"A Drink Before The War", by Dennis Lehane

Recently saw Gone Baby Gone in the theaters. Me and Mrs. Geek were the only ones there. Unfortunately not many people saw this great movie. It's now out on DVD, as of this past week.

It was a difficult film to swallow, dealing with heavy issues, and some seriously disturbing images. However, the characters stood out above all the rest. These two private dicks had to face some serious questions of integrity, and in the end, didn't waver, no matter the consequences of the choice.

When I heard that Gone Baby Gone was actually adapted from a series, (out of the literary loop, I know) I bought the first of the series and digested it with vigor.

"A Drink Before The War" is the first novel by Dennis Lehane. It was originally pulped in 94, and it won the Seamus award for best first novel.

Is the book perfect? No. It is rough around particular edges, but the banter and storyline of the characters surpasses any faults that a first time author may have. In fact, to be honest, I didn't even think of the "faults" until they were brought up to me by professional critics, so take that for what its worth.

This book was difficult to stop reading. There is a certain danger that the author brought to his characters that kept you from skimping over any pages, because at any time, someone could get seriously busted up or dead. And that's how the action comes when it does, fast and nasty.

In the end, this book's central running theme has to do with abuse, and the avenues and tributaries of those avenues that can run off a life that has been abused. Good, bad and uglier. Now, Lehane doesn't glory in the abuse, and he doesn't do it in way that the reader feels like the victims are being exploited. But the abuse is there, black and white, and it can make the reader cringe when it shows up later in the book. (And I was a child abuse investigator and now work in a field that filters through child abuse cases).

This book was a great read. I am glad I "discovered" this series. I've already started "Darkness, Take My Hand", and I will be posting thoughts about that once I am through.

This is not a book that you can find easy at your Half Priced Books. It's probably at most of your brick and mortar stores, but I found it used off of Amazon.com, here.