Publisher Description

Once every couple of years, a Big Literary American novel comes along and blows everyone away. This is it.1918. Boston. A city in turmoil as soldiers return home from World War One, bringing with them an epidemic of Spanish influenza.Danny Coughlin is the son of one of Boston's most powerful police captains. An undercover cop, he is hunting for revolutionaries and anarchists who, in the aftermath of war, are pledged to overthrow the city's ruling classes. But Danny soon finds his ideals compromised as, drawn into the conflict, his family starts to question where his loyalties really lie.Luther Lawrence is on the run. Having survived a murderous confrontation with a crime boss, he lands a job in the Coughlin household. But it isn't long before his dangerous past and his tenuous present are on a life-threatening collision course.As the city goes into meltdown, Danny and Luther must confront the storm of violence that threatens to engulf them if each is to survive...

Notes

Paperback edition of the bestselling novel following a policeman and a criminal on the run in Boston in 1918. Takes in the aftermath of WWI, and the effect of the Spanish influenza. Lehane's profile has been raised through the film adaptations of Mystic River and Gone, Baby, Gone, plus his writing for hit TV series The Wire. New film Shutter Island is due out in February. 'Wrenchingly suspenseful' New York Times

Back Cover

Boston , 1918. A city in turmoil as soldiers return home from World War One. Danny Coughlin is the son of one of Boston's most powerful police captains. An undercover cop, he is hunting for revolutionaries and anarchists who are pledged to overthrow the city's ruling classes. But Danny's about to find out that doing his duty may also mean betraying those who are closest to him. Luther Lawrence is on the run. Having survived a murderous confrontation with a crime boss, he lands a job in the Coughlin household. Desperate to find a way home to his pregnant wife, Luther is determined to avoid trouble. But it isn't long before his dangerous past and his tenuous present collide - with life threatening consequences. As the city goes into meltdown, Danny and Luther must confront the storm of violence that threatens to engulf them if each is to survive ...

Review

This is a sprawling, enthralling novel... every sentence is a treat, every image vivid... an extraordinary freshness and vitality * Sunday Telegraph *
This is a book with Big Ambition written all over it: a thick, doorstopping, compulsively readable epic * The Times *
Wrenchingly suspenseful... A majestic, fiery epic [with] a rich, intricate story * The New York Times *
The acclaimed author of Mystic River has produced a contender for the Big American Novel... not only a powerful, beautifully written novel, but the best kind of history lesson * Daily Mail *
The Given Day stands in the great tradition of the American novel, setting an enthralling personal story against a great sweep of history. The result is epic, romantic and intelligent. I loved it -- KATE ATKINSON
A grand historical epic that rather conspicuously sets its cap at the status of Great American Novel * Independent *
[A] brilliant historical epic. Lehane earned his reputation for writing crime thrillers...And the same hard-boiled skills - and sheer love of storytelling remain in place now he's turned to something more ambitious. * Daily Telegraph *
A brawling, brawny, muscular epic - exactly what great mainstream novels used to be -- LEE CHILD
Although Lehane is keen to offer a complete historical portrait of Boston after the First World War, he does not stint on characters and plot either. It is an accomplished balancing act * Daily Express *
Dennis Lehane takes on the volatile beginnings of the American century and, like the master storyteller he is, effortlessly makes that vast canvas come alive. A rich and satisfying epic -- STEWART O'NAN, author of THE NIGHT COUNTRY

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The NYT bestselling crime writer brings us a masterful American literary epic.

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This is a sprawling, enthralling novel... every sentence is a treat, every image vivid... an extraordinary freshness and vitality

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This is a sprawling, enthralling novel... every sentence is a treat, every image vivid... an extraordinary freshness and vitality

Promotional "Headline"

The NYT bestselling crime writer brings us a masterful American literary epic.

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