I enjoyed this dark mystery quite a bit. Anxious for more from Black. ( )

Quirke is one weird character. I enjoyed the 1950's Dublin setting but found the story to be a bit slow moving for me and I didn't like the ending. The new character, Inspector Hackett, was a welcome addition to the cast of characters. I hope that Hackett and Quirke pair up for future investigations. ( )

The second installment in John Banville's noir mystery series, set in 1950's Dublin, centering on Quirke - a forensic pathologist, who is now wrapped up in the death of a beauty salon worker, who happens to be married to an old schoolmate of Quirke's and mysteriously connected to his troubled daughter Phoebe. The same dark, depressing atmosphere looms in this novel as in the first -- if it is possible Dr. Quirke, himself, is even more messed up in the head, even though he is now on the wagon. Lots of bitternesss, lots of terse, edgy conversations - no one is happy.

The writing itself is quite good, but again, as in 'Christine Falls,' the mystery unravels painfully slowly, despite the fact that the reader is privy to flashbacks from the dead girl's life. And frankly, I figured it out long before the bumbling Quirke, and the reveals were none too earth-shattering.

I think read this for the writing, the dark atmosphere, the complex characters - it is well-written. But don't expect to be blown away by the mystery aspect. I think I will will stick with the series, presuming he continues to write them - if only to find out whether Quirke and Phoebe can ever pull themselves up from the morass their lives have sunk into. ( )

A welcome addition to this outstanding series. These are very absorbing characters, all of them flawed in ways that make them much more interesting than many that populate mystery fiction. I would not recommend reading this book without first reading Christine Falls, as there are many allusions that would be difficult to follow otherwise. I look forward to the next Quirke novel and am anxious to read Banville as Banville for a comparison. ( )

When a mystery novel opens with the discovery of a dead body, it has my full attention. Avoid the eccentric neighbor characters and get right to the chase. Benjamin Black, John Banville to the Mann Booker Prize jury, opens The Silver Swan just the way I like it. A young man drops by the Dublin morgue to ask pathologist Garret Quirke not to perform an autopsy on his wife. She has just committed suicide by drowning, and he cannot bear the thought of her being cut up for examination. The Silver Swan is off to an excellent start.

Things have not gone well for pathologist/detective Garret Quirke in the two years since he was introduced in Christine Falls. His wife has died, his father is in a hospital, and his daughter is making every effort she can to avoid him. Quirke does not want to become involved in another investigation, not after how turned out in Christine Falls, but when an old acquaintance makes a special effort to ask him not to perform an autopsy he cannot stay out of the case.

What follows is an entertaining detective story that makes a successful effort to grab its readers and force them to keep turning the pages. But, because it strays from its central character, it's not as successful as Christine Falls. Quirke could have walked out of a Dashell Hammet or a Raymond Chandler novel. He has a drinking problem, a jaundiced view of the world, trouble with women, and he really doesn't want to be involved--all things make good hard-boiled detective fiction. When he is present on the page, The Silver Swan has the goods. But over half the time, the focus shifts to other characters: his daughter, his friend, the victim and her backstory, various suspects. These are all interesting people and the book would suffer if their scenes were removed completely, but it would definately gain if they were cut.

Mr. Black is up to more than just telling a detective story, of course. In Christine Falls he shone a light on parts of Irish history many people would prefer be kept in the dark. The Silver Swan has a much more domestic agenda. No societal ill is examined, nor is any great historical scandal brought to light. Instead, the characters traverse the conflicts men have with women, fathers have with daughters, and one jaded man has with the world around him. The actual mystery operates as a means to explore these relationships. That's fine if you're looking for a novel, but it's problematic if you're looking for a mystery. ( )