I liked Prayers for Rain, the only Lehane book I've read. I'll be reading another of his airplane books before moving on to The Given Day per jebmke's recommendation. The latter is historical, which isn't always my first choice, but I'm curious to see Lehane's evolution as a writer.jginseattle wrote:This started off well enough but it devolves into a mediocre movie plot. I have only liked one of the four Lehane novels I've read. As talented as he is, it seems that he's dumbing things down for his readers.jebmke wrote:didn't realize he had a new one out. Be interested in your reaction after finishing. I like Lehane - his early books are basically "airplane" books but he really refined his skills along the way.jginseattle wrote:I'm about 1/4 the way through Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane. So far, so good.
Speaking of historical, I'm almost done with Frederick Forsyth's The Day of the Jackal. A classic thriller about an assassin hired to take out French President Charles DeGaulle. The plot is linear and logical, none of the jumping around you see in modern international thrillers.
First we see The Jackal meticulously planning the event. Then we see a chess game between him and his pursuers. The Jackal is even-tempered and deals with any setback with equanimity. He's able to think up creative solutions on the spot.
It's still unclear how the story is going to end. The Jackal is smart, competent and resourceful even though he is "the bad guy". So part of me will hate seeing him taken down, if that's what happens.