Christine Falls
Summary:
Quirke’s pathology department, set deep beneath the city, is his own gloomy realm: always quiet, always night, and always under his control. Until late one evening after a party he stumbles across a body that should not be there – and his brother-in-law falsifying the corpse’s cause of death.
This is the first time Quirke has encountered Christine Falls, but the investigation he decides to lead into the way she lived and died uncovers a dark secret at the heart of Dublin’s high Catholic network; one with the power to shake his own family and everything he holds dear. [summary from https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/benjamin-black/christine-falls/9780330445320]
Group Reviews/Comments:
[Note: our group is no longer using a standard rating system. Each member gives comments and using whatever rating system they want! -marni]
Really enjoyed the shows on PBS. Thumbs up on the book, although went a little slower than the tv show. Mystery was ok, but more focused on Quirke.
I’m kind of tired of functional alcoholics. Burnt out on that as a method or device for showing character flaws. But I did enjoy the book. Relied too heavily on it.
I enjoyed it. Took me a while to get into, it was sad and heavy. Characters and plot really intense. Lots of little sub plots that were super interesting.
¾ thumbs up. Had to force myself to finish it…slow start. But got better.
Huge thumbs down. Really confusing. Couldn’t tell the difference between Boston and Ireland. And where was the mystery? Some gratuitous violence at the end that didn’t advance the plot. A real slog.
Thumbs up. Yes, it was a slog, but found it compelling, engaging writing. Elegant writer. Interesting look at action vs intention. Enjoyed a lot.
Thumbs down. No sleuth-so no one pushing for resolution. Quirke very hard to picture.
Pacing horrible. It isn’t a mystery. Hard to tell what motivated Quirke. Weighty and ponderous.
2 thumbs up. Loved the atmosphere, the slow burn style, and social commentary. Will read the next one for sure.
The character “Andy” really stuck in my memory. The author was able to write a book where every male character was despicable, props to him. The female characters were written with a softer brush, probably because of the story and plot. Thumbs up overall, the author has talent.
Interesting and I liked the twists and turns. I wanted to know more about the past with Boston and why Sarah hated her step mother so much. Very moody.
