Vanished (Gone Baby Gone by Dennis Lehane)

I watched the fantastic Ben Affleck-directed adaptation of this book when it was released in 2007, and Dennis Lehane's novel Gone Baby Gone has been on my list since. I'm a HUGE fan of crime/noir fiction, and this hearkens back to the days when Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett were best sellers.

Lehane weaves a chilling tale of sadness, destruction, and betrayal. Private Detectives Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro investigate the disappearance of four-year-old Amanda McCready. Kenzie and Gennaro seem to work just barely within the confines of the law, all the while cultivating their relationships with known criminals as well as with their cop friends.

Lehane masterfully portrays the dark underworld of Boston and its inhabitants, and he always seems to inject a healthy dose of humanity into each character. It makes the novel complicated and layered. All of Lehane's twists and turns lead up to a heartbreaking, no-win climax that devastates everyone involved. It's a powerful, vivid, horrifying book that I found hard to put down. I'm looking forward to reading more of Lehane's work.

Until next time, happy reading!