The Drowned Detective - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1408865157 ISBN 13: 9781408865156

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 2016

Synopsis

"Jonathan is a private detective in a decaying eastern European city. He is drowning in his work, his failing marriage, and the corrupt landscape that surrounds him. One day, he is approached by an elderly couple to investigate the disappearance of their daughter, who has been missing for over a decade. Troubled by the faded photograph of a little girl the couple presses on him-- the same age as his own daughter-- he feels compelled to find her. Then one night, as he is contemplating his troubled marriage, he encounters a young woman crouched at the foot of a stone angel on the bridge spanning the river that divides the city. When she jumps suddenly into the icy water below, Jonathan plunges after her, and finds himself dragged into her ghostly world of confusion, coincidence, and intrigue. The city he thought he knew becomes threatening and strange..."--Jacket flap.

About this title

About the Author:

NEIL JORDAN was born in 1950 in Sligo. He is the author of several critically acclaimed novels including The Past, The Dream of a Beast, Sunrise with Sea Monster, Shade and Night in Tunisia, a collection of short stories which won the Guardian Fiction Prize. He has written, directed and produced a large number of award-winning films including The Crying Game, Michael Collins, The End of the Affair and most recently Ondine. He lives in Dublin.

Review:

One of Ireland's most talented artists * John Banville * His belief in language is absolute, as is his mastery of it * Irish Times * His cinematic sensibility yields prose of the most bewitching kind * Sunday Times * His dialogue and characterisation shine * Independent on Sunday * Haunting ... Jordan has a light touch and a clear eye on matters of the heart ... Bach's music is a counterpoint to the movement of the characters. The strands of the story weave and cross, reflecting on the darkly polyphonic matter of Bach's cello suites ... As in all the great crime writers, the corruption of family lies at the centre of noir tradition, the plundering of innocence ... The momentum and narrative voice of a classic detective story are bought to bear on an esoteric tale, and it works brilliantly. The conventions of noir are put to use, but there are no easy formulas in The Drowned Detective ... Each element of the story has its allotted part to play, the movement as complex and predetermined as one of Bach's sublime country dances ... A tour de force -- Eoin McNamee * Irish Times * A strange and potent novel -- Teddy Jamieson * Herald * Jordan is excellent on the anatomy of jealousy ... A metaphysical thriller with a supernatural twist where what matters most is mood ... An evocative sense of absence and loss * Times Literary Supplement *

About this edition

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1408865157
• ISBN 13: 9781408865156
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256