The follow up to 2020’s Snow, a gem of a novel, sees pathologist Quirke holidaying in San Sebastian with his wife. He’s finding it difficult to unwind and wonders if he’s seeing things when he spots someone from his daughter’s past – someone who meant a great deal to her. It’s not possible that who he saw could be who he thinks it is… isn’t it? And does this person have a connection with a crime tied into an Irish political dynasty? Unable to shake it, Quirke rings home and soon Detective St John Strafford is dispatched to Spain (with a guest). While two board the plane, there’s someone else also preparing for foreign travel, their first time in a plane and someone who isn’t afraid of a brutal showdown. Although it’s a short read, there’s plenty in it and the writing is so incredibly beautiful and considered; each word is carefully chosen. Wonderful.

This is number 8 in a series featuring Quirke, the state pathologist, so some of what happens in ‘April in Spain’ has its history in these books and whilst a load of background information isn’t given there is sufficient to read this as a stand-alone book. I’m very much intrigued to read the previous 7 books though.
I’ve encountered Detective Stratford in Snow earlier this year and though he only appears here briefly it was lovely to catch up with him again.
I enjoy Banville’s writing, everything is described perfectly, the atmosphere of a slower paced era brings us gently along and I’m more than happy to recommend this book..

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. It was very well written and there were interesting characters. Not a standard investigative novel but well plotted. Definitely a bit confusing if you have not read previous books by the author featuring the main characters. Certainly worth a read but maybe take the time to read the previous books first..

John Banville is an award winning author of literary fiction, one with an impeccable writing career spanning more than half a century. Since 2006, under the pen-name Benjamin Black, he has published a series of crime novels featuring the forensic pathologist Quirke, set in 1950s Dublin. Quirke is a fascinatingly flawed character, with a weakness for the ladies and a fondness for the bottle. So far there have been seven titles in the series.

In 2020 John Banville published Snow, featuring Detective Inspector Strafford, also in the same time setting and location of the Quirke novels. I really enjoyed that novel, and April in Spain, the latest offering from Banville, has been advertised variously as both a Quirke novel and a Strafford one.

Quirke and Strafford couldn’t be more different. Where Quirke is flawed and self-destructive, Strafford is scholarly and determined. The first half of April in Spain details a holiday in San Sebastian in which Quirke and his wife, Evelyn, come across a young Irish woman who looks remarkably like a friend of his daughter’s who disappeared four years previously, presumed dead. This touches on a previous novel in the Quirke series called Elegy for April (which I hadn’t read) and this current book acts almost as a sequel. But be warned – there are many spoilers for that novel, so your enjoyment will be much stronger if you’re familiar with the events of Elegy for April.

April in Spain isn’t so much a whodunnit as a why-and-howdunnit. As ever with Banville/Black’s novels, the quality of writing is superb. It is extremely readable, and even if the plot risks disappointing readers seeking out a traditional murder mystery, for those wanting an intelligent literary crime novel it definitely delivers. Strafford makes an all-too brief appearance, but it’s a crucial and dramatic one. There’s a memorable psychopath called Terry whose presence calls to mind Pinkie from Graham Greene’s Brighton Rock, but where the novel really excels is in its first half where we spend time with Quirke and Evelyn, and see at first hand their realistically complex marriage. The novel’s historical aspects feel authentic and there’s a nice contrast between sunny Spain and the events taking place in rainy, windswept Dublin.

It’s almost as if, in writing Snow, John Banville was wanting to cast off his pseudonym Benjamin Black and write a literary crime novel under his own name. And he managed that with a great deal of success. I loved Snow, and felt the pacing was perfect, masterfully balancing the mystery aspects of the traditional detective story with that of a literary novel. April in Spain seems less finely blended, with the first half appearing more literary and the second half more fast-paced and plot-driven. And yet it still works. I had a great time reading it, even if it doesn’t quite come across as accomplished as the first Strafford novel. However I still have no problem recommending it, and I look forward greatly to reading more books in the series.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Faber and Faber Ltd for an advance copy of April in Spain, the eighth novel to feature Dublin pathologist Quirke and the second to feature DI Strafford.

Quirke and his wife, Evelyn, are on an early holiday in San Sebastián when he thinks he sees a familiar face, but from where and when? When he finally realises whom he recognises he phones home and DI Strafford is sent to investigate. Unfortunately a hit man is also sent to silence this person and it results in a violent showdown.

I thoroughly enjoyed April in Spain, which weaves a compelling tale, of what I’m not quite sure, that had me interested from start to finish. I should note before continuing that I wasn’t overly impressed by Snow, the novel that preceded this one, but this is a different ball game.

The first half of the novel is all Quirke as he searches his memory banks for whom he has seen and acclimatises to holiday mode, hard for a grumpy old man. I was intrigued by the mystery of this person and was desperate to find out who it was and why they were in Spain, not an easy place to live in the sixties when I think the novel is set. With an identity established the second half of the novel is told from various points of view, all adding colour and perspective to the narrative. My interest level didn’t wane and was probably heightened by the mystery of why this person had attracted a hit man. This is not revealed until the final showdown and that is a masterclass in politics and shifting priorities - I loved it and its understated menace and it’s worth the price of the novel on its own.

I have most of the Quirke novels buried in my TBR somewhere, but haven’t got round to them yet. As such I amn’t overly familiar with the characters. I like Strafford and Evelyn but Quirke and his daughter Phoebe are too complicated to be really likeable. He’s an old soak who thrives on strife and awkwardness, she keeps people at a distance, including the reader, so she’s hard to understand. The novel spends a fair amount of time with the hit man, Terry Tyce, an amoral sociopath with no self awareness. He’s well drawn and the most interesting character in the novel, mainly because there is more to infer about him.

Lastly, a shout out to the title which is cleverer than initial appearances.

April in Spain is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Adored this book and the writing had me gripped. I be going back and exploring Quirke from the beginning, I like the characters and the deepness of these books. John has got a fan in me!

*A big thank-you to John Banville, Faber and Faber, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
I loved the first offering with St John Strafford so was really looking forward to this book. There was not enough of Inspector Strafford in my opinion, however, on the whole this is a solid read, with well-developed characters and the feel of the period.

I didn't realise this was part of a long running series of books about a hard drinking pathologist called Quirke. I hadn't a clue what was going on or where the narrative was heading for a long time. Banville, takes so, so long to set the scene before anything really happens that I had quite given up. I didn't connect with the characters or story, so it was all a bit of a slog for me. I've tried reading some books by Banville over the decades (Dr Copernicus, The Sea,The Book of Evidence) he is a writer I think that I should like and is highly acclaimed but his prose always leaves me a bit cold. Perhaps I would have connected with the book more is I had read some of the previous books. It is obviously really popular but just not for me.

It’s always a rewarding choice to read John Banville. His latest novel, April in Spain, is another absorbing and fascinating mystery that finds Irish pathologist Dr Quirke on holiday in atmospheric Spain with his wife, Evelyn. He thinks he recognises a young woman that was presumed dead. Quirke believes the young female doctor called Angela is, in fact, April Latimer, a friend of his daughter Phoebe’s. His association with the family is that April was apparently murdered by her brother, who committed suicide while in Quirke’s company. Even though April’s uncle is a high-ranking government minister, the Latimer family is steeped in dark criminal activities.

Quirke is someone who cannot let things go and is determined to prove his intuition is correct. When he discusses this with Phoebe and invites her out to Spain to confirm his suspicions, he doesn’t realise the chain of events he is about to initiate and what secrets some people have tried so hard to hide. Perhaps Angela has good reason to deceive everyone and fade far out of sight. When Phoebe inquiries about April back in Dublin and reveals that she may be living in Spain, certain people are alerted, and the only satisfactory outcome is to ensure she dies - they need a killer.

In a parallel thread, the life of Terry Tice is unfolding to illustrate a psychopath with no compunction in killing anyone where death serves a purpose. His personality and background are deftly drawn, and the mental processes of a cold-blooded hitman are chillingly depicted. The two threads are destined to converge, and as they do, detective St John Strafford finds himself at the heart of the plot.

John Banville has a very understated writing style that cleverly captivates a reader while building fully formed characters. Our perception ranges from great empathy and a loving connection to chilling killers that can shock our norms. The characters are all compelling, but several frustrated me so much that if I’d gotten my hands on them, we wouldn’t have needed Tice. What frustrated me most was the decision from Quirke to open this pandora's box for such a small motivation. While he did question his decision to

What is notable with this book is that it is listed as the eighth book in the Quirke series but also the follow-up to his previous novel, Snow. The Quirke series was written under Banville’s pen name, Benjamin Black, but this book is credited to John Banville. The follow-up to Snow is acknowledged because we encounter the return of detective St John Strafford, although not as the main character.

I read this book as a buddy read with my dear friend Ceecee, and as always, I loved discussing various aspects of the story with her. Ceecee’s review is wonderful, and I thank her for joining me on this journey. I would recommend this book, and I would like to thank Faber & Faber and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in return for an honest review.

My second meeting with St John Strafford though this time not as a main protagonist, still a welcome meeting.

This time round I met Quirke, I know this is his eight book but it's also the first time I met him.

This time round we have the sun instead of the snow I first met Strafford in. But like with snow, evil happens under the sun as well. As usual Banville draws one in, exploring the people and the society they create or are created by. Because I can't really say who comes first the person or society. Say we have a little tike who grows up in a bad situation and in turn becomes bad himself and does bad things which cause dents in the society and shapes it because of that badness. So who influenced who. Can we pull out? But then can we live outside society, what about connection? Isn't that what it is all about?

Will I be going back and exploring Quirke from the beginning, I think so yes, I like the quietness and at the same time the deepness of these books.

An ARC gently given by author/publisher via Netgalley.

This is an intriguing and compulsive mystery which flits back and forth between Ireland and Spain. While on holiday in San Sebastián pathologist Quirke believes he has seen someone from back home in Dublin who was connected to a family’s crime. When he calls his daughter to fly out to meet him to check whether he was correct Quirke sets in motion an unstoppable train of events with unforeseen consequences.
Excellent writing and characterisation turn this seemingly unbelievable plot into a forceful, complete thriller with several unexpected jaw-dropping moments. A very memorable book which I highly recommend.
Thanks very much to Faber&Faber and NetGalley for the arc.

Dublin pathologist Dr Quirke is uncomfortably on holiday in San Sebastián with his wife Evelyn when an incident shucking oysters necessitates a hospital visit. Whilst he’s convinced he sees April Latimer, a friend of his daughter Phoebe but that’s impossible isn’t it, because she’s dead, murdered by her own brother. Is it April in Spain??? Only time will tell ....

First of all, this is an excellent character driven slow burner mystery that takes us to the heart of Dublin politics with a high ranking family and then we have a puzzle in Spain. The quality of the writing is so good that the author pulls you effortlessly into the narrative and fully engages you. All the characters are well portrayed, they’re complex though by no means all likeable. John Banville is as skilled with his characterisation as an artist with a colour palette, with deft strokes he conveys the saturnine nature of Quirke, the wonderful calm wisdom of survivor Evelyn, the brutishness of Terry Tice who is the villain of the piece and the smug dismissive weasel nature of April’s Uncle William. I really like the contrast between several reflective characters such as Quirke and policeman Strafford with the violent intolerance of Tice; they are complete polar opposites. Equally deftly painted are the settings which spring to life before your eye especially Franco’s Spain. It’s extremely well written in the vivid brightness of clever, understated storytelling in which you feel you are present as an observer. There’s wry humour, some excruciating scenes when you wince in embarrassment and want to hide under the nearest table, there’s excellent dialogue and some incisive verbal sparring such as when Phoebe matches Latimer barb for barb. The ending is dramatic and you feel a real punch to the guts over it. The book ends a bit abruptly but does leave you wanting more ....

Overall, another good addition to the series and I look forward to seeing what’s in store for them next.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Faber and Faber for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

The very accomplished follow up to Banville's best seller "Elegy for April" and another great opportunity to follow the genial pathologist, Quirke, in a dark & gripping murder mystery set for once far from the rainy and often desolate streets of the Irish capital.
While vacationing in San Sebastian with his wife, Quirke (and his demons) meet quite unexpectedly a troubled woman who had mysteriously vanished and been presumed dead for sometimes. An ominous encounter that will trigger a dangerous & muderous game of cat and mouse under the luminous and warm Basque sunshine and reopen back home in Ireland some very dark and unsavory secrets.
A sleek and captivating thriller that should whitout any doubt please anyone out there familiar with this compelling series.
However, I would certainly encourage any reader unfamiliar with previous titles to probably read "Elegy for April" prior to travelling to Northern Spain with Quirke.

A fictional gem to be enjoyed without any moderation whatsoever!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Faber for this terrific ARC

John Banville writes so beautifully and paces the plot so well, that he can easily be forgiven for taking a little to long to set the scene at the start of this really excellent book. All his characters are real and the settings so vivid that the reader can see, hear and smell the surroundings - this is a very fine writer at the top of his game. The narrative is shared between damp, grey Dublin and the sun and warmth in San Sebastián in Spain, and centres around the two main characters, ageing pathologist Quirke and a young woman who supposedly died many years before. There are many characters here, each one clearly defined and with an important part to play in the plot - to say any more would spoil the readers’ anticipation, so I’ll just say that if you’re looking for an intelligent, absorbing read, do read this - it’s good!

I hadn’t previously read any of the pathologist Quirke series and with a setting in Spain expected a crime novel with a hint of warmth and colour. This is very noir in all aspects- shady characters , bleak dialogue and a key protagonist with a drink problem and a history of issues with superiors and an underpinning tale of corruption in politics. The story is focussed on Quirke spotting somebody he recognises and then informing his daughter.. One phone call leads to the tale’s tragic conclusion. This isn’t a light read ( crime isn’t) but in most books I need to feel some empathy towards the key people ( Evelyn was the exception) otherwise I felt a limited warmth. This maybe that I don’t fully know the back story to the characters from previous novels . A well constructed novel with a hint of a 50s style Chandler to it. Probably best to have read earlier Quirke stories .

The richness, depth and absolute plausibility of Banville's characters, and of course the author himself, make this worth a read. The plot is solid, involving murder, incest and political intrigue, without the burden of spontaneity.

2.5 stars

I'm afraid this just took too long to go anywhere for my liking.
The plot itself was interesting,but it was more than half the book scene setting before I felt we got to it.