A great writer and these books would make great TV shows. maybe not what the author is interested in but they are very atmospheric and well crafted.

I have read most of John Banville's Strafford and Quirke novels and they have never disappointed. With John Banville it's not so much about the story but the telling of it. The anecdotes, reflections and musings of the two key characters - Strafford and Quirke, must surely be from the author's life as they are so instantly familiar, not of course I am the author but I do think along the same lines as his characters. In The Drowned (the title is a giveaway) we have a couple of victims who have involuntarily succumbed to water in the lungs. There is also a missing boy. Strafford investigates but his personal life is taking quite a turn. However, I think only Strafford joins the dots with the deaths. Sadly, an innocent man will probably take the rap for one of the deceased and Strafford seems powerless to stop this. There is an element of rough justice doled out by the police too, who really don't represent Ireland's finest.
A brilliantly crafted novel which I cannot praise highly enough.

This was a very dark read, which is the kind of book I enjoy. Set in 1950's rural with detectives called in from Dublin there was a lot to get engrossed in. The writing and plotlines were brilliant so you may be wondering why this is not a 5 star read for me. I guess one of the problems is when you jump in on the fourth book in a series without reading the other books first. The writing was very descriptive however I felt that I kept getting mixed up in the main characters but thinking about it anyone who has read the series probably knew the characters inside out.
If anything this has really made me want to go back to the start of the series and start it from afresh. Even if you jump in on this book like I did you will discover a great author and an interesting read.
Many thanks to Faber & Faber, NetGalley and the author for providing me with an electronic advanced release copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
The book is released in e-book, hardback and audiobook formats on the 8th October 2024

A mystery set in Ireland after the war. A man's wife has gone missing possibly drowned. Stratford is sent from Dublin to investigate. He is going through a divorce which is not allowed in Eire and has started a relationship with a pathologist's daughter.
The distraught husband's behaviour seems suspicious. Why is there a strange atmosphere between him and the occupants of the house he runs to to report his wife missing.
Mystery set against the attitudes in Eire at the time.

Sometimes you start a book think "Let's read some pages" and then you switch off the light past 2 am because it becomes a "just one more page" case and you cannot stop reading.
I love John Banville's style of writing and he's a master storyteller who keeps enthralled and reading.
This is the 4th Strafford and Quirke mystery, a sort of follow up to The Lock-Up as we meet some of the characters again.
It's a multilayered novel, sort of literary historical mystery. The characters are involved in an investigation but there's also an inner monologue about their life, memories, and what is going on.
This is not the right book to read if you want an action-packed and fast paced thriller. I was involved in the inner monologue of the characters since the beginning and I realised I was reading very fast as I wanted to know what was going to happen.
A great novel and a gripping mystery, I loved it and it's strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Stratford and Quirke are such an unusual and original pairing for a series of crime novels. Idiosyncratic in their outlook and approach, they bounce off one another and Banville’s character depictions are simply superb. I almost feel as if I know these individuals and the plot is occasionally incidental. This links to the previous book in the series, but it works as a standalone. At the heart of the tale is a mystery and the route to resolving it is twisted and and keeps the reader guessing. It’s rich in detail and as always, Banville captures the spirit of rural Ireland and a close knit community. I just love this storytelling. Well paced and totally engaging, this series is a winner in every way.

This book falls somewhere between the worlds of literary fiction and crime fiction, as to be expected when a Booker Prize-winning author turns to writing crime stories. I hadn't read any of the previous Strafford and Quirke novels, but I found that there was enough exposition for me to grasp what had gone before and why the main characters were still mulling over a previous case.
This is a richly written account of life in 1950s Ireland as much as it is a murder mystery. Every character has a history and an inner life, and a minor character with a history of appalling crimes becomes the most sympathetic character in the novel, due to the author's talent for leaving nothing unexplored in his characters - perhaps a challenging read if you are of the mindset that some crimes put their perpetrators beyond any possibility of redemption or rehabilitation.
The Drowned hangs on the story of a missing woman and her husband, Professor Armitage, whose bizarre reactions to the disappearance let us know immediately that things are more complicated than they appear. This is no step-by-step police procedural, though, and much of the drama in the book involves the inner and home lives of its characters.
The period setting is described not only through references to clothing styles, vehicles and so on, but in terms of the restrictions on freedoms that we now take for granted. This is a world in which it is easier to smoke at the hospital bedside of a dying patient than it is to get a divorce or a termination, and the novel has a claustrophobic feel as we are immersed into challenges faced by the characters. Protagonist St John Strafford, who seems to be emotionally inexpressive, is actually the person I felt I knew least well, and I suspect there is a lot of back story still to come in this series.

The Drowned marks the fourth instalment in the exceptional crime series featuring the complex characters Stafford and Quirke, building on the narrative established in The Lock-up. In this latest outing, Stafford investigates the case of a missing woman, suspected to have drowned. As he delves deeper, he encounters Professor Armitage, a peculiar figure whose research assistant was murdered in the previous novel. Unsettled by the circumstances surrounding the case, Stafford seeks the insights of Quirke to gain clarity on the troubling situation.

This outstanding series transcends traditional crime fiction, presenting a richly layered narrative that explores the multifaceted nature of its characters. John Banville, a masterful novelist, has turned his considerable talents to the realm of crime writing, resulting in a truly remarkable series that captivates readers with its depth and intricacy.

3.5/5.

http://thesecretbookreview.co.uk

The Strafford Mysteries is a captivating crime novel set in 1950s Ireland. When a man is found near a cliff, claiming his wife is missing, a detective named Strafford begins to investigate. As he delves deeper into the case, he uncovers corruption in the police force and confronts his own personal demons.

The book is beautifully written and offers a glimpse into the dark side of Irish society. However, some readers may find the focus on Strafford's personal life to be a distraction from the main mystery. Despite this, it's a well-crafted and thought-provoking novel.

I struggled to find a character I really liked; some I felt sympathy for, others distaste and even Strafford failed to make a decent impression.
However, the prose is hypnotic, the story gripping and the ending…..well make your own mind up about that!
I remember reading ‘The Snow’ a few years ago but I did not realise that these books followed the same characters.
In summary this is an absorbing read , not to be rushed but every word absorbed and enjoyed.

I didn't really enjoy this. I'm sure the writing is fine, but the whole thing is just too depressing and the plot very thin and I really needed to have read the earlier books in the series.

I haven’t read the previous Strafford & Quirke books, which was probably a mistake on my part as I felt that I was missing much of what was going on through not knowing their backstories. I found it hard going, with (for me) too much descriptive writing about everything but the crime. I didn’t warm to any of the characters. The ending left me somewhat bewildered and disappointed.

Book 4 of the fabulous Strafford and Quirke crime mysteries.
Strafford is a Detective Inspector and Quirke a pathologist. They have many connections both in and outside work.
Beautifully written with words and descriptions that evoke such a real atmosphere of rural Ireland in the 1950's.
The characters are so very well described, not all of them likeable, but they all come to life.
The plot becomes deep and more mysterious and compels the reader to read just one more chapter.
A must read!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Faber & Faber for an ARC.

“He had seen drowned people. A sight not to be forgotten.”

This is the latest in John Banville's literary mystery series featuring pathologist Dr Quirke and DI Stratford, set in 1950s Dublin and rural Ireland. This is less a mystery, more a fascinating. intricate exploration of complex relationships and characters, painting a detailed and illuminating picture of Catholic Ireland in this historical period, the social norms and expectations, and dwells on the personal, life, marriage, love, loss and grief. A shunned paedophile, Denton Wymes, stumbles across a car in the field in Wicklow, and a strangely behaving husband, History Professor Ronnie Armitage of Trinity College, claiming his wife, Deirdre (Dee) has fallen in the sea, likely drowned. At a nearby rented holiday home of sportsman, Charles Ruddock, and his wife, Charlotte, Armitage gets drunk amidst the odd atmosphere.

Stratford finds himself on the troubling case, as we become immersed in his emotionally muddled personal life which he seems in little control of and has little understanding of, this includes his wife Marguerite, who is wanting him to facilitate their divorce, having met a man, and needs him to travel to London. His relationship with Quirke has tensions, he is seeing his daughter, Phoebe, which follows a path of increasing complications when she gives him some news at a picnic. The local police at Wicklow, the repugnant alcoholic DS Crowley, an obstacle when it comes to justice, as there are disturbing revelations about the English spiv that is Armitage, who had employed as his assistant, Rosa Jacobs, a previous murder case.

There are changes in the police department when serious health issues arise for Chief Inspector Hackett, as we are reacquainted with Quirke's ongong grief for Evelyn, he is living with Phoebe, unable to return to his marital home. The narrative ends on a cliffhanger that may bring change in the future. This is a great addition to a series that further probes the leading characters, and their developing relationships and insightful discussions of the cases, despite being a drinker, Quirke can sense things, is observant and sharp of instinct. I have followed from the beginning, and Banville has me eagerly anticipating the next in the series. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

The writing is excellent it flows across the page, never hurried nor so slow that you loose interest. There are several stands to the story, but never do they get entangled, you always know where you are. Set in 1950s Ireland.
A solitary figure returning from his fishing sees a car, engine running, door open sitting haphazardly in a field, something draws him to investigate. The car is empty, then a man appears and states his wife is drowned, or perhaps run off. Here starts the strange case for Strafford to look into.
A really enjoyable book, bringing to life the characters and the atmosphere we are again in the company of Strafford and Quirke, an unlikely pair but perhaps all the better for it.

Rural Ireland in the 1950's is the scene . A missing person, a women who's husband a professor of history in Dublin declares she has either jumped into the sea and drowned , or what? with no body a certain difficulty arises . Her car abandoned in the middle of a field next to the sea and unusual individuals in the midst .
Detective Inspector Strafford is called to the scene .He is faced with a certain unease and that the whole incident make him feel uncomfortable with the facts. He calls on his ally the well renown Dr Quirke , the Dublin pathologist for his wisdom and opinion.

A really interesting novel that draws in the reader to a bygone world where everything moves at such a slower pace . The author has developed great characters with their tangled relationships that has the reader delving more into of the history of each of them .

A lovely book to read and certainly one to curl up with in front of a winter fire.

Excellent, character driven crime that explores a suspected drowning and strange events in Ireland with a mismatched pair of investigators. Superior crime writing but very readable.

I really loved this book. Witty and meandering, the characters were so nicely drawn out and I was often surprised by the twists. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Another installment in the Strafford mysteries by the author, and the first one I read. A man is discovered next to a cliff, claiming to have lost his wife, who might have drowned. His behaviour is suspicious, and it gets even more so when he enters the nearby house to ask to call the police. As the mystery unravels, we delve deeper into the ugly underbelly of Irish law enforcement, the precocious morality of Strafford, and the horrific modes of justice that prevailed in the 1950s.

The book is exquisitely written. It's perhaps among the most engrossing mystery novels I read in a long time. Imagine a superb storyteller (The Sea is a stand out book) applying his craft and talent to a form of Nordic Noir, set in 1950s' Ireland. The grim atmosphere is so vivid it almost comes across as a character in its own right. The interplay between the characters and the banality of everything that happens are incredibly well depicted.

My only peeve with the book is that, like the aforementioned Nordic Noir, a not insignificant part of the book is about the personal life of the characters and not the crime itself. In this instance, it feels like the majority of the book is actually about Strafford and his personal (mis)deeds. The saving grace is that it's so well executed and full of social and historical commentary that it passes muster, but it still doesn't make a good crime novel. In that sense, the book reads more like a historical novel describing the life of a law enforcement official during those times. Crime is part of it, sure, but it's not the main event, as it were.

A great book by a resounding talent, but, perhaps, not a towering achievement and not particularly memorable. In some ways, it feels like the author's talent could be (and has been!) applied in more productive ways.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.

John Banville has this laid back way of writing that makes his books not quite who-dunnits, and not quite psychological thrillers, but all the same an excellent read.
Understated story lines that creep up on you and then you know who has done something at the same time as you know that that something has happened.
I love this style of writing.
Thanks once again for a brilliant book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.