Snow, John Banville, author; John Lee, narrator
Described as written in the style of Agatha Christie (something I can’t attest to since I never read Agatha), this novel moves along quickly with short, very well written and descriptive sentences, as it creates realistic images in the mind of the reader. Scenes being described can be imagined as if one was actually there watching them as they played out.
A well-liked priest visits the home of a well to do family and stays the night because of the weather. During that night, he is brutally murdered and violated. Why? Who is the killer? What is the killer? Will the crime be solved? The victim seems to have come down the steps in the home, and then staggered into the library where he had succumbed to his wounds. Inspector St. John Strafford is called in to solve the case.
While he investigates, he wanders the property and discovers many suspects. He finds Fonzie, a large, lumbering man who lives in a battered old vehicle like one his father once owned to take the family on trips. Then he encounters the butcher, Rick, who rescues him from the bitter cold and drives him back to the house where he interviews the second Mrs. Osborne. The first one died falling down the same set of stairs the priest descended to his death. She seems a bit mad. She found the body of the priest. She is a bit disorienting and seems distracted, not able to focus. Colonel Osborne appeared and their interview ended abruptly.
Strafford questioned Dominick Osborne, the stepson. His mom had died falling down the same staircase the priest had descended to his death. Meanwhile, his sister, Letty Osborne, had been hiding in the woods. Why was she hiding? Did she want to be caught? She had a secret path, no one knew about. Where was she going?
Will this crime be solved? Will there be a cover-up because it involved a priest? Will the town’s own law enforcement shield the family, the world and the church from the truth?
The narrator of this novel is superb. John Lee always captures just the right tone and attitude for each of the characters. The book would be a great addition to a road trip!