Discovering A Corpse is Disquieting

From Booklist

Discovering a corpse is disquieting, to say the least. Hauling one up in fishing nets is even more so, especially when the waters involved are off the coast of Northern Ireland, and the corpse is that of an Eskimo. Jim Gallagher hauls in the body of an unknown Eskimo thousands of miles from its home and insists on taking it to the authorities over the objections of his boss and friend, Knucky, that the only results will be fruitless inquiries and lost fishing time. Beirne creates an atmosphere of destiny as Jim compulsively explores the dead man's origins in a journey mirroring his own, often drunken, examinations of life and relationships, particularly with Knucky and their chum, Frances, who used to be half of a couple with Knucky. Can Jim succeed at his sort-of-heroic quest? Can people just muddle on, learning to take comfort in doing the best they can? Filled with brooding and ecstatic sea-and-sky imagery, Beirne's impressive debut could easily become an art film.

Whitney Scott