A Drink Before the War

The setting feels so vivid and authentic—I wonder what inspired Lehane to bring this particular city to life and how much of it is drawn from real experiences.

The characters operate in shades of gray, which made me question what I would do in their situation. Am I the only one who found myself rooting for some morally ambiguous figures?

The shifting viewpoints added layers to the mystery, but I’m curious whether this was planned from the start or came about during writing to build suspense.