Even the Dead

A Quirke Novel

By: John Banville, Benjamin Black

Narrated by: John Keating

A suspicious death, a pregnant woman suddenly gone missing: Quirke's latest case leads him inexorably toward the dark machinations of an old foe

Perhaps Quirke has been down among the dead too long. Lately the Irish pathologist has suffered hallucinations and blackouts, and he fears the cause is a brain tumor. A specialist diagnoses an old head injury caused by a savage beating; all that's needed, the doctor declares, is an extended rest. But Quirke, ever intent on finding his place among the living, is not about to retire.

One night during a June heat wave, a car crashes into a tree in central Dublin and bursts into flames. The police assume the driver's death was either an accident or a suicide, but Quirke's examination of the body leads him to believe otherwise. Then his daughter Phoebe gets a mysterious visit from an acquaintance: the woman, who admits to being pregnant, says she fears for her life, though she won't say why. When the woman later disappears, Phoebe asks her father for help, and Quirke in turn seeks the assistance of his old friend Inspector Hackett. Before long the two men find themselves untangling a twisted string of events that takes them deep into a shadowy world where one of the city's most powerful men uses the cover of politics and religion to make obscene profits.

Even the Dead--Benjamin Black's seventh novel featuring the endlessly fascinating Quirke--is a story of surpassing intensity and surprising beauty.

Critic reviews

[Black] writes beautifully textured prose, perfectly rendered here by John Keating in a flight of Irish accents. Nobody does it better--this is noir, Irish noir, contemporary noir at its best.-BookPage, Top Pick Review

A Great Conclusion to 7 Quirkes

Some of the saddest, angriest, most beautiful prose I’ve read. It would be hard to completely tell you why the book, the series, and John Banville are all genius, but let me make one recommendation, read these books in order. This is more of a large, multiple book novels, in flavor of Master & Commander, Remembrance of Things Past, or Powell's Dance to the Music of Time. Start with Book One (Christine Falls) and work through book by bloody book. Beautiful.

Another Quirke Story

Would you listen to Even the Dead again? Why?

No. I don't listen/read book a second time.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Quirke is a fascinating character to me...because he had such a brutal childhood, but seems to be a decent man. I also like Inspector Hackett. The inspector had a very polite manner but is very quick.

Have you listened to any of John Keating’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed the way that prior characters and events were intertwined into the story.

Probably unfair to review the performance

Any additional comments?

I have read every other book in this series. The voices and mannerisms of the characters were already firmly planted in my head when I started this audiobook. The voices didn't match up, and it drove me crazy. The narrator wasn't bad. He just voiced characters with a different tone than I had imagined them.

Engrossing and very well read

I love the Quirk books and this odd a a good one. Great narrator and elegant writing, as usual.

An excellent writer writes an excellent story

I tried to read John Banfield, the award winning Irish author, but was intimidated by his literary prowess. When I discovered Benjamin Black, I was thrilled to find a “literary” mystery with a continuing main character. Although Quirke is not a detective, he is an interesting, intriguing presence with a unique back story. This, the 7th book in the Quirke series was as well written, as griping and as entertaining as all the other Quirke stories. Pm