Book Shorts. Reviews in a Nutshell.
FEATURED REVIEW
The Drowned
by John Banville
The Drowned, mystery/thriller by John Banville, is set in the 1950s in a small rural Irish coastal town, and in Dublin. A woman is reported to be missing and possibly drowned by her husband under highly suspicious circumstances. Detective Inspector Strafford is called in to investigate.
Stafford enlists the help of his colleague, Dr. Quirke, a gifted pathologist, to help unravel the events of the possible crime. Let’s just say, it’s complicated. Strafford and Quirke have a contentious relationship at best.
Intertwined in the solving of this crime is an older murder investigation that they both worked on together. Past relationships and associations shape the narrative. The reference to drowning in the title reflects as much on the day to day struggles of the characters not to be drowned by their own demons, as much as the nature of the crime. Great character insights and a solid mystery. I recommend this book.
Review by Barry Novick
January 2, 2026
So many books, so little time. Right, right - we’ve all heard it many times. Hummingbird's BOOK SHORTS will present book reviews you can read in a minute and capture the essence of the story, thumbnail reviews that hopefully will entice you into your next read. I read constantly. My tastes vary, so I’ll review books that I love, not necessarily current books. Other HB contributors will review books that follow their interests, both newly published and past. All in all, we’ll review books we think are captivating, compelling, unputdownable. If you’re looking for a good book to take to the beach, make that long commute shorter, or curl up with, hopefully our reviews will help you find it. Lynda Bernard
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