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kenpaul's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars for me so one of the very best of the year so far for me. Seems like a very brave book to write in this political climate. Crazy that race relations doesn't seem a whole lot better almost 50 years later. Have been a big Lehane fan since the Kenzie & Gennaro days, which still represent some of the best private detective fiction ever. I would love to see a new book in that series sometime, or maybe an extended HBO series? Anyway, if he keeps writing anything, I'll keep reading them.
pkylereads's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
4.0
kmthornfeldt's review against another edition
4.0
I’ve been reading Lehane since my years living in Boston for college. I loved his early work but was really disappointed in his more recent books like “Moonlight Mile” and “World Gone By.” However, after reading this one, I’m happy he has returned to form. The characters are believable, the pacing fast without being breakneck, and he doesn’t hold back on the racial tensions that continue to permeate Boston. I can’t recommend enough.
rj96's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
aromaticbug's review against another edition
3.0
maybe more like 2.5; silly fun mixed with a more self-serious thematic treatment that was mostly bemusing;
hackeynut's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely excruciating book to read. But miserably applicable to today. It is flawless. Incredible book.
carlyc's review against another edition
5.0
This book was fantastic. Really hard to read at times, heartbreaking and real.
jjcunis's review against another edition
5.0
Damn! Initially I was going to say "Small Mercies" is a tour de force. But then I wondered, what the heck does 'tour de force' mean anyway? So I Google'd it and found the term insufficient. Suffice it to say, this is one of the best novels/stories I've ever read and I've been reading consistently for over sixty years.
I flew through the pages like a hot car being pursued by the cops …with many jolts and sharp turns on the ride. Lehane has mastered dialogue that eloquently imparts the events of a slice of a person's life from a hornet's nest of diverse points of view, all within a maelstrom of chaos that was the city of Boston at that time.
Read this book. The Boston of the seventies is back now in 2023, but resurrected in many other cities across the country. Here is a chance to reflect and ponder that while being engulfed and blown away by a great story.
I flew through the pages like a hot car being pursued by the cops …with many jolts and sharp turns on the ride. Lehane has mastered dialogue that eloquently imparts the events of a slice of a person's life from a hornet's nest of diverse points of view, all within a maelstrom of chaos that was the city of Boston at that time.
Read this book. The Boston of the seventies is back now in 2023, but resurrected in many other cities across the country. Here is a chance to reflect and ponder that while being engulfed and blown away by a great story.