Title: Coronado
Author: Dennis Lehane
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Copyright: 2006
ISBN: 0061139718
Pages: 232
Keywords: fiction
Reading period: 12 January, 2008

A collection of short stories and a play, all characteristically dark. Tales of fucked-up lives, tales of people with shitty pasts and no futures, tales of revenge.

Lehane writes brilliantly. His spare description, his dialogue brings the characters to life on the page.

The play, "Coronado", is adapted from an earlier short story, "Until Gwen" — also part of this collection. The repetition does not feel redundant. The play fleshes out the short story, telling it in a different manner.

Recommended, but depressing.