Daniel Shindler's Reviews > April in Spain

John Banville writes with an understated elegance.He assembles layered, elliptical sentences that present fragments of information and images.His style entices the reader to engage in his created world, experiencing a blend of characterization, setting and intrigue. “ April in Spain “ was my first encounter with this author and I was totally captivated.

Our protagonist,Dr Quirke, is on holiday in the Basque town of St.Sebastian.Quirke, whose name hints at his persnickety, contrarian nature, has not adapted well to an environment outside of Dublin in the late fifties.Nevertheless, he has been recently married to Evelyn, an Austrian psychiatrist, and must make an effort to endure his holiday with aplomb.His composure is shaken when his his hand, an oyster shell and a scissors come together, requiring a visit to the local hospital.While Quirke’s hand is being repaired, he encounters Angela Lawless, a doctor at the hospital.She resembles April Latimer, a friend of Quirke’s daughter Phoebe. April, a member of a powerful Irish political family, went missing four years earlier. Although her body has never been found, she is presumed to be dead.

Quirke cannot dismiss Angela’s uncanny resemblance to April and contacts his daughter Phoebe in Dublin. After a brief period of inquiry in Dublin,Phoebe is bound for Spain. However, her inquiries have aroused the interest of powerful political figures in Dublin, motivating them to retain the services of Terry Trice.When we first meet Terry, we are informed that,”Terry liked killing people.It was as simple as that….he was no psycho.”

The convergence of these characters draws us into a novel that is both suspenseful and filled with political intrigue.As the exposition unfolds, a backstory of buried secrets, guilt and repression slowly unfolds.One begins to wonder if the crimes committed by the Church and ruling political elite are less heinous than those committed by the psychopathic Terry Trice.

This novel is a well crafted fusion of character development, setting and escalating suspense. At the novel’s conclusion,I was deep in thought about the consequences when political and religious power intersect with the brooding passions of the human heart.4.5 stars.