April in Spain. John Banville. 2021.

In the idyllic resort of San Sebastián, on the northern coast of Spain, Dublin pathologist Quirke is struggling to relax - despite the beaches, the cafes and his disarmingly lovely wife. So when he glimpses a familiar face in the twilight at the bar Los Arcadas. It’s hard, at first, to tell whether his imagination is just running away with him. Could she really be who he thinks she is, and be connected to the crime which nearly brought ruin to an Irish political dynasty?

Unable to ignore his instincts, Quirke makes a call back home and Detective Inspector St John Stratford is soon dispatched to Spain. But he’s not the only one en route: as a terrifying hitman hunts down his prey, they are all set for a brutal showdown.