A Drink Before the War / Darkness, Take My Hand [Paperback]

Dennis Lehane (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Harper (1996)
• ASIN: B001534EN0
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,488,859 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dennis Lehane was born and raised in Dorchester, Massachusetts. He is the author of A Drink Before the War, which won the Shamus Award for Best First Novel; Darkness, Take My Hand; Sacred; Gone, Baby, Gone; Prayers for Rain; and the New York Times bestsellers Mystic River and Shutter Island.

Mystic River was a finalist for the PEN/Winship Award and won both the Anthony Award and the Barry Award for Best Novel, as well as the Massachusetts Book Award in Fiction given by the Massachusetts Center for the Book. Coronado, a collection of five stories and a play, was published in the fall of 2006 and includes the story "Until Gwen," which was adapted for the stage.

Lehane's work has been translated into 22 languages. He holds an MFA from Florida International University and is the writer-in-residence at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, where he runs the Writers in Paradise writers' conference. Before becoming a full-time writer, Lehane worked as a counselor with mentally handicapped and abused children, waited tables, parked cars, drove limos, worked in bookstores, and loaded tractor-trailers. He lives in the Boston area.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding!, January 26, 2009

By 

Christopher Vitto "Christopher Vitto" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Drink Before the War/Darkness, Take My Hand (Paperback)

Dennis Lehane is the best at taking uniquely Boston characters and making them come alive. As a Bostonian perhaps this book hits home harder, the images, the feelings, the characters seem so familiar. This double novel brings two into one so cleverly. Great job Dennis keep them coming. I just started The Given Day.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Drink Before the War/Darkness, Take My Hand, April 6, 2010

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OxfordComfornt (Buffalo, NY) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: A Drink Before the War/Darkness, Take My Hand (Paperback)

I have finally found an American mystery writing author who puts "meat" into the plot! Both books are terrific. These two books kept me so engrossed that I became a part of the plot. This has not happened to me since I was a child. Dennis Lehane's writing method is excellent! I plan on reading all of Mr. Lehane's books.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great deal on 2 excellent novels, March 23, 2010

By 

M. Dwyer "trngdev" (Worcester, ma) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Drink Before the War/Darkness, Take My Hand (Paperback)

I read both the novels in this book over a single weekend and don't have any regrets. Great characters, interesting and well designed situations and plot lines, and always feels realistic -- although horrifying on occasion. I have been in the Boston area for quite some time, so all of the locations are at least somewhat familiar, but I think that just added to my appreciation for stories that were already fine suspense/action fiction. You begin to miss the main characters as soon as you've finished the book. I've already ordered 4 more Lehane titles.