Coup de Grace

Coup de Grace is the latest novel by author Dennis Lehane, best known for his novels Mystic River and Shutter Island. Just released in 2024, even Stephen King liked the novel.

But what is it about? Worth? What should you know about the author? All this is what we want to talk to you about in this article. Shall we start?

Synopsis of Coup de Grace

Coup de Gracia is a novel by thriller genre in which, in its almost 400 pages, you will live an immersive story. And the plot is set around an event that took place in the United States in the 70s, with the racial conflict that broke out.

Do you want to know more about this novel? We leave you the synopsis below:

«Boston, summer of 1974. One night, Jules, Mary Pat's teenage daughter, stays out late and doesn't come home. That same night, a young black man is found dead, hit by a train under mysterious circumstances. The two events seem unrelated, but Mary Pat, driven by her desperate search for her daughter, begins to ask questions that annoy Marty Butler, head of the Irish mafia, and the men who work for him. Set in the hot, tumultuous months when the desegregation of the city's public schools erupted into violence, Coup de Grace is a magnificent thriller, a brutal depiction of crime and power, and an unflinching portrait of the dark heart of racism. American".

Reviews and critiques

Although the novel was published in early 2024, In a matter of a few months it has earned hundreds of reviews on multiple platforms. Of course, there are opinions for all tastes. Here we leave you some of them:

«Realistic novel about the desegregation of Boston public institutes that at the same time becomes a brutal thriller. As a reader it catches you, shakes you and provokes solidarity with the pain that the protagonist suffers, as well as anger at the injustice of that ancestral racism.

"Good thriller, based on the manipulation of ideals for the benefit of amoral and corrupt people."

«Great novel by Lehane, set precisely and sharply in his native Boston in 1974, in the midst of racial conflict. Raw chronicle of informal power and the contradictions and fractures of the North American political and social system. As always in his novels, hope in a better world is not a romantic desire, but an ethical and political demand of people.

«Personally I don't like the way they tell stories in the USA. The film would have a certain success among a certain audience, but as a literary experience it is of a low level.

«A well-written novel, which takes you to Boston in the 70s. XX, during racial segregation. A harsh place, where drugs and violence are the most normal part of everyday life. A woman who just wants to survive in that jungle and who is forced to make terrible decisions. A magnificently written story. Highly recommended.

As you see, in general, the work has been very well received and readers who have given it a chance have been satisfied with the story.

Dennis Lehane, the author of Coup de Grace

Dennis Lehane was born in 1965 and His first novel was published in 1994, A drink before the war, the first book that began the series of Kenzie & Gennaro, two private investigators who receive assignments for "striking" cases, so to speak. For this book he won the Shamus Award for best debut novel.

However, His real success came with Mystic River, shortlisted novel for the PEN/Winship Award, and winner of the Anthony Award and the Barry Award for Best Novel. It also won the Massachusetts Fiction Book Prize and France's Prix Mystere de la Critique.

Not everything ended there with that novel, since it was adapted into a film. Directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Sean Penn, Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon.

This has not been the only film adapted from his books. Along with Mystic River, the books Gone Baby Gone, Shutter Island, The Drop and Live by Night were also adapted.

And what can we tell you about the author? Well, he is American and has Irish ancestry. Many of his stories talk about marginalized groups or immigrants and are usually set in Boston.. In addition, he gives a lot of importance to his Irish culture, especially the Catholic religion that one of his characters always represents.

Despite being born in Boston, and there are many references to the city in his novels, he now lives with his family in California.

Works by Dennis Lehane

Dennis Lehane has been writing for a long time and the truth is that, if you have read the novel, or are going to do so, it may be good to have some other books by the author in sight, especially if you like his way of writing and want to continue getting to know him (or checking that you have read everything by the author).

Here there is one list of novels, short stories and also scripts that he has done (the latter, rather than reading them, you can watch the episodes or movie on streaming platforms).

• Novels
  • Kenzie & Gennaro Series:
    • A drink before the war.
    • Hold me, darkness.
    • What is sacred.
    • He disappeared one night.
    • Prayers at night.
    • The last lost cause.
  • Coughlin Series:
    • Any other day.
    • Live at night
    • That world disappeared.
  • Independent:
    • Mystic River.
    • Shutter Island.
    • Crowned.
    • Delivery.
    • After the fall.
    • Coup de grace.
• Tales
  • «Animal Rescue».
• Scripts
  • The Wire (TV series): Episodes 3.03, 4.04 and 5.08.
  • Boardwalk Empire (TV series): Episode 4.12.
  • The Drop (film).
  • Bloodline. Writer and producer.
  • Mr. Mercedes. Writer and producer.
  • End of Watch. Writer and producer.
  • The Outsider. Writer and producer.
  • Black Bird. Apple TV series that he wrote and produced.

Have you read Coup de Gracia? What you think about it? If you haven't already, you can now make a better decision with the book. Will you read it or skip it?