Among the crime novels by Benjamin Black (aka John Banville) that have been published so far, Christine Falls is my personal favorite. It is as much fiction and literature as it is crime fiction – very lyrical, slow paced, with 
a number of wonderful conversations, remarkable observations and outstanding story telling. The novel is set in 1950s Dublin and Boston – a Dublin that is masterfully described in bits and pieces with a dank and fog-draped atmosphere that pervades everything, a city that oozes existential dread and breeds melancholy. The descriptions are masterful and amazing.
We follow Quirke, the complex, melancholic and conflicted coroner in 1950’s Ireland. His background, it turns out, is somewhat special. As a child, he was rescued from a Catholic orphanage by Judge Griffin and raised alongside his own biological son, Mal. However, over time the two sons have started to resent one another and the distance between them has grown.
Mal is involved in a cover-up of the death of a girl named Christine Falls. The cover-up is detected, by coincidence, by Quirke. Doing an autopsy, Quirke finds that Christine Falls did not die of pulmonary embolism, as Mal wrote in his report. What is Quirke to do with what he believes is the truth about the Christine Falls case? And – should he pursue the case and learn more, or let it rest? It seems Quirke has less of a choice than he initially thought – whether he can let the case go or not is not the question – the case, he feels, will not let him go. And thus, once more Quirke becomes an accidental detective.
Benjamin Black masterfully lets the tension build, and allows the details to play out, knowing very well that the anticipation of violence often is more frightening than the action itself. Or, as chess grandmaster Nimzowitch stated it: The threat is often more effective than its execution. And, indeed, there is relatively little violence in the novel itself – even though it is present as a distinct possibility in most of the book. Christine Falls is superbly composed, almost like a grand-master game of chess!
The plot itself is somewhat convoluted. The big, overall plot involves some corruption, some conspiracy and the Catholic Church, and isn’t all that plausible. Yet, it’s not less probable in any way than most plots in crime fiction books. However, the details of the plot concerns misplaced love, jealousy, abortions, unwanted children, failed ambitions and similar problems – which are all very plausible in the context provided by Benjamin Black, and all are elegantly described and exploited. And the plot twists and turns, as it should. Additionally, irrespective of the quality of the plot, the writing and use of effects are so great in this book that the plot does not really occupy the driver’s seat, at least not for me. Rather, I was fascinated by the psychological insights in this book as well as by the writing.
Christine Falls is a truly fascinating read! An excellent, real vintage Benjamin Black!
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