After I’d seen Gone Baby Gone – the film version of the third book in Lehane’s Kenzie/Gennaro series – I decided to check out the first book to get some background information. I’d been exposed to Lehane before, with the exhilirating Shutter Island, so I was expecting good things. And this book, while good, wasn’t exactly up to par. Lehane’s still getting his writing legs with this one, and although the plot is interesting, it moves a little slow as he sets up the characters, giving them their quirks and setting up their motivations and relationships. It was a little cliched when it came to the genre but the social and racial themes weren’t trite at all, which made for an interesting juxtaposition and a good read. If the racial aspects had been cliche it would have ruined the book, but Lehane approaches them with honesty and it really works. If only the rest of the book was as compelling. Overall I liked it: it didn’t have the punch I was expecting, but I do want to read the others in the series.