April in Spain
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- Create Date：2021-09-27 02:41:11
- Update Date：2025-09-23
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- Author：John Banville
- ISBN：B08XWPHW17
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Summary
Booker Prize winner John Banville's Quirke returns for a dramatic new mystery on the Spanish coast—a dark and evocative follow-up to national bestseller Snow
Don't disturb the dead…
On the idyllic coast of San Sebastian， Spain， Dublin pathologist Quirke is struggling to relax， despite the beaches， cafés and the company of his disarmingly lovely wife。 When he glimpses a familiar face in the twilight at Las Acadas bar， it's hard at first to tell whether his imagination is just running away with him。
Because this young woman can't be April Latimer。 She was murdered by her brother， years ago—the conclusion to an unspeakable scandal that shook one of Ireland's foremost political dynasties。
Unable to ignore his instincts， Quirke makes a call back home to Ireland and soon Detective St。 John Strafford is dispatched to Spain。 But he's not the only one en route。 A relentless hit man is on the hunt for his latest prey， and the next victim might be Quirke himself。
Sumptous， propulsive and utterly transporting， April in Spain is the work of a master writer at the top of his game。
Don't disturb the dead…
On the idyllic coast of San Sebastian， Spain， Dublin pathologist Quirke is struggling to relax， despite the beaches， cafés and the company of his disarmingly lovely wife。 When he glimpses a familiar face in the twilight at Las Acadas bar， it's hard at first to tell whether his imagination is just running away with him。
Because this young woman can't be April Latimer。 She was murdered by her brother， years ago—the conclusion to an unspeakable scandal that shook one of Ireland's foremost political dynasties。
Unable to ignore his instincts， Quirke makes a call back home to Ireland and soon Detective St。 John Strafford is dispatched to Spain。 But he's not the only one en route。 A relentless hit man is on the hunt for his latest prey， and the next victim might be Quirke himself。
Sumptous， propulsive and utterly transporting， April in Spain is the work of a master writer at the top of his game。
Reviews
Jean
，
A very slow burner throughout the book。Dr Quirke is on holiday in northern Spain with his wife when he comes across April a friend of his daughter， but this friend died and her body was never found though her brother admitted to killing her before he was in a car accident that killed him。I found it unbelievable in places and could not gel with any of the characters。Thanks to Netgalley with the ARC in exchange for my honest review。
Maria Flaherty
，
April In Spain is the latest installment in the wonderful Dr。 Quirke mystery series by John Banville。 This is also the second novel to feature the Garda （detective） John Stafford， who first appeared in the tantalising mystery Snow last year。Set in the late 1950s， the gloomy pathologist Dr。 Quirke is on holiday in San Sebastian， Spain。 For those familiar with the remose Irish man， the notion of Quirke on holiday in somewhat surreal。 But Quirke has been influenced by his Austrian wife Evelyn and a April In Spain is the latest installment in the wonderful Dr。 Quirke mystery series by John Banville。 This is also the second novel to feature the Garda （detective） John Stafford， who first appeared in the tantalising mystery Snow last year。Set in the late 1950s， the gloomy pathologist Dr。 Quirke is on holiday in San Sebastian， Spain。 For those familiar with the remose Irish man， the notion of Quirke on holiday in somewhat surreal。 But Quirke has been influenced by his Austrian wife Evelyn and agreed to visit Spain for a few days。Through a series of unfortunate events （involving a scissors and oysters）， Quirke finds himself attending the local hospital。 Shortly， a doctor arrives to attend to him and this is where our tale truly begins。 Quirke recognises the doctor as April Latimer， an old friend of his daughter Phoebe。 There is one slight issue – April was murdered by her brother。 So， how could she is alive and working in Spain？Quirke decides to make a few phone calls， after his trip to the hospital and soon Phoebe and Strafford are travelling to San Sebastian。Unlike many mystery and friends stories， there are few ‘action’ scenes in the story。 Instead， the emphasis is on dialogue and the monologue of the characters。 This is not a suggestion that the story is slow-moving or even boring but the exact opposite- the reader is given the opportunity to learn about and understand the characters。 Leading to an unexpected sympathy and understanding of Quirke。 We learn of his childhood and just why he has become the morose pathologist that we know。In a genre where high octane scenarios are common place and there is often an emphasis on action， Banville’s novel makes for a refreshing change。Take some time， sit down and enjoy。 。。。more
Barbara Scott-Emmett
，
Another good Quirke novel。 I've read some but not all， of them， so must fill in the gaps soon。Quirke on holiday is just as grumpy as when he isn't， though he's drinking less （a little less anyway） to keep his wife， Evelyn， happy。 Despite her tragic past， Evelyn seems contented enough with Quirke and they make a good team。When he spots a face from the past， he contacts his daughter Phoebe。 Pheobe was a friend of April， thought to be dead these last four years。 Has Quirke made a mistake， or is she Another good Quirke novel。 I've read some but not all， of them， so must fill in the gaps soon。Quirke on holiday is just as grumpy as when he isn't， though he's drinking less （a little less anyway） to keep his wife， Evelyn， happy。 Despite her tragic past， Evelyn seems contented enough with Quirke and they make a good team。When he spots a face from the past， he contacts his daughter Phoebe。 Pheobe was a friend of April， thought to be dead these last four years。 Has Quirke made a mistake， or is she indeed alive and in hiding？My favourite character however， is Terry Tice， the not so petty criminal。 His voice is entertaining though his thoughts and deeds are often shocking。A loosely written book， with emphasis on Quirke and Evelyn on hols in San Sebastian a fair while before everything gets moving。 Possibly a little rushed at the end。 Pleasant enough read though。 。。。more
Solenn
，
April in Summer is the latest instalment in John Banville's detective series featuring the state pathologist Dr Quirke。 In this book， Quirke is on holidays in San Sebastien with his wife Evelyn when he spots a ghost from the past， his daughter Phoebe’s best friend who everyone believes was murdered several years before by her brother but her body was never found。 Quirke not being one to shy away from intrigue decides to do some further investigation which includes informing his daughter which st April in Summer is the latest instalment in John Banville's detective series featuring the state pathologist Dr Quirke。 In this book， Quirke is on holidays in San Sebastien with his wife Evelyn when he spots a ghost from the past， his daughter Phoebe’s best friend who everyone believes was murdered several years before by her brother but her body was never found。 Quirke not being one to shy away from intrigue decides to do some further investigation which includes informing his daughter which starts off a chain of events in Dublin which results in her coming along with Detective Strafford。 But they aren’t the only ones en route， there is also a hitman who needs to finish off a job and he has never failed before。 Banville has created a very atmospheric historical fiction detective book bringing you from the intrigues of a well-known Dublin political family with plenty of skeletons in their closet that they are determined to keep there at all costs to the tense environment of April in Franco’s Spain where people are on their guard。 The book has incredibly complex and flawed characters， such as， Quirke brooding over his marriage to the ever patient Evelyn， the tyrannical Uncle William and the unforgiving Terry Tice the hitman hired。 The book is very well paced and flows well between the action taking place in San Sebastian and Dublin。 I found it extremely engaging read and I didn’t see the ending coming which is always a good sign with a detective novel and the door is certainly left open for another instalment。 Many thanks to @netgalley and @faberbooks for the ARC 。。。more
Clarisa Butler
，
This was my first Quirke novel （it is the 8th in the series and first under Banville's own name） and clearly it would be better to have come to it having read the earlier ones， even if the book can be read perfectly well on its own merits。 As I finished what had at first seemed a rather promising novel （I thoroughly enjoyed the opening chapters both in terms of good prose， intriguing characters， quirky plot premise） I felt somehow cheated。 For me， the shortcomings came mainly by a lack of verisi This was my first Quirke novel （it is the 8th in the series and first under Banville's own name） and clearly it would be better to have come to it having read the earlier ones， even if the book can be read perfectly well on its own merits。 As I finished what had at first seemed a rather promising novel （I thoroughly enjoyed the opening chapters both in terms of good prose， intriguing characters， quirky plot premise） I felt somehow cheated。 For me， the shortcomings came mainly by a lack of verisimilitude which I find a key element of mysteries and detective stories。 Whilst the writing was atmospheric and I enjoyed the discursive， thoughtful elements which rounded characters and their motivations， the lack of a distinct time frame （are we in the beginning of the 50s， 60s？ things were so different in Spain in one or the other decade。。。 The anachronisms （no Ecuadorian would have been found behind any stall in a San Sebastian market then， Donostia would not have been written in any signpost）， an Irish doctor wouldn't be practicing in a hospital。。。 is it really plausible that a minister reacts as he does and a civil servant follows suit， etc etc really started to grate。 The resolution of the plot came （weirdly！） as no surprise and it really went against all rules of plausibility。。。 Some poetic justice would have been welcome but was not to be。 I was in the end not impressed， even if I grant the author a wilful desire to undermine expectations and posit a story which has to do with randomness， corruption， how to act and react， the impossibility of letting sleeping dogs be。。。 Yet， even if I was ultimately dissatisfied， there are enough positives （the character and storyline of Terry the assassin; the parrying of Quirke and his wife Evelyn; some musings about life and love） to enjoy and make me think that many will enjoy this novel which is neither a strict mystery nor a literary novel of proper depth。。I am nevertheless very grateful to the publisher， Hanover Square Press， via NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ultimately intriguing novel。 。。。more
Miki Jacobs
，
There are three prongs to this story， London， San Sebastian （Donostia） in Northern Spain and Dublin。 The characters in each place come together in San Sebastian because a person thought to be dead has been sighted there。 They each have their reasons for seeing if it is this person， but one of them isn't there on friendly terms and has orders that the person cannot return home。 I had high hopes for this book， set somewhere in the mid last century。 It just didn't seem to get going and find it's gr There are three prongs to this story， London， San Sebastian （Donostia） in Northern Spain and Dublin。 The characters in each place come together in San Sebastian because a person thought to be dead has been sighted there。 They each have their reasons for seeing if it is this person， but one of them isn't there on friendly terms and has orders that the person cannot return home。 I had high hopes for this book， set somewhere in the mid last century。 It just didn't seem to get going and find it's groove。 The ending seemed a bit rushed。 I did enjoy it， but could have enjoyed it more。 。。。more
First Clue
，
For more reviews of crime fiction， subscribe to First Clue https://www。getrevue。co/profile/First。。。， our free， weekly newsletter。John Banville invites us into the inner lives of Irish people and， through their loves and struggles， creates a composite view of modern Ireland。 This eighth in the series named for retired medical examiner Quirke sees him reluctantly vacationing in Spain with his wife， Evelyn， a psychiatrist whose quiet love for Quirke is a highlight of the book。 When an injured Quirk For more reviews of crime fiction， subscribe to First Clue https://www。getrevue。co/profile/First。。。， our free， weekly newsletter。John Banville invites us into the inner lives of Irish people and， through their loves and struggles， creates a composite view of modern Ireland。 This eighth in the series named for retired medical examiner Quirke sees him reluctantly vacationing in Spain with his wife， Evelyn， a psychiatrist whose quiet love for Quirke is a highlight of the book。 When an injured Quirke visits an ER， the Irish doctor who treats him is strangely familiar and later， at a thank-you meal she obviously loathes attending， behaves bizarrely。 Back in Ireland， Quirke’s daughter， Phoebe， will frustrate readers through her relationship with superior-acting， controlling Paul。 When Phoebe joins Quirke to tackle the mystery surrounding the Irish doctor， she sidesteps Paul and his aloofness only to face something much more sinister （warning: sexual abuse is involved though not graphically described）。 Love and fear are wonderfully juxtaposed here， and those who enjoy reading the former should try Irish author Donal Ryan’s The Spinning Heart。 Fans of the more dangerous elements should be steered toward the Sean Duffy novels by Northern Ireland’s Adrian McKinty。—Henrietta Verma 。。。more
Jenny
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A happy marriage and a holiday in Spain has done little to temper Quirke's misanthropic view of the world， although he seems to have reigned in the drinking - for now。 Of course， even on vacation， he has an eye for a suspicious event and this time a familiar looking young Irish woman catches his eye。 The repercussions which follow lead to a devastating conclusion。Banville paces his plot but the clever， playful character portrayals will keep readers engaged although unfortunately some of their ac A happy marriage and a holiday in Spain has done little to temper Quirke's misanthropic view of the world， although he seems to have reigned in the drinking - for now。 Of course， even on vacation， he has an eye for a suspicious event and this time a familiar looking young Irish woman catches his eye。 The repercussions which follow lead to a devastating conclusion。Banville paces his plot but the clever， playful character portrayals will keep readers engaged although unfortunately some of their actions aren't always believable。 Still， April in Spain is an enjoyable and entertaining read from a fine writer。 。。。more
Suz Hutch
，
Thank you to Goodreads for this advanced copy！ This is the first one I have read of this author and I see he has many more。 I don't think you need to read them in any order but I do feel like maybe I would have been more engaged had I known more of the backstory of the main detective。Dublin pathologist Quirke is taking a much needed but also forced upon by his wife vacation to Spain。 While there he enjoys himself a little but then stumbles across someone he thinks he recognizes from his past。 He Thank you to Goodreads for this advanced copy！ This is the first one I have read of this author and I see he has many more。 I don't think you need to read them in any order but I do feel like maybe I would have been more engaged had I known more of the backstory of the main detective。Dublin pathologist Quirke is taking a much needed but also forced upon by his wife vacation to Spain。 While there he enjoys himself a little but then stumbles across someone he thinks he recognizes from his past。 He enlists his daughter who knew the girl to come and see if in fact it is her。 She brings along another detective as well。 Intermixed in the story is their back stories along with some heads in Dublin and a hitman and his past。 Interesting story that kept me wondering how it would all come together in the end。 。。。more
Gail
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John Banville has dropped the nom de plume of Benjamin Black to continue his mystery series featuring Dublin pathologist Dr。 Quirke。 Having won this ARC from goodreads and the publisher， I wisely first read #3 in the series Elegy for April。 I recommend other prospective readers do the same but it's not necessary to enjoy reading this book。Elegy for April ends with more questions than answers。 Now in #8 of the series Banville returns to the mystery of April Latimer。 Quirke is still battling alcoh John Banville has dropped the nom de plume of Benjamin Black to continue his mystery series featuring Dublin pathologist Dr。 Quirke。 Having won this ARC from goodreads and the publisher， I wisely first read #3 in the series Elegy for April。 I recommend other prospective readers do the same but it's not necessary to enjoy reading this book。Elegy for April ends with more questions than answers。 Now in #8 of the series Banville returns to the mystery of April Latimer。 Quirke is still battling alcohol demons， but his wife Evelyn has been a tempering， if not sobering， influence。 On vacation in San Sebastian， or Donostia in Basque， Quirke & Evelyn are enjoying the warm April sunshine of northern Spain when he spies a woman who looks like April， his daughter's missing friend believed dead。 The entirety of the plot could be laid out in a paragraph of a few sentences， but that is not why we read Banville。 His writing has been praised by critics for its nuance and perfectly crafted sentences。 Just a simple description of a gauze curtain billowing at an open window bears re-reading for its simple beauty。Characteristically atmospheric， the story slowly builds to an abrupt conclusion leaving me wanting to read the next Quirke novel， but I will have to fill the time with the #4 to #7 which I have not yet read。 。。。more
Sarah-Hope
，
When he began his Quirke series， John Banville wrote under the pen name Benjamin Black。 He'd already published several very well-received novels and perhaps didn't want to "lower" those by adding a piece of genre fiction to his oeuvre。 But the bottom line is that Banville is an absolutely masterful prose stylist and creator of characters and settings。 The Quirke titles are detective fiction， but they're also literary fiction in the best sense of the term。 I'm glad to see that this latest volume When he began his Quirke series， John Banville wrote under the pen name Benjamin Black。 He'd already published several very well-received novels and perhaps didn't want to "lower" those by adding a piece of genre fiction to his oeuvre。 But the bottom line is that Banville is an absolutely masterful prose stylist and creator of characters and settings。 The Quirke titles are detective fiction， but they're also literary fiction in the best sense of the term。 I'm glad to see that this latest volume has come out under his real name。The Quirke series is dark， brooding， and complicated。 Quirke is a 1950s/60s era Dublin pathologist， a man with a drinking problem， with all sorts of secrets， and with a deep awareness of his lower-class beginnings。 He was adopted into a wealthy family， but that doesn't change the way his childhood shaped him。April in Spain the 8th Quirke novel， and I would urge readers unfamiliary with the series to begin at the beginning。 Relationships among characters are complex—and Banville's characters are always trying to keep essential parts of their identity unknown to others—unknown even to themselves。So—this 8th novel。 Quirke is somewhat unwillingly on vacation in Spain at the urging of his wife Evelyn。 Quirke isn't necessarily happy， but he's not unhappy， which for him is pretty much the equivalent of ecstasy in anyone else。 Not unhappy is as upbeat as his range of emotions gets。 An injury takes him to a hospital where he's initially treated by a doctor who seems strangely familiar。 After several days of puzzling， he realizes that this woman is almost certainly April Latimer， one of his daughter's friends who was killed by her brother four years ago。 The story spins out from that center， pulling in a number of other recurring characters， including the usual menacing cohort of Quirke's Dublin。If you've been reading these titles since the beginning， you don't need me to urge you to pick up this latest。 If you're not familiar with this series， start with the first volume， Christine Falls， and be sure to read Elegy for April before picking up April in Spain。I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss; the opinions are my own。 。。。more
Vickie
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This was slow in the beginning， but once it got going， it was a well written， enjoyable read。 Character development is strong， although may of them are flawed… atmospheric with Insight into some Irish history and culture Set primarily in San Sebastián during the era of Franco， a good sense of time and place is created。More literary fiction than thriller， this is the eighth in a series， but the first one I have read。 It works well as a stand alone。
Coco
，
This is my first book by John Banville and not recognising characters from his previous books didn't spoil my enjoyment of April in Spain。The plot starts in Dublin and continues in northern Spain。 The time is the 1950's， no modern technology， high speed car chases or gangland warfare， quite a change from modern police investigations。 The author's descriptions initially seemed lengthy but were all essential to the story。 The two main characters are the moody and constantly pessimistic Irish patho This is my first book by John Banville and not recognising characters from his previous books didn't spoil my enjoyment of April in Spain。The plot starts in Dublin and continues in northern Spain。 The time is the 1950's， no modern technology， high speed car chases or gangland warfare， quite a change from modern police investigations。 The author's descriptions initially seemed lengthy but were all essential to the story。 The two main characters are the moody and constantly pessimistic Irish pathologist Quirk， who， while on holiday in San Sebastian， Spain， recognises someone who was presumed murdered and declared dead four years ago back home in Dublin。 He can't resist probing …。。And Terry Tice， a psychopathic serial killer for hire， sent to San Sebastian by someone high in the Irish government with instructions to liquidate a problem。I found the slow speed an interesting change and was soon riveting as the plot unfurled。 This is less a police investigation and more uncovering the reasons why someone would disappear， all culminating in a dramatic end。My first John Banville book and certainly not my last， I have no problem recommending it， and look forward to reading more in the series。 NetGalley and Faber & Faber generously supplied this advanced readers copy， this review is my honest opinion and completely unbiased。 。。。more
karen
，
okay， i finished Snow and i have enough time to cram this one in before the demands of SPOOKTOBER begin， so crisis averted。 ************************************oops， i did it again。 i won a gr giveaway without reading the fine print。 i have read john banville before， but not any of the SEVEN quirke books he wrote as benjamin black， nor the previous st。 john strafford book， and i entered this giveaway not realizing that this book features BOTH of those characters and i'm probably going to be SO C okay， i finished Snow and i have enough time to cram this one in before the demands of SPOOKTOBER begin， so crisis averted。 ************************************oops， i did it again。 i won a gr giveaway without reading the fine print。 i have read john banville before， but not any of the SEVEN quirke books he wrote as benjamin black， nor the previous st。 john strafford book， and i entered this giveaway not realizing that this book features BOTH of those characters and i'm probably going to be SO CONFUSED！ how has this happened to me TWICE？A 'HOLY SHIT' UPDATEaccording to my virtual shelves， i have never， in fact， read john banville。 i thought i had， and i certainly have a stack of his books in my house， but i guess i never have？ so THIS means i can read Snow as my self-imposed obligatory 2021 challenge to read one book each month by an author i have never read despite owning more than one of their books and THEN read this one and that's one crisis averted！phew。 。。。more
Eileen
，
April in Spain by John BanvilleRating 4/5Set in the 1950s in Spain as the titled suggests although there is a fair amount of action in Ireland。 Dr Quirke， the Irish Sate Pathologist is on holiday in a small village in Northern Spain with his psychiatrist wife， Evelyn。 Due to a stupid accident Quirke ends up at the local hospital where he chances up on an Irish doctor who looks familiar。 Could it be April Latimer？ But she is dead， murdered by her brother。Quirke contacts his all but estranged daug April in Spain by John BanvilleRating 4/5Set in the 1950s in Spain as the titled suggests although there is a fair amount of action in Ireland。 Dr Quirke， the Irish Sate Pathologist is on holiday in a small village in Northern Spain with his psychiatrist wife， Evelyn。 Due to a stupid accident Quirke ends up at the local hospital where he chances up on an Irish doctor who looks familiar。 Could it be April Latimer？ But she is dead， murdered by her brother。Quirke contacts his all but estranged daughter Phoebe; if anyone knows it’ll be Phoebe， April’s friend。 A slow burning mystery/drama。 The characters are enigmatic quite often hiding brutal tendencies。 Although the love between Evelyn and Quirke is endearing， she honestly has the patience of a saint to put up with him， there is no other straightforward relationship in the novel。 Indeed， there are many warped and disturbed characters。 Banville is skilled in the narrative， at times funny at others menacing。 The plot took a number of twists and turns but always lurking were the underlying threats。A good read。 I would like to thank you John Banville， Fabre and Fabre Ltd and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read April in Spain， for which in return， I have given an unbiased and honest review。 。。。more
Julie Friar
，
Quirke is on holiday in Spain with his wife when he encounters a woman from his past。 His sets in motion the revealing of past misdeeds and coverups。 Lives are put in danger and changed forever。So well written with great characters。 A showdown is inevitable but will the truth come out or lives lost？
Keith Currie
，
Orphanage BoysFour years after Benjamin Black’s final Quirke novel and even longer since the disappearance， presumed death， of April Latimer in Elegy for April， John Banville has written this belated sequel。 While it might be best to read Elegy for April before reading this， it is by no means necessary to do so。The setting is San Sebastian and Dublin in the 1950s。 The story follows on from Snow which also features Garda detective Strafford， who plays a more minor part this time round。 Recently m Orphanage BoysFour years after Benjamin Black’s final Quirke novel and even longer since the disappearance， presumed death， of April Latimer in Elegy for April， John Banville has written this belated sequel。 While it might be best to read Elegy for April before reading this， it is by no means necessary to do so。The setting is San Sebastian and Dublin in the 1950s。 The story follows on from Snow which also features Garda detective Strafford， who plays a more minor part this time round。 Recently married to his psychiatrist， Quirke is on honeymoon in Spain。 One evening he spies a young Irish woman who seems oddly familiar to him; soon after， when attending the local hospital， he finds the young woman， a doctor， unwilling to treat him。 Why not？ Who is this mysterious lady？Well， her identity is not difficult to work out。 The mystery is not who she is， but why she has removed herself to Spain with a new name and career。 And what unfinished business has she left back in Ireland？It is a real pleasure to be back in the company of Quirke and his family， as well as the wider dramatis personae of the Quirke world: Quirke himself， irascible and irritable， unable to see the point of a foreign holiday; his lovely wife， Evelyn， his saviour from the bottle; his daughter Phoebe， who makes a disastrous mistake which could lead to tragedy; Strafford， the Protestant policeman， awkward and out-of-place， but on hand when needed。In addition， the reader is treated to a tribute to the ‘entertainments’ of Graham Greene， in particular Brighton Rock， through the story of Terry， Irish orphanage boy， and self-styled hitman。 At one point in the novel， Terry buys himself a copy of Brighton Rock， realise why his erstwhile employer had referred to him as Pinkie， and argues that the writer really knew much less about the criminal underclass than he thought he did。There is a lot of fun， but also sadness， even tragedy， in this novel。 Justice of a kind is achieved， almost by default， and there is a clever ending which leaves a number of very pertinent questions itching in the mind of the reader。 。。。more
Stephanie
，
Last year， I read and reviewed Snow by John Banville， and it was a solid five-star read for me。 In fact， I said “I need to read more John Banville books！” So I was happy to receive April in Spain from Harlequin/Hanover Square Press and NetGalley in exchange for this honest review。 The protagonist， Quirke， is a pathologist from Dublin who is in Spain on holiday with his psychiatrist wife Evelyn， when he happens to see his daughter Phoebe’s friend April who was presumed to have been murdered by he Last year， I read and reviewed Snow by John Banville， and it was a solid five-star read for me。 In fact， I said “I need to read more John Banville books！” So I was happy to receive April in Spain from Harlequin/Hanover Square Press and NetGalley in exchange for this honest review。 The protagonist， Quirke， is a pathologist from Dublin who is in Spain on holiday with his psychiatrist wife Evelyn， when he happens to see his daughter Phoebe’s friend April who was presumed to have been murdered by her own brother。 （whew） When Quirke contacts Phoebe back in Dublin， she decides to go to Spain and is accompanied by an inspector who is there to “aid” her。 Then there is Terry， a hitman。 Sounds promising， but here’s the thing: NOTHING HAPPENS for a looooong time。 I confess that at about 40% I started skimming， and I’m not proud of the amount of attention I gave it…but it just didn’t do it for me。 Banville is an outstanding writer， and he is great at developing both setting and character — but you have to be REALLY patient or just one of those readers who likes to savor a well-written story。 The ending was a surprise， which is generally the case for me — and Quirke’s story is unfinished at the end， presumably to set the stage for more about him。 Three stars， but only that low because of the pace， which was a bit slow for me， OK， it was WAAAAAY slow for me。 I will still go for his next book， because he is SUCH a good writer， but hope either it moves along much faster or I develop more patience by then。 。。。more
HEATHER PRECIOUS
，
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Jill Westerman
，
This is the first I've read in this series and didn't realise that this is the eighth book by John Banville （but only the second in his own name） set in the 1950s and featuring Quirke， the Irish pathologist。 I was attracted by both the reputation of the author and that it was billed as a mystery， also featuring a detective - DI Strafford。I really enjoyed the book but in some ways the mystery/detective element is relatively minor。 The characterisation and relationships are what seem essential to This is the first I've read in this series and didn't realise that this is the eighth book by John Banville （but only the second in his own name） set in the 1950s and featuring Quirke， the Irish pathologist。 I was attracted by both the reputation of the author and that it was billed as a mystery， also featuring a detective - DI Strafford。I really enjoyed the book but in some ways the mystery/detective element is relatively minor。 The characterisation and relationships are what seem essential to the plot， along with the languid descriptions of San Sebastian in summer， the food and drink。 The mystery， such as it is， begins when Quirke sees a young woman in San Sebastian and thinks that she is a friend of his daughter Phoebe， from Ireland， whilst also knowing that she can't be as this young woman is dead。 Along the way Irish politicians and DI Strafford become involved in finding out where the truth lies。 The writing is excellent; I will go back and read more of this series。 Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a review copy。 。。。more
Janet
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In this noir series set in 1950’s Dublin， state pathologist Quirke finally finds happiness rather late in life in his marriage to Evelyn， an Austrian psychiatrist who puts up with his lugubrious outlook on life。 While on a spring holiday in San Sebastian， Spain， Quirke is convinced he has met his daughter Phoebe’s friend April Latimer， thought to have been murdered years earlier。 Quirke urges Phoebe to join him and Evelyn in Spain and to verify that it is， indeed， April who lives there under an In this noir series set in 1950’s Dublin， state pathologist Quirke finally finds happiness rather late in life in his marriage to Evelyn， an Austrian psychiatrist who puts up with his lugubrious outlook on life。 While on a spring holiday in San Sebastian， Spain， Quirke is convinced he has met his daughter Phoebe’s friend April Latimer， thought to have been murdered years earlier。 Quirke urges Phoebe to join him and Evelyn in Spain and to verify that it is， indeed， April who lives there under an assumed name。 The problem is that powerful people in high places in Dublin don’t want April to be found， so a hit man is dispatched to do her in。 This is the 8th book in the Quirke series， and the third one in which Banville’s more recent creation Dublin Garda detective St。 John Strafford appears。 In many ways， the two men are opposites— Quirke is part of a powerful R。C clan that controls much of Dublin’s political world， while Strafford is scion of an Anglo-Irish landed gentry class。 Unsurprisingly， they take an immediate dislike to each other when they finally meet。 And yet， in many ways， they are similar。 Both are loners， outcasts from their respective tribes。 Both have a talent for solving crimes， and both are men women find attractive in ways that bemuse their peers。 And， with Strafford’s unacknowledged attraction to Phoebe， it looks like their paths will continue to cross in future novels， as painful as that may be for Quirke。 Highly recommended。Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC via NetGalley。 。。。more
Paromjit
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John Banville writes his latest historical offering in the Dr Quirke， Irish State Pathologist series under his own name， featuring DI Strafford from Snow in a minor yet instrumental role。 The curmudgeon and old soak that is Quirke is not a man for holidays， but he is a married man， dare one even say happily married， to the Austrian psychiatrist， Evelyn， and she is a force of nature in her own right。 So there they are in Franco's Spain， at the beautiful Basque coastal town of San Sebastian， with John Banville writes his latest historical offering in the Dr Quirke， Irish State Pathologist series under his own name， featuring DI Strafford from Snow in a minor yet instrumental role。 The curmudgeon and old soak that is Quirke is not a man for holidays， but he is a married man， dare one even say happily married， to the Austrian psychiatrist， Evelyn， and she is a force of nature in her own right。 So there they are in Franco's Spain， at the beautiful Basque coastal town of San Sebastian， with Quirke who can't quite trust his happiness as he frets and wonders if Evelyn will leave him。 Banville paints a complex and intimate picture of their marriage and love， but a serpent is about to enter their paradise when Quirke thinks he recognises a ghost from the past and an old Irish scandal， a friend of his daughter， Phoebe， April Latimer， dead at the hands of her brother， Oscar。 Could it be April going under the name of Dr Angela Lawless？Quirke， being an obstinate and stubborn fellow， can't let it go， something he will live to regret as he opens a can of worms that is slowly and inevitably going to spiral into tragedy。 He goes as far as inviting Angela to a toe curlingly socially awkward dinner that he revels in， asking Phoebe to come over to see if it is April。 Phoebe has been in a relationship with Paul Viertel， a cold fish of a boyfriend for a while， and she makes a fatal error when she takes it upon herself to let powerful political forces know about April resurfacing， forces that cannot let April live to air a family's dirty secrets。 Phoebe travels to Spain， with an armed DI Strafford accompanying her， with an underlying certainty that April is alive。 However， someone else is coming too， a hitman， Terry Tice， a dangerous man who has never failed to carry out any of his past assignments。Banville expertly weaves a spellbinding mystery with his beautiful prose and stellar abilities when it comes to complex flawed characterisations and complicated relationships。 He hits all the hot buttons when it comes to Ireland， the abuse and cruelty within the Catholic Church as illustrated by Tice's childhood as a orphan。 There are the horrors of what can go on in powerful Irish families behind closed doors， as can be seen with what happened to Oscar and April， and corrupt politicians who believe they are untouchable。 Then there is， of course， little chance of Irish storytelling being complete without a mention of terrorism and the IRA in this historical period。 I found this to be a wonderfully engaging read， so well written and so riveting， and particularly liked the references to Pinkie from Graham Greene's Brighton Rock。 I think this historical novel will appeal to a wide range of readers， including those who love mysteries and literary fiction。 Highly recommended。 Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC。 。。。more
Caroline O'Sullivan
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I was very happy to receive this through NetGalley and Faber Books ahead of it’s publication on 7 October in exchange for an honest review。‘In the idyllic city of San Sebastián on the northern coast of Spain， Dublin pathologist Quirke is struggling to relax – despite the beaches， the cafes and his disarmingly lovely wife。 So when he glimpses a familiar face in the twilight at the bar Las Arcadas， it’s hard， at first， to tell whether his imagination is just running away with him。Unable to ignore I was very happy to receive this through NetGalley and Faber Books ahead of it’s publication on 7 October in exchange for an honest review。‘In the idyllic city of San Sebastián on the northern coast of Spain， Dublin pathologist Quirke is struggling to relax – despite the beaches， the cafes and his disarmingly lovely wife。 So when he glimpses a familiar face in the twilight at the bar Las Arcadas， it’s hard， at first， to tell whether his imagination is just running away with him。Unable to ignore his instincts， Quirke makes a call back home and Detective St John Strafford is soon dispatched to Spain。 But he’s not the only one en route: as a terrifying hitman hunts down his prey， they are all set for a brutal showdown。’ （From Faber’s web page）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。 。。。more
Sinead
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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。。
Stephen Bacon
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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 Detectiv 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 AprilApril 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。 。。。more
Elaine Tomasso
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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 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。 。。。more
Peter
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ExposedIt’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 with his wife in sun-drenched and atmospheric Spain。 He thinks he recognises a young Irish 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 ExposedIt’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 with his wife in sun-drenched and atmospheric Spain。 He thinks he recognises a young Irish 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 then 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 unleash 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 （from Snow） 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 do so， he nevertheless pursued his impulse。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。 。。。more
Sofia
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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 s 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。 。。。more
Ceecee
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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 rank 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。A buddy read with Peter - thank you for reading it with me。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=April in Spain
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=April in Spain&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,April in Spain&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0