Live by Night

Written by Dennis Lehane

Narrated by Adam Sims

Joe Coughlin is nineteen when he meets Emma Gould. A smalltime thief in 1920s Boston, he is told to cuff her while his accomplices raid the casino she works for. But Joe falls in love with Emma - and his life changes for ever.

That meeting is the beginning of Joe's journey to becoming one of the nation's most feared and respected gangsters. It is a journey beset by violence, double-crossing, drama and pain. And it is a journey into the soul of prohibition-era America...

A powerful, deeply moving novel, Live By Night is a tour-de-force by Dennis Lehane, writer on The Wire and author of modern classics such as Shutter Island, Gone, Baby, Gone and The Given Day.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Little, Brown (Hachette UK) Audio
• Release date: Oct 11, 2012
• ISBN: 9781405519762

Dennis Lehane

Dennis Lehane is the author of thirteen novels—including the New York Times bestsellers Live by Night; Moonlight Mile; Gone, Baby, Gone; Mystic River; Shutter Island; and The Given Day—as well as Coronado, a collection of short stories and a play. He grew up in Boston, MA and now lives in California with his family.

Reviews for Live by Night

[lpg3d · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have to admit that I started this book expecting another Shutter Island. It's not like that at all. Instead, Live By Night follows a gangster from Boston to Ybor City as his makes a name for himself and becomes more and more powerful. All in all, it's a very good read, just don't expect something action-packed and thrilling.

[tsmom1219 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lehane is a wonderful writer and this is a great story.

[tobinelliott · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I think Dennis Lehane must have sold his soul to the devil or something. This guy seems incapable of writing a bad book. He just goes from strength to strength.

I'd always enjoyed Lehane's books, starting with the Kenzie & Gennaro series. Then he really hit his stride with Mystic River. But for me, I found his high point to be The Given Day, which was unusual, because it was historical fiction. I don't like historical fiction. And yet, it was one of my favourite reads of the year.

Then, along he comes again, with the follow-up to The Given Day, Live By Night. This one takes the historical fiction of The Given Day, and mixes it up with the criminal element of almost any of Lehane's other books.

And man, does it rock.

Lehane has an unerring ear for dialogue, and a wonderful insight into the human condition. And he can tell a story better than most.

If you haven't read Lehane, you need to start.

[asxz-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I think I referenced Ellroy in my review of the first in this series and this cements that connection. There's more heart here and while some of the leaps serve the narrative more than they serve logic, there are enough action set pieces to keep things moving.

I will see the Ben Affleck movie but now that I know Joe and Emma are supposed to be 20 when they meet, it may be harder to take seriously.

[kerns222 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

A page-burner, action and not much else. Except for a bit of low-brow philosophising about good and evil by our Irish antihero, who wants to be remembered as an outlaw, not a gangster. Stock characters: evil, dead-eyed, sick Sicilians; good-hearted, family-man mobsters who kill you in a second; women either too good or bad bad bad; southerners, both pillars of society and dumb rednecks, all racists but often taking money tainted by not-so-white hands; salt-of-the earth immigrant cuban cigar workers who have their knife fights on the weekends.

I wanted another Mystic River, but this is not it.

[abycats_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I have loved many of Dennis Lehane's books, particularly his early stand-alone thrillers and the books centered around the detective team of Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro. Unfortunately, his more recent ventures into portraying crime in earlier eras are less successful. This is a volume I put down unfinished. Characters not well drawn or appealing and the historical details were unpersuasive. A disappointment.

[krizia_lazaro_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Its a mobster book that is not about violence, wars, killings, drugs or whatever you associate with the mob. This book is so much deeper than that. It touches issues on race, freedom, religion, family, human nature and love. I've loved all the characters even the rotten ones because they were 3 dimensional. I love the uniqueness and depth of this book!

[altonmann · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Very disappointing sequel to The Given Day. More like a trip to the bank for Lehane rather than a serious effort. Written with an eye toward a movie sale - and a mediocre genre film at that. He's capable of good and interesting work when he feels like it.

[sheila1957 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I did not realize there was an earlier novel in this series. This is a standalone book. Joseph Coughlin is working on the opposite side of the law than his father who is hoping to become the Police Commissioner in Boston. Joseph is involved in robbery which leads to cops dying. He is arrested and sentenced to prison where he meets Maso, head of a powerful crime family in Boston. After his release from prison he goes to Tampa where he heads Maso's family branch there. I enjoyed this story. The era of Prohibition, rum runners, and gangsters is portrayed very well here. Joe is not the strong arm. He works to get agreements from all parties involved. He gets involved with Cubans and gets them to work with him and cut out the others. He builds his own mob. I liked the characters. They were complex--not all good or all bad. I like how Joe backs up his people and how he stands up for what he believes as he gets higher in the organization.I will be reading more of this author

[ptom3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Dennis LehaneLIVE BY NIGHTWilliam Morrow, 2012402 pagesCrime / FictionI first discovered Dennis Lehane when I stumbled upon a paperback copy of Mystic River. I knew then I loved this writer. And although I then read several more titles, for some odd reason I drifted away from his books. No blame placed on the author whatsoever!LIVE BY NIGHT has kind of a Departed, or Scarface feel to it. It was layered with an array of characters, three different settings, and constantly twisting plots! The story takes place during prohibition. And even those of us who are considered history-challenged know what happened when booze was outlawed?!? Speakeasies, moonshine, and gangsters sprang up everywhere!Despite being the son of a Boston police captain, Joe Coughlin, has become an outlaw. He starts out small-time with the Bartolos brothers, Dion and Paolo. Given bad information they decide to hold-up a card game. Little did they know it was Albert White's game. Albert White was bad news. One of the big bad names in Boston. Once Coughlin realizes the error, he also realizes it is too late to stop what is already in motion.When things get hot in town, and Coughlin knows it is best to back-off some, he commits to once last heist. A bank job. Only problem is, people are onto the game. Cops are tipped off. Nothing goes as planned. Coughlin does time in prison. Attempts are made on his life. He has a chance to turn things around, and takes it, placing himself in the hands of Albert White's enemy, Maso Pescatore.Tasked with running the operation in Florida, Coughlin begins a new life, improving on his old way of life. He turns the swampy mass of Tampa into a thriving rum-running business for Pescatore. His rise to the top creates a host of enemies. There is no sleep for the man on top when there is always someone scheming to knock you down, or take you out.Prohibition won't last forever, and as the end of a dry-reign is in sight, Coughlin clearly sees the writing on the wall. What is going to happen to his empire, to his family, to him?At the movies not long ago, they showed a trailer for an upcoming Ben Affleck film, LIVE BY NIGHT. I knew that was a more recent Lehane novel, and immediately picked myself up a copy. I had to read it. My interest in Lehane has been restored. I devoured the novel in a few nights. it was absolutely absorbing. (Be advised, LIVE BY NIGHT is actually Book 2 in Lehane's Coughlin series).Phillip TomassoAuthor of the Severed Empire Series, and The Vaccination Trilogy

[carol420 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

[Live By Night] by Dennis Lehane2.5 starsFrom The Book:unflinching tale of the making and unmaking of a gangster in the Prohibition Era of the Roaring Twenties—now a Warner Bros. movie starring Ben Affleck, Elle Fanning, Zoe Saldana, and Sienna Miller.Meticulously researched and artfully told, Live by Night is the riveting story of one man’s rise from Boston petty thief to the Gulf Coast’s most successful rum runner.My Thoughts:I almost hate to rate or review this book since I feel that I'm not being very fair to it or it's very talented author. I have to admit that I chose the book solely to help complete a challenge and not because I was in anyway interested in the content. I'm going to watch the movie in hopes that it will hold more interest for me. Anyone interested in this period of history will more than likely find the book entertaining but for me it was a struggle. Please know that it in no manner reflected on the author or his ability to write an interesting story. I have read others of his books and thoroughly enjoyed them

[lewilliams-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This story follows outlaw turned gangster Joe Coughlin, the son of a Boston police captain. This is a taught tale that mostly takes place during proabition that kept me reading to see how it all ends for Joe.

[subvercity · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was a Statler Hotel guest extra (in Ben Affleck's film version) so it was interesting to read this. At first I thought this was a kind of modernized hard-boiled pulpy novel, but it became much deeper while retaining some of the hard-boiled wit.

[stephengoldenberg · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I love most of Dennis Lehane's novels but much prefer his modern policiers than those like this one set in Irish Boston of the 1920s and 30s. It's still very readable but a bit over the top violent and, at times, improbable in the way the anti-hero escapes certain death at several points. There's also the question of how much you can empathise with a hoodlum. Lehane tries to have his cake and eat it by making a distinction between a gangster and an outlaw.

[gpangel_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Live by Night by Dennis Lehane is a 2012 William Morrow publication. Dennis Lehane is a prolific writer, proving he can write in many styles, present day or historical, with the same flair and depth. I love historical fiction, and crime fiction, so I knew this book was going to appeal to me. However, I wasn’t expecting this excellent character study of Joe Coughlin, the son of a police officer, who back in the mid-twenties gets involved in petty crimes, convincing himself he is an outlaw, not a gangster. He falls in love with the girlfriend of a prominent crime leader and his life takes on a new direction he never could have imagined. The historical details were stunning, the dialogue and atmosphere of the times were captured perfectly. I loved the time frame the story spanned which made the book read like a saga. Watching Joe’s various transformations is interesting, and is part of what draws me to these types of stories to begin with, especially, with characters, like Joe, who are not wholly bad, but once the die is cast, he finds himself surrounded by real gangsters and sucked into that vortex for many years. Overall, this story is well written, and an absolute must for crime fiction lovers. 4 stars

[vashonjim · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Gangsters in 1920s Boston. Good fiction, but lacks the sizzle of Lehane's superior "A Given Day."

[gbelik_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Joe Coughlin began his life as a petty criminal in Boston during Prohibition, but he rises to a position of importance in the organization. He becomes a crime boss in Tampa and then Cuba, transitioning to other activities as Prohibition ends. This book continues the family saga begun in The Given Day. Joe is a complex character who willingly chooses the life he leads, but also persists in thinging of himself as an "outlaw" rather than a "gangster", thus trying to preserve a moral core to his life.

[dham340 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A classic prohibition gangster tale, masterfully told.

As a reader, I enjoy a lot of fun junk food. But occasionally I'll enjoy a nice steak dinner. This book is one of those.

Incredibly plotted, paced and characterized this book about a Boston Irish gangster in the 1920's through the 1930's follows the now classic gangster path but with a few new twists.

No doubt it will be adapted sometime down the road, although it will be tough to do.

Highly recommend.

[likos77_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Gut geschriebene Geschichte über den Aufstieg eines Bostoner Kleinganoven. Mir fehlt ein wenig die Spannung in diesem Roman, nichtsdestotrotz ist er lesenswert.

[scot2-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love books by Dennis Lehane. They are exciting stories with characters you become interested in. Jo, the main character, is basically a nice guy but he has chosen a way of life where bad things sometimes have to be done. The price he pays for his criminal deeds is ultimately too much for him to bear.Sad ending but it couldn't have been otherwise.

[ozzieslim · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

For people who are fans of "Boardwalk Empire", then this book is for you. The main character, Joe Coughlin, is the son of a police commissioner in South Boston. Joe and his two best pals, Dion and Paolo, form their own little crew during the Prohibition years. They embark on a series of petty crimes and stick ups. Joe falls for one of the Boston bosses mistresses - the cold as ice Emma Gould.

After disappointing his father during a bloody stick up attempt that was foiled by a traitor, Joe does some time in the prison in Charlestown. A series of events ends with Joe becoming part of the Mafia and being sent to Tampa, Florida to become a very profitable rum runner.

This is where the story truly begins as Joe creates alliances with Cuban Freedom Fighters, Italian Mafiosi and Spanish and Latin gangsters and outlaws. They take on and pocket crooked politicians, cops, councilmen and businessmen. They stave off rival organizations as well as a very active Ku Klux Klan and religious zealots and teetotalers.

The story flows beautifully and the characters are excellently drawn. As well, for fans of the early days of the mob, there are nods to Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky who controlled most of the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. The nightlife in Tampa is well explained - speakeasies, illegal gambling, Cuban social clubs and the like.

Like Boardwalk Empire, Lehane shows consistently throughout the book how bad money can do good things and create infrastructure where poverty previously existed and how good money isn't always as pristine as it seems. When I picked this book up, I expected it to be a lightweight read that I would be able to pick up and put down between other books I was reading. The story was so well done and so riveting that it only took me two days to read it.

This is my first Lehane novel but it will definitely not be the last. He is the author of Mystic River which I really enjoyed as a movie and if this book is anything to go by, I expect the novel to be even better. Highly recommend this read but be prepared to be unable to put it down!

[carebear10712 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My review is going to be biased; I love Dennis Lehane's writing. I cannot get enough of his novels. The Given Day was the first book of his I read, and it's probably one of my all time favorites. I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as The Given Day, but it was still a great read. This novel takes place during the Prohibition Era, and it is Joe Coughlin's story of progression from small time crime in Boston to running rum routes through much of the Eastern seaboard. This is absolutely an action packed novel, and a quick read. At the same time, this was not a superficial crime drama. Lehane explores moral issues in a way that continues to make you question your own morals. And his characters--very few of the characters in this novel are pure good or pure evil. I found myself having conflicted feelings about many of the characters, including Joe. One minute I was rooting for him to win, and the next minute, I was hoping he would be locked up for life. Ultimately, I love that Dennis Lehane is never afraid to end a novel the way the novel should end...without making everyone live happily ever after. I really enjoyed reading this and would definitely recommend it.

[simonlarsen_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Wow. Was The Given Day and Live By Night written by the same author?

[xirxe · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Boston, 1926. Joe, knapp 20 Jahre alt, will nur eines: nach seinen Regeln leben. Er will sich von niemandem sagen lassen, was er wie und warum zu tun hat. Und so entscheidet er, sein Leben in der Nacht zu leben. Denn nur dort zählen die Regeln, die sich ein echter Mann selbst auferlegt. Sein Weg führt ihn nach zwei Jahren Zuchthaus nach Florida, wo er im Dienste von Gangsterboss Maso Pescatore den Rumschmuggel neu organisiert und dies derart erfolgreich, dass er schon nach kurzer Zeit der mächtigste Mann in Florida und an der Golfküste ist. Doch sein Erfolg bleibt nicht unbemerkt und ebenso wenig seine Neigung, Gewalt wo immer möglich zu vermeiden. Denn Joe lebt nach seinen Regeln und dazu zählt seine für einen Gangster ungewöhnliche Menschenliebe. Dies gefällt nicht allen...
Joe ist ein ungewöhnlicher Protagonist für ein solches Buch. Obwohl er die Regeln 'des Tages' in jeder Hinsicht ablehnt, versucht er ein nach seinen Ansprüchen ehrenwertes (im Sinne von moralisch) Leben in der Nacht zu führen. Dies gelingt ihm erstaunlich gut und mit großer Wahrscheinlichkeit ist er im Vergleich zu vielen sogenannten 'rechtschaffenen Bürgern' der Gesellschaft der deutlich Anständigere. Ständig hinterfragt er sein Tun wobei er feststellt, dass er seinen Prinzipien immer wieder untreu werden muss.
Nur neun Jahre umfasst der Zeitraum, in dem Joes Leben beschrieben wird. Doch es ist eine derart ereignisreiche Periode, dass sie bei den meisten anderen Menschen für ein ganzes Leben ausgereicht hätte. Lehane schildert nicht nur die Ereignisse direkt um und mit Joe, sondern breitet ein immenses Panorama der damaligen Zeit der Prohibition vor den Lesenden aus, ganz in der Tradition des 'film noir'. Sowohl das Boston wie auch das Florida der 30er und 40er Jahre des letzten Jahrhunderts hat man beim Lesen deutlich vor Augen und es fiel mir überaus schwer, den Roman vor dem Ende beiseite zu legen, so gepackt war ich von diesem Buch.
Lediglich der letzte Teil hat mein Lesevergnügen etwas geschmälert. Wie Joe hier als Wohltäter aufgebaut und einem seine 'Blauäugigkeit' demonstriert wird (was angesichts seiner bisherigen Erfahrungen völlig unglaubwürdig wirkt), empfand ich einfach als etwas zu viel des Guten. Schade, sonst wäre das Ganze schlicht perfekt.

[nivramkoorb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dennis Lehane is an excellent writer. Many of you would be familiar with the movies made from his books (Shutter Island, Gone Bay Gone, Mystic River, The Drop). This book is a continuation of the story he had in "The Given Day". The two books are historical fiction and differ from Lehane's usual mystery books. Although "The Given Day" is a more robust book, this book is a good read. Between the 2 you get a great sense of the historical roots of organized crime that came out the the failed implementation of Prohibition. With the failure of prohibition it is surprising that we have tried to replicate this failure through our 40+ year war on drugs. I was bit disappointed with the ending but overall this a good read especially if you like crime books. It was also interesting to see a crime book from the 20's that took place outside the major big cities. The focus here is in Tampa, Florida. If you have never read Dennis Lehane, I would start with "The Given Day".

[billpilgrim_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Joseph Coughlin starts as a low level hoodlum attached to a crime boss in Boston. After a failed bank robbery, he spends a couple of years in prison where he meets another crime boss, who sends him to Tampa after his release to run the operations there. He makes a deal with the local Cuban rum importer to cooperate on business, and they are successful in controlling operations in the larger Southeastern area, all the way along to coast to New Orleans.He is of the same Coughlin family that Lehane wrote about in the The Given Day. His brother Danny, who was featured in that book makes a brief appearance. His father, a police Superintendent, also has a role here.This book is not primarily plot driven; it's focus is Joe as a maturing person over many years. It's a portrait of his life rather than a single story line.Joe's a reluctant gangster, and prefers to think of himself as an outlaw. He avoids serious confrontation and killing when he can, preferring to make deals rather than eliminate his opposition. He can forgive transgressions against him. The book makes him a full dimensioned individual and his love life plays a major part of the book.I greatly enjoyed the book, as I have everything else I've read by Lehane. It is well written but still easy to read. The story is well constructed, and the history seems well-researched and accurate.

[dmtcer-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The story line was good; I know little about Prohibition, and even less about organized crime and political corruption during that era. Joe was a criminal mind who really never thought of himself as a gangster until one act pushes him to the edge. This is an easy read, although the flow of the story was a little disjointed.

[dysmonia · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good Lehane. The story of a gangster with a heart -- not a heart of gold, but more to him than dollar signs. The book also offers a nice glimpse of the Gulf Coast of Florida in the twenties and thirties.

[66usma · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I always enjoy Lehanne, particularly with the historical background that is used as a backdrop. The book involves a police officer's son during prohibition who rises from small time robber in Boston to head of the rum trade in Tampa. The book is interesting, but in my opinion lacks the appeal of previous Lehanne works. Throughout the book there is the ongoing struggle by Joe Coughlin (main character) with the moral dilemma of what is the necessary and appropriate action to take in order to maintain his status as crime head while considering how those actions may impact other relationships. The ending is somewhat disappointing.

[grheault_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very good. This is a Prohibition Era gangster book set in Boston and Tampa Florida. More a character study than a murder/detective mystery, the main character is a Tony Soprano sort who survives, and then, in his way thrives. Seems a bit melodramatic, made for Hollywod, and not particularly twisty turny like more contrived, compact, simple murder mysteries.