Back in the day, the Earth anticipated every Harry Potter book. They were events. They single-handedly supported large chains of book stores, which failed after the series was completed. Those children's book, at first written by a single mother on relief, riveted the planet. How could it be so? Astonishing talent joined with phenomenal industry in the Earth's favorite author who created the Earth's favorite series. Today, the Rowling Facebook page and the internet remain consumed with Harry Potter, but Rowling has moved on. For her adult crime novels Rowling sensibly is using a different authorial name. The Cormoran Strike series is a phenomenal crime series from the second authorial persona of my favorite author. Toto, we ain't in Hogwarts any more.
The greatness of this book can be examined in several different ways. As an entertainment, it is riveting from the first page. As an exploration of the realities in relationships between men and women, it is spot on. As a deep dive into the darkest depths of reality, it achieves a black magnificence.
The adventures of Cormoran Strike and Robin are as entertaining as any storyline in contemporary fiction. They are fully developed and highly sympathetic characters. Their occupations as an investigation partnership plausibly place them in deep peril, and watching them work their way through their adventures is very entertaining.
The insights of Rowling into relationships elevate this work. Robin isn't really that into her fiance, it seems, and he comes across as a very limited guy compared to Cormoran Strike. Yet, the momentum of her relationship with the annoying Matthew carries them along towards the altar and the gulf between her life and Cormoran's, which seems to vanish as they work together, is brilliantly exposed as massive in the end. A man and woman working together closely and bonding as they do in danger and hardship, leads to complicated feelings. Yet they could not come together easily, and perhaps never could be together at all. The series continues. Stay tuned.
I see comments critical of a story line in which Robin remains in her relationship with Matthew, along the lines of why would she? Only because that's what people really do. Rowling has been around the block a few times, and she writes truth when it comes to the relationships of her main characters. It's unclear that Robin and Matthew have a prayer of working out long-term, in part brilliantly demonstrated in a humorous scene near the end of the novel. Yet it's difficult to see how Robin would avoid being carried along deeper and deeper into that mistake. It's also unclear that Matthew is a mistake, all-in-all. As for Cormoran Strike and Robin, because every aspect of their background and even private behavior is ill-suited to one another, how they work out going forward is unknowable, including perhaps to them at the end of this novel. It seems clear though, that they have a long way to go together still.
The world is filled with darkness as much as with light. These are not children's books, nor romantic suspense books with pillow-soft sensibilities. Rowling is an astonishingly talented author, and she has the ability to bring the darkness in a way that can be all-enveloping and even overwhelming. Personally, at times while reading this book I felt sick to my stomach. At other times, I worried about this author with two authorial personas that I love - J.K. Rowling and Galbraith. She can write so very dark that it made me worry about her, but of course it's just that she is very, very good at what she does. Rowling's unflinching examinations of murder, pedophilia and abuse ring of truth. These are not the most pleasant topics, but the advantage of Rowling's chosen genre of hard-boiled detective fiction is the perspective it gives on the cesspools. In sympathy with the protagonists, we can stand to look into the blackness because we are safely removed from it, in sympathy with decent people who are battling against it. Our lead characters remain unsullied and admirable, if unconventional.
In my humble opinion, with just three books in the hard boiled detective genre Rowling has risen to become the top author all-time. Rowling surpasses them all with her insights about the human condition, including the depths of depravity.
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Reviews with images
In Heaven, Robert Glenister Narrates All Audiobooks
Really loving the series. Cormoran Strike is the perfect flawed protagonist. I'm continuing to enjoy both his story arc and Robin's as well. The series starts off with Robin's boyfriend proposing to her. He seems perfect. Their relationship seems perfect. But by book 3, we learn it is anything but.Career of Evil is about a serial killer who has his sights set on Strike. But he doesn't just want to kill strike. He wants to destroy him, and he starts off by delivering a severed leg to Robin.Strike figures it could be one of four men, and the story is about him and Robin trying to figure out which. No big mystery, no big twist. But a riveting tale all the same based on the characters and plot.I also listened to it on audiobook, which as an extra layer of awesome. Robert Glenister is a spectacular narrator.
Top reviews from other countries
Steve Boyer
Brilliant, simply brilliant!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 10, 2024