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Small Mercies

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Small Mercies

By: Dennis Lehane
Narrated by: Regina Reagan
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About this listen

'You'll be lucky if you read a more engaging novel this year' The Times Thriller of the Month April 2023

'Small Mercies is thought-provoking, engaging, enraging, and can't-put-it-down entertainment' Stephen King

'A jaw-dropping thriller... a resonant, unflinching story written by a novelist who is simply one of the best around' Gillian Flynn

New York Times bestselling author Dennis Lehane returns with a masterpiece to rival Mystic River - an all-consuming tale of revenge, family love, festering hate, and insidious power, set against one of the most tumultuous episodes in Boston's history.

'Mrs. Fennessy, please go home.'
'And do what?'
'Whatever you do when you're home.'
'And then what?'
'Get up the next day and do it again.'
She shakes her head. 'That's not living.'
'It is if you can find the small blessings.'
She smiles, but her eyes shine with agony. 'All my small blessings are gone.'

In the summer of 1974 a heatwave blankets Boston and Mary Pat Fennessey is trying to stay one step ahead of the bill collectors. Mary Pat has lived her entire life in the housing projects of 'Southie', the Irish American enclave that stubbornly adheres to old tradition and stands proudly apart.

One night Mary Pat's teenage daughter Jules stays out late and doesn't come home. That same evening, a young Black man is found dead, struck by a subway train under mysterious circumstances.

The two events seem unconnected. But Mary Pat, propelled by a desperate search for her missing daughter, begins turning over stones best left untouched - asking questions that bother Marty Butler, chieftain of the Irish mob, and the men who work for him, men who don't take kindly to any threat to their business.

Set against the hot, tumultuous months when the city's desegregation of its public schools exploded in violence, Small Mercies is a superb thriller, a brutal depiction of criminality and power, and an unflinching portrait of the dark heart of American racism.

Please be aware that this audiobook covers themes of racism and abuse, using language which may cause offence to others if you're listening in public.©2023 Dennis Lehane (P)2023 Hachette Audio UK
City Life Historical Suspense Urban City Ireland Fiction Boston
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What listeners say about Small Mercies

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Amazing!

I really cannot praise this book highly enough. I never leave reviews but this time I was literally up all night listening. Although this is a tragic story there are moments of hilarity which had me laughing out loud. The fact that the main character is (superficially) an ordinary working class woman makes it all the more brilliant. The narrator could not have been better. Just fantastic!

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Gripping as hell

Great read. Tight plot. Memorable, if awful characters. Highly recommended… not for the faint hearted as some of the language and opinions held are challenging.

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Beautiful

Some deep characters,.amazing dialogue, and story. One of my favourites of Dennis Lehane. Highly recommend

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five stars

It's a tale as old as time. A tale of our ability to hate and love in equal measure.

The narration so good that the story reveals itself without her being noticeable.

Easily one of my top 10 audio books

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Entertaining but some loose plot ends

Pacey and with some good characters but there are some glaring errors and the ending feels clunky

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Outstanding

One of the best audio books I have ever listened to.
Writing and narration at its very best.

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The pick of Lehane.

I've read a lot of Lehane and this is the best yet. The plot sounds v b/w but the characters have lots of shades of grey. Top notch and an excellent performance too.

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Engrossing read

I felt immersed in ‘Southie’ , a great story , brought to life by an excellent narrator

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Superb, gritty story, brilliantly narrated

Tough, compelling drama set in Boston's Southie district in the early Seventies, brilliantly narrated by Regina Regan.

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My first Dennis Lehman and it won’t be my last…

The story and the narration are superb. The era is brilliantly evoked. Nothing to bitch about with this book.

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