Dennis Lehane’s latest novel, Small Mercies, is set in Southie during the 1974 conflict over school bussing. Given the way racism has reemerged as a political force in deeply-divided America, it’s extremely interesting to see racial divisions portrayed using the language and mindset prevalent 50 years ago. The primary protagonist is lifelong Southie resident Mary Pat Fennessy, poor and twice-divorced, who goes on a crusade to find her missing daughter. The disappearance may be connected to the murder of a young black man who strayed into Southie one night. All of it is mixed up with the Irish mob who runs Southie. Great writing and honest portrayal of racial division closely connected to actual events of the time (i.e., a scene in which Teddy Kennedy gets pelted with garbage and booed by the crowd in Southie because of his support for bussing, which actually happened). This page-turning thriller would make a great movie but might be too disturbing in the current political climate. Here’s what Kirkus Reviews says:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/dennis-lehane/small-mercies-lehane/