The private eye field has become so crowded that it is getting increasingly difficult to develop fresh ideas and characters while remaining true to the more attractive conventions of the genre.With A Drink Before the War, Dennis Lehane has not only managed to accomplish this, but he has done so in Boston - a territory previously staked out by Robert B.Parker's venerable gumshoe, Spenser.In this first novel, we meet the protagonists, Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro, partners in a private investigation outfit that operates out of the bell tower at St.Bartholomew's Church.As a PI should be, they are both smart and tough, having been raised hard on the streets of working-class Dorchester.When they are hired by group of powerful local politicians to find a cleaning lady who has stolen some sensitive "documents," Kenzie and Gennaro find her easily, and the case appears to be a slam dunk.It isn't, of course, and like most of our favorite private eyes, Kenzie and Gennaro possess a strong moral compass that prevents them from simply reporting their findings and cashing the check.This characteristic, while admirable, sometimes works to their detriment.Such is the case here, as the two PIs are dragged into a teeming morass of sexual deviancy, blackmail, and of course, murder.Much of the classic PI stuff will be found here - vividly descriptive writing; witty, intelligent narration; snappy banter, and some unforgettable characters.Lehane has fallen into the increasingly common trap of a character we'll refer to as the "homicidal sidekick." You know who I'm talking about - the guy who loves our hero, hates the cops, and is deadly enough to scare even the toughest men on the street.Spenser has Hawk; Elvis Cole has Joe Pike; Burke has Max the Silent; and so on, and so forth.Kenzie and Gennaro have Bubba Rogowski.He can barely read or write, he's racist, and he hates nearly everyone but Kenzie and Gennaro.Somehow, though, Lehane manages to make Bubba likeable, so we'll forgive him for this transgression.Lehane, author of Mystic River, is a fairly young author, but he quickly established himself as a force to be reckoned with in this impressive first novel.Unfortunately for us, Lehane has stated that he will not write any more installments of the Kenzie/Gennaro series.If you like your detective stories - especially if you like them dark - you'll love A Drink Before the War and the four series novels that follow.Try to enjoy them slowly.
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