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A Drink Before the War Audiobook
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(3.00) - 12,597 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
As richly complex and brutal as the terrain it depicts, here is the mesmerizing, darkly original novel that heralded the arrival of 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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"Dennis Lehane is a writer extraordinaire. Not just his plots or his characters, but his use of words and descriptive powers. This series is outstanding for all of the above reasons. If I would have needed another reason to keep reading Lehand (and I didn't) he was one of writing contributors to "The Wire", TX's all-time greatest show. But this is about his novels, andthey are must-read for fans of the genre."
— Sherrie (5 out of 5 stars)
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“Dennis Lehane sets off some real fireworks…Old Boston politicos and young Uzi-toting warlords…Lehane handles it all with a veteran’s aplomb. The violence of his story is balanced by the grace of his prose and the morality of his characters.”
— Orlando Sentinel -
“Harsh and chilling…An absolutely terrific story.”
— Boston Sunday Globe -
“Kenzie and Gennaro are likable, multifaceted, dysfunctional smart-asses, so Davis wisely lets their tight dialogue star. In lieu of portraying them with thick Boston accents, Davis utilizes an effortless, accent-free bantering tone that further emphasizes their smoldering sexual chemistry and lifelong friendship. However, Davis appropriately uses accents for supporting characters. Overall, Davis’ voice and narration style are well suited to this gritty story.”
— AudioFile -
“Lehane offers slick, hip, sparkling dialogue that’s as good as it gets, a plot that rockets along at warp speed, and the wonderfully original, in-your-face crime-solving duo of Kenzie and Dimassi. A terrific first novel and, one hopes, the beginning of a superb series.”
— Booklist (starred review)
Awards
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Winner the 1995 Shamus Award for Best First PI Novel
A Drink Before the War Listener Reviews
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" Dennis Lehane never ceases to amaze me. He's such a fantastic writer and story teller, and with each of his books that I pick up, I'm reminded of that all over again. This is the first in the Kenzie/Gennaro series, and I'm already looking forward to reading the rest. Excellent, excellent stuff. "
— Susie, 2/15/2014 -
" It's no Mystic River. But seriously, WHAT IS? "
— Val, 2/11/2014 -
" Not my favorite Lehane - but I want to read more about Kenzie and Gennaro (and nr 2 is much better...) "
— Ann-Marie, 2/8/2014 -
" At first I thought this was too slow, but halfway through it became a page-turner. This author also wrote "Gone Baby Gone" and "Mystic River," two fairly recent films. I'm giving him another try. "
— Rhonda, 2/1/2014 -
" This was ok. I thought the plot was decent, but I had a really hard time caring about the characters. I don't think I will read the other book in the series. "
— Heidi, 1/31/2014 -
" Dennis Lehane being pretty much the only guy I read in this genre I have pretty high expectations when I read his works, I found myself hardly remember how this book ended now a week later as I'm writing this review so obviously there was something missing for me. It was just too many cliche characters and situations who felt like they were not written for the book itself but with the 90s Hollywood movie scene in mind. Mostly just the language keeps this story from getting a one "
— Hannes, 1/22/2014 -
" I was a little worried after the first few chapters. The dialogue felt a little too consciously hardboiled cool. But the farther it goes the more Lehane hits his stride. By the end I was completely digging it. "
— Michael, 1/21/2014 -
" Well crafted story. Really likable lead characters as well. Definitely going to read the followup "
— Bjoern, 1/18/2014 -
" Wicked pissah. Boston through and through. Clever use of modern day detective talk. Gritty, gutty and interesting. I'll read the rest of this duo's adventures for sure. "
— Mario, 1/15/2014 -
" Struggled to finish the book. I felt the storyline was weak and hated the constant use of the 'Ni**er' word used to describe the black characters :-( "
— Ciiku, 12/13/2013 -
" Pretty good. A little hacky, but I still want to read the series... "
— Vic, 12/8/2013 -
" well written, but the story got lost in his moralizing at times "
— Kelly, 12/8/2013 -
" new series for me. unusual hero's. heavy racial themes. will read the second installment before i decide to continue. "
— Hrn1947, 12/4/2013 -
" Good solid crime novel. I'll pick up more of his. "
— Molly, 8/18/2013 -
" A very good read and particularly interesting to those familiar with the Boston area. "
— Katherine, 6/18/2013 -
" Not as good as most of the others in this series, but introduces the characters and sets the tone. Fine writing by Lehane. "
— Lynn, 3/4/2013 -
" I really like these two protagonists. They drive this story home and I'm hooked. I accidentally read the last book first( Moonlight Mile), but I am now moving from here to the second. Great series. "
— Thomas, 12/24/2012 -
" I'm done with this author. The Given Day was OK in that I learned some about the Boston Police Strike. But this book combines three things so typical: violence, chatty humor and pop psychology. I'm just not interested. Life's too short. "
— Billymojo, 11/14/2012 -
" Another great suspenseful mystery by Dennis Lehane. "
— Sara, 8/19/2012 -
" A very solid crime novel - finished it in less than 24hours so the term page-turner is well deserved here. Can't wait to read other books in the series - interesting story, believable characters - that's how crime thrillers should look like. "
— Roman, 8/3/2012 -
" gave up on it...didn't hold my interest at all! "
— Deanna, 7/2/2012 -
" Here's hoping all the good reviews are true! They were! "
— Maria, 6/24/2012 -
" I really enjoyed the movies based on Lehane's books, especially Gone Baby Gone. Now I'm a fan of the books too. A good mystery series. Quick read and entertaining without being too predictable. "
— Leah, 3/2/2012 -
" I made it to page 138 of a very water stained library version to the catch line. "Lemmie buy you a drink before the war." Uttered by one of protag's during a drinking & fighting binge. Enough already. "
— Al, 2/24/2012 -
" The Kenzie and Genarro books, one after another, were consistently enjoyable. Be sure to read them in order. "
— Zachary, 1/27/2012 -
" Wow ! What a book. Lehane really knows how to write a mystery thriller. First one I have read of his and will now read more. His characters – detectives Patrick and Angie – kind of remind me of Elvis and Pike of Robert Crais books. If you like mystery thrillers you will like this one. "
— Frank, 10/10/2011 -
" Pretty good book - I immediately bought the next one in the series. I really like the main characters. I think the stories could be a bit shorter, but I love Lehane's writing style and will most likely read everything he writes. "
— Danielle, 10/2/2011 -
" Wicked pissah. Boston through and through. Clever use of modern day detective talk. Gritty, gutty and interesting. I'll read the rest of this duo's adventures for sure. "
— Mario, 10/1/2011 -
" I mostly enjoyed this book. It was, at times, a bit too graphic though. "
— Bethany, 10/1/2011 -
" i love love love this series...the mysteries themselves arent very deep or complex..but its the characters and town of south boston that you fall in love with...i miss that damn city. "
— Christophlaw80, 9/22/2011 -
" Meh. If this is award winning detective fiction, then detective fiction must suck. If you liked the movie version of Gone Baby Gone, considering reading this and the follow ups that lead the characters to Gone Baby Gone. 2 out of possible 5 Captain Picard as Dixon Hill. "
— Guy, 9/22/2011 -
" The book was a little dark and gritty. Very violent. "
— Ulrika, 9/19/2011 -
" I think if all his books are similar, I needn't bother to read any more..... "
— Tinker, 9/9/2011
About Dennis Lehane
Dennis Lehane is the author of numerous novels, including several New York Times bestsellers, as well as a collection of short stories and a play. Mystic River was a finalist for the PEN/Winship Award, and it won the Anthony Award, the Barry Award for Best Novel, and the Massachusetts Book Award in Fiction, given by the Massachusetts Center for the Book.
About Jonathan Davis
Jonathan Davis has been inducted into the Audible Narrator Hall of Fame. A three-time recipient and fourteen-time nominee of the Audie Award, he has earned accolades for his narration from the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, the American Library Association, Booklist, the Audio Publishers Association, AudioFile magazine, and USA Today. He has narrated a variety of bestsellers and award-winners for top publishing houses. He also narrated over forty titles of the Star Wars franchise for Lucasfilm Ltd./PRH Audio, including several iconic movie tie-ins, has participated with Star Wars Celebration, and has built a significant fan base. His work as a narrator includes films and programming for National Geographic Television, NOVA, PBS, VH1, and Francis Ford Coppola. He grew up in Puerto Rico and speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and Hebrew.