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A review by tonstantweader
Snow by John Banville
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Snow is a historical mystery set in 1957. Ireland has been independent for thirty-five years, but after centuries of occupation and years of civil war, the wounds of the past are fresh and deeply felt. It is a Catholic country where the church held overweening power. That influence was maintained long past the time of this novel. After all, Ireland only legalized abortion by referendum two years ago.
Detective Inspector St. John Strafford (with an R) is sent to County Wexford to solve the murder of a local priest who insisted people call him Father Tom. That his genitals were removed by the murderer will set off alarm bells for a modern reader, but this was 1957, long before The Boston Globe published their shocking series of allegations in 2002.
The suspect pool is limited by a blizzard, but then so is the investigation. Father Tim was staying with local aristocrats, the Osbornes. Father, Stepmother, son, and daughter, plus a cook and a young man who lives out in the woods. They are a weird, unhappy family.
Strafford faces suspicion and difficulty because he is a Protestant which many seem to regard as un-Irish. He thinks he was sent to investigate because if he doesn’t solve the case, people will be happy for the damage to his career and if he does solve the case, it’s also likely to damage his career. He’s right.
I hope John Banville does a series with Strafford who is an appealing detective. Snow was a fair mystery. Banville attempted the impossible, though, creating a sense of mystery around a motive that may have been elusive in 1957, but is flashing in neon lights for a 2020 reader. There would have been a greater sense of mystery if there had been no mutilation, but then, the case might have been written off as an accident or addressed by the local constable. In some ways, Snow is a bit too honest, leaving us feeling unsatisfied with the course of justice. Still, I look forward to more from this author as I loved his Quirke books and believe Strafford will be an equally engaging series.
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2020/09/29/9781335230003/
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual assault