While set in Boston's Southie in 1974, the story is incredibly timely. It's at once a crime novel, an unflinching look at racism, and a heart-wrenching tale about a mother who has lost everything.
Dennis Lehane's latest Boston crime drama, "Small Mercies," focuses on a woman with nothing to lose who stands up to the Irish mobsters running her neighborhood.
Moving further into Hollywood, 'Mystic River' author Dennis Lehane has teased that 'Small Mercies' could be his last novel. It would be a strong, fitting coda