this story from thriller to literature. There are great descriptions of family, love, and home. An excellent book by all accounts, and I'm looking forward to reading more of Lehane's work.

Nice murder mystery. I've read better Lehane stories, though, like Shutter Island and his newest The Given Day.