Even the Dead    by Benjamin Black Order:  USA  Can Picador, 2017 (2016) Hardcover, Softcover, CD, e-Book      Reviewed by Barbara Lingens A car crashes into a tree, and the driver is dead. But maybe the driver was dead before the crash. Quirke, the pathologist in the case, investigates. As we go along with him, the story starts to seem like it is not so much about the case as it is about Quirke and his very unusual but interesting background. Though we learn everything indirectly, there turns out to be quite a bit to his character. And apparently his associates feel as if he himself needs a bit of help. As the mystery unfolds, we begin to see some possible solutions for him. In this fairly slim book we learn much about Dublin and its underworld, politics and religion. The people Quirke meets, whether in interviews or by personal contact, each have their own stories, which the author manages to outline in brief, while at the same time bringing the characters to vivid life, without getting far away from the main tale. This intricately woven story is the seventh Quirke novel, and some of the characters in the previous ones appear here. Certain loose ends are unobtrusively tied up. Like all the novels, there are twists and turns, but the writing is beautiful. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews