April in Spain

I have conflicting opinions about works such as April in Spain. Banville is a highly talented author whose cerebral works, such as The Book of Evidence, I have thoroughly enjoyed. I admire any author who can turn his hand to a different genre (detective here), but also some reservations: why not just stick to what you're good at? April in Spain certainly qualifies as a page-turner, but I felt it at times a little trite and contrived. This approach presumably does not matter for many readers, hence its popularity, but I would have liked a bit more depth of characterisation and resolution of loose ends. The conclusion was surprising, but even here the bigger issue of political corruption hid the tragedy of lost life. The reader never learns the ultimate fate of any of the characters. Fun, but do not expect too much. To the charity shop: 5/10.

By John Banville