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Third in his Coughlin trilogy and a sequel to Live By Night. The temptation in mafia fiction, of course, is glorification of "the life", but here Lehane doesn't shy away from the sordidness of the whole business, which, stripped of its superficial glamour, is shown to leave in its wake a trail of helpless addicts, exploited women and fatherless children. This brings the trilogy to a triumphant conclusion.

I finished this last weekend but I'm a bit behind. This has been a great trilogy (book 1 was the best) + here Joe coughlin is retired from running the tampa mafia but gets drawn back in when he learns of a plot to kill him. The series has covered a fascinating period in American history from the communism of the 20s thru prohibition to the mafia controlled cities. History with great storytelling. Reading slowed as I try to catch up with ozark.

Engrossing

The final book in the Coughlin trilogy that began with "The Given Day." Set in Florida in the 1940s, it's a novel about crime kingpins and loyalty and money and power and how your past always, always catches up with you. I love Dennis Lehane, and this was a rollicking read. 4 stars

Solid noiry crime book

Lehane is doing an admirable Elmore Leonard impression here :)

Fun, but not nearly as gripping or as complex as Lehane's other work, particularly the Kenzie/Gennaro mysteries.

Also, the dust jacket only being half the size of the book drives me absolutely bonkers.

#weekendreading

A bit simpler and smaller than the first two Coughlin stories but Lehane's writing is always pleasurable. I didn't always buy in to the outlaw life that he proposes here. It comes at too high a cost for all involved. I've avoided Lehane's standalone books until now so I don't know when I'll get to read him again.

3rd in a trilogy about the fictional Bartolo Crime Family. I enjoyed it but think I would have liked it more if I'd read the previous books.