The hugely-successful author wrote a number of other books which were turned into movies, such as Mystic River and Shutter Island.
Live By Night is his first stand-alone novel in four years.
Lehane spoke to 9NEWS Tuesday morning regarding the new Prohibition-era tale that follows a small-time gangster from Boston who ends up building a shady empire in Florida. He reveals how much research it took to write the novel as well as his love for historical settings for his books.
Watch the video above to hear Lehane's insight.
(KUSA-TV © 2012 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)