Prayers for Rain

Dennis Lehane

© 1999 by Harper Torch

375 pp.

From the book cover: “ Private investigator Patrick Kenzie wants to know why a former client, a perky woman in love with life, could, within six months, jump naked from a Boston landmark – the final fall in a spiral of self-destruction. What he finds is a sadistic stalker who targeted the young woman and methodically drove her to her death. A monster the law can’t touch. But Kenzie can. He and his former partner, Angela Gennaro, will fight a mind-twisting battle against this psychopath even as he turns his tricks on them.”

Prayers for Rain is Lehane’s fifth book featuring the Boston investigative duo of Kenzie and Gennaro. The book opens with Karen Nichols hiring Kenzie to make a stalker leave her alone. He roughs the guy up and threatens him and things seem to be under control. A few weeks later there is a message from Karen on Kenzie’s answering machine but he’s too busy to return the call and later forgets about it. The next thing he knows she’s jumped off the top of a building. He feels somewhat guilty for not getting back to her and wonders if he could have done anything to prevent her death. When he starts investigating, he finds there’s more to her suicide then people think. Someone made her life so miserable that she couldn’t stand it any longer but who and why?

Patrick Kenzie puts television PI’s to shame. He doesn’t hesitate to put a criminal in his place using (sometimes) unorthodox methods. His buddy Bubba isn't too smart but he has a collection of illegal weapons and is built like a tank. His sometime-partner Angela has mob connections which can come in very handy. The main villain has a VERY sick mind. There's quite a bit of violence and some bad language so I guess you could say this would be an 'R' rated book. Good story, interesting characters, and psychological twists and thrills. What more could you want?

I picked this book up at a garage sale. Can’t wait to read more Lehane novels.