The hero of Christine Falls, Quirke, is a surly pathologist living in 1950s Dublin. One night, after having a few drinks at a party, he returns to the morgue to find his brother-in-law tampering with the records on a young woman's corpse. The next morning, when his hangover has worn off, Quirke reluctantly begins looking into the woman's history. He discovers a plot that spans two continents, implicates the Catholic Church, and may just involve members of his own family. He is warned--first subtly, then with violence--to lay off, but Quirke is a stubborn man. The first novel in the Quirke series brings all the vividness and psychological insight of John Banville's writing to the dark, menacing atmosphere of a first-class thriller.
John Banville
John Banville is an Irish writer known for his precise prose, introspective narratives, and exploration of themes such as memory, identity, and loss. He has received numerous awards for his work, including the Man Booker Prize for his novel "The Sea" in 2005. Banville often blurs the lines between reality and fiction, creating intricate and complex characters that grapple with the complexities of human experience. His writing is marked by its lyrical beauty and intellectual depth, making him a prominent figure in contemporary literature.