Rhymes with "Park Benches"

I told my sister that I had a blog, and she said, "Wow. You are now pretentious."

But I told her that it was for work, and I think I got a pass. If I ever start collecting vintage wine or pronounce the "t" in often, though, I'm sunk.

I've been only reading top shelf books lately - if novels were alcohol, the last five books I've read are literary Glenlivet. Prayers for Rain by Dennis Lehane, the fifth and final book in the Kenzie/Gennaro series, does not break this trend.
I picked up the first in the series in January, for two reasons: when Brian Freeman, author of Immoral, visited by library, a patron asked him about his favorite books. Mr. Freeman replied that we should all read Dennis Lehane's books, because they are impossibly good. The second reason is I saw Gone Baby Gone in the theater, and liked it quite well.
But let me tell you - not that anyone will be surprised - the books are much better. The final installment sees the two main characters Patrick and Angie reconnecting after a prolonged estrangement (see Gone Baby Gone) after a former client of Patrick's commits suicide in a particularly strange fashion. I won't go into further details re: the plot; suffice to say that the dialogue is mesmerizing, the situations occasionally brutal but always interesting, and the characters are, well, not endearing, but at least sympathetic.

Thanks, Brian Freeman.