MYSTIC RIVER (Dennis Lehane) - July 25/18

Well, I certainly wasn't expecting something this engrossing. I actually sat there and read about 30% of the book in one sitting, which I never, ever do. The rest of the book isn't quite as gripping - it gets into the nitty gritty of the investigation - but Lehane does an amazing job of developing the central characters and their complex relationships. And there are certainly some engrossing sequences in the book's second half (eg Jimmy and Dave's climactic confrontation). ***1/2 out of ****