Book Log 2019 #37: Holy Orders by Benjamin Black

Dublin pathologist Quirke is back to investigate another murder, and this one is semi-personal as the victim was a friend of Quirke's daughter Phoebe. The victim was also a journalist, and apparently working on a story that put him against the Catholic church, whose sway in 1950s Ireland was substantial.

Between the personal connection and the chance to take the church down a peg, it's not surprising that Quirke would take this case on, even though his last case involving the church left him much the worse for wear. As the case progresses, we get as much (if not more) background on Quirke and his youth spent in a Catholic home for orphans, which was about as dour as you might think. In many ways this case is less about the actual whodunit as it is about getting Quirke to revisit his formative years and examine what sort of lasting effects that time had on him.

I like this book a little more than some of the earlier ones, as it did help to fill in some gaps about Quirke and why he is the way he is. It still doesn't explain his appeal to women, but that's a mystery that may never get solved. Maybe the next book will give us that answer.