Small Mercies: A Novel [B2310]

2023 HCDJ in Gift-Worthy condition. The acclaimed New York Times bestselling writer returns with a masterpiece to rival Mystic River -an all-consuming tale of revenge, family love, festering hate, and insidious power, set against one of the most tumultuous episodes in Boston's history. In the summer of 1974, a heatwave blankets Boston and Mary Pat Fennessy is trying to stay one step ahead of the bill collectors. Mary Pat has lived her entire life in the housing projects of "Southie," the Irish American enclave that stubbornly adheres to old tradition and stands proudly apart in this piece of gritty crime fiction.

One night Mary Pat's teenage daughter Jules stays out late and doesn't come home. That same evening, a young Black man is found dead, struck by a subway train under mysterious circumstances. The two events seem unconnected. But Mary Pat, propelled by a mother's desperate search for her missing daughter, begins turning over stones best left untouched-asking questions that bother Marty Butler, chieftain of the Irish mob, and the men who work for him, men who don't take kindly to any threat to their business.

Set against the hot, tumultuous months of the Boston busing crisis, when the city's desegregation of its public schools exploded in violence, Small Mercies is a superb thriller, a brutal depiction of criminality and power, and an unflinching portrait of the dark heart of American racism. It is a mesmerizing and wrenching work that only Dennis Lehane could write.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Outstanding thriller. My first Lehane book, and what an introduction to his work! Mary Pat Fennessey is the Beth Dutton of Southie - don't f*ck with her family.";

"I highly recommend this book. Small Mercies has amazing social commentary embedded in a well written and compelling story. The characters are all flawed like real people. Mary Pat the protagonist is a mother who loved her children fiercely yet had so much anger and resentment. Could not put this book down. Can't wait to read more of his books once I finish absorbing this one.";

"FIVE MILLION STARS. This book gripped me from the first sentence. A very tough read considering the theme but so so so well written. The social commentary on the setting and timeframe is gut wrenching. The conclusion Mary Pat comes to is a tale of loyalty, identity, and ultimately being so wrong, with devastating results. Even though she chases 'justice' one can't help contend with how ignorant and manipulated the white citizens are by those who stand to gain from it. Vulnerable and heartbreaking."

"Set during the explosive 1974 desegregation of South Boston's public schools, this novel features some of the harshest, grittiest characters in fiction. As a missing girl and a tragic death uncover the ugly, dark reality of American racism, the narrative offers very few glimmers of humanity. I'm ready for a heavy but deeply powerful bookclub discussion in a few weeks!"