Dennis Lehane at the Coolidge Corner Theatre

Want to meet the creative mind that fueled the initial interest in Boston as Hollywood's untapped resource for gritty crime stories?

Dennis Lehane, the author of "Mystic River" and "Gone, Baby, Gone," reads from his latest tome "The Given Day," his first novel in more than five years.

Set in 1918 Boston, Lehane's 700-page epic packs in the deep characters and multi-faceted plot that earned him praise in Hollywood while chronicling the days leading up to the Boston police strike of 1919.

Lehane's work has single-handedly raised Boston's profile with his superbly crafted narratives of darkened hearts and challenged moralities. His 2003 novel, "Shutter Island," was recently adapted to film by legend Martin Scorsese.

Renamed "Ashecliffe," the Boston-shot flick features Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo and Ben Kingsley and was shot in Taunton's Whittenton Mills Complex (recrafted as the horrific Nazi concentration camp Dachau) as well as the Medfield State Hospital and Peddocks Island. "Ashecliffe" is slotted for release on Oct. 2, 2009.

Lehane reads from "The Given Day" 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23 at the Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St. in Brookline. $5. 617-566-6660 or visit here for the lowdown.