Kirjahaku

Why would suicide need a witness? On the east coast of Ireland, Victor Delahaye, one of the country’s most prominent citizens, takes his business partner’s son out sailing. But once at sea, Davy Clancy is horrified to witness Delahaye take out a gun and shoot himself dead. This strange event captures the attention of Detective Inspector Hackett and his friend Pathologist Doctor Quirke. The Delahayes and Clancys have been rivals for generations and the suicide lays bare the perplexing characters at the heart of the mystery, from Mona, Delahaye’s toxic young widow, to Jonas and James, his strange, enigmatic twin sons; and Jack Clancy, his down-trodden, womanizing partner. And when a second death occurs, one even more shocking than the first, Quirke begins to realise that terrible secrets lie buried within these entangled families; and that in this world of jealousy, ruthless ambition and pride – nothing is quite as it seems . . .

She looked at him and smiled sadly. ‘You’ve lived too long among the dead, Quirke,’ she said. He nodded. ‘Yes, I suppose I have.’ She was not the first one to have told him that, and she would not be the last. 1950s Dublin. When a body is found in the canal, pathologist Quirke and his detective friend Inspector Hackett must find the truth behind this brutal murder. But in a world where the police are not trusted and secrets often remain buried there is perhaps little hope of bringing the perpetrator to justice. As spring storms descend on Dublin, Quirke and Hackett’s investigation will lead them into the dark heart of the organisation that really runs this troubled city: the church. Meanwhile Quirke’s daughter Phoebe realises she is being followed; and when Quirke’s terrible childhood in a priest-run orphanage returns to haunt him, he will face his greatest trial yet . . .

Now a major TV series: Quirke starring Gabriel Byrne and Colin Morgan and written by Conor McPherson 1950s Ireland. As a deep, bewildering fog cloaks Dublin, a young woman is found to have vanished. When Phoebe Griffin, still haunted by the horrors of her past, is unable to discover news of her friend; Quirke, fresh from drying out in an institution, responds to his daughter’s request for help. But as Phoebe, Quirke and Inspector Hackett speak with those who knew April, they begin to realise that there may have been more behind the young woman’s discretion and secrecy than they could have imagined. Why was April so estranged from her family? What is her close-knit circle of friends hiding? And who is the shadowy figure who seems to be watching Phoebe’s flat at night, through the frozen mists? As Quirke finds himself distracted from his sobriety by a beautiful young actress, Phoebe watches helplessly as April’s family hush up her disappearance, and all possible leads seem to dry up, bar one she cannot bear to contemplate. But when Quirke makes a disturbing discovery, he is finally able to begin unravelling the great, complex web of love, lies, jealousy and dark secrets that April spun her life from . . . ‘Quirke is an endearing hero . . . A beguiling read’ The Times ‘Vivid and compelling’ Marie Claire