Lehane is an instant-buy in a used bookshop for me. I’ve come to his books all out of sequence but it doesn’t matter.

This is the fifth book in the series that includes Gone, Baby, Gone, and it’s decidedly second-tier Lehane. Still very readable, engaging and effective mystery thrillers, but not on the level of Mystic River or Small Mercies. The plot is part goofy, part predictable, but never dull. The characters are fully realized and the action is entertaining. You can’t lose with Lehane.

It’s perfect for lazy season, a quick weekend read or a break from heavier stuff.