SINCE WE FELL
By Dennis Lehane
This book is a movie just waiting to be produced. That’s not always necessarily a great thing, but in this case, I think it would definitely be an exciting and fascinating film, if done well. I seem to be in the minority of Goodreads reviewers, in that I found the book engrossing and interesting all the way through.
Rachel is a journalist who finds herself without a job after a series of panic attacks and an on-air breakdown that occurs while she’s covering a horrific story in Haiti. She loses not only her career but also her marriage and becomes almost completely agoraphobic. Entwined in her panic are memories of her deceased mother, a hard and bitter woman who refused to ever tell Rachel who her father is.
Rachel tries for years to discover his identity, and enlists the aid of a private investigator, Brian, who is of no help, but becomes a major player in her life as years go by.
I was fully engrossed in the novel as it delved into Rachel’s past and her search for her father. I was interested in the psychological impact that these events, as well as what she encountered in Haiti, had on her. I enjoyed reading about her relationships and how they grew or faltered. And then, somewhere around the middle of the book, the story took off on a wild ride that I wasn’t expecting. The events took me aback for a few pages, and I thought I was going to be disappointed, but then I was swept up in the mystery and intrigue, the lies and deceptions, and I never looked back.
Some of the actions at this point became slightly unbelievable, but only in the way that a movie storyline can sometimes stretch the imagination. And that’s why, at this point, I started seeing the book as a movie, even to the point that I tried to decide which actors should play the different characters.
***Small spoiler*** I was slightly annoyed that, just as in a movie, the characters were able to be punched, kicked, hit, injured in various ways and still, within a few minutes, never even uttered another moan or groan. I hate that. So unrealistic. Ah, artistic license.
Reviewed October 2018
House of Black and Blue 