Snow by John Banville

Let me start off by saying that I love John Banville. He is a Booker Prize winning author who has been in consideration for the award many times. He is cut from that cloth. This, on the other hand, is a by the book detective novel set in late 1950's in Ireland. The prose itself is beautiful, notably better than the standard fare, and the plot is not over done. There are undertones--and overtones--of societal commentary embedded within, and it is excellent for all of that, but the plot is not overly involved, what you would come for is the writing. This features a young Irish detective — earnest, a bit troubled, and a little persnicketty — called St. John (pronounced “Sinjun”) Strafford. Just before Christmas, in a ramshackle country house owned byt the Wexford family in County Wexford, south of Dublin, a Roman Catholic priest is found murdered in, yes, the library. Detective Strafford is sent to investigate. The various suspects — mostly members of the Osborne family and their staff — were all in the house the night of the murder. Pretty standard fare — except for one detail: The priest has also been expertly castrated. Then there is the social context, which is on the surface some, and some I had to read a review to know about. The Osborne family is Anglo-Irish, a colonial class of Protestant landowners who can trace their arrival in Ireland back to the time of Oliver Cromwell and have survived into the 1950s. English in their attitudes, they are a stark reminder to the Catholic Irish that for the 5 percent of the population who are Protestant in this Roman Catholic country, nothing much has changed since the 17th century. The Anglo-Irish — the Horse Protestants, as they are derogatively known — live in their crumbling stately homes, ride to hounds, go to balls and race meetings, speak with a different accent and still own much of the land, managed in a form of benign paternalistic feudalism. Strafford himself is also Protestant, which I suspect will resurface as the series continues. This is very good, especially if you have an affection for Irish authors, and I would recommend it if you like the genre. It is predictable in ways that might not appeal for those looking for something more obscure.

The Thursday Murder Club (2025)

If you are not acquainted with the popular murder mystery series written by Richard Osman, well, they are great fun and you should be. The movie adheres closely to the characters, and the casting for them is top notch. The action takes place in the poshest of retirement communities called Cooper's Chase. It is converted supposedly from a convent, but the nun's were not living an abtemious life--the accomodations are palatial, as are the grounds. But there isn't much action and a club to solve cold murder cases was started by D.I. Penny Gray, a retired police officer who now lies in the hospice wing in a coma, watched over by her husband. Elizabeth and Penny were dear friends, so Elizabeth has kept the club going. Elizabeth herself is driven and steely-eyed, coming up with the club’s plan of attack and handing out assignments. She drops hints suggesting she was probably pretty high up in MI6. Being a “little old lady” gives her a great cover. It’s useful to be underestimated. Ron is a former trade unionist, a rabble-rousing and energetic figure, and Ibrahim, a former psychiatrist, adds psychological nuance to their investigations. Joyce is a newcomer to the club, eager to help out and make some new friends. We first see them investigating a head-scratcher of a cold case from 1973, but this is derailed by the real-life murder of Tony Curran who owns the place. I know there was some grumbling from long time fans of the books, but we thoroughly enjoyed this, and hope it goes the way of the Knives Out series and becomes a repeat.

Wake up Dead Man (2025)

Speaking of the Knives Out sereis, as I was just a few days earlier, there is a new installment and it is just as fun as the first one. Benoir Blanc is back, called in to solve a locked room murder mystery. The suspect is Reverend Jud Dupenticy, a young priest who is sent to a troubled New York parish after he punches a deacon--with justification, but a change of scenery was necessary. Jud ends up working with the irascible Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, a monster of a man who believes in ruling with anger instead of hope. He preaches from a pulpit of fire, using tools like shame and guilt to keep people under control. He argues with Jud that their very faith is under attack, and the only way to stay relevant is to fight back. Jud disagrees but obstacles are placed in his way at every turn, and so when the Monsignor is stabbed, he is the natural suspect. This is a star studded cast, with Daniel Craig playing the Poirot like detective to perfection, and if you were disappointed by the second installment in this series, give this one a chance. Your faith may be restored.

The Little Sparrow Murders by Seishi Yokomizo

Sometimes I am good when it comes to picking out books and sometimes I am just plain lucky, and in this case it is the later rather than the former. I have been using a web site with murder mysteries pictured that are published each month in order to keep abreast of authors that I read routinely, but also to read authors that I do not know or have not read, but who have published more than one one book. The sad truth is that while I am getting older, so are the authors that I have been reading, along with my spouse, for the entirety of our relationship, and so I need to find new things to read. I really like the website, because it turns out I really need the pictures as well as the title to pay attention--I am constantly discovering that I am very visual and without it I have trouble paying attention, and it seems to be worse not better as I get older. So I am grateful it exists and that I found it, but the downside is that there is no information about the books beyond author, title and the cover--with a reference to the detective and which number in the series this is. So the good news is that I really liked this, and it is one of a series of books by the same author. He is long gone now, having published his first murder mystery in 1921, and this one is from the early 1950's. He was the first to write in this genre in Japan, and he has over 70 published novels, only 6 of them translated into English. The complexity of the mystery as well as the characters is right up my alley and I will read the rest of them, but I am most grateful to have discovered this author, and to know a little bit more about writing from Japan.

All The Devil's Are Here by Louise Penny

Louise Penny is an excellent murder mystery writer who imbues the Quebec province and Montreal itself with the cultural richness that it so richly deserves. Her main character is Inspector Gamache, and man who has risen to the top of his game, and then after a disaster or two, stepped aside to let others take the reins, but somehow he always manages to get involved in solving who is responsible for wrong doing. The only draw back to these books is that you really do need to know who all the characters are from previous books or you will be truly lost in this one. Like the Harry Potter books, and way more so for the movies, with no background it is just an assortment of interesting characters coming at you non-stop and often without context. This one is an homage to Paris, a place where Penny went for the first time with her husband, who had her falling in love with it instantly, showing her favorite places and spots, so much so that she hasn't been able to go back since his death. It is also a tribute to family, both the one you are born with and the one that you choose. What will you do for them, what will you give up for them, and what will you risk for them. It is a very strong installment into a great murder mystery series. Like with Pokemon, catch (and read) them all.