It Could Have Been Called "Holy Rollers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                        I came across this, girls, in Three Lives Bookstore, when I was searching for one last fun thing to read, (because some of my recent reads, especially the disappointing Joshua Ferris book, and Anthony Marra's "A Constellation Of Vital Phenomena," were rather depressing) as  I was in desperate need of something fun.  So, when I saw "Holy Orders," by Benjamin Black, and discovered it dealt with murder, church corruption in 1950's Ireland, and other sordid goodies, I knew I had found the perfect book. And, when I looked closer at the jacket, and saw that it was written by the author of "Christine Falls," a book I read and loved several years back, I knew I had made the right choice.

                      What I did not realize, till I began reading, is that Benjamin Black is a pseudonym for the acclaimed Irish author, John Banville, whose works I have not yet read, but I know are widely respected.  This is part of a series of, I believe it is eight, mystery novels, featuring an Irish pathologist, named Quirke. And Quirke's stories are about to become a BBC Series, played by an act of perfect casting--none other than Gabriel Byrne.

                       Quirke is a complicated character.  He is a pathologist, who dabbles, along with his partner, Inspector Hackett,  in homicide investigations.  He has a daughter, Phoebe, whom he abandoned, turning her over to his brother, Malachy, and his wife, Rose, to raise.  Then, at 19, he tells Phoebe he is her father, not her uncle, so the two from then on have a contentious relationship.  They do, in this book, because a friend of hers, Jimmy Minor, a crime reporter for the Clarion, was found beaten, murdered, and fished out of the river.  Quirke works to solve the mystery, and he does, but the one who does, and then takes justice into her own hands, is Jimmy's sister, Sally, and, I am telling you, she was right to do what she did.  Those Minor children came from some Shanty Irish clan, just like the Helales on Staten Island--you know, Irene, whom I named Bitch Of The Week!!!!!!!  You can bet if there are any children in that family, they are estranged from those parents.  As I said, just look at the puss on Irene! Shanty Irish Bitch, at best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                        I consumed this book as rapidly as some of my favorite chocolate treats.  And I found it to be just as satisfying.  So much so, that, when my Summer Reading Project--which you will hear more about, on here, ends, I will want to read more of the books in the Quirke series.  You can count on it.

                         And for my Catholic raised readers, you can count on, after reading this book, never thinking of the confessional, in the same way, again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!