TLC Blog Tour: Dennis LeHane's World Gone By

I've been meaning to read Dennis LeHane for years so when I was offered his latest book to review, I jumped at the chance.  World Gone By is the third novel in LeHane's Joe Coughlin trilogy.

Set in Florida and Cuba during World War II, this story picks up ten years after the second novel ended.  Having not read the previous two books in this trilogy, I had to do a little reading and research before I felt like I understood some of the back story and could enjoy this novel.  I would recommend reading the first two books in the series instead of treating this like a stand alone novel.

Joe Coughlin has tried to leave his career with organized crime for the sake of his son, Tomas, a sensitive boy.  But, when he is told by a woman in prison that he is the mob's next target, Joe begins to do a little investigating, unearthing a whole set of questions and secrets.

This is a gangster novel, and LeHane has managed to weave many threads together into a complex story.  I definitely had to pay attention while reading, and as my first experience with LeHane, I can see why so many friends have recommended his work to me. He is a master storyteller with an ability to develop complex characters and plots.  

My next visit with LeHanes' work will be reading the first two Coughlin books, and I am looking forward to getting to know Joe a lot better.

This book was sent to me to review by TLC book tours.  The opinions shared are my own.