Mystic River
by Dennis Lehane
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Book Summary Information
Author: Dennis LehaneEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-07-22
ISBN: 0060584750
Number of pages: 416
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Book Reviews of Mystic River
Book Review: ****1/2 - more than just a mystery
Summary: 4 Stars
The Boston based author, Dennis Lehane, wrote a great detective story with a social background so great, it is almost more important than the plot. "Mystic River" differs from Lehane's other books and indeed raises him to the next level as a writer.
"Mystic River" is set in the fictional Boston suburb, called East Buckingham (the author explains it as an amalgamate of Dorchester, Charlestown and South Boston and it really feels like Dorchester), home mostly to white working class, with plenty of crime. I liked the background info especially since I could relate to it, knowing the area...
The first part, which is the base and explanation for later events, takes place in 1975, when one of the three eleven-year old neighborhood boys playing in the street is abducted by two men in an apple-smelling car, and although he comes back after four days, his life as well as his friends' is changed forever. The ways of the boys soon part, Dave (the boy taken by the men) lives a quiet life, has a wife and a son, and likes his memories of being a football player in high school. Jimmy, the "bad boy", after doing some time in prison settles down as a storeowner with a nineteen-year old daughter from his first marriage, second wife and their two daughters. The third boy, college-educated Sean, becomes a policeman.
When Jimmy's beautiful daughter, Katie, is found murdered in the park after a night out Dave comes home covered in blood, Sean gets assigned to the case. There are many leads to different people... But the case is difficult. Meanwhile, Jimmy and his family embark on the search of their own.
The plot is very good until the end, and psychological details as well as the insights into the society are extremely accurate. The characters are very real, especially Jimmy and Sean, who are central to the plot. Their trauma after Dave's abduction made a lasting effect on their lives - in very different ways. They are complicated, multifaceted people, very well developed as literary characters. Some side protagonists, depicting perhaps types rather than individuals (Bobby, Roman, the Savage brothers, Sergeant Whitey), are very good. I was in the grasp of this book until the end - it is not only great entertainment, but also food for thought.
The movie based on "Mystic River" with Sean Penn is equally moving - recommended for those with little time...
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