| Plot Summary of Mystic River |
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Morrow, Jan 2001, 25.00, 401 pp.
ISBN: 0066209307
In the Boston area, Jimmy Marcus, Dave Boyle, and Sean Devine are best friends, playing together like preadolescents do everywhere. Their friendship and perhaps childhood ends when eleven-year old Dave enters the car of two strangers claiming to be cops, who sexually molest him. When he escapes and finally returns home he is not the same carefree child.
Twenty-five years later, homicide detective Devine investigates the murder of Marcus' nineteen-year-old daughter. His prime suspect is Boyle, whose own wife believes he is more monster than human being. Marcus, an ex-con, conducts his own inquiries because the grieving father plans to provide his own brand of justice to the culprit. These three former friends appear heading towards a bloody deadly collision.
Dennis Lehane, known for his Kenzie-Gennero series, has written his best novel to date. MYSTIC RIVER contains a who-done-it, but that is a subplot of the theme that centers on the impact on adults of their broken childhood relationships. This psychological suspense tale works because the three key players and several support members like Boyle's wife appear genuine and consistent so that their actions feel right for them. Though his Kenzie-Gennero series is very good, readers will demand Mr. Lehane take further sabbaticals from it so that he can concentrate on more stand alone novels like this excellent book.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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"Three friends at beginning of story are caught up together latter in life with the murder of one's daughter. The other two friends: one is a loser and the other is a detective. Their lives crash as the loser is thought to have murdered the daughter. With little evidence the father kills the loser and dumps the body. In the fight of wits between the father and the detective in never resolved but is left open at the end of the book."
Liz Pursley, Resident Scholar
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"As children, Sean, Jimmy and Dave were friends. However, after the abduction and abuse of one of them, they grow distant. Although they all remain in the city of their childhood, their paths never cross. One goes on the become a police officer, another serves time in prison, and the other flits from one job to another. Tragedy throws them together. One loses a daughter to violence, one is the investigating officer in the case, and the other.... Is he the killer?
They must overcome the events and the past and the feelings of friendship they once had in order to find and punish the murderer.
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Betty Porter, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Mystic River |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
How difficult to spot villain?
- Challenging
Time/era of story:
- 1980's-1999
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 50%
Special suspect?
- best friend
Kind of investigator
- police procedural, American
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- small businessman
Age:
- 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a substantial amount
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
City?
Yes
City:
- Boston
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
Sex
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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