SACRED by Dennis Lehane

Angie Gennaro and Patrick Kenzie are back in action as private investigators.   A beautiful woman named Desiree Stone, daughter of mega-wealthy Trevor Stone, has gone missing.  Her father kidnaps our intrepid pair in order to get their attention and is willing to pay a boatload of money for Desiree’s return.  Also missing is the private investigator he had previously hired, who happens to be Patrick’s friend and mentor, Jay Becker.  As Angie remarks, nothing is as it seems.  Angie and Patrick soon find themselves in Tampa, along with a couple of Stone’s goons, as they try to trace the whereabouts of Jay and Desiree. Lots of hair-raising adventures and close calls ensue for our intrepid pair.  I don’t think this novel lives up to the standard of A Drink Before the War, but it’s still pretty good stuff.  Lehane’s dialog and clever banter never disappoint, and this book has enough twists to keep you guessing and whipping through the pages.  What’s sacred is the relationship between our two heroes who realize that no one matters more to them than each other; they have each other’s back even as almost everyone else betrays their trust.  Angie and Patrick are really the reason to read this book, regardless of what shenanigans their clients are up to.