A Book A Week

Having enjoyed both The Cuckoo's Calling and The Silkworm, I eagerly purchased Robert Galbraith's latest novel, Lethal White. Before I began reading that fourth novel in the series, I came to the realization that I'd somehow never read the third novel, Career of Evil. I read a lot of books each year (this review marks number 42), so I wasn't surprised by this mistake. Still, I knew I'd need to read this one before beginning the fourth book. Fortunately, Career of Evil was already downloaded to my Kindle, just waiting for me to dive in.

I've come to really enjoy Cormoran Strike. J.K. Rowling writing as Galbraith imbues her hero with a gritty realism that makes him a relatable underdog. the Afghanistan war veteran has built quite the private investigating firm, especially after solving a couple of high profile cases. Along with his temp turned assistant Robin, Strike's reputation has garnered the attention of all kinds of people. When Robin opens a package at the office, she's taken aback by the contents. Strike has learned to expect the unexpected, but even he is a bit startled to see the severed limb in the box.

As the pair begin to investigate the package, a suspect list of the worst kind of people arises. Each person is capable of unspeakable violence and terror. On the home front, Robin is torn between her relationship with her fiance Matthew and her growing fondness for Strike. With a pending wedding date set, she must face those feelings head on and come to a decision about the future of her career and her heart.

In Career of Evil, Rowling focuses much of her attention on her two main characters. The mystery takes a back seat to the strong development of both Robin and Strike. The feelings that have been bubbling between the two over the course of the previous two books come to a head in this one. Rowling perfectly balanced plot and character growth through the last two novels, so I was a bit disappointed to see this novel lean so heavily into the characters. It's not that I didn't enjoy the story arc of the characters, it's just that the imbalanced focus on them made for the least engaging mystery of the series. Despite these qualms, I ended up enjoying Career of Evil for the sense of conclusion it gave some of the existing plot lines from the previous novels. I'm really looking forward to reading the next novel too.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2018, 42)

"The whole world's writing novels, but nobody's reading them."

JK Rowling shocked the literary world when she revealed that The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith, a hit in its own right, was actually written by her. I finally got around to reading that novel earlier this year, and I immediately regretted waiting so long to read it. Rowling's penchant for detailed plots and riveting characters filled that novel. I vowed not to wait nearly as long to read the next installment.

The Silkworm finds private investigator Cormoran Strike in a much better place than the previous novel. After successfully breaking a high-profile case, Strike's business is booming. The war veteran turned detective has seen a steady stream of clients and income. Still, Strike's personal life is anything but perfect. His assistant Robin is set to marry a man who vehemently disapproves of her working with Strike. Robin has failed to get the two men in her life to meet each other, let alone come to an agreement on her own wishes. Robin longs to take her job with Strike to the next level, but fears what this decision could do to her impending wedding.

As the pair struggles to adjust to the realities of their personal relationship, another high-profile case presents itself. Leonora Quine, wife of the bestselling novelist Owen Quine, has tasked Strike with locating her husband. Owen has disappeared before, but now he's been gone for an unusually long time. Immediately preceding his absence, Owen was on the verge of finishing Bombyx Mori, his latest novel and self-proclaimed magnum opus. Strike learns that Owen's peers in the literary world were less than thrilled about the novel. It was said to make some not so subtle allusions to various people and their dirty secrets. Does the book contain something worth making its author disappear over?

While The Silkworm is never as engrossing as its predecessor, it still fires on all cylinders. The characters from top to bottom are each well drawn and believable. Strike and Robin see their relationship pushed to the next level as they learn to grapple with success while facing the curious literary world that Owen Quine was a part of. I've read some complaints that Rowling spends too much time describing small details that don't end up adding to the story as a whole. I see these descriptions as Rowling building her world, and never felt like they bogged down the pace or detracted from the suspense. I continue to be impressed by Rowling's writing and can't wait to read the next novel in this series.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.

(2017, 39)

As a book blogger and reviewer, I receive countless requests from authors and publishers to read their latest offerings. These requests flood my inbox with such volume that it is impossible read every book that I'm asked to. My "to be read" pile is already unmanageable! Every once in a while, I pass on a request that I end up regretting. I'm still kicking myself for not jumping at an advanced copy of Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad. Now that I've read The Cuckoo's Calling, I can add it to my list of regrettable passes.

I remember reading the summary and request for the debut novel by Robert Galbraith. I had so many books on my schedule that I couldn't justify adding one more to the list. I didn't think about The Cuckoo's Calling again until the news broke that Robert Galbraith was actually a pseudonym for the famed author J.K. Rowling. I instantly added the novel to my languishing pile of books to read.

The novel follows two people who are searching for their place in society. Cormoran Strike lost his leg in Afghanistan. In coming to terms with his physical condition and the stress of adjusting to civilian life, he ended up losing the woman he loved as well. Now he lives out of the office where his fledging private investigation business is beginning to look like another failure in his life.

Robin is searching for a career. With her impending marriage, she is close to building a perfect life. While she continues the job hunt, Robin takes on various duties from a local temp agency. She is beginning her first day as a secretary for private investigator Cormoran Strike when John Bristow enters the office. Bristow's sister was the famous model Lula Landry who tragically died in what has been ruled a suicide. Bristow suspects foul play and wants to hire Strike to investigate. Desperate for any way to keep his struggling business afloat, Strike agrees to investigate the mysterious details surrounding the superstar's death.

The Cuckoo's Calling is a refreshingly straightforward murder mystery. Rowling allows the details of the characters and the investigation unfold at a natural pace without relying on any narrative tricks for suspense. Instead, the thrill of reading the novel lies in the way the protagonists battle their personal demons while dealing with the family drama that surrounds Landry's death. True to form,  Rowling fills the novel with the kind of detailed descriptions and tangents that readers either appreciate or loath. I feel like these details ultimately add to the overall story, even if the pace of the action is occasionally sacrificed. The Cuckoo's Calling is a fantastic mystery that kept me guessing until the very end. With this novel, Rowling proves her flexibility as an author and provides a start to what promises to be a great detective series.