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Content snapshot
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Violence
A lot
Significant gang violence and crime thriller violence in Boston's rough neighborhoods
Language
A lot
Strong language throughout in Lehane's Boston crime register
Sexual Content
Barely any
Minimal sexual content
Substance Use
Barely any
Some drinking in the Boston working-class setting
Emotional Intensity
Some
The moral complexity of working in a city with deep racial fractures — and the personal cost of Kenzie and Gennaro's choices — gives the series its distinctive and enduring weight
What this book is about
Dennis Lehane's debut novel introduces Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro, working-class Boston private investigators hired by politicians to find a missing cleaning woman who has taken some documents. What begins as a simple job leads into Boston's racial politics, gang violence, and a conspiracy involving powerful people. Lehane writes with his characteristic moral intelligence and Boston authenticity; the violence is significant and the language is adult throughout. A significant American crime novel debut.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
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