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A priest’s murder brings family secrets to light. It takes place in Ireland in December 1957. Father Tom Lawless often stays at the Osborne manor. Someone finds him dead in its library. His killer stabbed his throat, then cut off his genitals. Inspector St John Strafford takes the case. His aide, Jenkins, helps him. Strafford is a Protestant in Catholic Ireland. His faith sets him apart. Archbishop John Charles McQuaid seeks to hide the crime’s details. He wants to avoid a scandal.

John Banville’s crime novel is for readers of dark crime tales. It draws on mysteries set in country homes. Bad weather and a small group of suspects frame the case. Banville uses the model linked to Agatha Christie, then challenges it. The story goes beyond the hunt for the killer. It looks at abuse and those who suffer it. It links the past to efforts made today by those in power. They seek to hide their wrongdoing.

Banville won the Booker Prize in 2005. Ariadna Ponta translated this edition from English and added notes. The original title is Snow.