First, any mystery fans should get to know author Dennis Lehane, and
his private-eye characters Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro, who run their
agency from a converted church belfry near Edward Everett Square.
Lehane manages to combine hard-boiled adventure writing with insights into
racism, sexism, and the seductions of violence, while never being heavy-handed
about it. Here are the books, in chronological order -- the way you
should read them, to follow the growth of the characters.
-
A
Drink Before the War, first published in 1994, fills us in on
Patrick's troubled childhood and Angie's troubled marriage while
tracking down a brutal killer. I recommend the cheap mass-market
paperback, but if you prefer the hardcover version (less than $20), click
here.
-
Darkness,
Take My Hand (1996) comes next. Patrick explores the seamy underside
of Dorchester, while we glimpse the convolutions of his soul; click here
for the hardcover.
-
Sacred,which
came out in 1997, is an incredibly contorted mass of plot twists, and a
fun read; click here
for the hardcover, and here
for the audio version. It is said to be an "updating" of Raymond
Chandler's classic The
Big Sleep.
-
Gone,
Baby, Gone (1998) is now out in cheap paperback, as well as hardcover
and audio
editions.
I have the book, but have not read it yet.
-
Prayers
for Rain came out in hardcover in March 1999; if you have been waiting
for the paperback,
it is now available. It's on cassette
as well.
Streetcar
Suburbs : The Process of Growth in Boston, 1870-1900, 2d ed. (1978),
by Sam Bass Warner, Jr., is a very different, but equally fascinating kind
of book. Warner explores the development of Dorchester, Roxbury, and Jamaica
Plain in the 19th century -- including their annexation the city of Boston.
One of his more fascinating insights concerns the relationship among the
availability of public transit, social class, and architecture. As Warner
points out, the poorer a family was the better transit services it needed,
so that family members could travel to jobs in more than one location.
Hence shoddier, low-priced housing tended to be built near where transit
lines crossed. The book includes some great pictures, including one of
a house on my street. I read this book decades ago, and was delighted to
find that it is still in print.
It's not a book -- but the movie Squeeze,
produced by and starring members of the Dorchester Youth Collaborative,
should be seen by any Dorchester fans. It is a true to life story,
beautifully acted, of Dorchester kids caught between the gangs and the
cops, and the dedicated youth workers who help them find their way forward.
Don't miss it!
