Barb's Book Reviews: Review of "Vengeance: A Dr. Quirke Mystery" by Benjamin Black

Monday, December 10, 2018

Review of "Vengeance: A Dr. Quirke Mystery" by Benjamin Black

In this fifth book in the 'Dr. Quirke' series, the pathologist helps investigate the deaths of two businessmen. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

Wealthy Dublin businessman Victor Delahaye invites Davey Clancy, the 25-year-old son of his business partner, out on his sailboat.

Victor then proceeds to shoot himself in the chest. Soon afterward Delahaye's business partner Jack Clancy, who was secretly maneuvering to take over the company, is found dead in suspicious circumstances.

Pathologist Dr. Quirke helps his friend, Detective Inspector Hackett, look into both cases.

Plenty of persons of interest turn up: Victor's beautiful, flirtatious, manipulative wife Mona;

His handsome, hard-partying, adult twin sons Jonas and James;

His quiet, self-effacing sister Maggie;

And Jack Clancy's wife Sylvia who has had to put up with her husband's constant womanizing.

The book is as much a character study as a mystery and at times I wanted the interactions among the characters to move along faster. The resolution of the mystery probably won't come as a total surprise but it's an entertaining book.

A shout-out to the evocative book cover also.

Rating: 3 stars

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Barb's Book Reviews

Monday, December 10, 2018

Review of "Vengeance: A Dr. Quirke Mystery" by Benjamin Black

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