Dennis Lehane really crafts a fine tale of life among the rich and powerful underworld in Miami during the early years of WWII. Prohibition was over, but there were still plenty of ways to make money, and the police and politicians often looked the other way if their pockets were well-lined. An uneasy alliance between the Blacks and Italians split the territories of the city and its surrounds. The main character, Joe Coughlin, will never be a made man because he is Irish, but he has paved the way for the mob to make a lot of money, runs semi-legitimate businesses in Miami and Cuba (rum, sugar), and so is the public face of the underworld bosses. He has lost his beloved Barbadian wife and is raising his son with the help of a governess. He is having an affair with the wife of the mayor of Miami. They think no one knows. But it all begins to fall apart when one of the bosses's brothers makes a play for the Black part of town and retribution will lead to an all-out war. Moreover, the family is losing a lot of business to raids by the feds that must be happening due to an informant in the family. Joe gets a tip that there is a contract out on him and figures out, too late, that this is a takeover play, sanctioned at the very top. He risks it all to save his longtime friend, only to find out he has been betrayed. Atmospheric, complex, and with well-developed characters, this slowly unwinding plot will leave you guessing til the very end. Highly recommended.
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