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Dennis Lehane
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A Drink Before the War (Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Dennis Lehane (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 out of 5 stars 6,538 ratings
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  1. Anthony AwardWinner, 2002
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The mesmerizing, darkly original novel that heralded the arrival of now New York Times bestselling author Dennis Lehane, the master of the new noir—and introduced Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro, his smart and tough private investigators weaned on the blue-collar streets of Dorchester.

A cabal of powerful Boston politicians is willing to pay Kenzie and Gennaro big money for a seemingly small job: to find a missing cleaning woman who stole some secret documents. As Kenzie and Gennaro learn, however, this crime is no ordinary theft. It's about justice, about right and wrong. But in Boston, finding the truth isn’t just a dirty business . . . it’s deadly.

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  1. Book 1 of 6
    Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro
  2. Print length
    371 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    William Morrow Paperbacks
  5. Accessibility
    Learn more
  6. Publication date
    July 9, 2010
  7. File size
    2.7 MB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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  1. It’s hard to close the door on optimistic expectations when you love someone.
    Highlighted by 400 Kindle readers
  2. “There’s a bar around the corner. Lemme buy you a drink before the war.”
    Highlighted by 297 Kindle readers
  3. Vanity is a weakness. I know this. It’s a shallow dependence on the exterior self, on how one looks instead of what one is.
    Highlighted by 241 Kindle readers
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From the Publisher

Washington Post

Michael Connelly

New York Times

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Lehane's assured debut avoids several common first-mystery flaws before stalling on a less ordinary one. Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro, two young, smart-mouthed Boston PIs, are hired by a trio of prominent macho politicians to find a State House cleaning woman who may have purloined some important "documents." The pair quickly learns that Jenna Angeline has no documents. She does have a son and a husband who lead rival black street gangs, an angry sister and a photo of one of the pols with her husband in a hotel room. While helping Patrick, Jenna is gunned down in a hail of Uzi fire; gang war is quickly declared, and the two detectives aim for a plan that will avenge the innocent and punish the guilty. Lehane leaps right into the action; more gradually, we learn about Pat's abusive father, Angie's abusive husband and the attraction smoldering between the two principals. The light tone and whipsaw banter, however, can't carry the pace when the action later slows in this mystery that starts with a bang and goes on shooting-but doesn't hit the bull's eye.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In this first novel, set in Boston, violence swirls around narrator Patrick Kenzie and partner Angleo Gennaro. This intrepid investigative duo are hired by two state senators to locate a black cleaning woman who filched several sensitive "documents." They find her easily enough, but the items she took, which point to child prostitution and political corruption, cause gang warfare and murder. Lehane's minimal use of literary references helps establish character, as do his frequent allusions to child abuse and wife battering. Rough and tumble action for a high energy, likable pair.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B003GYEH2E
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Morrow Paperbacks
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 9, 2010
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Reprint
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.7 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 371 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0062015655
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 6 ‏ : ‎ Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 out of 5 stars 6,538 ratings

About the author

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Dennis Lehane

Dennis Lehane

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Dennis Lehane (born Aug 4th, 1966) is an American author. He has written several novels, including the New York Times bestseller Mystic River, which was later made into an Academy Award winning film, also called Mystic River, directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, and Kevin Bacon (Lehane can be briefly seen waving from a car in the parade scene at the end of the film). The novel was a finalist for the PEN/Winship Award and won the Anthony Award and the Barry Award for Best Novel, the Massachusetts Book Award in Fiction, and France's Prix Mystere de la Critique.

Bio and photo from Goodreads.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
6,538 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book to be one of the best in its genre, with a believable storyline and vivid character development. The writing is captivating, with one customer noting how the author uses language effectively, and the pacing features plenty of fast-paced action. Customers appreciate the book's enlightened content, with one review highlighting its fearless commentary on race and politics, while another notes its strong themes on racial and class warfare. The violence level receives mixed reactions, with customers describing it as ferocious and gritty, though some find it too explicit.

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274 customers mention "Readability"247 positive27 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as one of the best in its genre and an entertaining read.

"...Patrick and Angie are fantastic characters: smart, tough, funny and real...." Read more

"3.5🌟 First, let me say my brother made me read this. Second, it wasn’t half bad. I love this author’s style of sarcasm and dry humor...." Read more

"...For a first novel, it is pretty good. My only real complaint with the technical aspects of the story is that it gets bogged down in a few places...." Read more

"...and difficult to read (and put down) at times, but it is seminal to the novel; violence and fear are almost like characters in their own right...." Read more

241 customers mention "Story quality"208 positive33 negative

Customers find the book's storyline believable and entertaining, with one customer noting how the suspense kept them engaged throughout.

"...moral relativity in a corrupt world through this tale of political corruption and organized crime, by touching on the state of race relations in 1990..." Read more

"...I was engaged the whole time. I laughed, I genuinely enjoyed the mystery and didn’t foresee where it was going...." Read more

"...The novel grabbed me right from the start, but there were a few points where I was about ready to give up...." Read more

"...I guess what I am saying is that this is a very good prequel, to the subsequent stories in this series, with essential background information to the..." Read more

173 customers mention "Writing quality"155 positive18 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, finding it captivating, readable, and witty, with good characterization and engaging dialogue.

"...Patrick and Angie are fantastic characters: smart, tough, funny and real...." Read more

"...Second, it wasn’t half bad. I love this author’s style of sarcasm and dry humor. This was his first book (I believe?)..." Read more

"...Much of the classic PI stuff will be found here - vividly descriptive writing; witty, intelligent narration; snappy banter, and some unforgettable..." Read more

"...The story was gripping, terrifying and believable...." Read more

132 customers mention "Character development"122 positive10 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, finding the protagonists interesting and vividly portrayed, with one customer highlighting the engaging banter between the characters.

"...Angela Gennaro is sassy, brave and strong in every aspect of her life but her Achilles heel is Phil, her abusive drunk of a husband who routinely..." Read more

"...Kenzie and Gennaro are compelling characters: on the right side from a moral and ethical standpoint yet compromised by their inability to escape..." Read more

"...writing; witty, intelligent narration; snappy banter, and some unforgettable characters...." Read more

"...subsequent stories in this series, with essential background information to the character development...." Read more

47 customers mention "Enlightened content"37 positive10 negative

Customers appreciate the book's thoughtful approach to social issues, with one customer highlighting its fearless commentary on race and politics, and another noting its strong themes on racial and class warfare.

"...is gritty, dark, crime noire at it’s finest and some of the subject matter will shock. This series one of my all-time favorite things...." Read more

"...which others have detailed, involves (among other things) racial tension in Boston, a city that in spite of its Yankee heritage was quite divided..." Read more

"...very apparent due to several references to music, TV, and major news events of that era...." Read more

"...big mistakes in the first 40 pages or so, combined with the derivative characterization and holier-than-thou tone was too much for me...." Read more

45 customers mention "Pacing"36 positive9 negative

Customers enjoy the pacing of the book, with plenty of fast-paced action throughout.

"...Chandler with wisecracking tough guys, lurid violence, and plenty of fast-paced action...." Read more

"...That is the sign of a very good writer. This book is fast paced, has interesting characters, a subplot involving romance and lots of sensible..." Read more

"...That said, I liked this novel. I liked the dialogue, I liked the pace, and I loved how developed the characters were...." Read more

"...It does all this and holds your attention closely. A fantastic read...." Read more

39 customers mention "Gruesomeness"34 positive5 negative

Customers appreciate the book's gruesome elements, describing it as ferocious, gritty, and violent.

"...Angela Gennaro is sassy, brave and strong in every aspect of her life but her Achilles heel is Phil, her abusive drunk of a husband who routinely..." Read more

"...As a PI should be, they are both smart and tough, having been raised hard on the streets of working-class Dorchester...." Read more

"...mesmerized by the characters: the detectives are sharp, quirky, risk-taking folks most of the time; and they surround themselves with a wonderful..." Read more

"...It is a dark, tough modern noir novel. There is some extreme physical and sexual violence...." Read more

18 customers mention "Violence level"0 positive18 negative

Customers find the violence level of the book disturbing, with explicit and gory scenes, including sexual violence and children being tortured and sodomized.

"...The violence is explicit, and difficult to read (and put down) at times, but it is seminal to the novel; violence and fear are almost like..." Read more

"...There is some extreme physical and sexual violence. There is also a good deal of cynicism exhibited by most of the primary characters...." Read more

"...Lehane's writing is not for those who get queazy from rough language, violence, and down right evil villains...." Read more

"...The novel contains violence, language, and sexual content...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Daisy Knox
    5.0 out of 5 stars Favorite series, total must-read
    Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Lehane’s Kenzie and Gennero series is so underrated it’s criminal and readers need to know what they’re missing here. These books are not for the faint of heart. This is gritty, dark, crime noire at it’s finest and some of the subject matter will shock.

    This series one of my all-time favorite things. Not all-time favorite books but literally something I genuinely love. Patrick and Angie are fantastic characters: smart, tough, funny and real. And while their adventures are perfect reads, equal parts intriguing, suspenseful and at times devastating, the characters themselves are the kind I adore: they could be real people.

    Many writers can build worlds, tell a story and create suspense but many struggle create characters who come alive off of the page. Crafting true-to-life people and then maintaining them through extraordinary situations is an incredible talent.

    They’re a pair of private investigators born and bred in working-class Boston, lifelong friends who started their own agency and work out of the belfry of the neighborhood church in exchange for providing security. This case seems innocuous at first: a low-level employee vanishes the same day sensitive documents disappear. A critical vote looms and this looks like an amateur extortion attempt but things quickly take an unexpected turn. From the state capitol building to some of the most dangerous streets in the nation, the action never stops.

    Patrick Kenzie is a witty, sarcastic player still struggling to overcome his violently abusive childhood and the ghost of his monstrous father while embracing a violent, thankless profession. Angela Gennaro is sassy, brave and strong in every aspect of her life but her Achilles heel is Phil, her abusive drunk of a husband who routinely beats her to a pulp.

    Lehane does a great job showing us the complexities of their psyches and expertly paints a picture of moral relativity in a corrupt world through this tale of political corruption and organized crime, by touching on the state of race relations in 1990’s America and the powerlessness of the average citizen.

    This is a book you can’t put down and it will leave you wanting more.
    14 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed
    Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    3.5🌟
    First, let me say my brother made me read this. Second, it wasn’t half bad. I love this author’s style of sarcasm and dry humor. This was his first book (I believe?) and if this is his first, I’m excited to read more from him. I was engaged the whole time. I laughed, I genuinely enjoyed the mystery and didn’t foresee where it was going. I guess my brother has decent suggestions.
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  • Noonski
    3.0 out of 5 stars Not a bad first novel
    Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I’ve recently found myself with more free tim. I figured that it was time to start reading some of those “I’ve been meaning to read…” books. Dennis Lehane has been on my “To Read” list for quite some time (after watching the movie version of Mystic River). Somehow or other, I managed to always find something different to read.

    The other day, I was scrolling through my eBook library, saw “A Drink Before the War”, and decided that now was the time. One of the first things I do when I read a book that isn’t hot off the press is to check the copyright date. Knowing when a book was written before I start reading can help me keep things in context (i.e. what was going on in the world/culture, where we were technologically, etc.) In the case of this book, I’m glad I checked the copyright date.

    This book was written in 1994. And, it feels like 1994 when you read it: talk of computer diskettes, cassette tapes in the car radio, and lack of cellphones. I don’t need a story to be up-to-date in order to enjoy it – I enjoy a lot of historical fiction, and, I suppose, twenty years ago counts as history. There’s something about the book, and I’m not quite sure what it is, but it feels more “dated” than “historical”.

    The plot, which others have detailed, involves (among other things) racial tension in Boston, a city that in spite of its Yankee heritage was quite divided and very vocal about school integration/busing back in the 1970s. And, Boston (like every other big city) still has its racial tensions, especially in poorer areas where different racial groups live in their own communities. Poverty and racial issues are worthy topics of discussion, worthy to be included in novels, but it somehow seems to fall flat in Lehane’s book. The story of the gang war that breaks out after the murder of Jenna Angeline seems at first to be important to the story, yet somehow the issue recedes into the background. I almost felt that with the n-word used so many times that there would be a more powerful, societal element to the story, but, instead, it all just seems to be glossed over with an “is what it is, nothing can change” attitude.

    Also, for some reason, I was expecting it to be more of a “whodunnit”, but it is more about the “why”, and then once the “why” is discovered, there’s just lots of running around and shooting.

    Kenzie and Gennaro, flawed yet likeable enough heroes are easy enough to spend time with. Their flaws humanize them and make them more relatable – though, I don’t know that I’d go so far as to say that I “liked” them.

    For a first novel, it is pretty good. My only real complaint with the technical aspects of the story is that it gets bogged down in a few places. The novel grabbed me right from the start, but there were a few points where I was about ready to give up. In the end, I stuck with it, and while the ending didn’t seem overly surprising, it didn’t fall flat.

    Overall, I’d say that I liked it well enough to read the next book in the series, though I don’t know that I will rush to read it anytime soon.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • M. L. Asselin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Explicit, and difficult to read (and put down) at times, and brilliant
    Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Dennis Lehane’s “A Drink Before the War” is the first of six novels featuring private eyes Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro. This is also Lehane’s debut novel, published in 1994. Brutal and profane, the novel frankly portrays race relations in Boston as well as its gang activity circa late 80s – early 90s. The violence is explicit, and difficult to read (and put down) at times, but it is seminal to the novel; violence and fear are almost like characters in their own right. It’s not for everyone, but “A Drink Before the War” is devastating. It exposes the corrosive effects of structural poverty while not excusing personal responsibility that even the most afflicted have for their own actions. Kenzie and Gennaro are compelling characters: on the right side from a moral and ethical standpoint yet compromised by their inability to escape violent and extralegal solutions. Lehane is clearly a talented writer whom I would highly recommend, albeit with the caveats above. Those readers familiar with Boston will particularly appreciate this book.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Pensioner Power.
    4.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding debut.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 27, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I first read this book about 20 years ago and became a convinced Dennis Lehane fan. As a preview of what was to come "A Drink Before The War" is a great introduction to one of America's finest writers.
    The book captures the racial tension of 90's inner city America along with the simmering tensions and lack of horizons of the working class inner city suburbs. It also shows how graft and corruption become the currency of local politics.
    The story follows the efforts of Kenzie and Gennaro to recover missing documents belonging to a local politician, whilst avoiding being a casualty in a local gang war and whilst that may sound like a synopsis of numerous other crime novels, "A Drink Before The War" is far from a run of the mill private detective story. Read and enjoy and if you have yet to read a Dennis Lehane novel then you will also discover a fine writer.
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  • shubham
    5.0 out of 5 stars You'll feel the problems, you'll connect the characters of this book.
    Reviewed in India on April 12, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    First of all, I loved this book seriously...
    If you are a newbie on crime genre then you should grab this one, same goes for the old folks; this book is engaging and storytelling is awesome in it... Must read, must read must read...
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  • Simon Nichols
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great book! Loved it!
    Reviewed in Australia on July 24, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Great book! Loved it! My first Lehane book and I couldn’t stop reading it once I started. Can’t wait to read another of his titles
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  • 宮寺良平
    5.0 out of 5 stars 人物が精密に描かれたバイオレンス探偵小説
    Reviewed in Japan on August 24, 2009
    Verified Purchase
    Dennis Lehaneの第一作である。パトリックはアンジェラは探偵のパートナーで、幼馴染みである。
    二人のところへ上院議員から謎めいた依頼が来る。依頼を受けてから二人は、虐待、貧困、憎悪などに満ちたアメリカの闇の中で活動し始める。
    貧しい階層出身のLehaneが描くアメリカの闇の部分はリアルである。そして、描かれる人物にも奥行きがある。アンジェラにはどうしようもない暴力的な夫がいるが、この人物もまた幼馴染みである。パトリックとアンジェラは惹かれ合いながらも、気持ちを抑えながら、仕事を進めている。彼らのなにげない言葉のやり取りの中には、微妙な感情が表れていて面白い。
    　もう一人面白い人物が登場する。ブーバは人殺しなど何とも思わないような人物であるが、数多くの武器を所蔵していて、二人のためになら命をかけてくれる。彼もまた幼馴染みである。
    Lehaneが描く人物や社会背景はリアルである。彼自身貧困な階層出身であるが、優れた観察力と描写力でスラムの世界が描かれる。そして、登場する多くの人物は何かの形で傷を負っている。勇敢なパトリックもまた、英雄として扱われた父親の虐待で心の傷を負い、それから抜け出ることができていない。
    　人物と背景の精密さと、ストーリーの現実離れした派手さはある意味でアンバランスであるが、このシリーズの魅力でもある。
    　簡潔な英語で書かれており、スラムの人々の言葉もリアルでありながら、なおかつ分かり易い言葉になっている。この言葉のバランスを作り出すだけでもLehaneは文章がうまいと言える。
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  • Rita Lavender
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent novel.
    Reviewed in Canada on April 9, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Very exciting first novel pairing private eyes Kenzie and Gennaro. Lots of car chaes and politics. Violence only where it happened in the plot not gratuitous.
    What a great writer who has a gift for descriptions and dialogue.
    A keeper and a classic.
    Report

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