Mystic River

After reading “Shutter Island” by Dennis Lehane last summer, I was intrigued to read another one of his novels. This summer, I picked up “Mystic River” after it kept popping up on my recommendations page on Goodreads. Mystic River tells the story of three childhood friends, Jimmy, Sean, and Dave, who grew up together in Boston. One day, when the boys were playing on their street, Dave is kidnapped by two men impersonating policemen. When he returns after three days, he is extremely traumatized by what he experiences and the boys’ friendship withers away. The book skips forward 25 years to a tragedy that intertwines the three friends back together again in a way that they never foresaw: Jimmy’s daughter is murdered and Sean is the head detective on the case, and the number one suspect is Dave. Mystic River is a great mix of mystery and excitement for anyone who enjoys a book that keeps you guessing until the very last page. Lehane manages to create such flawed and vivid characters that you will really feel as if you are experiencing their trials and triumphs with them.