Mystic River

By: Dennis Lehane

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 15 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

When they were children, Sean Devine, Jimmy Marcus, and Dave Boyle were friends. But then a strange car drove up their street. One boy got in the car, two did not, and something terrible happened - something that ended their friendship and changed the boys forever. Twenty-five years later, Sean is a homicide detective. Jimmy is an ex-con. And Dave is trying to hold his marriage together and keep his demons at bay - demons that urge him to do horrific things.

When Jimmy's daughter is murdered, Sean is assigned to the case. His investigation brings him into conflict with Jimmy, who finds his old criminal impulses tempt him to solve the crime with brutal justice. And then there is Dave, who came home the night Jimmy's daughter died covered in someone else's blood. While Sean attempts to use the law to return peace and order to the neighborhood, Jimmy finds his need for vengeance pushing him ever closer to a moral abyss from which he won't be able to return.

©2001 Dennis Lehane (P)2003 HarperCollins Publishers

Reflection and regret.

Though I knew the story, having seen the film many years ago, it’s unfolding as Lehane wrote it is masterful. It has been a pleasure to discover this book.

First class storytelling and narration

Tough subject matter expertly rendered into a crime story worth hearing. The narrator is a complete pro - worth your time.

Engrossing and real

A little slow to start and the author’s use of moving back and forth through the characters with first and third person narratives was confusing at first. The narrator puts emotion and drama into the story as he reads it making it easy for the listener to believe the action. The author used more narrative than I thought was necessary and this caused the story to bog down at times. But overall it was a great story with in depth studies in all the characters and I’d read another of his books.

The River is wild

a dark brooding tale of childhood trauma, violence, revenge, and a beautiful mystery. Dennis Lehane always delivers and scott brick is a hell of a narrator

Great story!!!

The characters were developed very well and with the exception of some details the movie does this novel justice. I will probably listen to this more than once! Completely recommend it

Mystic River

I enjoyed the story, but I did not really like the narrator. I felt like he was trying to sound overly dramatic and perhaps angry, with every sentence he spoke. Also (and maybe this is too nit-picky) but as someone who lives in a suburb of Boston it bugged me to hear the names of certain cities mispronounced (Leominster for example).

Amazing book

Mystic River is truly a must read. The story is spellbinding and the characters are brought to life by the author and narrator in a story you won’t soon forget. Modern classic!!

Brilliant exposition of tragedy and human nature

outstanding writing, great story, thoroughly enjoyable performance. Will go back to the movie now. Non-English as first language speakers might struggle with some of the vernacular but the best parts (last third) are riveting

Authentic Lehane

The narrator did a great job narrating a compelling story. A definite must read for anyone who appreciates a thriller.

Good book, blah narrator

I wish the narrator paused at appropriate times. It made it confusing when the story moved to another character’s point of view. Just a quick pause would suffice, but he kept reading almost as if it was just a run-on sentence. Otherwise the story was good.