Dennis Lehane is an author I can respect for more than a few reasons the least of which being that he sticks to his roots and Boston and the most being that he isn’t afraid to pull any punches. 

His writing is vivid, it’s gritty and at times definitely horrific but yet once I started really getting into this book I couldn’t even imagine putting it down. I needed to know who the monsters were, who the people were who would ever consider doing something so horrible to other human beings.

The character of Patrick is as likeable in this book as he was in the first, perhaps moreso because we as readers got to see the softer side of him and then in the end the more brutal side. Angela improved immensely in this series and despite myself I like Bubba which really makes me wonder about my own psyche.

The novel was colourful but beyond that it was memorable and well written. However it is not for the faint of heart or those who can’t handle violence that much is certain.