On a sweltering summer afternoon, newspaper tycoon Richard Jewell is discovered with his head blown off by a shotgun blast. But is it suicide or murder? For help with the investigation, Detective Inspector Hackett calls in his old friend Quirke, who has unusual access to Dublin's elite.
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On a sweltering summer afternoon, newspaper tycoon Richard Jewell is discovered with his head blown off by a shotgun blast. But is it suicide or murder? For help with the investigation, Detective Inspector Hackett calls in his old friend Quirke, who has unusual access to Dublin's elite.
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Fair. Ex Library with stickers and markings May have heavy wear and markings. May not include digital download codes. Stock photo may be different from actual cover.
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Very Good. Very Good condition. Very Good dust jacket. A copy that may have a few cosmetic defects. May also contain light spine creasing or a few markings such as an owner's name, short gifter's inscription or light stamp. Bundled media such as CDs, DVDs, floppy disks or access codes may not be included.
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Fine in Fine jacket. Book First edition, First printing. Not inscribed, Not remaindered, Not ex Library, Not Book club. Number line including a 1. Dust jacket in protective cover and shipped in a box. Fine.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Benjamin Black is the pen name of Irish novelist John Banville. This is the fourth installment in the Quirke series. Quirke is a deeply-flawed medical pathologist in 1950's Ireland.
Quirke has been called to examine the body of publisher Richard ?Diamond Dick? Jewell at his country estate, by DCI Hackett. There, Quirke meets the family of the deceased, especially Jewell's widow, Françoise d'Aubigny. She is insular and detached, although amazingly beautiful.
Quirke is in a relationship with Isobel Galloway but is immediately captivated by the young widow. This story feels like a noir film: a stylish crime drama with expressed cynical attitudes and sexual desires.
Actually, this seems to be more of a complex character study than a traditional mystery. I believe that I could pick out the characters from a group of strangers in a room, the characters are so well-written. Black has plumbed the psychological depths of the main characters in this drama; the reader understands the troubles of these characters.
Because I?d so enjoyed THE BLACK-EYED BLOND, Benjamin Black's clever rendition of a Raymond Chandler novel, I wasn't immediately put off by the cold, distant characters. By the book's half-way point, however, I was laboring to finish this story. The characters were generally unlikeable ? few had any redeeming features.
I really did not enjoy this book; it was stylishly written but had no heart. 2 stars
Quirke
1. Christine Falls (2006)
2. The Silver Swan (2007)
3. Elegy for April (2010)
4. A Death in Summer (2011)
5. Vengeance (2012)
6. Holy Orders (2013)
