“Move over Mystic River and Shutter Island – two acclaimed novels by Dennis Lehane (later made into hit movies) – the author has a new best seller: ‘Small Mercies.’ The story of a desperate mother from Southie, a lower-middle-class Irish neighborhood in Boston, searching for her missing teenage daughter, rivals anything Lehane has previously written. Set during the city’s turbulent 1970s effort to combat desegregation with forced busing, Lehane’s superb crime novel pits a formidable mother with nothing to lose against a mob boss that will do whatever is necessary to keep her quiet.

“With vibrant descriptions, believable characters, spot-on dialogue and a compelling narrative of personal struggle against mob corruption – all set against a time period of extreme racial tension in Boston’s history – Lehane has written a masterful novel not to be missed.” — ALAN NYE, Saco

Mainers, please email to tell us about the book on your bedside table right now. In a paragraph or two, describe the book and be sure to tell us what drew you to it. We want to hear what you are reading and why. Send your selection to pgrodinsky@pressherald.com, and we may use it as a future Bedside Table.