This title is sixth in the series of Dr. Quirke, Dublin police pathologist, and his associate Inspector Hackett. I bought it in Dublin in 2014 on Grafton Street. “Benjamin Black” is the pen name of the reputed novelist John Banville, a fact trumpeted on the book!
It is easy to read and full of local colour in 1950s Ireland when the Roman Catholic Church ruled all. The streets, the rain, the repressed atmosphere are all there drawn with a light hand. I said ‘repressed atmosphere’ but none of the characters seems particularly to feel that, but much is forbidden but so well forbidden for so long perhaps people don’t even think about it. And yet Quirke has a sinful, sexual relation with an actress, his wife having died earlier.
The plot concerns the news today from that time, the sexual use and abuse of children, and to add the exotic, some Tinkers (travellers, gypsies) and their argot. That latter seemed a strain to me.
There is nicely done scene where Phoebe, Quirke’s daughter feels some lesbian impulse, no doubt a thread to be picked up in the next novel in the series. I also liked Quike’s hallucinations and that, too, would seem to be a thread for the future. He is last seen in this having a head X-Rayed to see what, if anything, is causing his blackouts.
Like the heroes of many krimies Quirke spends far too much time feeling sorry for himself, and yet is irresistibly attractive to every woman he meets.
The resolution of the weak plot was cheap and nasty. Yet I will certainly read on, by starting with the first in the series.