Banville remains in the Black with his latest potboiler

Crime Fiction: Even the Dead: A Quirke Mystery. By Benjamin Black. Penguin/Viking, €17.50.

John Banville: his latest Benjamin Black novel drips with noirish atmosphere. Picture: Kim Naughton
John Banville: his latest Benjamin Black novel drips with noirish atmosphere. Picture: Kim Naughton

The formulaic quality of much crime fiction often leads critics to dismiss it as insubstantial or trite. But for those who enjoy the genre, that very formula is half the joy: watching out for the red herrings, trying to beat the protagonist to the conclusion and predicting the eleventh-hour twist.

If you do not enjoy the escapism of crime stories, chances ...