Set amidst the backdrop of a racially charged Boston in the sweltering summer of 1974, 'Small Mercies' by Dennis Lehane unveils a taut narrative where personal lives collide with criminal undercurrents. Mary Pat Fennessy's life is turned upside down when her daughter, Jules, fails to return home one evening. The same night, a death shrouded in mystery occurs, triggering a harrowing journey for Mary Pat through a maze of secrets, prejudices, and mob intimidation. As she seeks answers in the Irish enclave of 'Southie,' her pursuit leads to a confrontation with the brutal reality of racism, power, and the possibility of redemption through the very act of survival.