John Banville is quite simply a delight to read at any time. In "The Lock-Up" Quirke and Strafford are investigating the apparent murder of a young lady. The investigation itself triggers a series of unfortunate, international, repercussions, just like the beat of the butterfly wings. It's on this skeleton that Banville constructs a body of observations, by turn sarcastic, caustic and sensitive, about everything and anything, but always right on the mark. Possibly restricted to the to the period in which the narrative unfolds, late 50's early 60s, but I suspect much still pertains to Ireland and its institutions and people even today.
All the characters visiting the pages, even this with a mere walk on cameo, are exquisitely drawn.
Already zipping onto my next Banville.

Fabulous John Banville. Never fails to take me back in time a familiar place different time. The characters are rich and interesting. The era is so evocative of a time when secrets lay deep anticipating discovery by these people thanks as always.

Despite some over writing, and maybe a leisurely pace, one of my favorite characters is back and there's a crime to solve: Quirke is not a police detective; he's a pathologist but he spots things police don't. This time the detective who shot the man who killed his wife is lumbered (as he sees it) with Quirke who spots that the Jewish troublemaker who has been set up to look like she's committed suicide ..has been murdered. It's after WW2 and there are some transplanted Germans in their sights .. and an attractive relative for widower Quirke .. Great stuff: about class, Irish v British in Ireland, great reading, as ever ..

With thanks to the author, publishers Faber and Faber Ltd, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

First, some advice for those who might be in a similar state of confusion as me when it comes to the John Banville bibliography! I sought out and read ‘Snow’, the book that is listed as the first installment in the St. John Strafford series on many books sites, before reading this second installment. As it turns out, the stories were entirely separate and equally effective as standalone works. In fact, ‘The Lock Up’ is actually a follow-on from events in another John Banville novel called ‘April In Spain’, which is where Detective St. John Strafford makes his first appearance, but that book is actually the eighth installment in the Quirke Series, even though the first seven installments are published under Banville’s pen name Benjamin Black! Confusing no doubt, but entirely worth the effort!

In ‘The Lock Up’, what appears to be a tragic but straightforward case of suicide is quickly determined to be anything but. Strafford and Quirke, despite their blatant dislike for each other, must work together to unravel a murder mystery that has its origins in the final days of World War II Germany and consequences in the present for some in Ireland and as far away as Israel.

I hadn’t come across John Banville prior to finding this book, but he has quickly become a favourite author of mine. His descriptive prose and imagery in this book is easy to get lost in and completely immerses you in the sights and sounds of 1950s Dublin, while his character dialogue flows so naturally, regardless of the backgrounds and types of the characters involved.

I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator Stanley Townsend was superb, effortlessly portraying and switching between the various Irish, Israeli and German character accents, and really adding to my enjoyment of the story.

Detective Strafford and pathologist Dr Quirke meet again in 1950s Dublin to investigate an apparent suicide, which of course, was still a criminal act.

Rosa Jacobs is found dead in a garage, and it initially looks like an open-and-shut case. The body of the 27-year-old Jewish woman, a history scholar at the prestigious Trinity College, is discovered behind the wheel of a car, with its hood up and most of its windows closed, a hose connecting the exhaust pipe to the gap in the driver’s side window.

Of course, life and death cannot be so simple in a crime novel, and it soon transpires Miss Jacobs's cause of death is, in fact, murder. Most likely, she was gagged and anesthetised before being put in the running car to lay red herrings for any investigators to come.

Thankfully, Strafford and Quirke are not afraid to upset the apple cart and ask uncomfortable questions, much to the disquiet of the Chief Inspector, who feels the power of Church and Government much more fiercely.

Their investigation leads them to a wealthy German family with businesses worldwide, including in Israel. Rosa apparently knew this family well, and there are rumours that Rosa was romantically involved with one member, Frank. The plot thickens as the investigators discover that a hit-and-run driver has killed a friend of Rosa’s from Tel Aviv. Are these two deaths connected?

Throughout the novel, the strained relationship between Strafford and Quirke is probed; Quirke’s wife was shot to death in Spain, and Strafford killed her killer (and I feel I missed out a doonshie bit, having not yet read April in Spain). Still, there's much more to their discomfort, with neither man really understanding the making of the other - Strafford, a wealthy Prod, Quirke, a Catholic foundling who made good of himself.

The Lock-Up has a solid plot which will have you second guessing your speculations on whodunit, but it's the prose and dialogue that are top-notch, perfectly fitting for the era in which these books are set.

The ending was a little disappointing but overall a solid read. I look forward to more of this rather quirky (sorry, I couldn't resist the pun) pair. 4⭐

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this advance copy in return for an honest review, as always.

This is the third book in a series featuring a detective inspector, Strafford, and a pathologist, Quirke, in 1950s Dublin. Quirke featured in an earlier series of crime fiction, when John Banville wrote as Benjamin Black. It’s well worth reading this series before these later novels, or at least the two previous books in the current series, although The Lock Up can be read as a ‘stand alone’ story. The body of a young woman is found in a lockup garage and Quirke finds that she did not commit suicide. The story then follows the central characters as they unravel connections between her death and another, across post war Germany, Israel and Ireland. Banville spends as much time - or more - on the lives of the main characters as the mystery itself, which works well given the quality of his writing. You get a feel for 1950s Ireland, and the prejudices that existed at the time among some people.

Well worth reading, especially if you enjoy stories that are not all neatly tied up at the end. Thanks to the publishers and Net Galley for an advance review copy.

In “The Lock-Up”, we reunite with pathologist Quirke and police officer Strafford in post-WW2 Ireland. Despite their relationship being as strained as ever, they must come together in an effort to solve the murder of a woman killed and left in a garage in a staged suicide.

As with the other titles in this series, the action is slow-paced and atmospheric. The story is less about the murder and more about the two main characters, each trying to cope with their relative circumstances. It was an interesting read, and certainly not a standard murder mystery.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

Strafford and Quirke after the debacle in Spain. Their animosity is still palpable, however they happily go off on a tangent and solve the international tangent.

Banville also gives us his observations on Ireland, the separation, being an Irish Catholic or an Irish Prod (Protestant) and Church Power and it's tentacles.

An ARC gentle provided by author/publishers via Netgalley.

The novel starts in a monastery in the French Alps after World War II with a man escaping from Nazi Germany. It is ambiguous as to who this individual could be. Moving forward 12 years later and Stafford and Quirke (6 months following the personal tragedy covered in the last novel ‘April in Spain’) are investigating the death of university student Rosa Jacobs in Dublin.

The novel continues as Rosa’s sister arrives in Dublin and begins to help in the investigation. Is the answer wrapped up with the death of a journalist in Israel who is investigating possible nefarious activities around the building of an atomic bomb? Does the answer lie elsewhere? Gripping and beautifully written.

Thanks to Netgalley and Faber and Faber for a review copy.

I can’t get enough of John Banville’s beautiful and almost elegiac writing and I lapped up this the latest in the Quirke/Stafford series of books.

A wonderfully complex plot linked to the past investigated by two absolute and total
Opposites added of course to the Dublin setting make this an intoxicating and unforgettable book.

I am really enjoying this latest series of Banville’s Strafford/Quirke novels. We always knew that Quirke was a fascinating character but now to have Strafford – almost precisely the opposite to Quirke in virtually every way – taking the lead but still involving Quirke is a masterstroke.
The first of the Banville novels (previously they were written under the pseudonym Benjamin Black, but you knew that) set in the Quirke ‘universe’, ‘Snow’ was very much Strafford’s story. The second, ‘April in Spain’ was in effect conclusion to an old Quirke story and was focused very much on Quirke. But ‘The Lock-Up’ gives both of the protagonists equal time, and in effect pitches them against each other and to great effect.

Banville is a wonderful writer (but you knew that too) and this has been demonstrated through his multiple ‘literary’ awards, but where he really comes into his own is in painting a Dublin and Ireland, still in living memory but almost unrecognisable to its modern form, and doing this through the ‘crime’ genre of novel. There are a lot of great crime novelists out there, holding up a slightly murky mirror to society but getting virtually no recognition as literature. It is great to see a truly great writer taking on this frequently maligned genre and confounding the literary snobs. Great stuff!

There is something rather special about Irish writers - including Joseph O’Connor, the Barrys (Sebastian and Kevin) among the moderns - that hits the right lyrical tone and, at the same time, helps provide a really good and engrossing story. John Banville is of the same ilk; an author to cherish. He is a writer of works deservedly described as being of literary merit and can also turn his hand to crime fiction. ‘The Lock-Up’ is of the latter genre but with writing retaining a literary overtone. If the reader wants noir then this book is not for them; there is murder and some violence but only as background to the storyline. Nor is this cosy crime. A good writer does not need blood and guts and does not need unbelievably “nice” characters. Indeed, the three central characters investigating the murder all have faults and frailties, which make them more interesting and realistic. The story revolves around an academic found dead in a car - ostensibly a suicide but things prove to be more complicated - and the story moves backwards and forwards in time and in various countries. The recent histories of Ireland, Germany and South Africa also feature strongly as Banville, seemingly effortlessly, unwinds his story and pulls the strands together. Bravo, Mr Banville.

I received a copy via NetGalley and hereby proffer my honest review.

I’ve become a real fan of John Banville’s 1950s-set crime novels. The Lock Up us another interesting story although not perhaps as snappily written as Snow and April in Spain.

This was an entertaining introduction to me of the work of John Banville. The principal characters, Dr Quirke and DI Strafford make an unusual crime-solving duo especially as they appear not to like each other. A police procedural based in Dublin of the 1950's and there is nice historical detail and a good "feel" of the time and place. I will happily read more of such novels.

The Lock-up is the latest in the Quirke/Strafford series about a couple of investigators who are ill matched. The body of a young girl is found in an apparent suicide in a lock up garage in central Dublin, but the pathologist Dr Quirke is not convinced that she killed herself. When the victim’s sister arrives from England she joins forces with Quirke and Inspector Strafford to get to the truth of the matter.
Although this is a good whodunit the story almost doesn’t matter as the atmosphere that Banville creates is a joy in itself. His writing is glorious.

Carrying on from April in Spain this novel follows State Pathologist Quirke as he grieves for his dead wife and wallows in self pity. He gets involved in a so called suicide and convinces DI Stratford that it is a murder, As usual for Banville books the writing, descriptions and details shine through as Quirke meanders through the case - his relationships as ever are complicated, specially with his daughter Phoebe.
An easy read that belies the strength of the writing.

I loved this book. Having followed the characters through several novels now, it's great to see new dimensions to them, and to see them become ever more rounded. The crime story this time is the apparent suicide of an activist, Rosa, whose body is found in a car after she seemingly gassed herself. However, pathologist Quirke suspects that she was murdered.
The investigation, alongside DI Strafford, takes them into the dark sides of various characters. But for me, the mystery of what happened to Rosa wasn't as engaging as the development of Quirke and Strafford. Quirke is still grieving for his wife, Evelyn, who was accidentally killed by Strafford in the previous novel, April in Spain. Quirke is such a fantastic character. He hates Strafford - not only because of what happened to Evelyn but also because of class and religious differences. His attitude is both irritating, unfair and completely understandable.
Quirke's relationship with Molly, Rosa's sister, is beautifully written and it's really nice to see another side to him having become used to him seeming simply to be an angry, antagonistic alcoholic. Basically I could read about Quirke forever!
In this book, Strafford also has a romantic relationship - with Quirke's daughter - which again helps to develop his character and help the reader understand him better.
I've noticed a few reviews dislike this element of the book, as they see it as less of a crime novel and more concerned with the central characters' personal lives. But I felt this was very well done and I was very much drawn in by wanting to know how their relationships panned out. I'd definitely recommend this book.

I enjoyed this book. I had read Snow and April in Spain before. When I read April in Spain, I was introduced to Quirke for the first time. When I look into it, It seems Quirke was a detective when Banville wrote as Benjamin Black. So I’m a little confused that he is now a pathologist. And the blurb for the book says its about two detectives, but all I’m seeing is Strafford. So totally confused.
This book is as much about Stafford and Quirke’s lives as it is about the murder they are investigating. It’s a period of time I love reading about, 1950s Dublin. I know the streets where all the action was, so that always endears me to a novel. It wraps up quickly in the end, so that felt a bit rushed to me. And not sure we need both of the main characters hooking up with much younger girls, feels a tad seedy. But I do like the general setting of the two guys figuring out stuff, and look forward to the next one.

When the body of a young Jewish woman is found in an apparent suicide, Dublin believes it as a result of her controversial views or a failed romance. However Pathologist Quirke thinks she was murdered and clues lead to a rich german industrialist and horsebreeder. As Quirke becomes more entangled with the dead girl's family he persuades Strafford to take him seriously and investigate. The German is connected to the Catholic Church and both Quirke and the police are put under pressure as the conspiracy theories spiral.
This is the latest episode in Banville's series set in 1950s Ireland and featuring the protestant detective Strafford. here Quirke takes more a central figure and his excessive behaviours are explored in more detail. I loved the plot, going from escaped Nazi criminals to the development of nuclear armaments in Israel, yet Naville does not write in a typical way for a thriller. He is an accomplished literary writer and as such this is an intelligent and understated piece of writing that succeeds in both genres.

John Banville picks up the two lead characters some months after they had featured in his previous novel, ‘April in Spain’, where the wife of one had been shot dead in Spain. As such, ‘The Lock Up’ shares some characteristics of a sequel. However, readers unfamiliar with Banville’s earlier novel can be reassured that there is little lost by regarding this latest offering as a stand-alone novel.
As with ‘April in Spain’ the reader is treated to Banville’s particular writing style. Although it takes a little getting used to, the persistent reader’s efforts are rewarded with a crime novel that is much more multidimensional than a typical police procedural. Instead Banville takes the reader back to a Dublin and an Ireland unrecognisable to a twenty first century reader, given the seismic social and political changes over the intervening years. The plot is carefully unpacked and a tidy resolution is achieved, albeit with an unexpected twist in the final pages. This is an altogether different offering from the commonplace crime novel and all the better for it - highly recommended.