abroadwell's review against another edition
5.0
I enjoyed this enormously. Benjamin Black (aka John Banville) is a masterful writer.
I love the way that he draws characters and brings them to life so subtly.
I love the way that he draws characters and brings them to life so subtly.
caroparr's review against another edition
3.0
If you like Quirke, as I do, you will enjoy the atmospheric prose and the character studies. If you're looking for a traditional mystery, this probably won't do it for you. It ends on a suspenseful note, and I'm already reading the next (last??) one in the series.
avl_book_girl's review against another edition
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.25
greenblack's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bgg616's review against another edition
4.0
John Banville writing as Benjamin Black does not suppress his flair for writing beautiful prose in this novel. It is atmospheric, dark, wet and gothic. A friend of Quirke's daughter Phoebe, Jimmy Minor is found murdered in the Grand Canal. Quirke in is role as pathologist recognizes Jimmy, a crime reporter for a Dublin newspaper, and later shares the news with his daughter. With his friend Inspector Hackett of the Dublin Police, he begins to investigate the killing. He suspects a popular local priest is tied to the crime.
This is Dublin of the 1950's. Seedy, poor, and sometimes squalid, it provides a moody backdrop with lots of geographical details as well as a sense of Dublin of another time. Slow moving, but hard to put down.
This is Dublin of the 1950's. Seedy, poor, and sometimes squalid, it provides a moody backdrop with lots of geographical details as well as a sense of Dublin of another time. Slow moving, but hard to put down.
nonna7's review against another edition
5.0
This is the 7th Quirke book by Benjamin Black aka John Banfield, a very literary writer, not one who would be expected to write crime novels. As one reviewer wrote, these books are read less as crime novels than as literature. Because Black aka Banfield is a wonderful writer with incisive prose, haunting settings, the ability to paint a picture of the bleak, almost desolate place that was Dublin in the 1950's.
Quirke is a pathologist who has made friends - of sort - with Inspector Hackett who sometimes asks him to come along during an investigation or questioning. In this case, a young reporter, Jimmy Minor, who was a friend of Quirke's daughter, Phoebe, is found dead in the canal. His face had been beaten to a pulp before he died. Quirke is an odd and very interesting character - good looking, a drinker, something of a womanizer when he feels like it. (Although he doesn't like to wake up with the woman the next morning!) He is still developing a father/daughter relationship with Phoebe.
His wife died in childbirth, and he gave her to his brother and sister-in-law. The Catholic Church in Ireland is one of Quirke's pet peeves, yet he is unalterably marked by his past time in a home for orphans before he was adopted. There he was taught by the Christian Brothers with beatings and sexual abuse that stays with him. However, this is 1950. One just has to endure. Jimmy Minor's family show up to identify the body. His brother, who does the actual ID, is rather dismissive of Jimmy and his ambitions.
Then Jimmy's twin sister shows up and introduces herself to Phoebe in a rather strange way. Her family has disowned her. She lives in London and is also a writer. Hackett and Quirke go together to a tinker's camp (a general word that the Irish used for gypsies, at least at that time.) Hackett's men found the head of the clan's name in Jimmy's notes. There is also a letter from the head of the Trinitarians denying Jimmy an interview with a local priest. Quirke meets him. Soon it is obvious what's going on. Even so, the ending is stunning.
This is the best of the books yet. Black/Banfield gets better with every new Quirke. Hopefully, he's already working on the next.
Quirke is a pathologist who has made friends - of sort - with Inspector Hackett who sometimes asks him to come along during an investigation or questioning. In this case, a young reporter, Jimmy Minor, who was a friend of Quirke's daughter, Phoebe, is found dead in the canal. His face had been beaten to a pulp before he died. Quirke is an odd and very interesting character - good looking, a drinker, something of a womanizer when he feels like it. (Although he doesn't like to wake up with the woman the next morning!) He is still developing a father/daughter relationship with Phoebe.
His wife died in childbirth, and he gave her to his brother and sister-in-law. The Catholic Church in Ireland is one of Quirke's pet peeves, yet he is unalterably marked by his past time in a home for orphans before he was adopted. There he was taught by the Christian Brothers with beatings and sexual abuse that stays with him. However, this is 1950. One just has to endure. Jimmy Minor's family show up to identify the body. His brother, who does the actual ID, is rather dismissive of Jimmy and his ambitions.
Then Jimmy's twin sister shows up and introduces herself to Phoebe in a rather strange way. Her family has disowned her. She lives in London and is also a writer. Hackett and Quirke go together to a tinker's camp (a general word that the Irish used for gypsies, at least at that time.) Hackett's men found the head of the clan's name in Jimmy's notes. There is also a letter from the head of the Trinitarians denying Jimmy an interview with a local priest. Quirke meets him. Soon it is obvious what's going on. Even so, the ending is stunning.
This is the best of the books yet. Black/Banfield gets better with every new Quirke. Hopefully, he's already working on the next.
lauriereyes's review against another edition
3.0
For the love of Pete! I have listened to a few of this series (Quirke) and every single time it's (spoiler alert) the catholic church's fault. Every time. This author has some serious bitterness. And the reader is terrible. Very odd inflection and phraseology. I give it three stars because the guy is a good writer, but get off of the corrupt priesthood already, Mr. Black. You have become way too predictable.