Book Review

Book review: Hypnotic crime thriller contrasts intangible mysteries with the unearthing of truth

John Banville’s lushly written third detective novel featuring characters Quirke and Strafford demonstrates how plot and attention to detail are inextricably tied together

John Banville, The Lock-Up: Banville specialises in highly attuned noticing, the sort of fine-grained detail usually the remit of painters

By calling John Banville’s latest mystery “elevated crime fiction”, does this not unfairly imply there’s something lesser about the genre? Indeed, most writers would kill to be able to write fiction as accomplished as Snow. Banville himself has jettisoned his pseudonym, Benjamin Black, seeing his crime fiction as worthy of bearing his name. After all, executing plots well requires considerable craft.

Following on from the masterful Snow, and the tropey, yet enjoyable, April in Spain, ...