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MOONLIGHT MILE
by Dennis Lehane
William Morrow, November 2010
324 pages
$26.99
ISBN: 0061836923


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

As a reviewer, I find it awkward at times not to get it when readers rave about a book or an author that you never quite got. Some years ago, I reviewed a book that was later picked up as a great historical look at something; I thought it only delivered surface information. One book was considered a classic. I had missed feelings about it. It's puzzling at times not to see what other readers see.

I truly liked Dennis Lehane's books when I first read them. I liked what he did with Patrick and Angie. They were tough, they were caring, they were interesting. But when readers were saying that MYSTIC RIVER was the best book they'd read all year and would read all year (in March) I was uneasy. I didn't like MYSTIC RIVER. I disliked SHUTTER ISLAND. What was I missing?

I just left it at "I don't get it" until I heard that Lehane had a new book coming out that brought Angie Gernnaro and Patrick Kenzie back. I was delighted as it had been a while and Lehane is clearly having a great time with whatever he's doing.

So, phew. I liked MOONLIGHT MILE and in reading it, was reminded that Dennis Lehane is one hell of a talented author. For me, he hadn't skipped a beat in his ability to tell a story as part of a series. His flawed characters, his good guys, even the odd Bubba, who became for me a bit of a cliched "psycho" are well delineated and bright to life in this story. And what a surprising story. It's a follow-up, if you will, to the events of twelve years ago that Lehane wrote about in GONE BABY GONE.

Amanda McCready has gone missing again, and her mother – a sad mess of a woman – insists that Patrick find her again. Patrick's apparently never really felt great about this case – when he found this kidnapped child, she was safe. But she was nevertheless a victim of a kidnapping and Patrick could not resolve the law and reality. Patrick's still dealing with conflicts in life – the right thing to do, the responsible thing to do. As a man with a wife and child, he's thinking about all those necessities, and wondering too if he should take a more corporate private eye job, onet hat would be more stable, less risky.

Amanda was returned to a disastrous home life and apparently learned in the ensuing years how to survive. She's brilliant, she has a great future – easily getting into a great college with the intelligence to move forward. Then why did she disappear? How much is related to her chaotic life and past?

The story might be pretty straightforward "girl goes missing" but this isn't an ordinary girl. Over the years, I've noticed that even with standard plots, there are surprises. Good ones. And MOONLIGHT MILE is absolutely one of those. It's nice to have Lehane "back" in a sense.

§ Andi Shechter, who has twice has chaired mystery conventions, has an ancient MA in Criminal Justice and is proud to have appeared in a mystery as a New York runway model.

Reviewed by Andi Shechter, December 2010

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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