Snow by John Banville – Book Review

Snow by John Banville – Book Cover

Ireland’s national pride and holder of numerous literary awards, John Banville, has added another crime novel to his repertoire. Snow is one of those rare books considered to have literary value while still being a crime novel.

Masterful Atmosphere Creation

In the library room of the Osborne family’s country manor, the well-liked Father Tom is found dead… It sounds like the opening of an Agatha Christie story, doesn’t it? Banville himself playfully draws attention to this multiple times. However, the author quickly moves beyond this setup thanks to his unusually deep character portrayals.

Readers accustomed to Agatha Christie and her light style, who might pick up Snow on a whim, are quickly captivated by the masterful ease with which Banville introduces his main character, Inspector Strafford. Strafford is unusually uncertain, doubtful, and even seems a bit ridiculous in his own eyes—a far cry from the typical detective.

However, beyond its excellent characters, the main strength of Banville’s Snow lies in its vivid depiction of late 1950s Ireland.

The country, groaning under the dominance of the Church and unable to move beyond Catholic-Protestant tensions, stands at the threshold of the revolutionary 1960s.

Meanwhile, the upper classes, stagnating in the boredom of rural life, are on the verge of being swept away by the winds of change. Until then, they rely on time-tested distractions: hunting, sex, alcohol, and morphine.

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The Secret by Lee Child – Book Review

The Secret by Lee Child – Book Cover

In the 28th installment of the series, Lee Child’s uncomprimising protagonist, Jack Reacher, revisits an old adventure. The year is 1992, and Reacher, recently demoted to captain, finds himself assigned—almost as a punishment—to a special investigative unit probing a decades-old CIA operation. Someone is systematically eliminating the scientists who were once part of this ultra-secret mission. Behind it all lies a deeply buried, grave secret. But with Jack Reacher on the case, it won’t remain hidden for long…

Andrew Child Finds His Groove

We all know what it means when co-authors start appearing in a series. Usually, nothing good. “The Secret” is the fourth installment in the long-standing Jack Reacher series where Andrew Child has lent a hand. Or, to be more precise: he likely wrote it entirely by himself. The previous three books were noticeably weaker than their predecessors.

Andrew Child, of course, tried his best. In fact, he tried quite skillfully. However, long-time fans of the series could instantly sense that something was off. The little details didn’t quite click. Reacher wasn’t putting as much effort into analyzing the clues. The tactical finesse in the confrontations was missing. Sometimes, the major developed incredible, almost superhero-like abilities. And even his sense of humor seemed to have dulled.

Yet, when reading The Secret, if you didn’t know beforehand, you might not even notice the co-author’s involvement. The Secret almost feels like a classic Reacher tale.

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Crisis by Frank Gardner – Book Review

Crisis by Frank Gardner – Book Cover

Raise your hand if you think British intelligence is heavily involved in anti-drug operations in Colombia. No one? Well, that makes sense—Colombia is too far away, and beside, it’s more of an American issue—let them deal with it. Completely understandable… Wait a minute, I see someone raising their hand after all. Yes, it’s Frank Gardner, and guess what? He’s written a hefty thriller titled Crisis based on this rather unlikely premise…

Frank Gardner in Frederick Forsyth’s Shoes

If you’ve read Frederick Forsyth’s last book, the leisurely-paced The Fox, you know that from one of the greatest thriller writers of all time, there’s not much left to expect. Frank Gardner seems to have thought it was time to fill the void Forsyth left behind.

The Crisis is an action-packed spy novel that feels almost as if Frederick Forsyth himself had written it. Almost. (Though, to be fair, The Fox was also only “almost” the same.)

Crisis showcases an impressive depth of knowledge. But that’s no surprise, given that the author spent many years working as a journalist.

Frank Gardner’s deep understanding of the world of British intelligence—from organizational structures to operational execution—means that his book will likely captivate even the most seasoned spy novel fans with its technical details.

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The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – Book Review

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – Book Cover

I first read the most famous of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s four Sherlock Holmes novels during my elementary school years. Admittedly, It’s been quite a while since then, but I can tell you that the wretched beast scared me so much that I could hardly sleep. I vividly imagined its fire-breathing snout and its eyes blazing in the flames as it roamed the moors, hunting for prey and howling at the moon, so fiercely that it sent shivers down my spine. However, it’s been 120 years since the writing of The Hound of the Baskervilles, so it wouldn’t be too surprising if the notorious hound’s fur had thinned out a bit by now. And most of its teeth might have fallen out as well…

The Hound of the Baskervilles is a Terrifying Monster

It’s easy to understand why the tale of the bloodhound, which has been haunting the Baskerville family for centuries, is the Scottish writer’s most popular work. It’s self-evident, due to its supernatural aspects. The otherworldly creature that haunts the family as a vengeful spirit has become a local legend. The crime scene is an abandoned, dangerous moor populated by eccentric characters. All these elements serve to heighten the reader’s sense of dread.

Moreover, considering the impact of the story at the time of its release, it’s not hard to imagine the reaction it must have provoked. Doyle, who revitalized and pioneered the crime fiction genre, had an influence on his field comparable to, that of The Beatles on the music of the 1960s.

The unsuspecting Victorian-era readers, accustomed to a more leisurely pace of life, probably reacted the same way I did as a child: they were so excited that they ended up filling their pants.

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