Christine Falls
Benjamin Black, Author, Timothy Dalton, Read by , read by Timothy Dalton. Audio Renaissance $39.95 (0p) ISBN 978-1-4272-0072-3
Dalton uses all his pacing and vocal skills and his wonderful, deep Welsh tones to keep listeners engaged and on edge through this mystery set in 1950s Dublin and Boston. He skillfully sustains our empathy for widowed Dublin coroner Quirke, the alcoholic, angry and acerbic narrator who drags himself into solving the mystery of Christine Falls’s death in childbirth and the disappearance of her newborn—a scenario that parallels Quirke’s own experience. Black (pseudonym of Booker Prize–winner John Banville) is a fine writer, reminiscent of P.D. James in his care for language and his emphasis on psychologically complex characters, including Mel, Quirke’s obstetrician stepbrother; Sarah, Mel’s wife (and sister of Quirke’s dead wife), whose love for Quirke is reciprocated; and Mel and Sarah’s confused daughter, Phoebe. Black weaves his characters through a neat and original plot that descends into the dark depths of Quirke’s family history and rises to the highest ranks of the Catholic church. Detective fiction readers will love Black’s writing and Dalton’s reading, and look forward to more from both. Simultaneous release with the Henry Holt hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 27). (Mar.)
Reviewed on: 04/30/2007
Release date: 03/01/2007
Genre: Audio
Paperback - 447 pages - 9788466321365
Paperback - 400 pages - 9780330445320
Hardcover - 389 pages - 9780330445313
Paperback - 369 pages - 9780312426323
Compact Disc - 8 pages - 9781427200723
Compact Disc - 6 pages - 9780230712515
Open Ebook - 352 pages - 9781429906227
Hardcover - 521 pages - 9780786297870
Hardcover - 340 pages - 9780805081527