Lethal White

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

For my hundredth review on Goodreads I wanted something very, very special, and I certainly struck gold with this, J. K. Rowling’s fourth outing as Robert Galbraith.

So, what’s in store for Cormoran Strike and his business partner Robin Ellacott this time round? A year after Robin’s disastrous wedding ceremony, a mentally-ill young man comes to Strike’s office with a tale about a murder he thinks he witnessed as a child. Realising the police have been called, he flees, though shortly after Strike is offered a lucrative job by the Minister for Culture, who is being blackmailed by the young man’s dodgy brother. A coincidence perhaps? Or something more?

Rowling admits that this is one of the most challenging books she’s ever written and one of her favourites. Mine too. It’s with sheer writerly delight that she taunts us with Robin’s failing marriage, which Robin tries at all costs to keep from Strike. The increasingly annoying wild child Charlotte turns up, hell bent on inserting herself back into Strike’s life. Let’s be quite clear here. This is a series of cozy mysteries, and thwarting the readers’ desire for the two of them to become more than just business partners is an important part of the template, of equal significance, I would argue, to the whodunnit element of the book.

The whodunnit element in this case twists and turns back in on itself (perhaps a little too often), and quite which crime we’re meant to be looking at (and there are potentially many) is never very clear. That said, I was thoroughly happy to be taken along for the ride. On several occasions I was put in mind of Agatha Christie in the nature of the clues and the way they are delivered. Robin twice gets to go undercover—both of which are a joy to read—and Strike is tight-lipped about the theories he forms, preferring his partner to work it out for herself.

As personal added bonus, and one which really made it come alive for me, I happen to live very close to two of the locations in the book. The Minister for Sport and her husband live a mile west of me, near The Blue, and the house Robin and Matthew rent is barely a couple of miles down the road. Even before Rowling named it, I knew which one it was.

If you’re a fan of the series, you’ll love it. If you’re a fan of whodunnits, you’ll love it. If you’re a cozy mystery armchair detective, I’m sure you can guess just what I was about to say.

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Career of Evil

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“My heart sinks every time I open a thriller and it turns out to be about rape or sexual child abuse, or, as is the case here, both.” Thus begins a recent review I wrote for a different book, by a different author, and one which amply justified my sinking heart.
Not so with this one! Hurrah! You know from the start you’re in capable hands, that Rowling will tackle these difficult subjects to the full, and deliver for the reader an emotionally satisfying conclusion.
No, my heart sank for a very different reason; you will know what I mean. My favourite of the series so far. Desperately awaiting the next. Loved and reviewed for #MysteryWeek
But that’s just my own humble opinion…what do you think? Do let me know!

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The Silkworm

The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Having started this book (and well before finishing) I took a peek here on Goodreads to see how it fared for reviews. I wasn’t surprised to see how highly it was rated—and deservedly so, in my opinion. No, the surprise was the one review that took Ms Rowling to task for missing the opportunity of making Robin Ellacott the protagonist, and offering her advice on how to improve her writing in future (for which, I am sure, Ms Rowling will be eternally grateful).
Having finished the book, which is steeped in the toxic world of writers, literary agents, and publishers, I began to wonder whether the review in question was not some kind of “knowing” tribute—an in joke, if you will—for the writer sounded uncannily like one of Rowling’s own characters—self-opinionated, overbearing, and hilariously drawn.
Ms Rowling’s pen is scathing, and never more so than when dealing with self-publishing authors. In our defence, let me quote from a poem by one of the more scurrilous of our number. Bear with me; it’s worth it:

Little lamb, who made thee
Dost thou know who made thee,
Gave thee life, and bid thee feed
By the stream and o’er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight,
Softest clothing, woolly, bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice?
Little lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?
—from Songs of Innocence and of Experience, by the self-published writer and printer Mr William Blake

Did you clock the missing question mark? Outrageous! And you should see how he constantly misspells the word “tiger”! Oh, how I laughed! But I digress.
I love how Strike and Robin are perfect counterfoils, tag-teaming their way through the narrative. I laughed out loud at the chain-smoking agent and the literary horrors foisted upon us by the indie author. I took the bait—so carefully laid—and put my money on the wrong horse. I prayed for Robin and Matthew’s relationship to break up, but then you don’t always get what you want, do you? I am already lapping up the third book. Long may the series continue!
Having just said that, it occurs to me to wonder how many traditionally published authors would be able to identify the English tense used in “Suffice it to say” or even “God save the Queen” without Googling it? Hmmm.
But that’s just my own humble opinion…what do you think? Do let me know! Enjoyed and reviewed for #MysteryWeek


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The Cuckoo's Calling

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fool that I was, I balked when I saw the size of this weighty tome. It didn’t take long before I was hooked, however, and it proved to be the perfect antidote to the dour and miserable nature of our book club’s last two offerings.
Cormoran Strike is a fascinating and complex character, as is his sidekick Robin. It was interesting to watch how Rowling gets you on their side; she starts the minute she introduces them and then she never really stops. It’s skilfully done. The mystery is sufficiently mysterious, the people in the fashion industry could be based on real people (I’m sure I recognized at least some of the jewellery), and even the minor characters spring lifelike from the page.
Reading it, could I detect the spirit of J. K. Rowling in its prose? No. Well, perhaps towards the end. Though I definitely felt it was written by a woman. The thing is, I felt the same way about The Ice Twins—which wasn’t—so it just goes to show how much I know.
Loved it!

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