One of Meyrick's favorite Christmas crime reads:
Snow by John BanvilleRead about another entry on the list.
Banville is a hugely respected Irish screenwriter and novelist, a Booker Prize winner, no less. His writing is a joy, both poetic and beautiful.
Banville dishes up a sometimes-gritty novel, set in the fifties in an Ireland dominated by the Roman Catholic Church. When the local priest dies in a small, tight-knit community in County Wexford, Inspector St. John Strafford is called in to investigate. He is from the Protestant tradition, and the juxtaposition between him and the locals creates a haunting, occasionally disturbing read.
Banville’s compelling, meandering prose and dry wit draws you into a story with its fair share of red herrings. It’s a real modern classic, which richly deserves the praise and success that has come its way. One to curl up with beside the fire.
--Marshal Zeringue