The first in a compelling new crime series from Booker Prize-winning author John Banville, writing as Benjamin Black
Quirke Series
This series delves into the shadowy secrets of post-war Dublin, where a charismatic pathologist uncovers unsettling conspiracies. Each case pulls him deeper into society's moral decay and the dark corners of his own family history. Following intricate investigations with an unflinching protagonist offers a compelling exploration of human nature and hidden malevolence.
Recommended Reading Order
- 1
- 2
Time has moved on for Quirke, the world-weary pathologist first encountered in Christine Falls. It is the middle of the 1950s, that low, dishonourable decade; a woman he loved has died, a man he once admired is dying, while the daughter he for so long denied is still finding it hard to accept him as her father. When an old acquaintance approaches him about his wife's apparent suicide, Quirke recognizes trouble but, as always, trouble is something he cannot resist. 'Drug 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 'A neat whodunit plot and a delightful command of suspense' Independent on Sunday 'The death of Michael Dibdin left a huge hole in crime fiction. Black and Quirke are filling that gap with this wholly gripping account for the shady, priest-ridden and blithely corrupt society of mid-twentieth-century Dublin' Daily Mail 'A romp of a read, a compelling fix' Scotsman 'Dublin's clammy atmosphere and its oppressive social and religious mores are a convincing backdrop to a moving drama conveyed by a master writer' The Times
- 3
Quirke, the hard-drinking, insatiably curious Dublin pathologist, is back, and he's determined to find his daughter's best friend. Both an absorbing crime novel and a brilliant portrait of the difficult love between a father and daughter, this is Black at his sparkling best.
- 4
When newspaper magnate Richard Jewell is found dead at his country estate, clutching a shotgun in his lifeless hands, few see his demise as cause for sorrow. But before long Doctor Quirke and Inspector Hackett realise that, rather than the suspected suicide, 'Diamond Dick' has in fact been murdered.
- 5
Why would suicide need a witness?On the east coast of Ireland, Victor Delahaye, one of the country's most prominent citizens, takes his business partner's son out sailing. But once at sea, Davy Clancy is horrified to witness Delahaye take out a gun and shoot himself dead.This strange event captures the attention of Detective Inspector Hackett and his friend Pathologist Doctor Quirke. The Delahayes and Clancys have been rivals for generations and the suicide lays bare the perplexing characters at the heart of the mystery, from Mona, Delahaye's toxic young widow, to Jonas and James, his strange, enigmatic twin sons; and Jack Clancy, his down-trodden, womanizing partner. And when a second death occurs, one even more shocking than the first, Quirke begins to realise that terrible secrets lie buried within these entangled families; and that in this world of jealousy, ruthless ambition and pride – nothing is quite as it seems...
- 6
She looked at him and smiled sadly. 'You've lived too long among the dead, Quirke,' she said. He nodded. 'Yes, I suppose I have.' She was not the first one to have told him that, and she would not be the last. 1950s Dublin. When a body is found in the canal, pathologist Quirke and his detective friend Inspector Hackett must find the truth behind this brutal murder. But in a world where the police are not trusted and secrets often remain buried there is perhaps little hope of bringing the perpetrator to justice. As spring storms descend on Dublin, Quirke and Hackett's investigation will lead them into the dark heart of the organisation that really runs this troubled city: the church. Meanwhile Quirke's daughter Phoebe realises she is being followed; and when Quirke's terrible childhood in a priest-run orphanage returns to haunt him, he will face his greatest trial yet . . .
- 7
Even the Dead
- 261 pages
- 10 hours of reading
NO CRIME IS EVER TRULY BURIED... Visceral, gritty and cinematic, Even the Dead is the latest stylish thriller from John Banville's crime-writing alter ego, Benjamin Black. Pathologist Quirke works in the city morgue, watching over Dublin's dead. The latest to join their ghostly ranks is a suicide. But something doesn't add up. The victim has a suspicious head wound, and the only witness has vanished, every trace of her wiped away. On the trail of the missing woman, Quirke finds himself drawn into the shadowy world of Dublin's elite - secret societies, High Church politics and corrupt politicians. It leads him to a long-buried conspiracy that involves his own family. But it's too late to go back now... THE DEAD WILL BE HEARD 'Fresh and original' Guardian 'Quirke is human enough to swell the hardest of hearts' GQ 'A beach read for the brainy' LA Times 'Superb' Irish Times 'Beautifully written' Literary review 'Ravishing prose' Independent
