A powerful mix of love and violence
Print Edition
DENNIS Lehane’s crime fiction has highlighted some of the most insightful looks at parenting (“Gone Baby Gone”), mental health (“Shutter Island”), loss of innocence (“Mystic River”) and the life of mobsters (“Live By Night”).
In his latest novel, Lehane delivers a poignant story about a woman’s search for identity, wrapped in a love story. Make no mistake, “Since We Fell” is crime fiction, full of con men, murder, greed and revenge. But the love story gives this novel its heart. And, as one would expect from Lehane, this is no normal love story.
After all, the first sentence of the novel shows the lead character shooting her husband, whom she loves.
“Since We Fell” also marks the first time that Lehane has devoted a novel to a female protagonist. Certainly, Lehane expertly has written strong women characters before: Angie Gennaro was an equal to Patrick Kenzie in his series about those two Boston private detectives.
But Rachel Childs isn’t a detective — she’s not even a journalist anymore having had a massive on-camera breakdown while covering the devastating earthquake in Haiti.
Now she barely leaves the house. Rachel’s retreat from the world derives from her childhood and her selfish mother’s refusal to tell her the name of her father. During her search for her father, Rachel hired private investigator Brian Delacroix, who told her not to continue.
Years later, Rachel and Brian met again, and eventually married. Brian is a very loving husband who understands why she stays at home. The plot turns when Rachel becomes involved in a conspiracy that forces her to re-examine her choices.
Lehane imbues “Since We Fell” with an intense character study, showing why Rachel became so troubled and how she will find strength she didn’t know she had. When violence enters Rachel’s life, it’s as shocking as any in Lehane’s novels. He always stretches himself and takes chances. “Since We Fell” shows the power of introspection and love. And, yes, it is a crime story.
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