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Kenzie & Gennaro #3
Sacred
Dennis Lehane, New York Times bestselling author, brilliantly interweaves beauty and violence, integrity and evil in this thrilling, powerfully resonant classic featuring P.I.s Kenzie and Gennaro
Dying billionaire Trevor Stone hires private detectives Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro to find his missing daughter. Grief-stricken over the death of her mother and the impending death of her father, Desiree Stone has been missing for three weeks. so has the first investigator Stone hired to find her: Jay Becker, Patrick’s mentor.
Patrick and Angie are led down a trail of half-truths and corruption where nothing is what it seems as the detectives travel from the windblown streets of Boston to the sizzling beaches of Florida’s Gulf coast. And the more Patrick and Angie discover, the more they realize that on this case any wrong step will certainly be their last. . .
Dying billionaire Trevor Stone hires private detectives Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro to find his missing daughter. Grief-stricken over the death of her mother and the impending death of her father, Desiree Stone has been missing for three weeks. so has the first investigator Stone hired to find her: Jay Becker, Patrick’s mentor.
Patrick and Angie are led down a trail of half-truths and corruption where nothing is what it seems as the detectives travel from the windblown streets of Boston to the sizzling beaches of Florida’s Gulf coast. And the more Patrick and Angie discover, the more they realize that on this case any wrong step will certainly be their last. . .
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 23, 1997
About the author
Dennis Lehane
79 books13.4k followersDennis Lehane (born Aug 4th, 1966) is an American author. He has written several novels, including the New York Times bestseller Mystic River, which was later made into an Academy Award winning film, also called Mystic River, directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, and Kevin Bacon (Lehane can be briefly seen waving from a car in the parade scene at the end of the film). The novel was a finalist for the PEN/Winship Award and won the Anthony Award and the Barry Award for Best Novel, the Massachusetts Book Award in Fiction, and France's Prix Mystere de la Critique.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,123 reviews
August 12, 2015
I'm really trying to read this series slowly when all I want to do it gobble them all up in one sitting.
Kenzie and Angie are healing from the wounds from the previous two books. These two live a hard life.
The book begins when they both are drugged and kidnapped. When they awaken they learn that an old dying rich man has kidnapped them wanting them to take his case.
He has more money than he can spend and Kenzie and Angie will take the case because. Money. And because he is grieving for his recently murdered wife and now missing daughter.
They learn that Kenzie's mentor was the former PI on the case and now he also is missing.
I'm not going to give away much from the book because it's deliciously twisty and turny. Dennis Lehane is a master of this genre. He takes secondary characters and gives them "screen time" so that you get the full picture on this storyline like no other author I've read.
You have the rich guys henchmen. Lurch and the Weeble.
Jay Becker-Kenzie's mentor.
Then the whole story line. Lehane doesn't leave loose ends. He starts something and then he finishes it. You think little clues dropped through out the book will go nowhere but he reaches around and wraps them up. I love that stuff.
I love every single thing about this series.
Book source: Library
Kenzie and Angie are healing from the wounds from the previous two books. These two live a hard life.
The book begins when they both are drugged and kidnapped. When they awaken they learn that an old dying rich man has kidnapped them wanting them to take his case.
He has more money than he can spend and Kenzie and Angie will take the case because. Money. And because he is grieving for his recently murdered wife and now missing daughter.
They learn that Kenzie's mentor was the former PI on the case and now he also is missing.
I'm not going to give away much from the book because it's deliciously twisty and turny. Dennis Lehane is a master of this genre. He takes secondary characters and gives them "screen time" so that you get the full picture on this storyline like no other author I've read.
You have the rich guys henchmen. Lurch and the Weeble.
Jay Becker-Kenzie's mentor.
Then the whole story line. Lehane doesn't leave loose ends. He starts something and then he finishes it. You think little clues dropped through out the book will go nowhere but he reaches around and wraps them up. I love that stuff.
I love every single thing about this series.
Book source: Library
March 8, 2018
Dennis Lehane - image from LA Times
The significance of the title is PI Patrick Kenzie’s love for his partner, Angie. This stands in stark contrast to the unholy relationship between some other characters in this tale. Billionaire Trevor Stone wants the PI pair to track down his daughter. Time is of the essence as the old guy is on death’s door. Adding flavor is that Patrick’s mentor had been hired to find her already and has now gone missing himself. Lehane gives us a nifty look at a Grief Counseling organization that abuses its clients trust then makes them pawns of its criminal desires. It also hooks up with a cult-like religion that features aggressive proselytizers that seem more like gang-bangers. The dynamic duo suffers the usual physical damage, but remain alive. There were a fair number of twists and turns here, more, it seemed, than in the earlier two books. Although I enjoyed the book and would recommend it, I was not as taken as I was with the prior one. Perhaps I am growing a little weary. Child abuse figured in this one as well, but not, ultimately, as a significant factor.
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Links to the author’s personal, Twitter and FB pages
Other books by Lehane I have read/reviewed
Kenzie and Gennaro
-----A Drink Before the War - #1
-----Darkness, Take My Hand - #2
-----Gone, Baby Gone - #4
-----Prayers for Rain - #5
-----Moonlight Mile - #6
The Coughlin Series
-----The Given Day
-----Live by Night
-----World Gone By
Read, but not Reviewed
-----Mystic River - a masterpiece
-----Shutter Island - not
October 18, 2019
Inferior to the first two Kenzie-Genaro mysteries, for two reasons: 1) Kenzie is falling in love with Genaro, and he tells us how hot she is so many times that it gets in the way of the story, and 2) half of the book is set in Florida not Boston. I don't mind the fact that our two heroes are out of their element, but Lehane is out of his element too--and it shows.
January 29, 2016
Posted at Shelf Inflicted
In the third book of the Kenzie/Gennaro series, Patrick and Angie are hired to find a dying billionaire’s missing daughter. They learn that the detective he previously hired and who trained Patrick, has also disappeared under mysterious circumstances.
There are lots of twists and turns in this case, a grieving daughter, people who are not what they appear to be, a cult that exploits the grief and vulnerabilities of its recruits, a family who behaves badly, and a lot of missing money.
I was beginning to tire of the dreary and gray streets of Boston and was thrilled that the trail eventually led the intrepid detectives to hot and sunny Florida. Patrick and Angie are still recovering from their pain and losses from the previous two novels and have an opportunity to explore the friendship, love and tenderness that is growing between them.
While this story lacked the intensity and pace of the first two books, it was still very satisfying.
In the third book of the Kenzie/Gennaro series, Patrick and Angie are hired to find a dying billionaire’s missing daughter. They learn that the detective he previously hired and who trained Patrick, has also disappeared under mysterious circumstances.
There are lots of twists and turns in this case, a grieving daughter, people who are not what they appear to be, a cult that exploits the grief and vulnerabilities of its recruits, a family who behaves badly, and a lot of missing money.
I was beginning to tire of the dreary and gray streets of Boston and was thrilled that the trail eventually led the intrepid detectives to hot and sunny Florida. Patrick and Angie are still recovering from their pain and losses from the previous two novels and have an opportunity to explore the friendship, love and tenderness that is growing between them.
While this story lacked the intensity and pace of the first two books, it was still very satisfying.
April 21, 2024
"no one, can stay hidden if the right person is looking for him."
3.9 ⭐'s
Initial Thoughts
I've been looking forward to this book for a good few months now, ever since reading the sensational Darkness Take My Hand. That was book number two in Dennis Lehane's fantastic Kenzie and Gennaro series. A story about a sadistic serial killer that featured tense atmosphere, exceptional character work and a riveting, twisting plot...it took crime fiction to a whole new level. If you want to know more check out my review.
It literally made me a die hard fan of the series and I couldn't wait for the next installment. But sometimes a great book like that can set your expectations too high. So I let things simmer for a while.
But I've waited long enough. Time for the third chapter in Lehane's hard hitting saga featuring the Boston-based private eyes. They ended the last one barely in one piece, and suffering an epic amount of trauma. Good job they're not a couple of snowflakes with an long list of trigger warnings. Here's hoping there's more of the same in store for them in this one.
The Story
Lehane decides to mix it up in this one by switching scenery and taking Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro to a new location in Tampa Bay, Florida. We start with the aftermath of the last novel as the traumatised pair are rebuilding their lives after the harrowing events. No surprise they're taking a break from crime fighting and not taking any fresh cases. In fact their office is looking like its permanently closed.
But it just so happens that fate has other ideas when the pair are kidnapped by billionaire Trevor Stone, who isn't intent on harming them. In fact he wants to give them a load of cash if they help locate his missing daughter Desiree. Theirs been a series of tragedies, including Trevor's diagnosis with a terminal illness, that may account for the sudden disappearance. But there's very little else to go on.
"Up is down. Black is white. North is South."
The only lead is the last private investigator hired by Stone also went missing. So Kenzie and Genarro follow the trail to Florida hoping to pick up where he left off. Sun, sand and sudden deaths are in store when they get there. Sounds like my idea of a dream vacation.
The Characters
The previous two books were absolutely top level in terms of what Lehane was able to get out of his characters. Particularly the last one. He took them to some very dark places and the events really shaped them. But I wasn't quite as keen with the way it was done in Sacred.
Dont get me wrong! It was nowhere near bad. In fact for a crime novel it's still punching its weight. It just wasn't as detailed and nuanced as what I'd come to expect.
"And that's what all this searching and uncovering and chasing could lead to again - the icy knowledge that we probably weren't okay, any of us."
Still, there's a lot to be positive about. We begin to find out how Patrick became a detective and also see how Angie deals with the loss of her ex-husband who she still had feelings for. Things were going fine. And then the story started to focus on the romantic engagement in the pair and I got to admit it started to loose something for me. The chemistry and tension between them altered a tad, and it just wasn't as good. But you know my opinion on romance, so let me know what you think?
Other than that, I didn't feel the supporting cast were quite up to the usual standard. Particularly the villains who just weren't as nuanced (there's that word again) as I'd come to expect. It seems like Lehane was on a little bit of a vacation when it came to character work. But I won't go into any further detail as I'd be spoiling stuff. Which I don't do...ever. Honest...
Final Thoughts
So I wasn't absolutely blown away by this book. But to honest that's more down to the fact that Dennis Lehane has set the bar so high for himself in his Kenzie and Gennaro series. And as result "Sacred" falls a little bit short.
Now don't get me wrong, this is still a really, really good mystery novel that when compared to other crime novels is definitely up there. If I'm being real it's a cut above most other efforts in that genre. But when compared to the previous two novels, and I know I'm sounding like a broken record here, it has the feel of one you could easily skip and not really miss much.
Lehane's strengths of describing characters and their emotions, witty dialogue, and intriguing plot are all present. There's even a good bit of social commentary on the pitfalls of globalisation and corporate America. But it was certainly less engaging as the previous entries. It had a real change in tone from Darkness Take My Hand, with a lot more humour, and I think that's a good thing. But it was nowhere near as good...not even close.
So I'll finish by saying this is a fun, fast paced read that you'll no doubt have a good time with. But it won't stay with you for any length of time. Still, I'm really enjoying this series and I'm with Kenzie and Gennaro for the long haul. Particularly with the next in the series being Gone Baby Gone. Now who hasn't heard about that one? Yes I'm excited...it doesn't take much.
Thanks for reading and...cheers!
February 15, 2021
Edit 09/19 : As I can't help but reread some parts a billion times (GEE! ), I can safely change this rating into a 5. Loyalty and love will always win me, I guess.
"Everyone is suspect. Everyone is suspect.
It was starting to become my mantra."
I'll tell you this : Read this series, because it's basically awesomeness in a bottle.
You've got Patrick, sarcastic and clever detective who stole my heart (I mean - just marry me already), Angie, his partner who shows more and more strength, Bubba, their psychotic friend who's always there when action starts (and blows off things), Cheswick, the coolest lawyer ever (yes, I quote)... and several really interesting new characters, including Jay, Patrick's mentor (hehe). I missed Oscar and Devin, though, because these cops are all kinds of awesome (most of the time).
Angie and Patrick? BEST. TEAM. EVER.
Even if this book isn't as incredible as Darkness, Take My Hand (but let's face it : there aren't many), I found the story compelling and really greatly created, as in : you better follow all the clues because there's no such thing as a plot hole here.
Nobody can be trusted, layers must be unraveled, and again, you're blown away by the inherent darkness of the plot who shows perfectly the wickedness of human nature... But there's love, too. So much love, I may grow a second heart or something.
If you have a thriller series to read, it would be this one. As for me, I'm going back to school and the kiddos so, you know, it will probably be the only "review" this book gets. Sorry, Patrick, I know you deserve better. I still love you.
For more of my reviews, please visit:
December 28, 2012
When Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro are strong-armed and then enticed by a billionaire to find his missing daughter, dead or alive, they have no idea of the web of lies they are about to be entangled in, a web that has already made Patrick's mentor vanish without a trace...
One of the reasons I've gravitated toward detective fiction in my old age is that I'm far more likely to be taken by surprise. This book surprised me more than looking into my rear-view mirror on a midnight drive and finding a homicidal circus clown in my back seat.
Sacred starts off simply enough. A billionaire has Kenzie and Gennaro kidnapped, throws a heaping helping of cash at them, and sends them looking for his missing daughter. The trail leads to a grief counseling center, a cult, and eventually to Florida. Complicating things are the fact that Patrick's mentor was the last guy to look for Desiree Stone and has seemingly dropped off the face of the earth.
Like a lot of good authors, Lehane had me by the nose a few times. I found myself second-guessing myself every time I was close to figuring something out. The true villain of the piece wound up being pretty memorable.
A hallmark of a good detective series is letting the characters evolve. Patrick and Angie moved forward quite a bit in this book, both as individuals and as a couple. Jay Becker and his relationship with Patrick fleshed out Patrick's character a bit more. Lehane has already moved them far beyond what they were in the first book and I still have three books to go. I have to say I missed the old supporting cast of Oscar, Devin, and Bubba. Poor Bubba, winding up in the clink.
The writing was good but it felt a little lighter than maybe it should have. Still, I enjoyed the hell out of it and couldn't wait for everyone involved to get what was coming to them. I don't think it was as good as Darkness, Take My Hand but it was as good as A Drink Before the War.
One of the reasons I've gravitated toward detective fiction in my old age is that I'm far more likely to be taken by surprise. This book surprised me more than looking into my rear-view mirror on a midnight drive and finding a homicidal circus clown in my back seat.
Sacred starts off simply enough. A billionaire has Kenzie and Gennaro kidnapped, throws a heaping helping of cash at them, and sends them looking for his missing daughter. The trail leads to a grief counseling center, a cult, and eventually to Florida. Complicating things are the fact that Patrick's mentor was the last guy to look for Desiree Stone and has seemingly dropped off the face of the earth.
Like a lot of good authors, Lehane had me by the nose a few times. I found myself second-guessing myself every time I was close to figuring something out. The true villain of the piece wound up being pretty memorable.
A hallmark of a good detective series is letting the characters evolve. Patrick and Angie moved forward quite a bit in this book, both as individuals and as a couple. Jay Becker and his relationship with Patrick fleshed out Patrick's character a bit more. Lehane has already moved them far beyond what they were in the first book and I still have three books to go. I have to say I missed the old supporting cast of Oscar, Devin, and Bubba. Poor Bubba, winding up in the clink.
The writing was good but it felt a little lighter than maybe it should have. Still, I enjoyed the hell out of it and couldn't wait for everyone involved to get what was coming to them. I don't think it was as good as Darkness, Take My Hand but it was as good as A Drink Before the War.
July 31, 2018
Marvellous! The best so far in the Kenzie & Gennaro series.
As usual with my reviews, please first read the publisher’s blurb/summary of the book so that I don't have to repeat the basic plot.
Great complex plot, interesting lying characters, a marvellous femme-fatale, twists and turns that Chandler would love, and plenty of action scenes, although fantasy Hollywood Physics abound and people fly across rooms when hit by bullets * Godzilla Facepalm *
The pacing throughout is great and only falls down a bit in the middle ... but not too badly.
Love this:
Angela is given far more complex and proactive roles, leading many scenes, especially those of planning and detection. Hurray!
Note: Let me point out that everyone hates the “church” of Scientology. They are bullies and conmen and assholes extraordinaire. Luckily they don't appear much past the first few chapters, and get a very satisfying comeuppance.
1% ... “When you were born,” she said, “I bet your father held you up to your mother and said, ‘Look, hon, you just gave birth to a beautiful crabby old man.’”
22% ... you know why I like 20th century detective noir? ... The scariest stuff is: Religious Cults ...
* sighs * ... ahhh, for simpler times.
23% ... nice!
“The streets around Declan’s rise steeply toward Meeting House Hill, but the homes there always seem ready to slide in the other direction, crumble into themselves, and cascade down the hilly streets into the cemetery below, as if death is the only promise with any currency around here anymore.”
31% ... Outstanding scene here. Dedicated to all of you screwed by banks or corporations and then laughed-at...
Dickhead church-thug Manny is being threatened with being set on fire by Bubba if they don’t answer Angela’s questions....
“I know I had a lighter around here somewhere.”
Bubba looked bewildered for a moment. He patted his pants pockets, then suddenly snapped his fingers.
“Left it downstairs. That’s what I did with it. Be right back.”
...
“My,” she said. “You get the feeling Manny spends way too much time at the gym? You do, don’t you, Manny? Lifting your little weights and pushing smaller guys off the StairMaster and telling all your steroid buddies about the bimbo you used and abused the night before. That’s you, Manny. That’s you all over.”
“Hey, fuck you.”
“No, Manny. Fuck you,” she said. “Fuck you and die.”
And Bubba came bounding back into the room with an acetylene torch screaming, “Suc-cess! Suc-cess!”
Manny screamed and bucked against his ropes.
38% ... I am really enjoying the team of Angela and Patrick more in this book. She has been written more as a true detective, and more often leading the action here. Great!
40% ... very sad, and I agree totally. Great quote!
“... he left his chair again, crossed back to the window, and stood looking out at the city.
“I believe in honor,” he said. “No other human attribute deserves the exaltation honor does. And I’ve tried to live my life as an honorable man. But it’s hard. Because most men aren’t honorable. Most people aren’t. To most, honor is an antiquated notion at best, a corrosive naïveté at worst.”
He turned his head and smiled at us, but it was a tired smile.
“Honor, I think, is in its twilight. I’m sure it will die with the century.”
71% ... A wonderful, long-awaited event in this series ...
Angie was where most of me began and all of me ended.
78% ... wow. Lehane showing off, and doing it well. The plot is More complicated than The Big Sleep....
92% ... The ending is a bit contrived and overwritten, but sufficient to leave a deep admiration for this, by far the best of the Patrick and Angela stories.
99% ... Lovely...
“The ornament of beauty, Shakespeare wrote, is suspect. And he was right. But beauty itself, unadorned and unaffected, is sacred, I think, worthy of our awe and our loyalty. Those nights by the sea, I’d take Angie’s hand in mine and raise it to my lips. I’d kiss it. And sometimes as the sea raged and the darkness in the sky deepened, I’d feel awe. I’d feel humbled. I’d feel perfect.”
As usual with my reviews, please first read the publisher’s blurb/summary of the book so that I don't have to repeat the basic plot.
Great complex plot, interesting lying characters, a marvellous femme-fatale, twists and turns that Chandler would love, and plenty of action scenes, although fantasy Hollywood Physics abound and people fly across rooms when hit by bullets * Godzilla Facepalm *
The pacing throughout is great and only falls down a bit in the middle ... but not too badly.
Love this:
Angela is given far more complex and proactive roles, leading many scenes, especially those of planning and detection. Hurray!
Note: Let me point out that everyone hates the “church” of Scientology. They are bullies and conmen and assholes extraordinaire. Luckily they don't appear much past the first few chapters, and get a very satisfying comeuppance.
1% ... “When you were born,” she said, “I bet your father held you up to your mother and said, ‘Look, hon, you just gave birth to a beautiful crabby old man.’”
22% ... you know why I like 20th century detective noir? ... The scariest stuff is: Religious Cults ...
* sighs * ... ahhh, for simpler times.
23% ... nice!
“The streets around Declan’s rise steeply toward Meeting House Hill, but the homes there always seem ready to slide in the other direction, crumble into themselves, and cascade down the hilly streets into the cemetery below, as if death is the only promise with any currency around here anymore.”
31% ... Outstanding scene here. Dedicated to all of you screwed by banks or corporations and then laughed-at...
Dickhead church-thug Manny is being threatened with being set on fire by Bubba if they don’t answer Angela’s questions....
“I know I had a lighter around here somewhere.”
Bubba looked bewildered for a moment. He patted his pants pockets, then suddenly snapped his fingers.
“Left it downstairs. That’s what I did with it. Be right back.”
...
“My,” she said. “You get the feeling Manny spends way too much time at the gym? You do, don’t you, Manny? Lifting your little weights and pushing smaller guys off the StairMaster and telling all your steroid buddies about the bimbo you used and abused the night before. That’s you, Manny. That’s you all over.”
“Hey, fuck you.”
“No, Manny. Fuck you,” she said. “Fuck you and die.”
And Bubba came bounding back into the room with an acetylene torch screaming, “Suc-cess! Suc-cess!”
Manny screamed and bucked against his ropes.
38% ... I am really enjoying the team of Angela and Patrick more in this book. She has been written more as a true detective, and more often leading the action here. Great!
40% ... very sad, and I agree totally. Great quote!
“... he left his chair again, crossed back to the window, and stood looking out at the city.
“I believe in honor,” he said. “No other human attribute deserves the exaltation honor does. And I’ve tried to live my life as an honorable man. But it’s hard. Because most men aren’t honorable. Most people aren’t. To most, honor is an antiquated notion at best, a corrosive naïveté at worst.”
He turned his head and smiled at us, but it was a tired smile.
“Honor, I think, is in its twilight. I’m sure it will die with the century.”
71% ... A wonderful, long-awaited event in this series ...
Angie was where most of me began and all of me ended.
78% ... wow. Lehane showing off, and doing it well. The plot is More complicated than The Big Sleep....
92% ... The ending is a bit contrived and overwritten, but sufficient to leave a deep admiration for this, by far the best of the Patrick and Angela stories.
99% ... Lovely...
“The ornament of beauty, Shakespeare wrote, is suspect. And he was right. But beauty itself, unadorned and unaffected, is sacred, I think, worthy of our awe and our loyalty. Those nights by the sea, I’d take Angie’s hand in mine and raise it to my lips. I’d kiss it. And sometimes as the sea raged and the darkness in the sky deepened, I’d feel awe. I’d feel humbled. I’d feel perfect.”
June 16, 2017
For most people getting hired by a billionaire and paid a huge sum of money to do a job that includes going to sunny Florida via private jet would be a career highlight. Of course, Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro aren’t most people so readers of this series know things will go badly. Hell, I’m surprised their plane didn't crash.
Patrick and Angie are still recovering from the events in the previous book. Their detective agency is closed for business, and they’re spending most of their time ‘going to movies, talking in circles, and drinking’. That changes when a dying billionaire insists on hiring them to find his missing daughter.
Trevor Stone’s wife was killed in a botched car jacking, he was crippled in the attack and then found out that he had a terminal cancer. His daughter, Desiree, had already been grieving because of the drowning death of an old boy friend. She was deeply depressed by all the tragedies around her before she vanished, and he’s offering a small fortune to have her found before he dies.
The money is nice, but Patrick and Angie have another reason for taking the job. Another detective, Jay Becker, had worked the case, but he also disappeared. Jay is a friend of theirs, and he's also the guy who trained Patrick on detective work. The trail leads to a shady grief counseling group linked to a religious cult, and then to Florida, but things are never what they seem while looking for Desiree and Jay.
Lehane had really figured it all out by this third book. In the first book, he let the smart-ass private eye-schtick get a little out of control, but in the second book the dark violence got the upper hand. By Sacred, Lehane has a firm grip on the wheel and a light touch on the accelerator. The book is serious and the violence is grim, but it doesn’t overwhelm the story. There’s a lot of humor, but it never seems out of place or ruins the tension. The central plot is puzzling, but not frustrating. He also deepens the relationship between Patrick and Angie.
Plus, we get a scene with Bubba Rogowski and a blow torch. Who wouldn’t want to read that?
Patrick and Angie are still recovering from the events in the previous book. Their detective agency is closed for business, and they’re spending most of their time ‘going to movies, talking in circles, and drinking’. That changes when a dying billionaire insists on hiring them to find his missing daughter.
Trevor Stone’s wife was killed in a botched car jacking, he was crippled in the attack and then found out that he had a terminal cancer. His daughter, Desiree, had already been grieving because of the drowning death of an old boy friend. She was deeply depressed by all the tragedies around her before she vanished, and he’s offering a small fortune to have her found before he dies.
The money is nice, but Patrick and Angie have another reason for taking the job. Another detective, Jay Becker, had worked the case, but he also disappeared. Jay is a friend of theirs, and he's also the guy who trained Patrick on detective work. The trail leads to a shady grief counseling group linked to a religious cult, and then to Florida, but things are never what they seem while looking for Desiree and Jay.
Lehane had really figured it all out by this third book. In the first book, he let the smart-ass private eye-schtick get a little out of control, but in the second book the dark violence got the upper hand. By Sacred, Lehane has a firm grip on the wheel and a light touch on the accelerator. The book is serious and the violence is grim, but it doesn’t overwhelm the story. There’s a lot of humor, but it never seems out of place or ruins the tension. The central plot is puzzling, but not frustrating. He also deepens the relationship between Patrick and Angie.
Plus, we get a scene with Bubba Rogowski and a blow torch. Who wouldn’t want to read that?
September 23, 2015
Maybe honor was in its twilight. Maybe it had always been heading that way. Or worse, maybe it had always been an illusion.
Everyone is suspect. Everyone is suspect.
It was starting to become my mantra.
It goes without saying that I'm a picky little shit. I have rules upon rules, and I turn down rec after rec from friends because I am just that critical. It's not because I don't trust my friends...it's more than that. Imagine knowing precisely what you want. And when you find it, your eyes light up and your heart goes into overdrive, and you feel lighter than air-You know that, without a doubt, this book will be perfect for you. And, I'll tell ya, it's a long, drawn out process for me. It is. So, when my friend said I'd love this, I tried it...but didn't particularly fall for the first book.
Once again, my perspective of prior events was reshaping, transmogrifying, reinventing itself until I felt increasingly stupid for ever trusting my initial instincts.
This case, I swear.
It was good, sure. I loved the main characters, of course. But the story itself? I found it lacking-Not because it wasn't well-written...it was. But, the things they had to investigate bored me a tad and I wasn't fully engrossed in the story-I didn't get the obsession, is my point. It was a typical first book with intros type deal. So, without further adieu (Meaning I asked first if the second was better, shut up) I tried the second book.
"Mr. Stone, you said you'd heard we had the two qualities you were looking for most."
"Yes."
"One was honesty. What's the other?"
"I heard you were relentless," he said as he stepped into the study. "Utterly relentless."
A stalker/serial-killer story, deep, meaningful relationships between Patrick, Angie, and their friends growing, and the atmosphere becoming darker, eerier, creepier...I was like a moth to a flame. So, it goes without saying that I was super excited for book three. But, and don't judge me, I am seriously addicted to the serial killer books and was a little put out that wasn't in this story. I know, admit me to a hospital now. But it really and truly says something when the story isn't centered around what I want...but becomes everything I could ever need.
I turned to Angie. "How you doing?"
"My wrists hurt and so does my head."
"Otherwise?"
"I'm generally in a foul mood."
I looked back into the light. "We're in a foul mood."
"I'd assume so."
"Fuck you," I said.
Plot: While not as cutthroat as book two, I was still 100% satisfied. Angie and Patrick don't want to take any cases-they are laying low following the devastating events following the serial killer's reign of terror. The darkness was eating at them, so they decided it was time to figure out what was important. And that's all fine and good...until someone approaches them in a way they can't refuse. Now, even though this case seemed mild, it became almost my favorite. Now, no, wait up, not over my serial killer fetish-Don't fret. This case allowed for Angie and Patrick to explore their relationship and dig deeper and focus on, yes I know I've said it, what's important. I just think that the details of this case helped to highlight the best parts of what make Angie and Patrick, well...Angie and Patrick. I got to see why everyone loved them not only separately, but together, and I loved it. There isn't much I can say that I disliked about this story.
"I'd say that's a clue," I said.
"Big or small?"
"Depends whether you measure by width or length."
I got a good dope-slap for that on the way out the door.
The Mystery: I touched base on it above, but I just wanted to zero in on the fact that it wasn't as simple or mundane as I had first imagined. It was underhanded, crazy, and wholly addicting...I couldn't put this book down to save my life...and this shocked me.
When the door closed behind them, I said, "Heel, Walter. Roll over, Walter."
"Poor Walter," Angie said as we reached the elevator bank.
"Poor Walter. Please. Could you have been any more breathy by the way?"
"Breathy?"
"'Sex months,'" I said in my best Marilyn Monroe voice.
"I didn't say 'sex.' I said 'six.' And I wasn't that breathy."
"Whatever you say, Norma Jean."
The Characters: I adored Patrick before, but I fell even harder for him in this one-his humor, his wit, his personality...He was absolutely intoxicating. And, even more than that, I fell in love with Angie in this one, too. She hasn't been a favorite of mine just yet, but I always liked her. But, in this one, she shined just like Patrick. Each page put a smile on my face (Well, except for the murder investigation, hmm?) and a ray of sunshine through my heart. Even Bubba had me smiling ear-to-ear, and Nelson, no matter how small their part.
Angie was where most of me began and all of me ended.
Overall? This is a definite contender for favorite of the series. It's hard to explain, but I loved books two and three for totally different reasons. And, if I had to choose, yeah, I guess I would read this one more on an 'over and over' basis, if only to smile from ear to ear at Patrick and Angie's antics. While 2 is probably my favorite for the plot (darkness, helplessness, never quite putting my finger on whodunnit, and the bone-chilling revelations that made me shiver long after each eerie scene), book three is my favorite for the characters. They shine and they do what they do best, and not once was I bored. That's saying something for such long books.
"It bugs you."
"A bit. It doesn't feel right."
She leaned back in her chair. "We in the trade call that feeling a 'hunch.'"
I bent over my notes, pen in hand. "How do you spell that? With an 'h,' right?"
So, you know, shocking right? I am in love with yet another series. And damn it all to hell, I'm not finding anything else I want to read in-between. Ain't that just the bitch of it? So, anyway, whenever I move onto book four, I will put my big girl pants on...because from what I hear? Shit's about to get real messy...and sad. Very, very sad. I'm ready, book!
I looked up at the sky, such a rich dark shade of blue it seemed artificial. That was something else I'd been noticing down here: This state-so ripe and lush and colorful-seemed fake in comparison with its uglier counterparts up north.
There's something ugly about the flawless.
For more of my reviews, please visit:
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Well...no sense lying about it...I've officially went into fangirl mode.
Alert the media.
Review to come.
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August 16, 2019
Audiobook - 08:02 Hours - Narrator: Jonathan Davis
Brief review:
Another excellent "(Patrick) Kenzie & (Angie) Gennaro" by Dennis Lehane. I loved the laconic, laidback Kenzie and his childhood friend Angie, a gritty and highly competent private investigation team, who are tasked by a billionaire to find his missing daughter, Desiree. Plus, the two PI's have to face the fact that Kenzie's mentor, Jay Becker, who was originally retained to find Desiree, has disappeared in Florida.
Jonathan provides another fine narration, with very good character vocalisations maintained throughout his telling of the story.
I have already loaded "#4, Gone, Baby, Gone" onto my iPhone and books 5 and 6, the balance of the series, are ready and waiting😊.
Brief review:
Another excellent "(Patrick) Kenzie & (Angie) Gennaro" by Dennis Lehane. I loved the laconic, laidback Kenzie and his childhood friend Angie, a gritty and highly competent private investigation team, who are tasked by a billionaire to find his missing daughter, Desiree. Plus, the two PI's have to face the fact that Kenzie's mentor, Jay Becker, who was originally retained to find Desiree, has disappeared in Florida.
Jonathan provides another fine narration, with very good character vocalisations maintained throughout his telling of the story.
I have already loaded "#4, Gone, Baby, Gone" onto my iPhone and books 5 and 6, the balance of the series, are ready and waiting😊.
February 15, 2018
Recommended by Corey.
Another good book by Dennis Lehane.
Boston's Patrick Kenzie & Angie Gennaro private investigators are hired in a unusual way by rich but sick Billionaire Trevor Stone with not much time to live. He has them kidnapped to see if they want to work a case for him? He pays them $50,000 for the inconvenience of kidnapping & taking them to his home. They are able to leave by just reviewing the possible investigation he requests.
Trevor's offer starts by paying them over two million to find out where and/or any information on his missing daughter, Desiree.
They find several other investigators (friends) had unsuccessfully tried to find Desiree - Jay Becker, Everett Hamlyn & Jay Becker. The story has a "nice" unexpected end. Can Desiree be found & can the sick Trevor survive (stay alive) getting his answer on what happen to his daughter before dying.
How much is money will be requested from the entire family worth?
Another good book by Dennis Lehane.
Boston's Patrick Kenzie & Angie Gennaro private investigators are hired in a unusual way by rich but sick Billionaire Trevor Stone with not much time to live. He has them kidnapped to see if they want to work a case for him? He pays them $50,000 for the inconvenience of kidnapping & taking them to his home. They are able to leave by just reviewing the possible investigation he requests.
Trevor's offer starts by paying them over two million to find out where and/or any information on his missing daughter, Desiree.
They find several other investigators (friends) had unsuccessfully tried to find Desiree - Jay Becker, Everett Hamlyn & Jay Becker. The story has a "nice" unexpected end. Can Desiree be found & can the sick Trevor survive (stay alive) getting his answer on what happen to his daughter before dying.
How much is money will be requested from the entire family worth?
May 27, 2014
A Bone to Pick With Mr. Lehane
Well Dennis, I hope you're happy with yourself because you've pretty much shot my street cred with your depiction of Marblehead in this one—all those years of referring to it as M'hood, my clever use of the zip code in dubbing the town police force the "0194-five-oh," all shattered as soon as Patrick Kenzie wakes up in the mansion of a mysterious billionaire (the dimensions of which I'm pretty sure wouldn't actually fit anywhere on the Marblehead Neck, so there!) On the other hand, you did make it sound like I risk my life on the daily driving along what you refer to as a "chop shop auto mile," so thank god for small miracles or whatever.
Oh, you wanted to know about the book?
As mentioned, Patrick and Angie are on the tail of a missing billionaire's daughter- their first foray back into the field since the crazed events of Darkness Take My Hand. True to form, nothing is as it seems, so if you're planning on reading it, I'll leave you with the tantalizing promise of cult involvement, and you should just go on your merry reading way.
In the end, I (apparently) can't stay mad at Patrick and Angie for long, because I'm already digging into Gone Baby Gone . So, Dennis, looks like all is forgiven.
Well Dennis, I hope you're happy with yourself because you've pretty much shot my street cred with your depiction of Marblehead in this one—all those years of referring to it as M'hood, my clever use of the zip code in dubbing the town police force the "0194-five-oh," all shattered as soon as Patrick Kenzie wakes up in the mansion of a mysterious billionaire (the dimensions of which I'm pretty sure wouldn't actually fit anywhere on the Marblehead Neck, so there!) On the other hand, you did make it sound like I risk my life on the daily driving along what you refer to as a "chop shop auto mile," so thank god for small miracles or whatever.
Oh, you wanted to know about the book?
As mentioned, Patrick and Angie are on the tail of a missing billionaire's daughter- their first foray back into the field since the crazed events of Darkness Take My Hand. True to form, nothing is as it seems, so if you're planning on reading it, I'll leave you with the tantalizing promise of cult involvement, and you should just go on your merry reading way.
In the end, I (apparently) can't stay mad at Patrick and Angie for long, because I'm already digging into Gone Baby Gone . So, Dennis, looks like all is forgiven.
June 14, 2023
5 Stars. Oh was this a great one. Lehane has developed two amazing characters and manages to find the most evil opponents possible. K&J are so well written, glad to see some good for them. The books are special because they’re truly original. Bring on the next please.
June 19, 2023
There's just so much to enjoy in this hard-boiled series, with each tale one-uping the previous in terms of tension, character development and crazy crimes to solve. Good stuff!!
4 Sacred Stars
4 Sacred Stars
August 16, 2015
Damn good book in a damn good series.
This one is pretty twisty. Kenzie and Ange are still recovering from the events of the last book (Darkness, Take My Hand), when a wealthy man hires them to find his daughter.
Sacred started by going off in one direction, took a brief turn toward Carl Hiassen and then settled into the feeling that our heroes had wandered into the middle of Chandler's The Big Sleep.
I'm just sorry I finished it so quickly.
April 25, 2018
Patrick and Angie discover that they are being followed, but they underestimate their stalkers and they get kidnapped. "Luckily" for them, it's just a dying billionaire that wants to hire them to find his daughter before he dies. And they feel for him, especially Angie and agree to take the case. What could go wrong, it's just a missing person case? Of course, nothing is as it seems and this missing case turned out to be a much bigger case than they had bargained for and as usual, they just can't seem to catch a break and this case just like the last one will take a toll on them.
This book was not as intense as the last one, still good, but just not exceptionally good. But the final confrontation and Patrick and Angie's way of delivering justice were great. There are twists and turns in the story and that is as always great, I love reading books where nothing is as it seems.
This book was not as intense as the last one, still good, but just not exceptionally good. But the final confrontation and Patrick and Angie's way of delivering justice were great. There are twists and turns in the story and that is as always great, I love reading books where nothing is as it seems.
August 2, 2019
Another winner by Dennis Lehane from the Kenzie/Gennaro series. As I get to know them better, I like the books more, so I plan to continue reading more.
This one started out in one direction and veered off into unexpected territory a few times. The only common thread was the weirdness of some of the people. Oh, and Angie's ability to come through and save the day, surprising all who don't know her.
It was pretty brutal at times, but the ending was very satisfying and just.
This one started out in one direction and veered off into unexpected territory a few times. The only common thread was the weirdness of some of the people. Oh, and Angie's ability to come through and save the day, surprising all who don't know her.
It was pretty brutal at times, but the ending was very satisfying and just.
February 17, 2021
The writing flows fast with thrilling scenes and narrative.
June 16, 2020
Sacred is the 3rd entry in the Kenzie/Gennaro series, and the tone was lighter and more mild than in Darkness Take My Hand, didn't feel as dark or gritty, still wildly entertaining however!
This time Kenzie and Gennaro, (who are still recovering from their horrifying ordeal at the conclusion of Darkness Take My Hand) are approached by millionaire businessman Trevor Stone who is dying of cancer, and he hires them to track down his missing daughter, who has disappeared without a trace, not only that, but the previous detective that Stone hired to find her, has disappeared as well. Kenzie and Gennaro search through not only Boston, but take to the sunny state of Florida, where she and the detective were last heard from. But as Kenzie and Gennaro move deeper into the investigation, it appears things aren't as they seem, and not knowing who they can trust, they are drawn into something far more deadly and personal than a missing person's case.
A great addition to the series, Kenzie and Gennaro become more romantically involved with each other in this one, and though 2 half's of the story take place in Boston like all of Lehane's books, 1 half takes place in Florida which I thought was pretty cool! A great mystery from beginning to end!
This time Kenzie and Gennaro, (who are still recovering from their horrifying ordeal at the conclusion of Darkness Take My Hand) are approached by millionaire businessman Trevor Stone who is dying of cancer, and he hires them to track down his missing daughter, who has disappeared without a trace, not only that, but the previous detective that Stone hired to find her, has disappeared as well. Kenzie and Gennaro search through not only Boston, but take to the sunny state of Florida, where she and the detective were last heard from. But as Kenzie and Gennaro move deeper into the investigation, it appears things aren't as they seem, and not knowing who they can trust, they are drawn into something far more deadly and personal than a missing person's case.
A great addition to the series, Kenzie and Gennaro become more romantically involved with each other in this one, and though 2 half's of the story take place in Boston like all of Lehane's books, 1 half takes place in Florida which I thought was pretty cool! A great mystery from beginning to end!
May 20, 2016
There’s something ugly about the flawless..
Following the events of Darkness, Take My Hand, Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro have shuttered their agency and have begun to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. A year has passed when they’re approached (and by approached, I mean drugged and tossed in the back of a van) by an ailing man desperate to find his missing daughter. The pair are hesitant to accept but when enticed by a hefty sum of cash, it becomes an offer they cannot refuse.
Sacred takes Kenzie and Gennaro down the coastline to sunny, balmy Florida as they investigate a case with more twists and turns than a tangled slinky. Seriously, this one is all over the place. I’ve seen a few folks mention that Lehane plays on Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep with regards to the plot and I can absolutely see that. Like Marlowe, Patrick and Angie more or less fall into things as time progresses, playing their cards close to the chest and not having to do a whole lot of detective work outside of putting boots on the ground and knocking on doors.
During the first two novels, Kenzie and Gennaro certainly took their lumps and Sacred is no different. The duo are beaten and roughed up badly during the story, to the point where a doctor advises Patrick that he start having kids now as he shouldn’t expect a long life. Can’t say I blame the doctor though. Hard to anticipate your golden years when you’re constantly avoiding bullets and breaking bones on a regular basis.
It’s going to be tough to top Darkness, Take My Hand and although I found Sacred to be not as strong as its predecessor, I still tore through it relatively quickly. Unfortunately, there are only six novels in the whole series, so this series is going to be over a hell of a lot sooner than I’d like.
Following the events of Darkness, Take My Hand, Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro have shuttered their agency and have begun to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. A year has passed when they’re approached (and by approached, I mean drugged and tossed in the back of a van) by an ailing man desperate to find his missing daughter. The pair are hesitant to accept but when enticed by a hefty sum of cash, it becomes an offer they cannot refuse.
Sacred takes Kenzie and Gennaro down the coastline to sunny, balmy Florida as they investigate a case with more twists and turns than a tangled slinky. Seriously, this one is all over the place. I’ve seen a few folks mention that Lehane plays on Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep with regards to the plot and I can absolutely see that. Like Marlowe, Patrick and Angie more or less fall into things as time progresses, playing their cards close to the chest and not having to do a whole lot of detective work outside of putting boots on the ground and knocking on doors.
During the first two novels, Kenzie and Gennaro certainly took their lumps and Sacred is no different. The duo are beaten and roughed up badly during the story, to the point where a doctor advises Patrick that he start having kids now as he shouldn’t expect a long life. Can’t say I blame the doctor though. Hard to anticipate your golden years when you’re constantly avoiding bullets and breaking bones on a regular basis.
It’s going to be tough to top Darkness, Take My Hand and although I found Sacred to be not as strong as its predecessor, I still tore through it relatively quickly. Unfortunately, there are only six novels in the whole series, so this series is going to be over a hell of a lot sooner than I’d like.
August 22, 2017
Dying billionaire Trevor Stone (who is clearly not telling all), hires in an outlandish way the Boston pairing of private detectives Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro, partners (sometimes sleeping partners), to find his missing daughter Desiree, a depressed young women who may or may not be in the Florida area mixed up in god knows what. Following Patrick's vanished mentor Jay Becker as a beginning leads to a maelstrom of beatings, betrayals, unmaskings, resurrections, wise cracking smart talk, and a whole bunch of people you wouldn't want as friends. With a complex story (although nothing on chandler), this noir crime thriller really takes hold of you. Only let down, I could see the end coming, other than that, a terrific piece of crime writing that had the feel of a film.
June 14, 2017
A great series to star from the beginning - and then just keep on going ! The 3rd in the series and I enjoyed it very much!
August 17, 2011
I read a lot in the mystery genre, and I have learned to appreciate most of the formulas that go into building a decent thriller. The problem, though, with formula is that it makes for a generally predictable storyline. In a run-of-the-mill thriller, you can often spot who the femme fatale character is, or who among the list of suspects is the next to be "unexpectedly" murdered, or (in some cases) even who the killer is from the beginning. Dennis Lehane doesn't write run-of-the-mill thrillers. Lehane writes suspenseful novels in which the formula for a good mystery is so well-hidden, it's almost like he's not using a formula. Of course, he is, but he is one of those rare mystery writers who has the literary flair for constructing a plot so well that it seems to have an organic flow, as if Lehane is just following his characters along for the ride, waiting to see where they end up. "Sacred" is one of the books in his series featuring the private eye team of Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro. I'm not sure where it falls in the timeline. I know it takes place after "Gone Baby Gone" (adapted into an exceptionally well-done movie starring Casey Affleck, Ed Harris, and Morgan Freeman). Not that it matters, as they all work as stand-alone novels. In this one, Kenzie and Gennaro are hired by a mysterious rich man who wants them to find his missing daughter and the other private investigator he hired to find her. Both mysteriously disappeared, seemingly out of the blue. Kenzie and Gennaro soon realize that nothing about this case is as it seems. From page one, this book will suck you in, and you won't be able to put it down. You also probably won't piece together what the hell is going on until the last chapter. If you've never read Lehane, it doesn't matter where you start. Pick up any one of his novels, and you'll see what great mystery writing is all about.
February 3, 2024
I read the first two of the Kenzie & Gennaro series prior to reading #3 Sacred. I read the book, and I found it to be a compelling read, loved it. I had previously read and enjoyed Prayers For Rain, and have already gotten Gone Girl Gone and Midnight Mile on my Kindle to read next. I am also looking forward to watching the film adaptation of Gone Girl Gone and will order it today.
What can I say??? Just love Lehane, and have been a fan for decades. Mystic River an unforgettable book (a disappointing movie after my immersion in the novel). I liked Shutter Island as well.
Would be interested to know what fans think about the Coughlin books. SO many books, and so little time...
What can I say??? Just love Lehane, and have been a fan for decades. Mystic River an unforgettable book (a disappointing movie after my immersion in the novel). I liked Shutter Island as well.
Would be interested to know what fans think about the Coughlin books. SO many books, and so little time...
August 9, 2023
Another home run in the K&G series. Dialogue is witty and realistic. Great pacing. Just enough tension to keep you reading “just one more chapter.” Awesome ending. Dennis Lehane has become one of my favorite authors.
May 13, 2022
Why couldn't have they made this into a movie?
For the record, I've not watched Gone, Baby, Gone but I do plan to after I read the book version first. But reading and finishing this book, there were a ton of twists that actually felt organic, to the point where I could almost see this as an old-school Batman mystery story doing the exact same thing (and if anybody reading this as a representative of Mr. Lehane, at least let him know that I'd be willing to buy a Dennis Lehane Batman story from my book store if he wrote one.)
Now for my argument of why this should have been a movie, it shows the dark side of a family that's also clever enough to deceive people, and they were even smart enough to almost deceive Kenzie and Gennaro. But the one thing that prevented them from being deceived was Kenzie's unrequited love for Gennaro.
I don't know when I'm going to get into Gone, Baby, Gone on account of me being very busy lately, but I do know that I am going to enter the dark tunnel of the roller coaster and I'm gonna make sure my seatbelt is tight enough for the ride.
For the record, I've not watched Gone, Baby, Gone but I do plan to after I read the book version first. But reading and finishing this book, there were a ton of twists that actually felt organic, to the point where I could almost see this as an old-school Batman mystery story doing the exact same thing (and if anybody reading this as a representative of Mr. Lehane, at least let him know that I'd be willing to buy a Dennis Lehane Batman story from my book store if he wrote one.)
Now for my argument of why this should have been a movie, it shows the dark side of a family that's also clever enough to deceive people, and they were even smart enough to almost deceive Kenzie and Gennaro. But the one thing that prevented them from being deceived was Kenzie's unrequited love for Gennaro.
I don't know when I'm going to get into Gone, Baby, Gone on account of me being very busy lately, but I do know that I am going to enter the dark tunnel of the roller coaster and I'm gonna make sure my seatbelt is tight enough for the ride.
November 3, 2020
[3.5 stars]
"The ornament of beauty, Shakespeare wrote, is suspect.
And he was right.
But beauty itself, unadorned and unaffected, is sacred, I think, worthy of our awe and our loyalty."
Another solid addition to the Kenzie & Gennaro series. These books are by no means mind-blowing crime/thrillers but they are exciting, engaging and just enjoyable enough to keep me reading them. Definitely aged a bit in terms of how Lehane writes about Gennaro through Kenzie's POV—I could do with less ogling of her body. But I do like what he has done with their relationship over the course of the first three books.
"The ornament of beauty, Shakespeare wrote, is suspect.
And he was right.
But beauty itself, unadorned and unaffected, is sacred, I think, worthy of our awe and our loyalty."
Another solid addition to the Kenzie & Gennaro series. These books are by no means mind-blowing crime/thrillers but they are exciting, engaging and just enjoyable enough to keep me reading them. Definitely aged a bit in terms of how Lehane writes about Gennaro through Kenzie's POV—I could do with less ogling of her body. But I do like what he has done with their relationship over the course of the first three books.
December 14, 2017
In ‘Sacred’, Kenzie and Gennaro are hired by a not wholly trustworthy billionaire, who is dying of cancer, to find his missing daughter, Desiree. It’s the third book of the Kenzie and Gennaro series and one in which the trail leads them out of their beloved Boston to Miami, for most of the course of the novel, before returning home for the closing chapters. ‘Sacred’ is the least satisfying of series of the four K and G novels I have read so far. It is probably the change in backdrop, Miami, that Lehane doesn’t really get the feel for, or maybe the change in the relationship between Patrick and Angie. It could even be the hard to accept twists and turns in the story line. And it may also be something to do with the disappointing ‘hole in the garden’ and ‘chair to chair’ denouement. Despite all the above comments, it is Kenzie and Gennaro, so read it.
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