Strafford and Quirke: Book 4
Publication Date: October 1, 2024
From the renowned Booker Prize winner and nationally bestselling author of Snow comes a richly atmospheric new mystery about a woman’s sudden disappearance in a small coastal town in Ireland, where nothing is as it seems.
“He had seen drowned people. A sight not to be forgotten.”
1950s, rural Ireland. A loner comes across a mysteriously empty car in a field. Knowing he shouldn’t approach but unable to hold back, he soon finds himself embroiled in a troubling missing person case, as a husband claims his wife may have thrown herself into the sea.
Called in from Dublin to investigate is Detective Inspector Strafford, who soon turns to his old ally—the flawed but brilliant pathologist Quirke—a man he is linked to in increasingly complicated ways. But as the case unfolds, events from the past resurface that may have life-altering ramifications for all involved.
At once a searing mystery and a profound meditation on the hidden worlds we all inhabit, The Drowned is the next great Strafford and Quirke novel from a beloved writer at the top of his game.
Set in a small coastal town off Ireland, The Drowned features all of the requisite ingredients for a mystery.
However, in spite of author John Banville’s touted abilities in historical literary fiction, I couldn’t get any traction with the storyline. Part of the problem could be that this installment is the fourth in the Strafford and Quirke series.
Detective Inspector Stafford investigates the case of a missing woman thought to have jumped into the sea. On a personal note, Stafford is juggling a tumultuous personal life loosely connected to his colleague, Quirke, who assists in unraveling the woman’s disappearance.
Secondary characters play a significant part within the storyline, especially as red herrings. Seemingly unrelated events eventually come together as the pieces fall into place. Perhaps another challenge is an inability to relate to the story’s basic elements, which is no fault of the author.
The Drowned delivers a mystery that fans of the series will likely enjoy.
JOHN BANVILLE was born in Wexford, Ireland, in 1945. He is the author of numerous novels, including The Sea, which won the 2005 Booker Prize, and the DI Quirke novels written under the pseudonym Benjamin Black. In 2011 he was awarded the Franz Kafka Prize, in 2013 he was awarded the Irish PEN Award for Outstanding Achievement in Irish Literature and in 2014 he won the Prince of Asturias Award, Spain’s most important literary prize. He lives in Dublin.
