Three young boys from the mean streets of Boston lives are forever altered when one of them is abducted. Jimmy Marcus and Sean Devine did not get in the car with the two men who turned onto their street one day, but Dave Boyle did. Although Dave manages to escape from the pedophiles the friendship is never the same and all three men move on with their lives. Sean is now a police officer, Jimmy a reformed mobster who spends a few years in jail and changes when his wife dies while he is away, leaving him to raise their daughter Katie. Dave is married but hasn't done much with his life, still harboring the pain of his past. All three of these men's lives come together again when a teenaged Katie is murdered; Sean is the lead investigator, Jimmy is wracked by grief and guilt, and Dave becomes increasingly unraveled as many of his secrets become exposed. Powerfully written with unforgettable and complex characters, this is one of the best suspense books I have read in a very long time. Each character seems so real they almost come off the page. You empathize with them; shake your head at their weaknesses but care about each one. The language is real, the situations are real and the question of morals and ethics is explored time and again. Good people do bad things; sometimes bad people can do good things, and there is a strong sense of karma throughout the book. The ‘what if' questions of making a different turn on a given day and the consequences are explored and the scars that are left on three boys as they mature into men is examined in their day by day reactions to Katie's death. I have never read Lehane before, but I plan to remedy that situation. I have A Drink Before the War on my TBR and I will definitely read that one very soon.

"Mystic River" is a thoroughly intriguing book with characters that were three dimensional. Unfortunately I saw the movie prior to reading the book, which is not what I prefer to do since nearly every movie fails miserably in it representation of the book. However, I realized two things: the movie did a very good job of representing the book and the book was still fresh and new to me. Anyone who is looking for a great read to introduce them to a potentially new author, this is it.

I saw the movie first and thought it was excellent but there is no comparison to reading this book. It is one of the best mystery thrillers I've ever read, a sad-but-true story of karma and "the sins of the father"...

Sean, Jimmy and Dave were thrown together as friends for about a year when they were 11. One day, a car drove up with two men in it. One boy got in and the other two didn't. What happened then and afterward touched their lives forever. They grew up, went in different directions and then were brought together again by a tragic murder.

Great book!

Incredible book, I can't recommend this one enough. I, too, saw the movie first and loved it. The movie followed the book very closely and the book does the characters justice, that much more. The wives all have an integral part and the book is able to go into those depths that the movie would not have been able to. Nothing was left out of the movie, it's just more insight. Being in Dave's head in the book can't be duplicated and there was one scene in the movie that I found very powerful and was looking forward to reading it in the book: the scene toward the end between Sean Penn and Laura Linney-- a very chilling scene in the movie and very high impact in the book as well. I would re-read again in a few years.

I love this book. I saw the movie first, which I thought was great, and then wanted to read the novel. The movie is very faithful to the book, by the way. Very moving.

I loved this book. I watched the movie after I read the book, and it did not do the book complete justice. Very compelling read.

When they were children, Sean Devine, Jimmy Marcus and Dave Boyle were friends. But then a strange car pulled up to their street. One boy got into the car, two did not, and something terrible happened--something that ended their friendship and changed all three boys forever. Now, years later, murder has tied their lives together again.

"One powerful, wrenching tale of murder, revenge, the meaning of friendship, and the vagaries of fate..." USA Today

"A literary murder mystery of the highest order...The way this story unfolds and wraps itself around your innermost fears makes it a gut-clenching winner" USA Today

Very heavy. but so well done you can't help but empathize with the characters. Very compelling story (even if sad).

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ummmm..saw the movie first (unusual for me); however, the book was good, but in this case, I liked the movie better (also unusual for me).

One of the best mystery novels I've read. Not the formulaic, usual "mysteries" that leave you disappointed at the end. Great characters! The movie is excellent also.

Beautifully written. A wrenching tale of murder, betrayal, revenge, and the meaning of friendship. Engrossing book.

Every word of this novel rings genuine.

Dennis Lehane is one of my favorite authors. He manages to bring the characters to life and the readers feel their pain and joy as if they are members of their families. This book is very compelling and the best Lehane yet. It centers around a troubling situation (a parents worst nightmare) and alters the lives of three young friends. As it nears a horrible outcome-you will not be able to put the book down!

Really good book! Couldn't put it down. He not only writes a good thriller he delves into the emotional tole and pasts of each of the individuals. A very mature read. Can't go wrong with this one.

This was a really good book as always the book is much better then the movie. I would highly recommend this book. If you liked the movie then you should read the book.

my favorite Lehane book so far.... really good, especially if you live in or are familiar with the Boston area.... now i want to see the movie!

The book is even better than the movie.

This was really a good book. Kept my interest til the end.

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