Book Review– The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith

The second of three Cormoran Strike novels, The Silkworm is  the weakest of them, though perhaps that’s because I read Career of Evil prior to this and some of the tension that’s built up outside of the central plot in The Silkworm is undermined by knowledge of what happens in book three.

The Silkworm is still good crime fiction though.  I did find the plot a more convoluted than book one or three and perhaps a tad unrealistic but to tell you the truth I enjoy having the killer revealed to me this time almost as much as I like trying to figure out who had done it.

If you enjoy reading about the rather cloistered world of traditional publishing and don’t mind a few swipes at the self-publishing market the The Silkworm certainly hits the required tension of a well paced crime thriller.

Despite knowing what happens to the main characters in book three, I still found Rowling’s characterisation enjoyable.  I love the subtle sexual tension between Cormoran and Robin and the depth of characterisation provided.

I was unwell for most of the reading of this work and found just participating in the story enough of a buzz to keep reading. 

It’s not necessary to read these books in order, they do stand well on their own.  But as I have remarked previously, the best thing about the series is its central characters and their growth.

Great holiday reading.

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Book Review–Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith

Career of Evil is the third Cormoran Strike novel.  I wouldn’t call it a series but I do think there’s some tangible benefit to reading them in order – if only to see the main characters development in sequence.

Don’t let this put you off grabbing it in the airport lounge, if you are looking for a good solid read on a long haul flight; it’s a thoroughly engrossing read.

When a mysterious package is delivered to Robin Ellacott, she is horrified to discover that it contains a woman's severed leg.

Her boss, private detective Cormoran Strike, is less surprised but no less alarmed. There are four people from his past who he thinks could be responsible - and Strike knows that any one of them is capable of sustained and unspeakable brutality.

With the police focusing on the one suspect Strike is increasingly sure is not the perpetrator, he and Robin take matters into their own hands, and delve into the dark and twisted worlds of the other three men. But as more horrendous acts occur, time is running out for the two of them...

 

I don’t regularly read crime (I do enjoy the genre in TV & Film) but that’s more a result of the type of reviewer I have become.  I’ll read anything that’s well written.

And Career of Evil, is exceedingly well written and paced as one might expect from Rowling.  The delivery of the story is smooth but what I really enjoyed in Career of Evil, beyond the problem solving goodness of a well written crime thriller, was the choices in character development.

I imagine in a field as well dug over as Crime Fiction, that it’s hard to not rehash plots and types of killers, so the only real area for freshness is in the characters and the drama/ tension that exists between them.

I particularly enjoyed Robin’s (Cormorant’s Assistant/Partner) story arc, indeed I feel as though Career of Evil ended up being more about her than Strike.  I don’t want to give too much away but I did feel that Rowling made some very good choices that showed Robin to be a character with psychological depth.  There’s quite a few places where I felt Robin’s character could have slipped into stereotype, but Rowling’s choices present  Robin with a good mix of vulnerability and strength that make her feel solidly fleshed out and real.

Career of Evil is a clever, well paced Crime Thriller that should keep you glued to the page.  You’ll love the characters (especially if you have read the other two books) and this character development paired with smooth delivery of a well articulated crime thriller will have you hankering for the next one.  It’s no surprise that there’s a TV series in the works.

The review copy was provided by the publisher.

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Book Review – The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith

Unless you have been camping in the wilds of New Zealand you’ll have no doubt heard that The Cuckoo’s Calling, a solid and entertaining debut novel from Robert Galbraith, is in fact a new crime novel by novelist JK Rowling.  It is interesting to note that prior to a leak outing Rowling as an author, that the reviews were largely positive, and sales modest.  Cue the leak and a quick review of Amazon one star reviews and the book snobbishness and the Rowling hate is palpable.

A supermodel commits suicide, but her brother doubts the police findings. 

Private Detective Cormoran Strike, homeless and having just dumped his manipulative girlfriend, is watching his business fall apart until John Bristow brother of Supermodel  Lula Landry, comes asking for his help.  It looks like an open and shut case but then the client is paying double.

But what about the book?

This is in fact the first Rowling I have read and on this experience alone I would read more in the Cormoran Strike series.  If you are looking for a thriller paced mystery then The Cuckoo’s Calling isn’t for you.  It’s a very British murder mystery, by which I mean it has that cynical slightly gloomy edge to it and it’s a methodical detective story. Its not without tension and suspense but if you are looking for high octane thrillers Childs or Eisler are your best bet.

Like all good mysteries it strikes just the right balance between giving the reader enough clues to go on and letting slip the reveal too early. 

On typing this review I am struck by the similarities, or the similar backgrounds of Strike and Lee Childs’ Jack Reacher .  On the one hand you have the all round, square jawed American hero and on the other you have Cormoran Strike. Strike is likable and believable as an ex-SIB investigator and I applaud Rowling’s decision to make him an amputee, slightly overweight and still saddled with the school yard moniker “pubehead”.  Out of the two I find Strike more believable.

Robin, the temp secretary with an eye for detail and a secret desire, I think to be a detective, developed nicely into a competent sidekick.  I can see and indeed I hope this turns into a more Watson and Holmes sort of relationship where she gets her hands dirty and develops her natural talents.

I must admit that I enjoyed the subtle digs that Rowling had at the press and the glitterati.  These I possibly would have overlooked had I not known it was her writing the book.

I you like the slightly darker tone of British mystery writing and the logical unravelling of a conundrum then this is the type of book for you. 

This book was provided at no cost by the publisher

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You can purchase the trade paperback version through Booktopia here.

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The Cuckoo’s Calling pre-review

The news broke earlier in the week that the author of the The Cuckoo’s Calling wasn’t in fact Robert Galbraith but JK Rowling.  I hear that the one star muppets on Amazon apparently only turned up after that fact was revealed and until that point it had been reasonably well received for a debut i.e. positive reviews and reasonable sales (reasonable unless you don’t trust those dastardly publishers who are obviously lying and had to leak the fact that it was JK Rowling, because OMG it had only sold 500 HC copies in three months – seriously go back to saying the moon landings were faked).

I really would have liked to have read it without knowing it was JK Rowling, to have given it as clean a read as possible.  I haven’t read anything else by her but the knowledge that the author is competent and established does mean that certain biases come into play.

Still it will be judged on whether it holds my attention, entertains.  I am not a hardcore crime reader but I do enjoy the genre from time to time. So that’s all I intend to judge her on.

 

 

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