Moonlight Mile (Kenzie & Gennaro,#6)

I don't think I've the original context of the remark, but I've seen it often enough that I don't doubt the veracity. But at some point Dennis Lehane characterized his Kenzie/Gennaro series as the kind of books that a guy in his twenties would write, as an explanation for why he'd moved on. Now, first of all, I don't blame a guy for not wanting to get stuck in a rut, to only write one thing his entire life (no matter how good he is at it). But that always struck me as an uncharacteristically dumb thing to say. What's that say about 1. the authors outside of their 20s who are writing the same kind of thing and 2. those of us out of our 20s who like to read that kind of thing.Frankly, I thought that [b:Shutter Island 21686 Shutter Island Dennis Lehane http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1275695895s/21686.jpg 1234227] was more like something a guy in his 20s would write (particularly the ending) than anything else he wrote.But hey, it's his opinion, and he's entitled to it – as long as he writes things more interesting than [b:The Given Day 2830067 The Given Day Dennis Lehane http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255734804s/2830067.jpg 2856172] (which, to be fair, I haven't been able to get too far into, it's fully possible that if I'd read another two pages, I'd have loved it). Still, imagine my surprise when I learned that a new Kenzie/Gennaro book was coming out. It's a lighter read than the previous five books in the series, but it still carries that trademark Lehane punch. This book sure seems like a self-conscious attempt to stress the fact that our heroes, like the author, aren't in their twenties. They've aged, matured, get tired more easily want nothing to do with the violence that so marked their younger years. They're not the only ones who aged, Amanda McCready, the kidnapped girl from [b:Gone Baby Gone 425123 Gone, Baby, Gone (Kenzie & Gennaro, #4) Dennis Lehane http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1289451583s/425123.jpg 1234238] is missing again, and again, he aunt calls upon Kenzie to find her. By the end, Lehane takes his characters to an interesting (and predictable place) that probably closes the door to future installments – not unlike what Riordan did to Tres Nevarre and what Koryta may have done to his PIs. I hope it's not the last I see of these two, but can understand why it would be.In the end, a satisfying read. Better than many PI novels that came out this year, but not as good as it could've been.

Lehane has somehow avoided the curse of the bad movie adaptation with Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone and Shutter Island. He's such a “guys” writer without being cliche. Despite having all the standard set pieces and actors he manages to put them together with an easy familiarity. It doesn't hurt that he has such a keen ear for dialogue (except in the case of teenagers which made me cringe every time) So while I didn't read Gone Baby Gone, I did see the movie, which helped inform the backstory to Moonlight Mile.

I just love his muscular, descriptive style whether it's rendering a narcissistic, chauvinist “Master of the Universe” or a psychotic Russian mobster. While these are essential elements that drive the plot forward I especially enjoyed the wry observations of the time. It's America, post economic meltdown with a middle aged P.I. that's feeling the years and the crushing weight of just making a living.

Quite the contrast reading this after just finishing Evanovich's “One For the Money”