Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Read it in one sitting yesterday -- I love Dennis Lehane's writing. Different from a lot of his other work, but the guy has range, and isn't afraid to branch out and try something new. Can't understand these people who are brutalizing him for "straying" from the Patrick Kenzie formula that made him famous. I like the variety, and thought he did a good job with a female protagonist. There are some fairly long paragraphs dealing with Rachel's psychological torment, and I occasionally thought of Elmore Leonard ("I try to leave out the parts that people skip") but they do add to the story, even when a little long. Maybe those who are expressing disappointment are missing the nonstop thriller/action/adventure motif of his early work, but the guy isn't cooking Big Macs, he's writing novels! This is something new and different, but so what? The test is, "Do I stay up late to finish the thing because I can't put it down?" And the answer here is an unqualified yes.