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Dan's Reviews > Darkness, Take My Hand
Darkness, Take My Hand (Kenzie & Gennaro, #2)
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Just when things are going great for both of them, Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro are hired by a psychiatrist to find out who's stalking her son. Meanwhile, Patrick runs into a troubled girl from the neighborhood. But what do these two things have to do with an imprisioned psychopath who wants to speak with Patrick?
One of these days, I'm going to learn my lesson and have Kemper and Nancy pick out all my books for me. Kenzie and Gennaro are rapidly climbing my detective hierarchy.
Things have changed since the last outing. Angie is finally divorcing her alcoholic, wife-beating husband Phil and Patrick's in a relationship with a doctor named Grace and acting as a father for her two-year old, Mae. Then things start going pear-shaped when it appears a pair of serial killers is at work.
Much like Lawrence Block's marvelous Matthew Scudder series, the things that makes Kenzie and Gennaro stand out are the well-realized setting and the characters. The Boston of Lehane's tales is as rich a setting as Block's New York and I wouldn't be surprised if they existed in the same space-time continuum. Lehane's cast is really growing on me. Kenzie and Gennaro are both three-dimensional, multi-facetted characters that I have no trouble believing in. The supporting cast, namely cops Devin and Oscar and one Bubba Rogowski, are memorable in their own right. I even caught myself giving a shit about Phil, Angie's douche bag ex.
The characters have developed quite a bit since the first book. I'm almost afraid to see what wringer Lehane is going to run them through in subsequent books. Patrick and Angie are a lot more scratched and dented than they were when the series started and I'm only two books in.
The villains were suitably vile but not cartoonishly so, not even for serial killers. I had no idea who the mastermind was until Patrick did, though the mystery wasn't easily solveable. One of the killers reminded me a lot of James Motely from one of the Matthew Scudder books.
I guess that's about all I can say. As much as I liked the first book, A Drink Before the War, this one was even better. It's an easy five stars.
One of these days, I'm going to learn my lesson and have Kemper and Nancy pick out all my books for me. Kenzie and Gennaro are rapidly climbing my detective hierarchy.
Things have changed since the last outing. Angie is finally divorcing her alcoholic, wife-beating husband Phil and Patrick's in a relationship with a doctor named Grace and acting as a father for her two-year old, Mae. Then things start going pear-shaped when it appears a pair of serial killers is at work.
Much like Lawrence Block's marvelous Matthew Scudder series, the things that makes Kenzie and Gennaro stand out are the well-realized setting and the characters. The Boston of Lehane's tales is as rich a setting as Block's New York and I wouldn't be surprised if they existed in the same space-time continuum. Lehane's cast is really growing on me. Kenzie and Gennaro are both three-dimensional, multi-facetted characters that I have no trouble believing in. The supporting cast, namely cops Devin and Oscar and one Bubba Rogowski, are memorable in their own right. I even caught myself giving a shit about Phil, Angie's douche bag ex.
The characters have developed quite a bit since the first book. I'm almost afraid to see what wringer Lehane is going to run them through in subsequent books. Patrick and Angie are a lot more scratched and dented than they were when the series started and I'm only two books in.
The villains were suitably vile but not cartoonishly so, not even for serial killers. I had no idea who the mastermind was until Patrick did, though the mystery wasn't easily solveable. One of the killers reminded me a lot of James Motely from one of the Matthew Scudder books.
I guess that's about all I can say. As much as I liked the first book, A Drink Before the War, this one was even better. It's an easy five stars.
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Reading Progress
December 23, 2012
–
Started Reading
December 23, 2012
– Shelved as:
christmas-2012
December 23, 2012
– Shelved
December 23, 2012
– Shelved as:
crime-and-mystery
December 26, 2012
– Shelved as:
2012
December 26, 2012
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-23 of 23 (23 new)
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message 1:
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Kemper
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rated it 4 stars
Dec 26, 2012 02:34PM
I'm thinking about starting a book picking service. You can be the first client. My fees will be very reasonable.
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I'll do it for free until Dec. 31.
Trudi wrote: "I'm absolutely loving Mystic River. Can't wait to start this series."Once I finish this series, I have a feeling I'll be reading all of Lehane's other stuff.
Mystic River was my first of his. I loved the movie too. One of these days, I'll read it again so I can write a review.Dan, my free pick for December is When Gravity Fails.
Nancy wrote: "Mystic River was my first of his. I loved the movie too. One of these days, I'll read it again so I can write a review.Dan, my free pick for December is When Gravity Fails."
I've heard of that one. Isn't it some kind of sf in an Arabian setting?
It's a near-future, cyberpunk, middle-eastern (North African) setting resembling Morocco, maybe, and it's a lot of fun.
Interesting reading your take on Lehane's Boston. For me it was the weakest part of the first book, and everything just read like a list of street names.
Told you they get better. BTW, Effinger's WHEN GRAVITY FAILS starts a marvelous trilogy and was the source material for Infocom's CIRCUIT'S EDGE computer game. Now that George has left this mortal coil, it is safe for me to reveal that the crime boss was a Muslim version of Carlos Marcello.
I'll add you to the "listen to" list, Johnny. After this and Johnny's Law of short stories, you've earned it.
Dan wrote: "Once I finish this series, I have a feeling I'll be reading all of Lehane's other stuff."You've got a lot of really good books ahead of you!
I finished Sacred earlier today and will probably jump right into Gone Baby Gone.
Oh man, I loved When Gravity Fails. It's been so long since I read it, I hope it still reads as cool as it was back then.Dan, Darkness, Take My Hand was my favorite of this series!
I really wish I hadn't seen the movie Mystic River. I was kind of railroaded into seeing it before I realized it was Lehane's book. I loved the movie, so I don't see much point in reading the book since I know the story. Too bad, as it seems it's one of his best.
Lehane is one of my new favorites. So far, the only movie of his I've seen before reading the book was Shutter Island.
Bill wrote: "I really wish I hadn't seen the movie Mystic River. I was kind of railroaded into seeing it before I realized it was Lehane's book. I loved the movie, so I don't see much point in reading the book since I know the story.Don't cheat yourself out of reading the book, Bill. Even though you know the story it's one of Lehane's best books. As for the movie, this might be my favorite of all movie adaptations of a book; Eastwood did a great job with it.
Thanks James, I'll read it one of these days! I'll let my memory of the movie fade for a little while longer, though :)
James wrote: "As for the movie, this might be my favorite of all movie adaptations of a book; Eastwood did a great job with it..."I totally agree! Rarely do I enjoy movie adaptations as much as the book. This ones comes pretty close.
Do you mean Mystic River or another adaptation? I thought that movie was amazing and Penn's performance shockingly good. @Bill - I wish I had read the book first too, but don't miss out on reading it because you know the ending.
Totally get the Motley comparison. I loved the hell out of this book.
The whole series is damn good.
Dan wrote: "The whole series is damn good."I'm going to finish this series in record time. There's only six books. Scudder has ruined me - I need at least 17.
I think I read the whole series in something crazy like 10 days.
The first fully-fledged, superstar outing by Lehane...This is a marvellous book, a wonderful romance, and a classic of noir.
My review here
