Tag: Cormoran Strike

Book review: Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith

Well, she can certainly churn them out, I’ll give her that.

I’ve bumped a couple of books out the way so I could get to this one: the third in the Cormoran Strike series, skilfully penned by J.K. Rowling’s alter-ego. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two, and so expectations were running pretty damn high for book number three. And I’m happy to say that I wasn’t disappointed… for the most part anyway.

This episode has our hero  wading through the dregs of human society to solve find a serial killer who’s struck a little too close to home. The book follows much the same setup as the previous two (why change a winning formula): a gentle intro for the newcomers, a grisly murder, then  a classic whodunnit skilfully woven around a tale of unrequited something. Epic stuff, and I would have enjoyed it as much as the first two books, except for one small thing: too many words.

CareerOfEvil_large

Now it could be because I’m focussed on editing my own stuff at the moment, so perhaps I’m a little sensitive, but I did find that the book meandered around a bit. Every location was described in poetic prose that was a little strained at times, and the omnipotent viewpoint could have been smoother. I’ve never been a fan of leaping from brain to brain over the course of a few sentences. It’s wonderful device when you can pull it off, but we can’t all be Virginia Woolf, so I did find the overall effect a little jarring in places.

The pace was much much slower than previous books in the series, which gives the reader time to reflect on the changing relationship between Strike and his partner Robin (female – just sayin’). They continue to be wonderfully believable, flaws and all, as were the rest of the cast: the heroes were instantly likeable, and the perverts were about as scummy and unpleasant as you can possibly get.

The plot was intricate, beautifully crafted, and burned slowly up until the last few pages when someone lit the blue touch paper and we cannoned to a conclusion  I hadn’t seen coming. (From about a third way through the book I was convinced I knew who the killer was; now I know that I was cleverly steered in the wrong direction).

As I said, the book had a few problems that could have been sorted out with a few more rounds of editing, but on the whole it was a cracking good read, not so much for the thriller aspect as the fascinating relationship between Strike and Ellacot.

Definitely recommended.

Seven out of ten.

 

 

Review: The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (ahem!)

Right, did anyone else not know that this ‘Robert Galbraith’ is JK Rowling? Okay, just me then.

Not sure of the reasons behind the pseudonym; I’m guessing that she wanted her new stuff to be viewed on its merits, without folk comparing it to her previous work which is, of course, en- tirely different. In that regard, I guess I’m pretty well-suited to examing The Cuckoo’s Calling as I didn’t read the Harry Potter series.

The_Cuckoo's_CallingSo, as a book that stands on its own, The Cuckoo’s Calling is head and shoulders above much of the crime fiction I’ve come across in recent years. It’s an old-school detective story that follows the work and personal life of the unlikely-named Cormoran Strike, an ex-military policeman turned private detective, fighting to stay afloat in civilian London while trying to solve the mystery behind the death of supermodel.

As I said, it’s a great book; the author doesn’t mess around with wafty ex- positions; not a word is wasted; she flits around the characters thoughts and feeling with Woolf- like abandon, keeping the reader engaged with an enormous number of the Capital’s most unlikeable characters. Comoran himself is not a bad bloke; he’s a capable detective, though not superhumanly so – and I think that’s what keeps the interest alive, and the whole book just this side of believable. For me, the real star of the book was his secretary (but I shouldn’t say any more).

If I were to make one complaint then it would be that some of the peripheral characters came across as remarkably clichéd: fat, incompetent policemen with body odour; rich widows dying in their beds; painfully camp fashion designers… but I guess stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason. Still, an immensly enjoyable read.

If you like outstanding crime fiction then The Cuckoo’s Calling comes highly recommended – by me anyway … 🙂