Criminal Mastermind

A A A Comments By Jef Otte Thursday, Oct 14 2010

Genre fiction tends to get a bad rap, at least in the “serious” literary world, and perhaps it’s somewhat deserved: Genre novels often serve as rote exercises in telling the same story over and over again with a couple of different twists. But, as is the case with any type of writing, there are exceptions to that rule, and Dennis Lehane is one of them.

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Labeled early on as a crime writer for his debut novel, A Drink Before the War, Lehane has spent his career working within that genre (with books like Mystic River and Shutter Island), but from a literary angle, adopting the plots and conventions of crime writing as vehicles for digging deeper and ultimately telling stories about humans and their essential humanity. As a result, Lehane isn’t just one of the best living authors in his genre, he’s one of the best living authors, period.

Tonight, courtesy of the Jefferson County Public Library, Lehane stops through town for a presentation at Mile Hi Church, 9079 West Alameda Avenue in Lakewood, at 7 p.m., with a book signing to follow. Tickets are free, but required; reserve yours at www.jeffcolibrary.org.

Prior to the presentation is an author’s reception, during which you can rub elbows with the man himself — but it’ll cost you: Tickets run $40 per person and will almost certainly sell out. To reserve tickets for the reception or presentation by phone, call 303-235-5275.
Mon., Oct. 18, 7 p.m., 2010

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What's happening in town? From underground club nights to the biggest outdoor festivals, our top picks for the week's best events will always keep you in on the action.