Guilt also haunts him. Several weeks after the job, Karen Nichols left a cryptic message on Patrick's answering machine. He never called back. Convinced Karen's death is no suicide, Patrick begins probing. In Prayers for Rain Dennis Lehane depicts a convoluted and chaotic universe.
Nothing is as it seems.
Revelation leads only to refutation. Characters cover up identities and relationships. Discoveries taint one character after another. Lehane's hard-driving narrative maintains its speed. He endows his characters, even minor ones, with depth.