When we talk about recommendation lists I almost always forget the classics of crime fiction. I mention them from time to time in my reviews, but I never thought to gather them together in a “top ten”. You will not find these even on the best writing services, so lets start.
After much urging from the commenters in the previous discussion on the 10 Greatest Detective Novels, I went back to read Dennis Lehane's A Drink Before the War, the first book in the Kenzie-Gennaro series.
I've read a couple of Lehane's books before (Sacred and Mystic River) without being blown away. Although I liked this one much better -- and can see why he has his legions of fans -- I didn't think this was at the level of the other books included on my list.
Lehane's a fine writer; I don't think there's any doubt about that. And A Drink Before the War is a quality, entertaining detective novel. But it's not a great detective novel.
The plot of Drink is on the simple side. (That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's worth mentioning.) The characters are fine, but not particularly original. The prose quality is generally high, and the setting is used well. In no area, however, does it rise to the level of extraordinary, which is what I'm looking for on this list.
One area of weakness is that much of the writing is heavy-handed and overdone. Whether the topic is race, abuse or politics, Lehane makes his points with a cudgel, when a scalpel is what's really needed. (I contrast this to the work of George Pelecanos, for example, which is much subtler.)
While reading it, I couldn't help but notice that although Lehane is working in similar territory, with similar characters, and exploring similar themes as the best of Robert B. Parker's Spenser series, he doesn't pull it off quite as well as Parker did.
Granted, this was Lehane's first novel. And, considering that, it's a damn fine achievement. Having read this book, I would certainly read him again.
Ultimately, A Drink Before the War is a solid example of a detective novel, well-written and enjoyable. But it's not one of the 10 Greatest.
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