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Quirke #7
Even the Dead
A suspicious death, a pregnant woman suddenly gone Quirke's latest case leads him inexorably toward the dark machinations of an old foe
Perhaps Quirke has been down among the dead too long. Lately the Irish pathologist has suffered hallucinations and blackouts, and he fears the cause is a brain tumor. A specialist diagnoses an old head injury caused by a savage beating; all that's needed, the doctor declares, is an extended rest. But Quirke, ever intent on finding his place among the living, is not about to retire.
One night during a June heat wave, a car crashes into a tree in central Dublin and bursts into flames. The police assume the driver's death was either an accident or a suicide, but Quirke's examination of the body leads him to believe otherwise. Then his daughter Phoebe gets a mysterious visit from an the woman, who admits to being pregnant, says she fears for her life, though she won't say why. When the woman later disappears, Phoebe asks her father for help, and Quirke in turn seeks the assistance of his old friend Inspector Hackett. Before long the two men find themselves untangling a twisted string of events that takes them deep into a shadowy world where one of the city's most powerful men uses the cover of politics and religion to make obscene profits.
Even the Dead --Benjamin Black's seventh novel featuring the endlessly fascinating Quirke--is a story of surpassing intensity and surprising beauty.
Perhaps Quirke has been down among the dead too long. Lately the Irish pathologist has suffered hallucinations and blackouts, and he fears the cause is a brain tumor. A specialist diagnoses an old head injury caused by a savage beating; all that's needed, the doctor declares, is an extended rest. But Quirke, ever intent on finding his place among the living, is not about to retire.
One night during a June heat wave, a car crashes into a tree in central Dublin and bursts into flames. The police assume the driver's death was either an accident or a suicide, but Quirke's examination of the body leads him to believe otherwise. Then his daughter Phoebe gets a mysterious visit from an the woman, who admits to being pregnant, says she fears for her life, though she won't say why. When the woman later disappears, Phoebe asks her father for help, and Quirke in turn seeks the assistance of his old friend Inspector Hackett. Before long the two men find themselves untangling a twisted string of events that takes them deep into a shadowy world where one of the city's most powerful men uses the cover of politics and religion to make obscene profits.
Even the Dead --Benjamin Black's seventh novel featuring the endlessly fascinating Quirke--is a story of surpassing intensity and surprising beauty.
287 pages, Hardcover
First published May 28, 2015
306 people are currently reading
1424 people want to read
About the author
Benjamin Black
33 books674 followersPen name for John Banville
Banville was born in Wexford, Ireland. His father worked in a garage and died when Banville was in his early thirties; his mother was a housewife. He is the youngest of three siblings; his older brother Vincent is also a novelist and has written under the name Vincent Lawrence as well as his own. His sister Vonnie Banville-Evans has written both a children's novel and a reminiscence of growing up in Wexford.
Educated at a Christian Brothers' school and at St Peter's College in Wexford. Despite having intended to be a painter and an architect he did not attend university. Banville has described this as "A great mistake. I should have gone. I regret not taking that four years of getting drunk and falling in love. But I wanted to get away from my family. I wanted to be free." After school he worked as a clerk at Aer Lingus which allowed him to travel at deeply-discounted rates. He took advantage of this to travel in Greece and Italy. He lived in the United States during 1968 and 1969. On his return to Ireland he became a sub-editor at the Irish Press, rising eventually to the position of chief sub-editor. His first book, Long Lankin, was published in 1970.
After the Irish Press collapsed in 1995, he became a sub-editor at the Irish Times. He was appointed literary editor in 1998. The Irish Times, too, suffered severe financial problems, and Banville was offered the choice of taking a redundancy package or working as a features department sub-editor. He left. Banville has been a regular contributor to The New York Review of Books since 1990. In 1984, he was elected to Aosdána, but resigned in 2001, so that some other artist might be allowed to receive the cnuas.
Banville also writes under the pen name Benjamin Black. His first novel under this pen name was Christine Falls, which was followed by The Silver Swan in 2007. Banville has two adult sons with his wife, the American textile artist Janet Dunham. They met during his visit to San Francisco in 1968 where she was a student at the University of California, Berkeley. Dunham described him during the writing process as being like "a murderer who's just come back from a particularly bloody killing". Banville has two daughters from his relationship with Patricia Quinn, former head of the Arts Council of Ireland.
Banville has a strong interest in vivisection and animal rights, and is often featured in Irish media speaking out against vivisection in Irish university research.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/benjam...
Banville was born in Wexford, Ireland. His father worked in a garage and died when Banville was in his early thirties; his mother was a housewife. He is the youngest of three siblings; his older brother Vincent is also a novelist and has written under the name Vincent Lawrence as well as his own. His sister Vonnie Banville-Evans has written both a children's novel and a reminiscence of growing up in Wexford.
Educated at a Christian Brothers' school and at St Peter's College in Wexford. Despite having intended to be a painter and an architect he did not attend university. Banville has described this as "A great mistake. I should have gone. I regret not taking that four years of getting drunk and falling in love. But I wanted to get away from my family. I wanted to be free." After school he worked as a clerk at Aer Lingus which allowed him to travel at deeply-discounted rates. He took advantage of this to travel in Greece and Italy. He lived in the United States during 1968 and 1969. On his return to Ireland he became a sub-editor at the Irish Press, rising eventually to the position of chief sub-editor. His first book, Long Lankin, was published in 1970.
After the Irish Press collapsed in 1995, he became a sub-editor at the Irish Times. He was appointed literary editor in 1998. The Irish Times, too, suffered severe financial problems, and Banville was offered the choice of taking a redundancy package or working as a features department sub-editor. He left. Banville has been a regular contributor to The New York Review of Books since 1990. In 1984, he was elected to Aosdána, but resigned in 2001, so that some other artist might be allowed to receive the cnuas.
Banville also writes under the pen name Benjamin Black. His first novel under this pen name was Christine Falls, which was followed by The Silver Swan in 2007. Banville has two adult sons with his wife, the American textile artist Janet Dunham. They met during his visit to San Francisco in 1968 where she was a student at the University of California, Berkeley. Dunham described him during the writing process as being like "a murderer who's just come back from a particularly bloody killing". Banville has two daughters from his relationship with Patricia Quinn, former head of the Arts Council of Ireland.
Banville has a strong interest in vivisection and animal rights, and is often featured in Irish media speaking out against vivisection in Irish university research.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/benjam...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 322 reviews
December 6, 2020
The setting is 1950's Dublin, and Pathologist Dr Quirke and Police Inspector Hackett, join forces to investigate the death of a young man. The man was found in his crashed car in Phoenix park with the car well alight. It was thought to be a suicide initially until Quirke found evidence to the contrary. Quirke's daughter becomes involved when the man's pregnant girlfriend asks for her help, declaring that she's in extreme danger, and in fear of her life. Who would want this young man dead, and why? This was an interesting investigation with great atmosphere, and I loved the relationship between Quirke and Hackett, with the gentle respect that they had for each other, but felt that something was missing.
August 2, 2022
Even the Dead is essentially part two of a two-book arc in the life and career of Dr. Quirke, a pathologist and consultant to the delightful though understated Inspector Hackett in a series by Benjamin Black. In these two books Quirke is at his lowest point, but since those are the moments in which stakes are highest, these turn out to be my two favorite books. Yeah, we solve the mysteries in these books, but the real mystery is, as any much literary fiction, the human heart.
The book opens with what Quirke really believes could not be a suicide, since the man who has slammed his car into a tree, Leon Corless, had an earlier blow to his head. The woman who had most recently been in Corless’s car, Lisa Smith, approaches Phoebe Griffin, Quirke’s daughter, to say she is pregnant and fears for her life, so Phoebe hides her away until--as it turns out--Lisa’s father--an enforcer for the Church and a criminal--captures her and places her in one of the infamous Laundries where “wayward women” were imprisoned, an institution that existed for nearly a century and a half in Ireland, the babies sold into adoption, many to U.S. Catholics.There was no legal abortion in Ireland in the fifties, so orphanages or adoption were the only legal options for women. Imagine how difficult that might have been for them!
This plot is connected to several other volumes in the series, where women and babies are also at peril. Why does it particularly matter to Quirke? Because he understands himself to be the product of such a pregnancy, where he was for years in an orphanage and then adopted. This case is, like most of the others on which he consults, are both deeply personal and political. One of the things making Quirke so morose is that he can’t quite understand that thing in his past that drives him. But In this book he finally realizes who his father and mother are, linking this book in a very real way especially to the first book, Christine Falls, where the titular character dies in childbirth.
So the admittedly slow-moving but beautifully written series offers many changes/resolutions in this important book, so maybe I should say spoiler alert for what are essentially my own notes to myself here: 1) Quirke had in the last book begun to have hallucinations, brought about by a brain lesion from his being beaten up by Church enforcers (don’t meddle in affairs of the Church, Quirke, we warn you), so he takes a two-month convalescence at his brother's house; 2) and then Malachy tells Quirke he has inoperable pancreatic cancer; 3) Phoebe seems to be separating from her relationship to Quirke’s assistant, David Sinclair, 4) Inspector Hackett suggests he is not well, too much booze, too many cigarettes, so will likely retire, and 4) Quirke has ended his relationship with actress Isabella. Quirke sees himself at the darkest moment of the book, as “a child standing alone in the midst of a vast, bare plain, with nothing behind him but darkness and storm.”
But on the good news side, Quirke is going back to work to solve the murder of Corless and rescue Lisa, and investigate the ways real, historical events, long silenced, implicate the Church and organized crime in fifties Dublin. The resolution of this book, like the resolution of the last book, resolves most of the key questions in the whole series. And it appears Quirke has become seriously smitten by Phoebe’s boss, a psychiatrist, so maybe we catch a break from all this sadness. Rose, Malachy’s wife, even tells Quirke she sees a change in him, something she never has seen: Happiness, and she guesses why. We’ll just have to see.
The book opens with what Quirke really believes could not be a suicide, since the man who has slammed his car into a tree, Leon Corless, had an earlier blow to his head. The woman who had most recently been in Corless’s car, Lisa Smith, approaches Phoebe Griffin, Quirke’s daughter, to say she is pregnant and fears for her life, so Phoebe hides her away until--as it turns out--Lisa’s father--an enforcer for the Church and a criminal--captures her and places her in one of the infamous Laundries where “wayward women” were imprisoned, an institution that existed for nearly a century and a half in Ireland, the babies sold into adoption, many to U.S. Catholics.There was no legal abortion in Ireland in the fifties, so orphanages or adoption were the only legal options for women. Imagine how difficult that might have been for them!
This plot is connected to several other volumes in the series, where women and babies are also at peril. Why does it particularly matter to Quirke? Because he understands himself to be the product of such a pregnancy, where he was for years in an orphanage and then adopted. This case is, like most of the others on which he consults, are both deeply personal and political. One of the things making Quirke so morose is that he can’t quite understand that thing in his past that drives him. But In this book he finally realizes who his father and mother are, linking this book in a very real way especially to the first book, Christine Falls, where the titular character dies in childbirth.
So the admittedly slow-moving but beautifully written series offers many changes/resolutions in this important book, so maybe I should say spoiler alert for what are essentially my own notes to myself here: 1) Quirke had in the last book begun to have hallucinations, brought about by a brain lesion from his being beaten up by Church enforcers (don’t meddle in affairs of the Church, Quirke, we warn you), so he takes a two-month convalescence at his brother's house; 2) and then Malachy tells Quirke he has inoperable pancreatic cancer; 3) Phoebe seems to be separating from her relationship to Quirke’s assistant, David Sinclair, 4) Inspector Hackett suggests he is not well, too much booze, too many cigarettes, so will likely retire, and 4) Quirke has ended his relationship with actress Isabella. Quirke sees himself at the darkest moment of the book, as “a child standing alone in the midst of a vast, bare plain, with nothing behind him but darkness and storm.”
But on the good news side, Quirke is going back to work to solve the murder of Corless and rescue Lisa, and investigate the ways real, historical events, long silenced, implicate the Church and organized crime in fifties Dublin. The resolution of this book, like the resolution of the last book, resolves most of the key questions in the whole series. And it appears Quirke has become seriously smitten by Phoebe’s boss, a psychiatrist, so maybe we catch a break from all this sadness. Rose, Malachy’s wife, even tells Quirke she sees a change in him, something she never has seen: Happiness, and she guesses why. We’ll just have to see.
November 26, 2015
I received this book from NetGalley. Thank you.
This is my first Benjamin Black book about the quirky pathologist Dr. Quirke but it's not going to be the last. I so enjoyed this story set in Dublin that I am going to go back and read the earlier ones. Benjamin Black is the pseudonym John Banville, a truly lyrical author. Dublin quickly becomes a character in this novel and I love a book with a strong sense of place.
Quirke is on medical leave when the story opens. He is staying with his stepbrother and wife when his assistant encounters an interesting case and seeks advice from him. Quirke is intrigued and is quickly back at work. He works with his police friend, Detective Hackett, in a case of a frightened woman who is sucked into a scheme for selling Catholic babies to rich Americans.
Here's the one thing that bothered me so much that I dropped the rating a star. I don't know if it was a plot device or a cultural thing but it annoyed me. They were looking for a woman who had given them a fake name. They knew where she lived and asked the landlord about Lisa Smith. The landlord denied knowing her. Then instead of asking who lived there, they just walk away. Why not ask that question. Then they return days later and search the apartment. By then it had cleaned out and there were no clues. It just bothered me. Why not ask at the beginning?
I enjoyed the pace of the book and there were some lovely twists. I loved Dublin as a character. I loved the characters. A good mystery that I recommend.
This is my first Benjamin Black book about the quirky pathologist Dr. Quirke but it's not going to be the last. I so enjoyed this story set in Dublin that I am going to go back and read the earlier ones. Benjamin Black is the pseudonym John Banville, a truly lyrical author. Dublin quickly becomes a character in this novel and I love a book with a strong sense of place.
Quirke is on medical leave when the story opens. He is staying with his stepbrother and wife when his assistant encounters an interesting case and seeks advice from him. Quirke is intrigued and is quickly back at work. He works with his police friend, Detective Hackett, in a case of a frightened woman who is sucked into a scheme for selling Catholic babies to rich Americans.
Here's the one thing that bothered me so much that I dropped the rating a star. I don't know if it was a plot device or a cultural thing but it annoyed me. They were looking for a woman who had given them a fake name. They knew where she lived and asked the landlord about Lisa Smith. The landlord denied knowing her. Then instead of asking who lived there, they just walk away. Why not ask that question. Then they return days later and search the apartment. By then it had cleaned out and there were no clues. It just bothered me. Why not ask at the beginning?
I enjoyed the pace of the book and there were some lovely twists. I loved Dublin as a character. I loved the characters. A good mystery that I recommend.
December 1, 2015
This is an excellent well structured and plotted Irish noir that beckons the reader in and captivates until the end. It is set in fifties Dublin, where Black evokes a marvellous dark suspense-filled atmosphere, a backdrop where murky deeds take place. We find Quirke, the pathologist, in a fragile state suffering from seeing things and blackouts. Quirke fears the worst, but a specialist prescribes rest, whilst attributing the symptoms to an old head injury.
Responding to his daughter Phoebe’s plea for help, Quirke and Hacket embark on a dangerous trail. They uncover corrupt politicians and a questionable church. There is much that is familiar from the previous books, but I found that comforting, this is a period Dublin which I am happy to return to. Black has a talent for creating memorable characters that interact beautifully. I recommend this novel wholeheartedly to others and urge them to read it. It is so much better than the tv series. I received a ebook copy from the publisher via netgalley for an honest review.
Responding to his daughter Phoebe’s plea for help, Quirke and Hacket embark on a dangerous trail. They uncover corrupt politicians and a questionable church. There is much that is familiar from the previous books, but I found that comforting, this is a period Dublin which I am happy to return to. Black has a talent for creating memorable characters that interact beautifully. I recommend this novel wholeheartedly to others and urge them to read it. It is so much better than the tv series. I received a ebook copy from the publisher via netgalley for an honest review.
January 31, 2016
Even the Dead was my first "Quirke" novel - which didn't matter one bit - and I have to say that I'm definitely wanting to read more.
I've been a bit down on crime recently - with a few notable exceptions I've been findig them all very samey and indeed I have picked up and put down a few - with Even the Dead I picked it up and it stayed picked up. The writing is gorgeous, invoking the senses and really embedding you into Quirkes world - a supposedly gentler time that still erupts into violence and with some real old school mystery storytelling at its heart.
An accident that is not an accident, a scared girl who feels all alone and Quirke is back in business having been away for a while. For me as a first time meeting the characters, it was beautifully done, no problem picking up threads and the current mystery was intriguing and atmospheric.
Even the Dead floats along carrying you with it, a firm sense of place and time, some really really fascinating and engrossing characters and would definitely come highly recommended from me.
Happy Reading Folks!
I've been a bit down on crime recently - with a few notable exceptions I've been findig them all very samey and indeed I have picked up and put down a few - with Even the Dead I picked it up and it stayed picked up. The writing is gorgeous, invoking the senses and really embedding you into Quirkes world - a supposedly gentler time that still erupts into violence and with some real old school mystery storytelling at its heart.
An accident that is not an accident, a scared girl who feels all alone and Quirke is back in business having been away for a while. For me as a first time meeting the characters, it was beautifully done, no problem picking up threads and the current mystery was intriguing and atmospheric.
Even the Dead floats along carrying you with it, a firm sense of place and time, some really really fascinating and engrossing characters and would definitely come highly recommended from me.
Happy Reading Folks!
Read
November 8, 2015If anyone in the US would like my advanced reader copy, it's yours -- I'll be buying a hardcover copy to go into my home library. I'll even pay postage to make sure my book gets to a good home.
like a 3.7. Thanks, LT and thanks to Henry Holt for my copy.
Even the Dead is number seven in Black's (aka John Banville) Quirke series which begins with Christine Falls, one of my favorites in the entire series. My guess is that Even the Dead just might be the last Quirke novel -- there is just something I gleaned from the story that makes me feel that way. If not, we'll say I'm wrong and call it a day, but to me it just has that last-of-series feeling. This one is a bit more subdued than the other Quirke novels -- not nearly as dark in tone but still quite good. And it is a must read for anyone who's been following this series.
Set in "mean and mendacious" Dublin of the 1950s, a city where the small group behind the powers that be maintain control through a mix of religion, politics, and money, Even the Dead opens with a dead man on the pathologist's slab, being worked on by Dr. David Sinclair, Quirke's assistant and the guy Quirke's daughter Phoebe's been seeing for a while now. Chief pathologist Quirke is not even at the hospital but rather convalescing from events that started in an earlier story. The police are certain that the body belongs to a suicide, but Sinclair thinks otherwise and to be sure, he reluctantly calls his boss in for a consultation. It is actually just what Quirke needs -- being back at work -- and he puts his recovery time aside and goes back to work. The dead man, Leon Corless, is the son of a very well-known Communist agitator (this is the 1950s, remember), and Quirke confirms Sinclair's findings that this was no mere accident and definitely not suicide. While Quirke is getting back into his post-convalescent swing, Phoebe has an adventure of her own when she is contacted by a former classmate who confides to Phoebe that she is both pregnant and in very serious danger. Phoebe barely remembers her, but sensing that the girl is completely in earnest, she hides her away at a family home. Phoebe turns to her father, who turns to his friend Inspector Hackett for help both on the Corless case and on the girl's disappearance -- and it isn't long until they discover that the two cases just might be related.
As always in this series of novels, Black's writing is tip-top -- he has a way of not only creating a clever plot but also characters that manage to stay under my skin and make me impatient for the next installment, especially in the main character Quirke, who was driven by "an absence of a past," and who
"... was aware of no great thirst in himself for justice and the righting of wrongs"
with
"...no illusions that the world could be set to rights, at least not by him, who could not even set right his own life."
However, as the story continues and Quirke's present crosses his past, things begin to change, leading to an extremely powerful ending I never saw coming.
Even though (in my opinion) Even the Dead is not as dark nor as particularly in depth as its predecessors, there is still a deep, underlying noirish current that runs throughout the story, which certainly kept me turning pages to see where Black was going to take things. I love this entire series and this newest book did not disappoint. I would truly hate to see this series end, but as I said earlier, it's written so that it feels like it might just be the last -- here's hoping it's not.
Who's going to like this book? Certainly readers who've followed the series in order up to now, and readers who enjoy the darker side of crime and characters without going to the darker extreme of true noir. Cozy fans stay away -- there is nothing, I repeat, nothing even remotely cutesy or nice in this entire book. Also, since much of this book strays into Quirke's past, it would be doing oneself a disservice to start the series with this novel -- each and every book should really be read in publication order.
As long as Banville continues to write as Benjamin Black, I'll continue reading what has turned out to be one of my very favorite series of crime novels ever.
like a 3.7. Thanks, LT and thanks to Henry Holt for my copy.
Even the Dead is number seven in Black's (aka John Banville) Quirke series which begins with Christine Falls, one of my favorites in the entire series. My guess is that Even the Dead just might be the last Quirke novel -- there is just something I gleaned from the story that makes me feel that way. If not, we'll say I'm wrong and call it a day, but to me it just has that last-of-series feeling. This one is a bit more subdued than the other Quirke novels -- not nearly as dark in tone but still quite good. And it is a must read for anyone who's been following this series.
Set in "mean and mendacious" Dublin of the 1950s, a city where the small group behind the powers that be maintain control through a mix of religion, politics, and money, Even the Dead opens with a dead man on the pathologist's slab, being worked on by Dr. David Sinclair, Quirke's assistant and the guy Quirke's daughter Phoebe's been seeing for a while now. Chief pathologist Quirke is not even at the hospital but rather convalescing from events that started in an earlier story. The police are certain that the body belongs to a suicide, but Sinclair thinks otherwise and to be sure, he reluctantly calls his boss in for a consultation. It is actually just what Quirke needs -- being back at work -- and he puts his recovery time aside and goes back to work. The dead man, Leon Corless, is the son of a very well-known Communist agitator (this is the 1950s, remember), and Quirke confirms Sinclair's findings that this was no mere accident and definitely not suicide. While Quirke is getting back into his post-convalescent swing, Phoebe has an adventure of her own when she is contacted by a former classmate who confides to Phoebe that she is both pregnant and in very serious danger. Phoebe barely remembers her, but sensing that the girl is completely in earnest, she hides her away at a family home. Phoebe turns to her father, who turns to his friend Inspector Hackett for help both on the Corless case and on the girl's disappearance -- and it isn't long until they discover that the two cases just might be related.
As always in this series of novels, Black's writing is tip-top -- he has a way of not only creating a clever plot but also characters that manage to stay under my skin and make me impatient for the next installment, especially in the main character Quirke, who was driven by "an absence of a past," and who
"... was aware of no great thirst in himself for justice and the righting of wrongs"
with
"...no illusions that the world could be set to rights, at least not by him, who could not even set right his own life."
However, as the story continues and Quirke's present crosses his past, things begin to change, leading to an extremely powerful ending I never saw coming.
Even though (in my opinion) Even the Dead is not as dark nor as particularly in depth as its predecessors, there is still a deep, underlying noirish current that runs throughout the story, which certainly kept me turning pages to see where Black was going to take things. I love this entire series and this newest book did not disappoint. I would truly hate to see this series end, but as I said earlier, it's written so that it feels like it might just be the last -- here's hoping it's not.
Who's going to like this book? Certainly readers who've followed the series in order up to now, and readers who enjoy the darker side of crime and characters without going to the darker extreme of true noir. Cozy fans stay away -- there is nothing, I repeat, nothing even remotely cutesy or nice in this entire book. Also, since much of this book strays into Quirke's past, it would be doing oneself a disservice to start the series with this novel -- each and every book should really be read in publication order.
As long as Banville continues to write as Benjamin Black, I'll continue reading what has turned out to be one of my very favorite series of crime novels ever.
January 17, 2016
I find it hard to rate and review this latest entry in the Quirke series. I liked it well enough but there isn't much of a mystery going on here. The suspicious death of a young man who crashes his car into a tree never really develops into anything surprising, and it rather takes a backseat to a focus on the personal lives of the characters. This is not a bad thing per se, as I like the characters in this series a lot and found the developments in their lives compelling. However, I wish there had been a bit more focus on making the young man's death something more than just a connection to an earlier series entry. The writing is solid as always with Black/Banville. I'd give it 3.5 stars but the lack of focus on the mystery aspect keeps it from getting bumped to 4. Recommended for fans of the series, just don't expect much in the way of a mystery.
November 11, 2015
An ordinary unhappiness
The discordant and downright peculiar Griffin/Quirke family take what I presume is their final bow. Notwithstanding the disparaging comments of the author on the whole crime genre as well as viewing the mediocre television series, I confess that I have derived much pleasure from reading this series of novels. I have enjoyed the spot-on depiction of 1950s Irish society and Dublin in particular – a culture that is even today not entirely gone. I like the melancholy of the novels, the darkness of atmosphere, the extremes of privilege and entitlement and poverty and despair.
As for plot – well, the plot of this one is neither better nor worse than the earlier books. The usual themes are very much in evidence, corrupt and stifling church, corrupt and stifling state, nasty villains acting on behalf of or established in the seats of power. A young civil servant is found dead in his car; Quirke suspects murder; his girlfriend disappears; Quirke and Hackett (and Phoebe) investigate; the usual suspects raise their heads – there is nothing very surprising here.
But for once there are positive outcomes. And these lead me to acknowledge an elegiac tone to the novel. There is a real air of loose ends being tied up, of closure (there is a facilitating psychiatrist there for Quirke), of an end to these proceedings. An old villain from previous novels gets his desserts, but whether he receives justice is a question to exercise the moral consciences of Quirke and Hackett for some time to come.
The discordant and downright peculiar Griffin/Quirke family take what I presume is their final bow. Notwithstanding the disparaging comments of the author on the whole crime genre as well as viewing the mediocre television series, I confess that I have derived much pleasure from reading this series of novels. I have enjoyed the spot-on depiction of 1950s Irish society and Dublin in particular – a culture that is even today not entirely gone. I like the melancholy of the novels, the darkness of atmosphere, the extremes of privilege and entitlement and poverty and despair.
As for plot – well, the plot of this one is neither better nor worse than the earlier books. The usual themes are very much in evidence, corrupt and stifling church, corrupt and stifling state, nasty villains acting on behalf of or established in the seats of power. A young civil servant is found dead in his car; Quirke suspects murder; his girlfriend disappears; Quirke and Hackett (and Phoebe) investigate; the usual suspects raise their heads – there is nothing very surprising here.
But for once there are positive outcomes. And these lead me to acknowledge an elegiac tone to the novel. There is a real air of loose ends being tied up, of closure (there is a facilitating psychiatrist there for Quirke), of an end to these proceedings. An old villain from previous novels gets his desserts, but whether he receives justice is a question to exercise the moral consciences of Quirke and Hackett for some time to come.
February 2, 2016
This was an enjoyable read, with Benjamin Black (aka John Banville) staying true to form with his lyrical, evocative descriptions. I have enjoyed some previous titles in the Quirke series, and the suspenseful, dark setting of Dublin in the 1950s continues to intrigue. Quirke, always prone to the melancholy, is even more emo than usual at the beginning of this novel, as he has been prescribed rest for an old head injury causing hallucinations and blackouts, yet he is dragged back into a mystery by his daughter. The plot unfolds slowly with violence, corruption and politics at the core. The enjoyment for me is more in the characters than the story, but I think my pleasure was held back a little but only having read two of the previous novels - it felt like there were things I was missing, and that things were being wrapped up in general that I wasn't getting the full story for. An enjoyable investigation overall, but I would recommend having read the previous books to capture the full picture.
October 20, 2015
Benjamin Black is a superb writer. He lives up to the standard he expressed at the KW Literary Seminar some years ago that he felt an obligation to make every word as perfect as it could be. His sentences are often glorious.
The only downside in this is that Black sometimes makes me impatient to get on with the story. However, once he decides to tell it, Black is a master at this as well. Pathologist Quirke and Detective Inspector Hackett are both marvelous characters whose approach to solving crimes is always creative.
In the entire Quirke series, Black has taken on the Catholic Church in Ireland for its despicable behavior, often criminal. In "Even the Dead" he took a while to get to the Church, but when he did he made his usual powerful case.
The only downside in this is that Black sometimes makes me impatient to get on with the story. However, once he decides to tell it, Black is a master at this as well. Pathologist Quirke and Detective Inspector Hackett are both marvelous characters whose approach to solving crimes is always creative.
In the entire Quirke series, Black has taken on the Catholic Church in Ireland for its despicable behavior, often criminal. In "Even the Dead" he took a while to get to the Church, but when he did he made his usual powerful case.
January 1, 2025
Some of the saddest, angriest, most beautiful prose I’ve read. It would be hard to completely tell you why the book, the series, and John Banville are all genius, but let me make one recommendation, read these books in order. This is more of a large, multiple book novels, in flavor of Master & Commander, Remembrance of Things Past, or Powell's Dance to the Music of Time. Start with Book One (Christine Falls) and work through book by bloody book. Beautiful.
January 20, 2016
I received this book from Sara D’Arcy/ Penguin Random House UK and the author in exchange for an honest review.
I have to be fair and say that from the start, I got the feeling that I was missing out on something, having never read any of the the other books in this series. However, my curiosity got the better if me and although I struggled initially, I persevered and was very glad that I did.
There was a gradual build up of mystery and suspense ~ almost like the reader is being teased. To me, it felt like the author was playing a game of sorts, rather than throwing everything into your face all at once, we are given a subtle trail to follow which ultimately led to the killer and a very clever ending in my view!
Quirke himself, is well…kind of quirky. I found there was an air of mystery surrounding him and I am curious if that was just in the context of this book or whether this can be felt in the other books in this series. A semi reformed alcoholic who happens to fall in love. What I liked about this story is that although a murder was committed and an investigation follows, you are inadvertently drawn into a love story of sorts…but not a mushy, it-is-way-to-in-your-face type of love…no, it was kinda sweet! OMG -Did I just say the “S” word!?
Quirke is also quite reflective, but seems to be fighting an inner turmoil…which I found quite endearing. And Evelyn Blake…..well I adore her! Confident, sassy and too old to play games…yep..I like her character! She feels real! Quirke’s daughter Phoebe also features quite a lot within the pages and her strange relationship with her father unfolds.
I also felt there was something haunting about this read. I cannot quite put my finger on it…but once I got over my initial struggle…I could not put it down. Politics, revelations, secrecy, redemption, love and even justice is what you will find within this story. Will I read any more in this series….I think you will find I have already added a few to my TBR pile! Definitely interested in learning more about Quirke!
I have to be fair and say that from the start, I got the feeling that I was missing out on something, having never read any of the the other books in this series. However, my curiosity got the better if me and although I struggled initially, I persevered and was very glad that I did.
There was a gradual build up of mystery and suspense ~ almost like the reader is being teased. To me, it felt like the author was playing a game of sorts, rather than throwing everything into your face all at once, we are given a subtle trail to follow which ultimately led to the killer and a very clever ending in my view!
Quirke himself, is well…kind of quirky. I found there was an air of mystery surrounding him and I am curious if that was just in the context of this book or whether this can be felt in the other books in this series. A semi reformed alcoholic who happens to fall in love. What I liked about this story is that although a murder was committed and an investigation follows, you are inadvertently drawn into a love story of sorts…but not a mushy, it-is-way-to-in-your-face type of love…no, it was kinda sweet! OMG -Did I just say the “S” word!?
Quirke is also quite reflective, but seems to be fighting an inner turmoil…which I found quite endearing. And Evelyn Blake…..well I adore her! Confident, sassy and too old to play games…yep..I like her character! She feels real! Quirke’s daughter Phoebe also features quite a lot within the pages and her strange relationship with her father unfolds.
I also felt there was something haunting about this read. I cannot quite put my finger on it…but once I got over my initial struggle…I could not put it down. Politics, revelations, secrecy, redemption, love and even justice is what you will find within this story. Will I read any more in this series….I think you will find I have already added a few to my TBR pile! Definitely interested in learning more about Quirke!
July 5, 2015
This is an unspeakably bad book. Banville/Black, by now, is taking the piss. Which is perfectly fine, absolutely his own business, but Quirke is jaded by now, his daughter is stiffer than cardboard, and the jaunts around Dublin in the rare old times no longer lift the storyline past trite and silly. In the earlier books, Banville peeped and twinkled through the rain sodden windows, but he has long since faded into a grim and one-dimensional set piece. Unspeakably, ridiculously bad. Quirke has become not a caracature...........more a cartoon, and the love interest in the book.............cliched, incredible nonsense.
November 18, 2015
Even the Dead is the latest installment in Benjamin Black's (aka John Banville) Quirke detective series. I'll admit I'm a huge Banville fan to begin with and have read (and thoroughly enjoyed) all of the Quirke books so far.
So I was thrilled to receive a copy of Even the Dead from NetGalley.
And it did not disappoint. Quirke is his usual dark self and his daughter Phoebe complicated and likable. The mystery is a little less gripping than some of the earlier books but the characters are well-drawn and interesting.
Quirke is on a prolonged sabbatical from his work at the mortuary, as a result of head injuries sustained in an earlier book. When his assistant (also his daughter's boyfriend) does an autopsy on a young man who supposedly suicided, he suspects foul play. He brings his suspicions to Quirke, who comes out of his semi-retirement to investigate. Of course, being a mystery novel, the suspicions are of course justified. The plot has some very satisfying twists, including some important revisiting of story lines from the earlier books.
I literally read Even the Dead in one sitting. It's the most satisfying kind of light entertainment: beautifully written, with characters I have grown to care about, and a diverting story. I was quite anxious by the end about the fate of several characters but I won't share any spoilers here. Suffice it to say, the reader cannot rest easy while reading this book.
Although the book can be read as a stand-alone, it definitely helps to have read the earlier books in the series. There are many references to the prior stories and some of the resolution is strongly connected to them.
But I strongly recommend the entire series. And if you've already read them, you won't want to miss this one..
So I was thrilled to receive a copy of Even the Dead from NetGalley.
And it did not disappoint. Quirke is his usual dark self and his daughter Phoebe complicated and likable. The mystery is a little less gripping than some of the earlier books but the characters are well-drawn and interesting.
Quirke is on a prolonged sabbatical from his work at the mortuary, as a result of head injuries sustained in an earlier book. When his assistant (also his daughter's boyfriend) does an autopsy on a young man who supposedly suicided, he suspects foul play. He brings his suspicions to Quirke, who comes out of his semi-retirement to investigate. Of course, being a mystery novel, the suspicions are of course justified. The plot has some very satisfying twists, including some important revisiting of story lines from the earlier books.
I literally read Even the Dead in one sitting. It's the most satisfying kind of light entertainment: beautifully written, with characters I have grown to care about, and a diverting story. I was quite anxious by the end about the fate of several characters but I won't share any spoilers here. Suffice it to say, the reader cannot rest easy while reading this book.
Although the book can be read as a stand-alone, it definitely helps to have read the earlier books in the series. There are many references to the prior stories and some of the resolution is strongly connected to them.
But I strongly recommend the entire series. And if you've already read them, you won't want to miss this one..
June 12, 2019
Who knows what influences our reaction to books? From the first paragraph, and with experience of four Quirkes some years ago, it took me by surprise that this felt more like Banville than Black. Perhaps I have been in a desert for a while but Even the Dead impressed as an atmospheric smoky piece, brimming with earthy description. And yes, the plot is still secondary to the interplay between Quirke and Hackett, and vague in construction and resolution, but I lapped this one up.
October 31, 2024
Barbara my 95 year old neighbor gave me this book to borrow. She really likes it but I suppose I feel eh about it. I feel like there wasn’t enough mystery solving for me. Too much personal life stuff from the main characters (though I did enjoy the main characters). I enjoyed the last 50-75 pages of the book the most.
February 11, 2016
I am a fan of the Quirke series. If a reader picked up this most recent book, I doubt they would be able to embrace this character. There are only a handful of brilliant descriptions I so love this author for. I would advise starting with the first and going forward as it would be impossible to appreciate the many threads that come to a satisfying close with this book.
Early on in this book there are some very fine descriptions of brain damage (from earlier beating Quirke suffered) and the humorous description of his brain specialist: "Philbin had a long narrow head, the top of which was a slightly flattened, shiny curve, like the crust of a loaf. He was entirely bald save for a fringe of suspiciously black hair--did he dye it?--at the back of his skull." In following the advised treatment of staying off booze and resting, "the days trickled past, each one much the same as all the others. He felt like Robinson Crusoe, grown old on his island."
This depression is not allowed to last. Quirke is drawn back from his rest and into action, once again working with Detective Inspector Hackett to solve a murder.
The "messenger" serving to bring him back to life (and thus off the island) is in the person of David Sinclair, his daughter Phoebe's boyfriend and his own assistant in the pathology department of the hospital (Hospital of the Holy Family). Foreshadowing the tenuous position of Sinclair, he describes his ride to the hospital after being stranded for two months in his brother Mal's house: "Sinclair's car was a prematurely aged Morris Minor. It had suffered a lot of rough treatment for he was a terrible driver, sitting bolt upright and as far back as the seat would allow, his elbows stiff, seeming to hold the car at arm's length, stamping haphazardly on the pedals and poking around with the gear stick as if he were trying to clear a blocked drain."
If you appreciate this description as I do, you should read the Quirke series from beginning.
I am ok if this book winds it up, but perhaps there could be more. It's just nice to think we might leave Quirke as happy as he is capable of being, though the cigarettes ought to go along with the whiskey if he is fated to live on. Justice in the end is delivered in spades with this book.
Early on in this book there are some very fine descriptions of brain damage (from earlier beating Quirke suffered) and the humorous description of his brain specialist: "Philbin had a long narrow head, the top of which was a slightly flattened, shiny curve, like the crust of a loaf. He was entirely bald save for a fringe of suspiciously black hair--did he dye it?--at the back of his skull." In following the advised treatment of staying off booze and resting, "the days trickled past, each one much the same as all the others. He felt like Robinson Crusoe, grown old on his island."
This depression is not allowed to last. Quirke is drawn back from his rest and into action, once again working with Detective Inspector Hackett to solve a murder.
The "messenger" serving to bring him back to life (and thus off the island) is in the person of David Sinclair, his daughter Phoebe's boyfriend and his own assistant in the pathology department of the hospital (Hospital of the Holy Family). Foreshadowing the tenuous position of Sinclair, he describes his ride to the hospital after being stranded for two months in his brother Mal's house: "Sinclair's car was a prematurely aged Morris Minor. It had suffered a lot of rough treatment for he was a terrible driver, sitting bolt upright and as far back as the seat would allow, his elbows stiff, seeming to hold the car at arm's length, stamping haphazardly on the pedals and poking around with the gear stick as if he were trying to clear a blocked drain."
If you appreciate this description as I do, you should read the Quirke series from beginning.
I am ok if this book winds it up, but perhaps there could be more. It's just nice to think we might leave Quirke as happy as he is capable of being, though the cigarettes ought to go along with the whiskey if he is fated to live on. Justice in the end is delivered in spades with this book.
March 9, 2017
Me ha costado terminarlo, me supuso un esfuerzo desde las primeras páginas y pese a mejorar, me costó
May 4, 2022
Fairly pedestrian but an almost satisfactory ending.
August 29, 2017
Even the dead by Benjamin Black.
Two victims - one dead, one missing. Even the Dead is a visceral, gritty and cinematic thriller from Benjamin Black Every web has a spider sitting at the centre of it. Pathologist Quirke is back working in the city morgue, watching over Dublin's dead. When a body is found in a burnt-out car, Quirke is called in to verify the apparent suicide of an up-and-coming civil servant. But Quirke can't shake a suspicion of foul play. The only witness has vanished, every trace of her wiped away. Piecing together her disappearance, Quirke finds himself drawn into the shadowy world of Dublin's elite - secret societies and high church politics, corrupt politicians and men with money to lose. When the trail eventually leads to Quirke's own family, the past and present collide. But crimes of the past are supposed to stay hidden, and Quirke has shaken the web. Now he must wait to see what comes running out. 'Addiction, morbid sexual obsession, blackmail and murder, as well as prose as crisp as a winter's morning by the Liffey . . . Quirke is human enough to swell the hardest of hearts' GQ 'Quirke is an endearing hero and the Dublin of the 1950s - wet, cold, foggy, sinister - is evoked with harsh realism and nostalgia' The Times 'A requiem for a cursed city, its inhabitants' inner lives doomed to remain as locked away, unhappy and unknowable as whatever lies buried' Metro
Fantastic read with brilliant characters. I really enjoyed this book. Didn't want it to end. 5*. Netgalley and penguin books UK.
Two victims - one dead, one missing. Even the Dead is a visceral, gritty and cinematic thriller from Benjamin Black Every web has a spider sitting at the centre of it. Pathologist Quirke is back working in the city morgue, watching over Dublin's dead. When a body is found in a burnt-out car, Quirke is called in to verify the apparent suicide of an up-and-coming civil servant. But Quirke can't shake a suspicion of foul play. The only witness has vanished, every trace of her wiped away. Piecing together her disappearance, Quirke finds himself drawn into the shadowy world of Dublin's elite - secret societies and high church politics, corrupt politicians and men with money to lose. When the trail eventually leads to Quirke's own family, the past and present collide. But crimes of the past are supposed to stay hidden, and Quirke has shaken the web. Now he must wait to see what comes running out. 'Addiction, morbid sexual obsession, blackmail and murder, as well as prose as crisp as a winter's morning by the Liffey . . . Quirke is human enough to swell the hardest of hearts' GQ 'Quirke is an endearing hero and the Dublin of the 1950s - wet, cold, foggy, sinister - is evoked with harsh realism and nostalgia' The Times 'A requiem for a cursed city, its inhabitants' inner lives doomed to remain as locked away, unhappy and unknowable as whatever lies buried' Metro
Fantastic read with brilliant characters. I really enjoyed this book. Didn't want it to end. 5*. Netgalley and penguin books UK.
September 18, 2023
What a muggy, steamy, twisted and refreshing breath of Irish air. Truly a delight to get all of Quirke's old friends back together—plot themes from book one come back to haunt him, and will surely end up on some new characters' radars as well. The introduction of a new female superstar in Banville's literary Ireland is exciting and blends well with the other caricatures of women in the novels (Rose and Phoebe both get some special attention in book #7).
My favorite element of this book in particular is the internal dialogue and subtle satisfaction the characters get from needing to call in old faces. Five stars for writing, four for plot. A more bombastic ending would have made up for that last star, or maybe even more development on the thread. Great book overall, going straight into #8.
My favorite element of this book in particular is the internal dialogue and subtle satisfaction the characters get from needing to call in old faces. Five stars for writing, four for plot. A more bombastic ending would have made up for that last star, or maybe even more development on the thread. Great book overall, going straight into #8.
January 10, 2025
December advent calendar book
Basically a DNF because I ended up skimming the last 150 pages. it was really painful and the only important parts were the dialogue because all the other stuff was just filler details about the characters and their personal lives that didn’t help further the plot at all. Excited to start my 2025 advent calendar though!
Basically a DNF because I ended up skimming the last 150 pages. it was really painful and the only important parts were the dialogue because all the other stuff was just filler details about the characters and their personal lives that didn’t help further the plot at all. Excited to start my 2025 advent calendar though!
March 5, 2020
I'm sad to see the end of this series. The characters were real to me. I loved their dark depths and even the fairer future possibilities. Beautiful writing Mr. Black.
February 1, 2016
Disappointing...
A young man is killed when his motorbike crashes into a tree. Quirke, a pathologist, is on sick leave, suffering from memory problems and attention lapses due to an injury he received some years earlier. But when his assistant begins to think that the young man's death was not due to either accident or suicide, he asks Quirke to come in to check his conclusions. Quirke agrees – it looks like the death was a murder. The victim is Leon Corless, son of a Communist politician, and the police don't know whether Leon has been killed for something he has done or to get at his father, a man notorious for annoying people.
I recently read and loved The Blue Guitar, written by the same author under his other name of John Banville, and wondered how his writing style would transfer to the crime novel. The answer, I fear, is not terribly well, at least not as far as this book, the seventh in the Quirke series, is concerned. To be fair, looking at other reviews suggests this is not having universal praise heaped on it by even fans of the series, so I probably picked the wrong one to start on.
The basic writing, as I expected, is excellent. But the balance is totally wrong between the crime and all of Quirke's personal baggage, of which he has more than plenty. His daughter resents him for him having given her away at birth to his adopted brother and his wife to bring up. He has had many broken affairs, including with the aforesaid brother's new wife. His daughter is going out with his assistant. Quirke is a drinker, currently on the wagon, but with a history of going in and out of rehab. And so on and on. His memory problems, which we hear about at excessive length for the first half of the book, are completely forgotten in the second half. (Ha! Forgive the unintentional joke.)
The other thing that irritated me was that I had no real idea of when the book was supposed to be set. For a while I wasn't even sure if it was before or after WW2 – eventually I decided after, but still couldn't pin it down to '40s, '50s or possibly even '60s. Presumably some indication was given in previous books, but in this one it's all very vague. Again, other reviews from people familiar with the series tell me it's the '50s. Dublin also failed to come to life. Street names and locations are mentioned but I got no feel for the life of this vibrant city.
There were points when I actually forgot what the crime actually was, and writing this review two weeks after finishing the book, I'm struggling to recall much about it. The vast bulk of the book is grossly over-padded with filler and the solving of the crime is rushed into the last section. And coincidentally (without spoilers) Quirke, his family and friends all seem to have a personal link to one aspect of it or another, and it appears to relate back to crimes in previous books. And, just to put the icing on the cake, the whole evil Catholic church cliché gets yet another outing.
Add in a ridiculously unlikely love-at-first-sight affair, and all in all, this fairly short book felt very long indeed. In truth, I began to skip long passages of musings about life, the universe and everything, in the hopes that I might finally get to the promised thriller ending. Sadly, I found the ending as flat as a pancake. I'm sure this will work better for people who have been following the series and have an emotional investment in the recurring characters, but as a standalone it left me pretty unimpressed. I'm still looking forward to reading more Banville, but I think I'll leave Benjamin Black on the shelf in the future. 2½ stars for me, so rounded up.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Penguin Books (UK).
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
A young man is killed when his motorbike crashes into a tree. Quirke, a pathologist, is on sick leave, suffering from memory problems and attention lapses due to an injury he received some years earlier. But when his assistant begins to think that the young man's death was not due to either accident or suicide, he asks Quirke to come in to check his conclusions. Quirke agrees – it looks like the death was a murder. The victim is Leon Corless, son of a Communist politician, and the police don't know whether Leon has been killed for something he has done or to get at his father, a man notorious for annoying people.
I recently read and loved The Blue Guitar, written by the same author under his other name of John Banville, and wondered how his writing style would transfer to the crime novel. The answer, I fear, is not terribly well, at least not as far as this book, the seventh in the Quirke series, is concerned. To be fair, looking at other reviews suggests this is not having universal praise heaped on it by even fans of the series, so I probably picked the wrong one to start on.
The basic writing, as I expected, is excellent. But the balance is totally wrong between the crime and all of Quirke's personal baggage, of which he has more than plenty. His daughter resents him for him having given her away at birth to his adopted brother and his wife to bring up. He has had many broken affairs, including with the aforesaid brother's new wife. His daughter is going out with his assistant. Quirke is a drinker, currently on the wagon, but with a history of going in and out of rehab. And so on and on. His memory problems, which we hear about at excessive length for the first half of the book, are completely forgotten in the second half. (Ha! Forgive the unintentional joke.)
The other thing that irritated me was that I had no real idea of when the book was supposed to be set. For a while I wasn't even sure if it was before or after WW2 – eventually I decided after, but still couldn't pin it down to '40s, '50s or possibly even '60s. Presumably some indication was given in previous books, but in this one it's all very vague. Again, other reviews from people familiar with the series tell me it's the '50s. Dublin also failed to come to life. Street names and locations are mentioned but I got no feel for the life of this vibrant city.
There were points when I actually forgot what the crime actually was, and writing this review two weeks after finishing the book, I'm struggling to recall much about it. The vast bulk of the book is grossly over-padded with filler and the solving of the crime is rushed into the last section. And coincidentally (without spoilers) Quirke, his family and friends all seem to have a personal link to one aspect of it or another, and it appears to relate back to crimes in previous books. And, just to put the icing on the cake, the whole evil Catholic church cliché gets yet another outing.
Add in a ridiculously unlikely love-at-first-sight affair, and all in all, this fairly short book felt very long indeed. In truth, I began to skip long passages of musings about life, the universe and everything, in the hopes that I might finally get to the promised thriller ending. Sadly, I found the ending as flat as a pancake. I'm sure this will work better for people who have been following the series and have an emotional investment in the recurring characters, but as a standalone it left me pretty unimpressed. I'm still looking forward to reading more Banville, but I think I'll leave Benjamin Black on the shelf in the future. 2½ stars for me, so rounded up.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Penguin Books (UK).
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
April 6, 2017
It’s tempting to think that there’s something in the air in Ireland that would move Irish writers to conjure up such thoughts as this in the musings of a Dublin coroner when meeting an old friend in the police: “they were a pair, no doubt of that, though what they were a pair of, he wasn’t sure.” And that suspicion takes on greater credibility when he later adds: “They had been through half a dozen cases together; did this mean they constituted a duo, a team? There was something faintly absurd about the notion, and Quirke dismissed it. He had never been part of a team in his life, and it was too late to start now.”
No Holmes and Watson, this pair in Dublin!
Quirke (no first name) is a physician, Dublin’s chief coroner, and his friend is Detective Inspector Hackett of the Garda. They bear not the slightest resemblance to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. They have come together once again because a young man thought to have been a suicide has instead, apparently, been murdered. Though the time period is never specified, it’s clearly sometime in the 1950s or early 60s at the latest. Ireland is the same poor country it had been for centuries, long before the recent boom that first lifted its economy into the heights of wealth and then sent it crashing below. In “this mean and mendacious little city,” as Quirke thinks of it, alcohol almost invariably fuels social interactions, and alcoholism is rampant. In this setting, the Catholic Church reigns supreme and untouchable — and yet when Quirke and Hackett deduce that the Church is somewhere in the background of this latest murder, they don’t hesitate to take it on, all-powerful or not.
Clever plotting
All too often, I feel manipulated by the authors of detective fiction. Plots depend on extremely unlikely coincidences, and authors shamelessly conceal facts to heighten suspense. None of this is the case in Even the Dead, or, for that matter, any of the other novels in the brilliant Quirke series. As coroner, Quirke concludes that a suicide is not a suicide and informs Hackett in hopes of launching an intelligent investigation. Using a combination of deductive reasoning, guile, and sheer chutzpah, the two barrel through all obstacles to a satisfactory conclusion.
In the process — almost as a bonus — Quirke, who was raised in an orphanage, learns who his parents were. It’s a momentous and satisfying discovery.
Masterful styling
Even the Dead, like its six predecessors in the Quirke series, is not just a deeply engaging and suspenseful mystery. It’s also a brilliant example of English prose. For example, “Love, Quirke had long ago decided, was a word people used when their own emotions overwhelmed them and they felt helpless. It was like saying someone was a genius, or a saint, as if at a certain point a barrier was crossed and ordinary human standards no longer applied.” The book is full of provocative thoughts like this, invariably couched in elegant language that seems as though its was effortless to write.
About the author
Benjamin Black is the pen name John Banville uses to write the Quirke series. In Great Britain, Banville is better known, at least in literary circles, as the multiple award-winning author of dozens of novels, plays, and screenplays. He is usually described as a winner of the Man Booker Prize.
No Holmes and Watson, this pair in Dublin!
Quirke (no first name) is a physician, Dublin’s chief coroner, and his friend is Detective Inspector Hackett of the Garda. They bear not the slightest resemblance to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. They have come together once again because a young man thought to have been a suicide has instead, apparently, been murdered. Though the time period is never specified, it’s clearly sometime in the 1950s or early 60s at the latest. Ireland is the same poor country it had been for centuries, long before the recent boom that first lifted its economy into the heights of wealth and then sent it crashing below. In “this mean and mendacious little city,” as Quirke thinks of it, alcohol almost invariably fuels social interactions, and alcoholism is rampant. In this setting, the Catholic Church reigns supreme and untouchable — and yet when Quirke and Hackett deduce that the Church is somewhere in the background of this latest murder, they don’t hesitate to take it on, all-powerful or not.
Clever plotting
All too often, I feel manipulated by the authors of detective fiction. Plots depend on extremely unlikely coincidences, and authors shamelessly conceal facts to heighten suspense. None of this is the case in Even the Dead, or, for that matter, any of the other novels in the brilliant Quirke series. As coroner, Quirke concludes that a suicide is not a suicide and informs Hackett in hopes of launching an intelligent investigation. Using a combination of deductive reasoning, guile, and sheer chutzpah, the two barrel through all obstacles to a satisfactory conclusion.
In the process — almost as a bonus — Quirke, who was raised in an orphanage, learns who his parents were. It’s a momentous and satisfying discovery.
Masterful styling
Even the Dead, like its six predecessors in the Quirke series, is not just a deeply engaging and suspenseful mystery. It’s also a brilliant example of English prose. For example, “Love, Quirke had long ago decided, was a word people used when their own emotions overwhelmed them and they felt helpless. It was like saying someone was a genius, or a saint, as if at a certain point a barrier was crossed and ordinary human standards no longer applied.” The book is full of provocative thoughts like this, invariably couched in elegant language that seems as though its was effortless to write.
About the author
Benjamin Black is the pen name John Banville uses to write the Quirke series. In Great Britain, Banville is better known, at least in literary circles, as the multiple award-winning author of dozens of novels, plays, and screenplays. He is usually described as a winner of the Man Booker Prize.
January 28, 2016
4.5 stars
This is the seventh novel in the Quirke series, from Benjamin Black. Set in 1950s Dublin, the City Morgue is where you'll find pathologist Quirke. Usually spotting anomalies among the anatomy...
When a body is discovered in Dublin's Phoenix Park, suicide is presumed. But Quirke's assistant (minding the shop while his boss is on leave) has his doubts and calls the pathologist back to base. Before long, there is an investigation underway, with an old friend, Detective Hackett called in to muddle through the case. When a young girl disappears while under the care of Quirke's daughter, things get a little complicated. Politics, Church and State seem to be interlinked in this curious case and Quirke battles with his thoughts more than his desire for a drink, as he walks the streets of Dublin, searching for answers.
Benjamin Black Is the pen name of acclaimed author John Banville, so you know you are going to get top notch writing. But are you going to get an engaging crime thriller from such a literary source? The answer is a resounding yes. From page one you are plonked into the world of 1950s Dublin, with its historical streets, murky past and reserved political and social atmosphere. Cleverly, the author uses strong female characters alongside the bare-minimum Quirke. Phoebe, his daughter, is an independent woman, living on her own and working full time for Dr. Evelyn Blake, a consultant psychiatrist. A new-fangled idea in Dublin at the time, psychiatry raises more than a few eyebrows yet Phoebe is delighted to work for Dr. Burke. There is also Rose, the wife of Quirke's step-brother who is a bored wealthy housewife but has a cutting personality and a free spirit. Balancing these characters against the legal, procedural and clerical restraint of the time, Black has succeeded in drawing the reader into the story with subtly and questioning curiosity.
While the narrative unfolds slowly, with different threads interlinked, there is a sense of loss at its conclusion. Quirke may have his flaws, but he also has an aura that seems to attract the ladies and upset the men, in equal measures. His determination to reduce his alcohol intake is not rare by todays standards, but is still quite unusual in 1950s Dublin. This, in itself, makes for interesting reading. The thrills are less obvious than a more contemporary based novel, yet the overall package is one of pure enjoyment. Characters are present without over description and their dialogue is what counts. The reader can almost picture Quirke's observations, through his own eyes, while he walks the streets of Dublin and the pubs and hotels of the city are described in all their smoke-filled glory.
Although this is book seven of the series, it can be read as a stand-alone novel. Quirke's back story, while interesting, is not essential to each case. This is crime noir (albeit set during a heatwave) with flair. It is engaging, tense and subtle, with Dr. Quirke's shadowy figure staying with you, long after the last page is turned. A wonderful combination of history, intrigue and strong characters makes it come to life in your hands...
This is the seventh novel in the Quirke series, from Benjamin Black. Set in 1950s Dublin, the City Morgue is where you'll find pathologist Quirke. Usually spotting anomalies among the anatomy...
When a body is discovered in Dublin's Phoenix Park, suicide is presumed. But Quirke's assistant (minding the shop while his boss is on leave) has his doubts and calls the pathologist back to base. Before long, there is an investigation underway, with an old friend, Detective Hackett called in to muddle through the case. When a young girl disappears while under the care of Quirke's daughter, things get a little complicated. Politics, Church and State seem to be interlinked in this curious case and Quirke battles with his thoughts more than his desire for a drink, as he walks the streets of Dublin, searching for answers.
Benjamin Black Is the pen name of acclaimed author John Banville, so you know you are going to get top notch writing. But are you going to get an engaging crime thriller from such a literary source? The answer is a resounding yes. From page one you are plonked into the world of 1950s Dublin, with its historical streets, murky past and reserved political and social atmosphere. Cleverly, the author uses strong female characters alongside the bare-minimum Quirke. Phoebe, his daughter, is an independent woman, living on her own and working full time for Dr. Evelyn Blake, a consultant psychiatrist. A new-fangled idea in Dublin at the time, psychiatry raises more than a few eyebrows yet Phoebe is delighted to work for Dr. Burke. There is also Rose, the wife of Quirke's step-brother who is a bored wealthy housewife but has a cutting personality and a free spirit. Balancing these characters against the legal, procedural and clerical restraint of the time, Black has succeeded in drawing the reader into the story with subtly and questioning curiosity.
While the narrative unfolds slowly, with different threads interlinked, there is a sense of loss at its conclusion. Quirke may have his flaws, but he also has an aura that seems to attract the ladies and upset the men, in equal measures. His determination to reduce his alcohol intake is not rare by todays standards, but is still quite unusual in 1950s Dublin. This, in itself, makes for interesting reading. The thrills are less obvious than a more contemporary based novel, yet the overall package is one of pure enjoyment. Characters are present without over description and their dialogue is what counts. The reader can almost picture Quirke's observations, through his own eyes, while he walks the streets of Dublin and the pubs and hotels of the city are described in all their smoke-filled glory.
Although this is book seven of the series, it can be read as a stand-alone novel. Quirke's back story, while interesting, is not essential to each case. This is crime noir (albeit set during a heatwave) with flair. It is engaging, tense and subtle, with Dr. Quirke's shadowy figure staying with you, long after the last page is turned. A wonderful combination of history, intrigue and strong characters makes it come to life in your hands...
February 20, 2016
This book has all the requisites for a stunning crime thriller: weary pathologist with complicated personal life; dedicated cop; suspicious suicide; terrified girl; and potential cover-up by the powers-that-be and /or the Roman Catholic church. But, somehow for me it did not gel. Perhaps if I had read the other books in the Quirke series, I might have been more drawn to the characters, but approaching it as a stand-alone book, I felt almost no empathy for any of the characters – particularly not for Quirke, the hero.
To be a good book, it needs to engage the reader. You don’t have to like the characters or the story line, but you do have to care about where they are heading. I was not engaged, didn’t care about the people or what was happening and only finished the book, because I feel it is unfair to review a book – particularly a crime novel – if I hadn’t seen how it turns out.
Crime novels have a surfeit of flawed lawmen, and for me, Quirke, in this book was just one too many
To be a good book, it needs to engage the reader. You don’t have to like the characters or the story line, but you do have to care about where they are heading. I was not engaged, didn’t care about the people or what was happening and only finished the book, because I feel it is unfair to review a book – particularly a crime novel – if I hadn’t seen how it turns out.
Crime novels have a surfeit of flawed lawmen, and for me, Quirke, in this book was just one too many
February 4, 2016
another reviewer mentioned quirke was emo, a great way to describe his outlook and style...and against all odds he brings about some justice for christine falls, after 6 books worth of frustration against the monsters of church, state, and piety in 1950's ireland. Christine Falls . in this, as quirke gets older, he's cutting down on the drink (hallucinating, zoning, etc...or is it brain damage from getting beat up severely?) but more than compensates with endless cigarettes, cups of tea, and long silences.
i think this is the best of series since the #1. great dialog, environment, character motivation, and investigation.
i think this is the best of series since the #1. great dialog, environment, character motivation, and investigation.
March 19, 2024
Good writing and characterization but an anticlimactic structure
There are many fine moments in EVEN THE DEAD (ETD) that are characteristic of Benjamin Black’s Quirke series. Black, for example, is a word painter who makes ordinary situations seem beautiful and profound. And in ETD, he gives these luscious perceptions to Quirke’s observant daughter Phoebe as she watches the light on sunny days from her desk.
“…two tall sash windows looked out over the tops of the trees to the houses on the other side of Fitzwilliam Square. Throughout the day the light on the distant brickwork changed by subtle, slow gradations. In the morning, when the shadows still lingered, it was a sort of soiled purple, but by noon, when the sun was fully up, it would become a steady dazzling white blaze. Later afternoons were best of all, though, when the bricks seemed smeared with a glaze of shimmering, molten gold, and all the windows were yellowy aflame.” (Page 29)
There are also, in the Quirke books, many passages featuring lovely flashes of Irish idiom, which are most often spoken by the insightful Inspector Hackett, whose background is rural. Here, a random selection from ETD includes: “Dr. Quirke—is it yourself, or am I seeing things?” “’Tis fresh and well you’re looking.” “But sure that was years ago!” Or as Quirke describes Hackett’s locutions: “…he had noticed before how Hackett, when he was startled or unsure, fell at once into his stage-Irish act, lisping and winking, bejapers-ing and begorrah-ing…”
Finally, there are in all the Quirke all books a character or two lighting a cigarette as a conversation begins or intensifies. This is ubiquitous in ETD and here are some examples.
“Don’t you ever get tired of this one-horse town, this one-horse country?” He chuckled, wreathing himself in cigarette smoke.” “Stung, she took an angry drag on her cigarette and lifted her chin and expelled a thin, quick stream of smoke upwards. ‘You’re impossible, Quirke, do you know that?’” “Quirke offered his cigarette case and Sinclair brought out his lighter. Simultaneously they both expelled a cone-shaped stream of smoke towards the ceiling.” “He sipped his tea and smoked the last of his cigarette. There was sunlight in the window beside them, the smoke rolling through it in gray-blue coils. ‘Tell me…’”.
Since May, I have read, in their order of publication, the first seven books in the eight-book Quirke series. Six of these start with a corpse or a heinous act, while the seventh, ELEGY FOR APRIL, begins with Phoebe, a loner like her father, fretting about her quasi friend April, who is missing. As mysteries, each of these books begins, by definition, with an actual or implied crime. And in all these books, Quirke and Inspector Hackett eventually identify the perp, usually by following leads that take them to a character who explains, in the penultimate chapter, what happened and why. ETD varies from this formula, since, this time, the character—it’s a power broker that owes his career to Hackett—explains the villain’s shenanigans at roughly 67% in the Kindle edition. Thereafter, things happen in the personal lives of Quirke and Phoebe and the villain gets his comeuppance. But all this—one-third of the text—is anticlimactic, since it occurs after the crime is solved. Yes, EDT had lots of fine writing; but it’s not a fine mystery.
For Quirke completists.
There are many fine moments in EVEN THE DEAD (ETD) that are characteristic of Benjamin Black’s Quirke series. Black, for example, is a word painter who makes ordinary situations seem beautiful and profound. And in ETD, he gives these luscious perceptions to Quirke’s observant daughter Phoebe as she watches the light on sunny days from her desk.
“…two tall sash windows looked out over the tops of the trees to the houses on the other side of Fitzwilliam Square. Throughout the day the light on the distant brickwork changed by subtle, slow gradations. In the morning, when the shadows still lingered, it was a sort of soiled purple, but by noon, when the sun was fully up, it would become a steady dazzling white blaze. Later afternoons were best of all, though, when the bricks seemed smeared with a glaze of shimmering, molten gold, and all the windows were yellowy aflame.” (Page 29)
There are also, in the Quirke books, many passages featuring lovely flashes of Irish idiom, which are most often spoken by the insightful Inspector Hackett, whose background is rural. Here, a random selection from ETD includes: “Dr. Quirke—is it yourself, or am I seeing things?” “’Tis fresh and well you’re looking.” “But sure that was years ago!” Or as Quirke describes Hackett’s locutions: “…he had noticed before how Hackett, when he was startled or unsure, fell at once into his stage-Irish act, lisping and winking, bejapers-ing and begorrah-ing…”
Finally, there are in all the Quirke all books a character or two lighting a cigarette as a conversation begins or intensifies. This is ubiquitous in ETD and here are some examples.
“Don’t you ever get tired of this one-horse town, this one-horse country?” He chuckled, wreathing himself in cigarette smoke.” “Stung, she took an angry drag on her cigarette and lifted her chin and expelled a thin, quick stream of smoke upwards. ‘You’re impossible, Quirke, do you know that?’” “Quirke offered his cigarette case and Sinclair brought out his lighter. Simultaneously they both expelled a cone-shaped stream of smoke towards the ceiling.” “He sipped his tea and smoked the last of his cigarette. There was sunlight in the window beside them, the smoke rolling through it in gray-blue coils. ‘Tell me…’”.
Since May, I have read, in their order of publication, the first seven books in the eight-book Quirke series. Six of these start with a corpse or a heinous act, while the seventh, ELEGY FOR APRIL, begins with Phoebe, a loner like her father, fretting about her quasi friend April, who is missing. As mysteries, each of these books begins, by definition, with an actual or implied crime. And in all these books, Quirke and Inspector Hackett eventually identify the perp, usually by following leads that take them to a character who explains, in the penultimate chapter, what happened and why. ETD varies from this formula, since, this time, the character—it’s a power broker that owes his career to Hackett—explains the villain’s shenanigans at roughly 67% in the Kindle edition. Thereafter, things happen in the personal lives of Quirke and Phoebe and the villain gets his comeuppance. But all this—one-third of the text—is anticlimactic, since it occurs after the crime is solved. Yes, EDT had lots of fine writing; but it’s not a fine mystery.
For Quirke completists.
May 16, 2023
I was in Dublin in April, and when I travel I always go to a bookstore and try to buy a book by a local author. I bought Banville 's newest book, but when I got home I realized I hadn't read the 2 previous books, so am now remedying that. I had to go back and read my reviews of all the previous books, since I read some so long ago.
Dublin in the 1950's was a different city than now. Quirke, our protagonist is a pathologist who, along with almost every character, smokes constantly and drinks too much.
As the book begins, his assistant David Sinclair is doing an autopsy, and is unsure of his findings. He goes to visit Quirke, who has living with his brother for 2 months after leaving rehab for his alcoholism. Quirke goes back to the lab and concurs with Sinclair that indeed, this is probably murder.
Much of this book covers territory from other books that explains what is happening. Characters appear who have been important to why Quirke is who he is, that the reader will want to read before this book. There are surprise, twists and a very satisfying ending.
Dublin in the 1950's was a different city than now. Quirke, our protagonist is a pathologist who, along with almost every character, smokes constantly and drinks too much.
As the book begins, his assistant David Sinclair is doing an autopsy, and is unsure of his findings. He goes to visit Quirke, who has living with his brother for 2 months after leaving rehab for his alcoholism. Quirke goes back to the lab and concurs with Sinclair that indeed, this is probably murder.
Much of this book covers territory from other books that explains what is happening. Characters appear who have been important to why Quirke is who he is, that the reader will want to read before this book. There are surprise, twists and a very satisfying ending.
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