Live by Night

By: Dennis Lehane

Narrated by: Adam Sims

With all the grit and barely veiled violence of The Godfather, Live By Night is another masterful example of the brooding gangster novel. Lehane's vivid cast of characters are utterly believable and his plot is as complex as it is thrilling.

Joe Coughlin is 19 when he meets Emma Gould. A small-time thief in 1920s Boston, he is told to cuff her while his accomplices raid the casino she works for. But Joe falls in love with Emma - and his life changes forever.

That meeting is the beginning of Joe's journey to becoming one of the nation's most feared and respected gangsters. It is a journey beset by violence, double-crossing, drama, and pain. And it is a journey into the soul of prohibition-era America....

A powerful, deeply moving novel, Live by Night is a tour-de-force by Dennis Lehane, writer on The Wire and author of modern classics such as Shutter Island, Gone, Baby, Gone and The Given Day.

©2012 Dennis Lehane (P)2012 Isis Publishing Ltd.

Predictable

Nothing new to the genre but well constructed novel. The violence is measured and action not unbelievable. The characters you can warm to but the book feels like one big 'penny dreadful'. I just felt I knew what was going to happen next. If you want this book, I think it best to listen to it rather than buy a copy and read it 'old school' as Adam Sims does an excellent job narrating the story.

A tough gangster story by a great writer

The novel follows the criminal career path of Joe Coughlin, one of the sons of a corrupt police officer described in Lehane’s prior book “The Given Day” (which have not YET read).
It’s a though gangster story with likable and authentic characters, an engaging plot, witty and realistic dialogue and moments of real suspense alternated with times of reflection and observation of Florida and Cuba in the prohibition times. A thoroughly thrilling and satisfying read in every way.
If you know Dennis Lehane , this is a book at par with the prior ones ; if you do not, here is an excellent opportunity to discover a great writer !

Exceptional

What a brilliant author Dennis Lehane is: His plots are plausible and calculated, his writing skilled and effortless. Perhaps it is the genre that caused him to be less recognised than he should be. Whatever the reason, readers are missing out. This, for me, is the best of the Joe Coughlin series. And the narrator is perfect for the book.