Status
Available
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Henry Holt and Co. (2012), Edition: 1st, 320 pages
Description
"It's a fine day for a sail, and Victor Delahaye, one of Ireland's most successful businessmen, takes his boat far out to sea. With him is his partner's son--who becomes the sole witness when Delahaye produces a pistol, points it at his own chest, and fires. This mysterious death immediately engages the attention of Detective Inspector Hackett, who in turn calls upon the services of his sometime partner Quirke, consultant pathologist at the Hospital of the Holy Family. The stakes are high: Delahaye's prominence in business circles means that Hackett and Quirke must proceed very carefully."--Provided by publisher.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Coyote99
If you love Benjamin Black (and John Banville) you will not be disappointed with his newest entry in the Quirke series, Vengeance. Well paced, beautifully written, it has the usual dark Irish melancholy and pathos. While it doesn't move Quirke's story forward by much, he gives us a few more
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insights into his love life and his relationship with his daughter. It isn't his best, but Black/Banville is such a wonderful writer I am grateful for his words even when his plot is a bit thin. Show Less
LibraryThing member Matke
Victor Delahaye askes Davy Clancy, the son of his business partner, to go for a sail. Although Davy hates the water, he feels obligated to go. In the course of the sail, Victor delivers some cryptic remarks and then shoots himself. With this problematic beginning, we are launched itno the latest
A second death soon follows. As the story curls in on itself, we meet the weird Delahaye family: Mona, the beautiful, young, ungrieving widow; Maggie, Victor's other-worldly sister; his weird twin sons, Jonas and James; the Clancy family, and assorted odd lots here and there. We also learn a lot about Quirke, a pathologist who acts as the "detective". It's his consuming curiosity that drives the story.
The terrific character explorations in this book, along with excellent writing, make it easy to accept the reather pedestrian plot denouement.
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Quirke mystery by Benjamin Black.A second death soon follows. As the story curls in on itself, we meet the weird Delahaye family: Mona, the beautiful, young, ungrieving widow; Maggie, Victor's other-worldly sister; his weird twin sons, Jonas and James; the Clancy family, and assorted odd lots here and there. We also learn a lot about Quirke, a pathologist who acts as the "detective". It's his consuming curiosity that drives the story.
The terrific character explorations in this book, along with excellent writing, make it easy to accept the reather pedestrian plot denouement.
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LibraryThing member jfurshong
Quirk is back! The mystifying suicide of a prominent businessman on his yacht certainly doesn’t look like a murder. Bringing his business partner’s young son to witness the suicide is even more puzzling. With the closing of the very strong first chapter we are off and running, fully engaged in
The suicide victim, Victor Delahaye, is a prominent Irish businessman, a partner with Jack Clancy. Their fathers were the founders of the firm in the previous generation and the two sons have an uneasy alliance. So, why did Victor Delahaye bully young David Clancy into an outing on his boat, only to commit suicide in front of his unbelieving eyes.
The murder of the other half of the partnership, Jack Clancy, a week later only deepens the mystery. The Clancys and Delahayes have been intertwined for the three generations involved in this mystery. The wealth and privilege of the family members, their sense of entitlement and their ongoing struggle for dominance within the firm provides plenty of possibilities for a villainous someone to be manipulating events behind the scenes.
John Banville, writing as Benjamin Black, has established a solid mystery series with Dr. Quirk. Quirk is a curmudgeonly detective, much like Kurt Wallander or Erlendur Sveinsson in his somewhat misanthropic outlook on life, But he is nowhere as destructive as Harry Hole or as hard on his loved ones. A pathologist in a Dublin hospital, Dr. Quirk’s connections with the upper class in Dublin make him a useful ally to Inspector Hackett in his efforts to gain information from the secretive family members of the victims. Hackett is a plodding detective, thorough and persistent. But it is Quirk who puts the disparate pieces together and takes the risks to work out the answers.
As always in this beautifully written series, 1950s Dublin is as much a character as any of the cast of potential evil-doers. In the growing sub-genre of Irish noir Benjamin Black sets a high standard and continues with Vengeance to provide a well-plotted, intricate and skillfully developed addition to the Quirk series. As always, I look forward to the next one with great enthusiasm.
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Benjamin Blacks newest in the Quirk series, Vengeance.The suicide victim, Victor Delahaye, is a prominent Irish businessman, a partner with Jack Clancy. Their fathers were the founders of the firm in the previous generation and the two sons have an uneasy alliance. So, why did Victor Delahaye bully young David Clancy into an outing on his boat, only to commit suicide in front of his unbelieving eyes.
The murder of the other half of the partnership, Jack Clancy, a week later only deepens the mystery. The Clancys and Delahayes have been intertwined for the three generations involved in this mystery. The wealth and privilege of the family members, their sense of entitlement and their ongoing struggle for dominance within the firm provides plenty of possibilities for a villainous someone to be manipulating events behind the scenes.
John Banville, writing as Benjamin Black, has established a solid mystery series with Dr. Quirk. Quirk is a curmudgeonly detective, much like Kurt Wallander or Erlendur Sveinsson in his somewhat misanthropic outlook on life, But he is nowhere as destructive as Harry Hole or as hard on his loved ones. A pathologist in a Dublin hospital, Dr. Quirk’s connections with the upper class in Dublin make him a useful ally to Inspector Hackett in his efforts to gain information from the secretive family members of the victims. Hackett is a plodding detective, thorough and persistent. But it is Quirk who puts the disparate pieces together and takes the risks to work out the answers.
As always in this beautifully written series, 1950s Dublin is as much a character as any of the cast of potential evil-doers. In the growing sub-genre of Irish noir Benjamin Black sets a high standard and continues with Vengeance to provide a well-plotted, intricate and skillfully developed addition to the Quirk series. As always, I look forward to the next one with great enthusiasm.
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LibraryThing member erikschreppel
Over 4 previous books, Benjamin Black (novelist John Banville) has developed a wonderful world. He has sucessfully recreated 1950's Dublin and Irish society in it's post war nuances and foibles. Quirke is a great protaganist, not some all knowing savant, but a intelligent man who works hard and has
Added to this though is a missing 14 pages from my Early Reviewers copy, so maybe those were key pages to the mystery. All in all a good read.
Vengence, the 5th in the series, is at times better and worse than the rest of them. Better in that the plot mystery is not a typical one. And worse in that the end sort of peters out a tad and could be gleaned several chapters befor ethe end. I think this one simply suffers from the lack of credible potential culprits. What this does allow though is a more thoughtful loo at Quirke and his relationships,which is what makes this entry work when the mystery itself isn't as much.
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demons of his own. I appreciate that Black has crafted him this way, his weaknesses andd failures are always with him. And the people around him don't simply love him unconditionally. The relationship between him and his daughter is a great example of this. Added to this though is a missing 14 pages from my Early Reviewers copy, so maybe those were key pages to the mystery. All in all a good read.
Vengence, the 5th in the series, is at times better and worse than the rest of them. Better in that the plot mystery is not a typical one. And worse in that the end sort of peters out a tad and could be gleaned several chapters befor ethe end. I think this one simply suffers from the lack of credible potential culprits. What this does allow though is a more thoughtful loo at Quirke and his relationships,which is what makes this entry work when the mystery itself isn't as much.
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LibraryThing member danieljayfriedman
Vengeance, the fifth volume of Benjamin Black’s series about Dublin consulting pathologist Dr. Quirke, centers on an apparent suicide without an apparent motive. Victor Delahaye, the senior partner of second generation businesses owned by the Protestant Delahayes and the Catholic Clancys, invites
As in the other Quirke novels, Vengeance intertwines three themes. The first and typically most interesting theme is Quirke himself, his troubled past as an orphan and his tormented present as an alcoholic widower with a complicated love life and an only recently acknowledged adult. The second theme is the Dublin and Ireland in the 1950s, with its religious, social, and class chasms; its grey skies and sodden weather; and its out-sized deference to the wealthy and the powerful. The third theme is the mystery itself, in this case the family and business detritus left behind by Victor Delahaye’s suicide: his off-putting, casual yet somehow threatening identical twin sons, his too young and too attractive second wife, his grieving unmarried sister, his scheming and frustrated junior partner Jack Clancy, and Jack Clancy’s eventual murder. The totality of the three themes provides the appeal and the fascination of Vengeance, as in the other four Quirke novels.
Benjamin Black is the Man Booker Prize short-listed author John Banville. In the earlier Quirke novels, Black’s style and concerns mirrored Banville’s: rich descriptions of Dublin and 1950s and 1960s Ireland, troubled and near aristocratic characters, and disturbing relationships and interactions between the plutocrats and the self-imagined plutocrats and those serving them. In Vengeance, Black/Banville retains the commonalities between Banville writing as Black and Banville writing as Banville. Yet in Vengeance, Banville writing as Black has also adopted a more accessible style, powered more by plot and mystery than by Quirke’s torments.
For those who have read and enjoyed Black’s earlier Quirke novels, Vengeance stands as an excellent further installment in Quirke’s evolution as a father and as a sleuth into other’s mysteries and torments. For those who have not read the earlier Quirke novels, Vengeance stands as an excellent and accessible introduction to this fascinating character.
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his partner’s mid-20s son Davy Clancy to join him on a day of sailing. An invitation from a Delahaye to a Clancy can only be viewed as a command. Young Clancy, uncomfortable in boats, doubting Delahaye’s motives, and dreading Delahaye’s company, reluctantly agrees to the cruise. Delahaye shoots himself on board, Clancy panics and tosses Delahaye’s substantial gun overboard. Clancy is left to bake in the sun and hope for rescue from a passing boat.As in the other Quirke novels, Vengeance intertwines three themes. The first and typically most interesting theme is Quirke himself, his troubled past as an orphan and his tormented present as an alcoholic widower with a complicated love life and an only recently acknowledged adult. The second theme is the Dublin and Ireland in the 1950s, with its religious, social, and class chasms; its grey skies and sodden weather; and its out-sized deference to the wealthy and the powerful. The third theme is the mystery itself, in this case the family and business detritus left behind by Victor Delahaye’s suicide: his off-putting, casual yet somehow threatening identical twin sons, his too young and too attractive second wife, his grieving unmarried sister, his scheming and frustrated junior partner Jack Clancy, and Jack Clancy’s eventual murder. The totality of the three themes provides the appeal and the fascination of Vengeance, as in the other four Quirke novels.
Benjamin Black is the Man Booker Prize short-listed author John Banville. In the earlier Quirke novels, Black’s style and concerns mirrored Banville’s: rich descriptions of Dublin and 1950s and 1960s Ireland, troubled and near aristocratic characters, and disturbing relationships and interactions between the plutocrats and the self-imagined plutocrats and those serving them. In Vengeance, Black/Banville retains the commonalities between Banville writing as Black and Banville writing as Banville. Yet in Vengeance, Banville writing as Black has also adopted a more accessible style, powered more by plot and mystery than by Quirke’s torments.
For those who have read and enjoyed Black’s earlier Quirke novels, Vengeance stands as an excellent further installment in Quirke’s evolution as a father and as a sleuth into other’s mysteries and torments. For those who have not read the earlier Quirke novels, Vengeance stands as an excellent and accessible introduction to this fascinating character.
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LibraryThing member bcquinnsmom
My thanks to Librarything's early reviewers program and to Henry Holt for sending this copy. Book number five in Black's excellent Quirke novels, Vengeance continues the winning streak found throughout the rest of the series. Black gets more playful with his literary references, the characters
As the novel opens, Davy Clancy is on Victor Delahaye's sailboat, Quicksilver, after being invited to accompany Delahaye for the day. Invite isn't the right word, actually, since Delahaye is the big boss of the firm owned jointly by both families, and Davy can't really refuse. Davy "was not a good sailor, in fact he was secretly afraid of the sea." Out of nowhere, Delahaye took out a pistol wrapped in an oily rag and shot himself. Frightened out of his wits, Davy takes the gun and tosses it overboard. He has no idea how to sail the Quicksilver, and he drifts along, waiting for rescue. The death is confirmed as a suicide, leading to one question, so beautifully voiced some time later in the thoughts of Victor's sister Maggie:
"...why had Victor taken him out in the boat -- why him? It had been Victor's way of sending a message, of leaving a signal as to why he had done what he had done. But what message was it, and to whom did he think he was directing it?"
The answer, as Quirke is about to discover, is not one to be revealed quickly or easily. The Delahayes are a formidable clan -- rich and powerful, but as with most families in Black's novels, filled with secrets. The wealthy Clancys have their secrets as well, but the Clancy side of the business is viewed with disdain by the Delahayes, who consider the Clancys their inferiors. When a second death occurs, the mystery only deepens.
Vengeance is the most current installment of the Quirke series as well as the newest chapter in Black's ongoing dark story about Dublin in the 1950s. Throughout all of the novels, Quirke is the main vehicle Black uses to explore this city where life was pretty much dictated by the bonds tying together the church, big money, and politics; it's also a place of many secrets and a lot of guilt. Quirke's job as a pathologist working in a hospital morgue brings with it a certain amount of curiosity; as he says in the first novel Christine Falls, "Dealing with the dead, you sometimes find yourself wondering about the lives they led."
I absolutely love this series -- Black's forte is in his creation of a particular place in a particular time as well as characterization. In Vengeance, he has crafted a nearly perfect mystery but also leaves the question of justice for readers to ponder.
This one is my favorite of the five with Elegy for April a very close second. I would highly recommend beginning with Christine Falls before picking up the rest of the Quirke novels, because it lays the foundation for all that's going to come next.
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continue to deepen in scope, and the mystery is a definite conundrum that will keep you guessing up until the very end. Feel free to disagree all you want, but after reading all five novels in one fell swoop over the course of a week and a half, my conclusion is that the Quirke series is definitely one of the best and most intelligent out there. As the novel opens, Davy Clancy is on Victor Delahaye's sailboat, Quicksilver, after being invited to accompany Delahaye for the day. Invite isn't the right word, actually, since Delahaye is the big boss of the firm owned jointly by both families, and Davy can't really refuse. Davy "was not a good sailor, in fact he was secretly afraid of the sea." Out of nowhere, Delahaye took out a pistol wrapped in an oily rag and shot himself. Frightened out of his wits, Davy takes the gun and tosses it overboard. He has no idea how to sail the Quicksilver, and he drifts along, waiting for rescue. The death is confirmed as a suicide, leading to one question, so beautifully voiced some time later in the thoughts of Victor's sister Maggie:
"...why had Victor taken him out in the boat -- why him? It had been Victor's way of sending a message, of leaving a signal as to why he had done what he had done. But what message was it, and to whom did he think he was directing it?"
The answer, as Quirke is about to discover, is not one to be revealed quickly or easily. The Delahayes are a formidable clan -- rich and powerful, but as with most families in Black's novels, filled with secrets. The wealthy Clancys have their secrets as well, but the Clancy side of the business is viewed with disdain by the Delahayes, who consider the Clancys their inferiors. When a second death occurs, the mystery only deepens.
Vengeance is the most current installment of the Quirke series as well as the newest chapter in Black's ongoing dark story about Dublin in the 1950s. Throughout all of the novels, Quirke is the main vehicle Black uses to explore this city where life was pretty much dictated by the bonds tying together the church, big money, and politics; it's also a place of many secrets and a lot of guilt. Quirke's job as a pathologist working in a hospital morgue brings with it a certain amount of curiosity; as he says in the first novel Christine Falls, "Dealing with the dead, you sometimes find yourself wondering about the lives they led."
I absolutely love this series -- Black's forte is in his creation of a particular place in a particular time as well as characterization. In Vengeance, he has crafted a nearly perfect mystery but also leaves the question of justice for readers to ponder.
This one is my favorite of the five with Elegy for April a very close second. I would highly recommend beginning with Christine Falls before picking up the rest of the Quirke novels, because it lays the foundation for all that's going to come next.
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LibraryThing member RidgewayGirl
I've grown to depend on Benjamin Black to give me the kind of well-written and dark crime novel that I love best. Happily, with Vengeance, he not only delivers, but exceeds my high expectations. Set in the Ireland of fifty years ago, Vengeance tells the story of two families, unhappily bound
Black revels in showing us the Irish provincialism of the near past, describing it with an unsentimental clarity. He also delves into relationships in all their dysfunctional forms and Vengeance gives him a wide variety to slice open and expose to our view.
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together in a successful business. The Delahayes are Anglo-Irish and posher than the Clancys, so while they hold equal shares in the business, there's a social inequality, with resentment on both sides. Then Victor Delahaye takes Jack Clancy's son out sailing and then shoots himself, blowing open all the hidden animosities and closed doors. Quirke, a pathologist, becomes involved through his informal partner, Inspector Hackett, who feels uncomfortable among the gentry. Here, Hackett is more fully fleshed out than he's been in earlier books and the friendship between the two men stronger. As for Quirke, well, he's drinking, but aiming for moderation.Black revels in showing us the Irish provincialism of the near past, describing it with an unsentimental clarity. He also delves into relationships in all their dysfunctional forms and Vengeance gives him a wide variety to slice open and expose to our view.
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LibraryThing member lsh63
Coroner/sleuth Quirke becomes involved in the apparent suicide of business tycoon, Victor Delahaye, when his sometime sidekick, Inspector Hackett hopes to use Quirke's perceived dealings with the upper crust of Dublin society in order to solve the case.
What no one can seem to figure out is whey
As usual, the atmosphere in this book draws you in, along with the wonderful plot development and characterization. Even after it became obvious what was goint to take place at the end, I still enjoyed getting there.
I'm looking forward to seeing what Quirke does next, and also what happens with his relationship with his daughter Phoebe.
What no one can seem to figure out is whey
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Victor would bring his business partner Jack Clancy's son Davy with his to witness the act. When a second death occurrs, it's obvious that there are secrets and scandals that have to do with not only the Delahaye family, but the Clancy family as well.As usual, the atmosphere in this book draws you in, along with the wonderful plot development and characterization. Even after it became obvious what was goint to take place at the end, I still enjoyed getting there.
I'm looking forward to seeing what Quirke does next, and also what happens with his relationship with his daughter Phoebe.
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LibraryThing member AnneWK
Back in Dublin with the pathologist Quirke and his sometime-partner Detective Hackett. This time they are working on a strange set of deaths, hardly coincidental, and involving two families chock full of odd people, particularly the twin sons of one of the dead and a strange widow. Once again
That Benjamin Black is the pen name for the wonderful Irish writer John Banville always distracts me just a little while I'm reading the Black books -- how would Banville have written this? But that is only a little troublesome -- the prose flows like the Irish whiskey and Guinness and every one of these mysteries is fun to read.
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Quirke's daughter is part of the story and the suspense is edge-of-the-seat.That Benjamin Black is the pen name for the wonderful Irish writer John Banville always distracts me just a little while I'm reading the Black books -- how would Banville have written this? But that is only a little troublesome -- the prose flows like the Irish whiskey and Guinness and every one of these mysteries is fun to read.
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LibraryThing member freelancer_frank
A lesser Quirk is a five star read. This one suffers from s surfeit of characters and a solution that was relatively easy to guess. On the other hand I was compelled to read it in a day, lived the descriptions of character and setting, and feel much the better for having done so.
LibraryThing member Travis1259
When a business leader kills himself in front of his partner's son, you are just on your way to the beginning of this puzzling mystery. Why would he kill himself in this way. What was his motive? As we continue, Benjamin Black brings his usual mix of a rich plot, and captivating setting, with a
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bleak look at Ireland in the past. But, he continues to fascinate us with us with full characterizations. After a related murder happens then we're off and running. Certain characters we meet are red herrings to throw us off track. And, they succeed. I am not sure I am particularly fond of most of the characters portrayed here with the exception of Quirke. A few likable characters would have added a touch more reality for me. But, the novel's ending does not disappoint. When I learned that I would be receiving this book I was pleasantly surprised being a fan of Black. After enjoying this mystery I continue to be one. Show Less
LibraryThing member brokenangelkisses
I'm always interested in the reasons writers choose to adopt pseudonyms.
Crime novelist Agatha Christie published six "romance" novels as Mary Westmacott; adult sci-fi legend Isaac Asimov wrote a series of YA novels as Paul French; and, of course, Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling was recently
Usually, if the writer is well-known and has a reputation to protect, pseudonyms seem to be adopted to mark out different territory. Writing as Benjamin Black, literary author John Banville has created a series of crime novels featuring Dr Quirke and DI Hackett. I read the sixth in the series, brusquely titled, 'Vengeance'.
What's it about?
Victor Delahaye and Jack Clancy are successful business partners until, one morning, Victor takes Jack's son Davy out sailing with him and commits suicide. What made him decide to die? Why did he want Davy to witness it? And what secrets are Victor and Jack's families hiding?
DI Hackett and pathologist Dr Quirke are intrigued by the circumstances and characters surrounding this event, the novel's opening act, but it isn't until a second death occurs that they begin to grasp some of the motivations driving the Delahaye and Clancy families.
What's it like?
Extremely atmospheric and brooding. Black is interested in characters' feelings, histories and motives rather than the minutiae of crime. This is evident from the opening sequence; although the police are briefly diverted to consider whether Victor's death could have been a murder, the reader is never allowed that possibility as they are privy to his strange final conversation with Davy, the shooting and his slow death.
Once I acclimatised to the pace and style I quite enjoyed reading about this cast of awkward, largely unhappy characters. No one seems to really know anyone else, regardless of the number of years they may have been friends, lovers or husband and wife. Everyone is out to manipulate or to puzzle out other people's behaviour. It's a rather miserable world, convincingly evoked by Black.
This series is loosely positioned in the crime genre, and the fit is very loose indeed. Although Victor's death creates a wealth of questions, the answers are largely predictable and easy-to-anticipate. It isn't until the second death, half way through the novel, that there is a real crime to solve. Even then, DI Hackett isn't one to rush about following leads and the solution to the case is both fairly obvious and largely uninteresting. In fact, re-reading the opening chapter, it is clear that almost all the details one would ever need to solve both deaths are laid out in front of any attentive reader.
So this isn't really a who-dunnit or even a why-dunnit; instead, readers' interest arises from the characterisation and setting. Black evokes 50's Ireland from a range of casual details: there are Presley records on the gramophone; Delahaye's family were unhappy that he went into business with a 'prod'; street names from Dublin and Cork are mentioned. Oh, and everybody drinks and smokes. All the time. Unless they're busy having sex with Quirke, who somehow seems to be irresistible to women. (Perhaps this is something to do with his professional proximity to death? Or his generally morose appearance?!) Even then, there'll be drinking and smoking before and after, to the extent that I have no idea how Quirke still has a job.
Fans of the series will doubtless enjoy the developments between regular characters - Quirke's daughter Phoebe is still learning to trust him and ex-lover Isabel makes an awkward appearance - while newcomers may find their antics strange but shouldn't suffer from a lack of background knowledge.
Final thoughts
Usually, authors don't publish books with their name and pseudonym splashed across the front cover, but Banville's decision makes some sense here as the former hints towards the latter's quite literary style. The plot is perhaps more realistic than many crime novels, focused around ordinary (if rather wealthy) people and their day-to-day concerns over money, power and competition. Instead of the macabre death scenes and arcane forensic work favoured by many writers in the genre, events are almost underplayed here (Davy barely reacts to Victor's suicide) and police deduction is minimal.
This reminded me a little of Midsomer Murders - an apparently close-knit community hides secrets - but without the agonised confessions of skulduggery at the end, or the overall feeling that people are generally good and justice has been / will be done. In 'Vengeance', people are largely sad, mad or both and justice seems almost irrelevant. And why did a suicidal man want a witness? The answer's in the title.
Crime novelist Agatha Christie published six "romance" novels as Mary Westmacott; adult sci-fi legend Isaac Asimov wrote a series of YA novels as Paul French; and, of course, Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling was recently
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unmasked as Robert Galbraith, author of 'The Cuckoo's Calling'. (It's interesting that women are often still encouraged to publish under a male pseudonym or masculinised version of their name.)Usually, if the writer is well-known and has a reputation to protect, pseudonyms seem to be adopted to mark out different territory. Writing as Benjamin Black, literary author John Banville has created a series of crime novels featuring Dr Quirke and DI Hackett. I read the sixth in the series, brusquely titled, 'Vengeance'.
What's it about?
Victor Delahaye and Jack Clancy are successful business partners until, one morning, Victor takes Jack's son Davy out sailing with him and commits suicide. What made him decide to die? Why did he want Davy to witness it? And what secrets are Victor and Jack's families hiding?
DI Hackett and pathologist Dr Quirke are intrigued by the circumstances and characters surrounding this event, the novel's opening act, but it isn't until a second death occurs that they begin to grasp some of the motivations driving the Delahaye and Clancy families.
What's it like?
Extremely atmospheric and brooding. Black is interested in characters' feelings, histories and motives rather than the minutiae of crime. This is evident from the opening sequence; although the police are briefly diverted to consider whether Victor's death could have been a murder, the reader is never allowed that possibility as they are privy to his strange final conversation with Davy, the shooting and his slow death.
Once I acclimatised to the pace and style I quite enjoyed reading about this cast of awkward, largely unhappy characters. No one seems to really know anyone else, regardless of the number of years they may have been friends, lovers or husband and wife. Everyone is out to manipulate or to puzzle out other people's behaviour. It's a rather miserable world, convincingly evoked by Black.
This series is loosely positioned in the crime genre, and the fit is very loose indeed. Although Victor's death creates a wealth of questions, the answers are largely predictable and easy-to-anticipate. It isn't until the second death, half way through the novel, that there is a real crime to solve. Even then, DI Hackett isn't one to rush about following leads and the solution to the case is both fairly obvious and largely uninteresting. In fact, re-reading the opening chapter, it is clear that almost all the details one would ever need to solve both deaths are laid out in front of any attentive reader.
So this isn't really a who-dunnit or even a why-dunnit; instead, readers' interest arises from the characterisation and setting. Black evokes 50's Ireland from a range of casual details: there are Presley records on the gramophone; Delahaye's family were unhappy that he went into business with a 'prod'; street names from Dublin and Cork are mentioned. Oh, and everybody drinks and smokes. All the time. Unless they're busy having sex with Quirke, who somehow seems to be irresistible to women. (Perhaps this is something to do with his professional proximity to death? Or his generally morose appearance?!) Even then, there'll be drinking and smoking before and after, to the extent that I have no idea how Quirke still has a job.
Fans of the series will doubtless enjoy the developments between regular characters - Quirke's daughter Phoebe is still learning to trust him and ex-lover Isabel makes an awkward appearance - while newcomers may find their antics strange but shouldn't suffer from a lack of background knowledge.
Final thoughts
Usually, authors don't publish books with their name and pseudonym splashed across the front cover, but Banville's decision makes some sense here as the former hints towards the latter's quite literary style. The plot is perhaps more realistic than many crime novels, focused around ordinary (if rather wealthy) people and their day-to-day concerns over money, power and competition. Instead of the macabre death scenes and arcane forensic work favoured by many writers in the genre, events are almost underplayed here (Davy barely reacts to Victor's suicide) and police deduction is minimal.
This reminded me a little of Midsomer Murders - an apparently close-knit community hides secrets - but without the agonised confessions of skulduggery at the end, or the overall feeling that people are generally good and justice has been / will be done. In 'Vengeance', people are largely sad, mad or both and justice seems almost irrelevant. And why did a suicidal man want a witness? The answer's in the title.
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LibraryThing member writestuff
Victor Delahaye is a successful Irish businessman, married to a woman half his age, and apparently living the perfect life. So it is inexplicable when he takes his boat out for a sail with his business partner’s 25 year old son aboard, and then kills himself with a single shot to the chest. When
The convoluted and complex relationships between all these characters is what fuels this fifth installation in the Quirke mystery series written by John Banfield (writing under the pseudonym Benjamin Black). Other familiar characters make an appearance in the book, including Quirke’s daughter Pheobe and her friend Jimmy. But it is Quirke with his weakness for alcohol and damaged psyche who takes center stage.
Banfield/Black focuses on the suspense in Vengeance, leading the reader down a twisty path to solve the mystery. There is little to add to Quirke’s already well-developed character that readers have come to love and hate in previous books in the series. He is still tortured, unhappy, and yearning for a better relationship with his daughter. I have one more book to read in the series (the newly released Holy Orders) and I am hoping that Quirke can grow a little in this next book. But, from a mystery-thriller aspect, Vengeance works just fine.
I recommend reading the series in order as Banfield/Black assumes some previous knowledge about the characters in book five. Readers who enjoy literary fiction as well as mysteries, will find much to enjoy in Vengeance.
Recommended.
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another person close to Delahaye also dies – again on the water – it seems more than just a coincidence. Detective Inspector Hackett asks his pathologist friend, Quirke, to help him on the case and the two begin to uncover the dark and lurid secrets of the Delahaye family. Mona Delahaye is young and beautiful, but she has a cold and calculating edge to her. Victor’s twin sons, James and Jonas, are spoiled and wealthy…could they also be murderous? Jack Clancy, Victor’s business partner, is a womanizer who has aspirations to rise higher in the world of business.The convoluted and complex relationships between all these characters is what fuels this fifth installation in the Quirke mystery series written by John Banfield (writing under the pseudonym Benjamin Black). Other familiar characters make an appearance in the book, including Quirke’s daughter Pheobe and her friend Jimmy. But it is Quirke with his weakness for alcohol and damaged psyche who takes center stage.
Banfield/Black focuses on the suspense in Vengeance, leading the reader down a twisty path to solve the mystery. There is little to add to Quirke’s already well-developed character that readers have come to love and hate in previous books in the series. He is still tortured, unhappy, and yearning for a better relationship with his daughter. I have one more book to read in the series (the newly released Holy Orders) and I am hoping that Quirke can grow a little in this next book. But, from a mystery-thriller aspect, Vengeance works just fine.
I recommend reading the series in order as Banfield/Black assumes some previous knowledge about the characters in book five. Readers who enjoy literary fiction as well as mysteries, will find much to enjoy in Vengeance.
Recommended.
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LibraryThing member devenish
Fifth in the 'Querke' series by John Banville,writing as Benjamin Black. A presumed suicide followed by a presumed accident come to the attention of the police in the form of Hackett and his (shall we say) sidekick,Querke.
Atmospheric and gritty story which is much more than just a crime novel.
Atmospheric and gritty story which is much more than just a crime novel.
LibraryThing member idiotgirl
Read this book at the same time I read Ancient Light by John Banville (who writes the Quirk novels as Benjamin Black). I very much enjoy reading Banville in both his incarnations.
LibraryThing member jkdavies
These books are so atmospheric, rain and whisky, coffee shops, boats, wet soft grass.
This one has an intertwined pair of families, brought together by business, starts out with suicide, takes in a murder, has the obligatory wrong woman for Quirk to sleep with... nicely done but they are starting to
This one has an intertwined pair of families, brought together by business, starts out with suicide, takes in a murder, has the obligatory wrong woman for Quirk to sleep with... nicely done but they are starting to
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feel a little formulaic now. Show Less
LibraryThing member lmedgerton
This installment of the Quirke series was just not as good as the earlier ones in the series. I caught on to the nuances of the story very quickly and with only one exception was right about the murder in the end. However, the series characters are become a little more fleshed out during the book.
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Also, there was very little "historicalness" to this installment. Only a few mentions of the wireless and a lack of EVERYONE driving automobiles could hint at the historical era of the novel. This is such a departure from his earlier books, which, while firmly set in 1950s Ireland, resonated through to today. Show Less
LibraryThing member Doondeck
I still marvel at Quirke’s ways with women. This was an intriguing story with clever twists.
Language
Original language
English