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Available
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Series
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Collection
Publication
Sphere (2020), Edition: 01, 784 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. Mystery. Thriller. HTML:In the epic fifth installment in this �??compulsively readable�?� (People) series, Galbraith�??s �??irresistible hero and heroine�?� (USA Today) take on the decades-old cold case of a missing doctor, one which may be their grisliest yet. Private Detective Cormoran Strike is visiting his family in Cornwall when he is approached by a woman asking for help finding her mother, Margot Bamborough�??who went missing in mysterious circumstances in 1974. Strike has never tackled a cold case before, let alone one forty years old. But despite the slim chance of success, he is intrigued and takes it on; adding to the long list of cases that he and his partner in the agency, Robin Ellacott, are currently working on. And Robin herself is also juggling a messy divorce and unwanted male attention, as well as battling her own feelings about Strike. As Strike and Robin investigate Margot�??s disappearance, they come up against a fiendishly complex case with leads that include tarot cards, a psychopathic serial killer and witnesses who cannot all be trusted. And they learn that even cases decades old can pro… (more)
Media reviews
The Guardian
A scrupulous plotter and master of misdirection, Galbraith keeps the pages turning but, while much of the book is terrific fun, is hardly a hair-raising ride. The languid pace and elderliness of the mystery (and indeed most of the suspects) give the enterprise the cosy air of a Sunday night TV
Strike and Ellacott, however, remain one of crime's most engaging duos. I am already eager for the next instalment. I just hope my aching arms can take it.
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drama. When the denouement finally comes, it is not quite satisfying enough to justify the page count. Strike and Ellacott, however, remain one of crime's most engaging duos. I am already eager for the next instalment. I just hope my aching arms can take it.
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User reviews
LibraryThing member pgchuis
This was Dickensian in its length - by the end I had forgotten who some of the earlier characters were. As ever, the Robin/Strike relationship is the best things about this book, although the appalling Morris was also entertaining. Thank goodness we have seen the back of Matthew.
LibraryThing member thiscatsabroad
Sort of Spoilers!
Certainly not the strongest of the Strike series, this novel would have benefited from the huge eraser of a good editor. Great swathes could have been mowed down to make this a far more enjoyable read. The zodiac component of Troubled Blood was excruciatingly tedious, & the huge
Certainly not the strongest of the Strike series, this novel would have benefited from the huge eraser of a good editor. Great swathes could have been mowed down to make this a far more enjoyable read. The zodiac component of Troubled Blood was excruciatingly tedious, & the huge
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build-up to the Creed interview a lunch-bag letdown The mystery itself didn´t disppoint, but it would have been far more delicious with just 600 pages before it, rather than 900-some. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookworm12
There was a lot to unpack and this one and it’s definitely my favorite of the series so far. I can’t believe how long this book was, but I never lost interest the whole time. I found myself wanting to read it as much as possible. The case moved slowly but each new witness they interviewed added
Cormoran's beloved Aunt Joan, who raised him for much of his childhood, is battling cancer. At the same time, his rock star absent father is looking to reconnect. Robin is living with a new roommate and dealing with divorce proceedings. I love seeing Robin gain confidence and trust her instincts about finding witnesses and following hunches. The scenes were Cormoran and Robin worked together, meeting over coffee and interviewing someone were my favorites. They learn from each other and always spur the other one to make more connections.
SPOILERS AHEAD
That ending! Both how the cold case was solved and the interactions between the partners. I love the the romance side of things didn't take over the book. Their friendship is what really grew. The we have his connection with the Anna Karenina line and the perfume at the end and there's so much space for more!
I loved that for the final murder reveal stepped away from the men hurting women narrative. In the end, the story is about brilliant women. One was smart enough to discover a serial killer and another who was the killer herself. That was so much more interesting ending than either of the two violent men who were the other suspects.
SPOILERS OVER
I felt like this one was perfectly plotted. It built slowly, but inevitably to a satisfying ending. I'm so impressed with how this series has gotten better with each book.
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a fascinating layer. Both Cormoran and Robin worked through some major personal issues, giving us even more insight into their characters.Cormoran's beloved Aunt Joan, who raised him for much of his childhood, is battling cancer. At the same time, his rock star absent father is looking to reconnect. Robin is living with a new roommate and dealing with divorce proceedings. I love seeing Robin gain confidence and trust her instincts about finding witnesses and following hunches. The scenes were Cormoran and Robin worked together, meeting over coffee and interviewing someone were my favorites. They learn from each other and always spur the other one to make more connections.
SPOILERS AHEAD
That ending! Both how the cold case was solved and the interactions between the partners. I love the the romance side of things didn't take over the book. Their friendship is what really grew. The we have his connection with the Anna Karenina line and the perfume at the end and there's so much space for more!
I loved that for the final murder reveal stepped away from the men hurting women narrative. In the end, the story is about brilliant women. One was smart enough to discover a serial killer and another who was the killer herself. That was so much more interesting ending than either of the two violent men who were the other suspects.
SPOILERS OVER
I felt like this one was perfectly plotted. It built slowly, but inevitably to a satisfying ending. I'm so impressed with how this series has gotten better with each book.
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LibraryThing member patcolin
As usual, JK Rowling writes with her usual brilliant character and scenic descriptions. I listened to the fantastic audible version of this novel and was very impressed. Having heard all the other books in this series, I feel I know Strike and Robin so well now, I want to meet them. Could do
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without all the astrology. What a writer! Show Less
LibraryThing member Doondeck
Good to see these characters back. Lots of plot lines and sometimes hard to follow the story. I have had enough astrology to last a lifetime.
LibraryThing member smik
I thought this novel owed quite a lot to the fact that Galbraith (J. K. Rowling) is the extremely successful author of the Harry Potter novels. Certainly as far as crime fiction goes, it is a very long and complex novel, with an amazing number of plot threads, and a huge array of interesting
In the background are the other investigations that the Strike/Ellacott firm have running simultaneously, their rising success, Strike's relationships with his family, and his relationship with Robin. All of that gives the novel a depth that is unusual in modern crime fiction, and yet it provides an interest that keeps the reader going, despite the length of the novel.
Highly recommended.
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characters. I wasn't so taken with the sections that owed so much to interpretation of tarot cards, and reading it on my kindle meant that I didn't get the most out of the full page illustrations that had been created by the first detective who had investigated the disappearance of Margot Bamborough forty years earlier. In the background are the other investigations that the Strike/Ellacott firm have running simultaneously, their rising success, Strike's relationships with his family, and his relationship with Robin. All of that gives the novel a depth that is unusual in modern crime fiction, and yet it provides an interest that keeps the reader going, despite the length of the novel.
Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member runner56
Troubled Blood is certainly a wordy novel and indeed it could be argued that a careful editing of the book might have reduced it to a more manageable and reader friendly experience. However Troubled Blood is a great example of what the author excels at; a multi character driven reading experience
Cormoran Strike has been instructed to revisit the historic case of Margot Bamborough who vanished some 40 years ago without trace, the whereabouts of her body never discovered. Suspicion has always rested with Dennis Creed, a serial killer active at the time but now incarcerated within the hallowed and imposing Victorian mental institution known as Broadmoor. I found the 927 page count the perfect platform for the author to explore the many and varied characters she introduces, possibly in an attempt to create a smoke screen, discussing and shielding the eventual identity of the real killer.
Added to this is the relationship (or not) between Strike and his estranged rockstar dad Jonny Rokeby, the relationship (or not) between Strike and his ex wife Charlotte, the relationship (or not) between Strike and his business partner Robin Ellacott. In addition to the main plot the detective agency has grown to accommodate an expanding case load and the two partners have a difficult task of managing effectively and solving all such briefs.
This is a book that needs to be read with a sense of urgency, putting to the back of his/her mind the ultimate goal, the unmasking of a killer. Rather the sheer enjoyment of Troubled Blood is the unpredictability of what will happen next, what delights and multiple characters appearing and disappearing with equal regularity. The fifth book in the Strike series again proves what a master storyteller Robert Galbraith is, her painstaking meticulous approach a delight from start to finish.
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encompassing what is best described as a complex plot. I am a great admirer of character driven stories and enjoy nothing better than delving into the lives of both main and secondary players. I believe this adds greatly to the reading experience and allows the author numerous opportunities to confuse, excite and often delight budding amateur sleuths.Cormoran Strike has been instructed to revisit the historic case of Margot Bamborough who vanished some 40 years ago without trace, the whereabouts of her body never discovered. Suspicion has always rested with Dennis Creed, a serial killer active at the time but now incarcerated within the hallowed and imposing Victorian mental institution known as Broadmoor. I found the 927 page count the perfect platform for the author to explore the many and varied characters she introduces, possibly in an attempt to create a smoke screen, discussing and shielding the eventual identity of the real killer.
Added to this is the relationship (or not) between Strike and his estranged rockstar dad Jonny Rokeby, the relationship (or not) between Strike and his ex wife Charlotte, the relationship (or not) between Strike and his business partner Robin Ellacott. In addition to the main plot the detective agency has grown to accommodate an expanding case load and the two partners have a difficult task of managing effectively and solving all such briefs.
This is a book that needs to be read with a sense of urgency, putting to the back of his/her mind the ultimate goal, the unmasking of a killer. Rather the sheer enjoyment of Troubled Blood is the unpredictability of what will happen next, what delights and multiple characters appearing and disappearing with equal regularity. The fifth book in the Strike series again proves what a master storyteller Robert Galbraith is, her painstaking meticulous approach a delight from start to finish.
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LibraryThing member 06nwingert
J.K. Rowling—alias—Robert Galbraith does it again! The fifth book in the Cormoran Strike series is just as a good as the previous installments. Stoke and Robin are asked to investigate a missing person, Dr. Margot Brambuagh— from forty years ago. Strike and Robin delve into the past, while
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living in the present: their business partnership becomes more-than-friendly, more-than-business. Strikes familial ties are mentioned, as well: his aunt Joan battles cancer, and strike reveals his true feelings about his father. Just when you think you have the suspect, there’s another bombshell. Show Less
LibraryThing member susandennis
Even a mediocre editor could have chopped this sucker in two, lost nothing and rewarded readers with extra life. Even so, the story was rich and interesting. Better even than the other Cormoran Strike books.
LibraryThing member Romonko
I have loved all the Cormoran Strike books up to now, and I knew I would love this one, but I was a little daunted when I realized it was 900+ pages. I wondered how Galbraith (Rowling) could keep a detective book interesting throughout. Well I needn't have worried. This book is a corker. It kept me
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going right through, and the twist at the end, I did not see coming. In this book we see Cormoran and his lovely partner Robin going flat out with their detective agency. They have even hired contract investigators to help with the work. Then they are asked by a daughter to try to find out what happened to her mother over 40 years ago. The young doctor was last seen leaving her surgery and was going to meet a friend at a pub close to her office. It was pouring rain when she left, and she was never seen again, The police bungled the search for her badly, and she had not been found when her daughter Anna hired Cormoran and Robin to find her. They have never taken on a cold case before, let alone one that was as stone-cold as this one, but both are intrigued and decide to take it on Pouring through old evidence files, old police notes and police notebooks and writings, and trying to find the remaining living witnesses, they try to piece together what happened to Margot. I loved seeing how this incredible team work together to solve puzzles, and their processes and interviewing skills are outlined clearly in the book. Not only that, but we get a closer look at Strike's and Robin's private lives. Robin is going through a messy divorce, and Strike is torn between London and Cornwall where his aunt who raised him is dying of cancer. There is never a dull moment in this book, and I was sad to close the covers at the end. I even had one or two sleepless nights because I was obsessed with this book. I loved Cormoran Strike and Robin before I read this, but now they have been elevated to my favourite detectives and this series is my favourite series. I can't wait to read more to see how their partnership and friendship develop after this gruelling case. Show Less
LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
I remember from when my nephew and nieces were eagerly devouring each new Harry Potter book that the latest one always seemed to be bigger than its predecessor. That theme seems to be continuing with J K Rowling’s crime novels featuring Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott. This latest weights in
The story opens about a year after the events recounted in Lethal White. Cormoran Strike is spending much of his time down in Cornwall, visiting the aunt who brought him up, but whose health is now failing as she succumbs to terminal cancer. Robin is now a partner in the firm, rather than merely one among several of Cormoran’s employees. She is, however, far from settled in life, finding herself being dragged through an increasingly acrimonious divorce from husband Matthew, who seems to be going out of his way to make the separation as difficult and expensive (both financially and emotionally) as possible. She is also working longer hours than ever as she tries to cover up for Cormoran’s unavoidable absences.
They have several long-running cases on their books, and the two of them, and the various investigators whom they retain as subcontractors, are fully stretched. They do, however, agree to take on the strange case of a doctor who disappeared one Friday evening nearly forty years ago. At the time, the police assumed that she had fallen victim to a serial killer who had abducted, tortured and then murdered a long string of victims, although they never found anything solid evidence to connect the doctor to the convicted murderer, and he never confirmed that she had been among his victims. Cormoran and Robin are commissioned by the doctor’s daughter to see whether they can uncover any clearer idea of what might have befallen her.
Rowling/Galbraith dexterously weaves this sad tale in and around the other cases that the agency is pursuing. Her plot management is amazing, and there seems to be no limit to the number of plates she can keep spinning atop their respective poles. All of the cases being undertaken by Cormoran Robin have their own idiosyncrasies, but they are all followed assiduously. Similarly, Rowling/Galbraith is an acute observer of relationships, and captures the tensions and misunderstandings that close working and long hours can bring to a small business.
The principal plotline, concerning the fate of the doctor, is a masterpiece in its own right, featuring tensions and rivalries within the surgery where the doctor was based, and also highlights the stresses that police officers feel when following high profile cases amid the crucible of media attention.
This is a well-constructed, well written and very entertaining novel, whatever it might have done to my wrists!
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at 928 pages of fairly small type, and having bought it in hardback, I genuinely found it difficult to read at times simply because my wrists didn’t seem up to the task in hand. Fortunately, my wrists weren’t subject to prolonged torment because the story was so gripping that I read through it very quickly. The story opens about a year after the events recounted in Lethal White. Cormoran Strike is spending much of his time down in Cornwall, visiting the aunt who brought him up, but whose health is now failing as she succumbs to terminal cancer. Robin is now a partner in the firm, rather than merely one among several of Cormoran’s employees. She is, however, far from settled in life, finding herself being dragged through an increasingly acrimonious divorce from husband Matthew, who seems to be going out of his way to make the separation as difficult and expensive (both financially and emotionally) as possible. She is also working longer hours than ever as she tries to cover up for Cormoran’s unavoidable absences.
They have several long-running cases on their books, and the two of them, and the various investigators whom they retain as subcontractors, are fully stretched. They do, however, agree to take on the strange case of a doctor who disappeared one Friday evening nearly forty years ago. At the time, the police assumed that she had fallen victim to a serial killer who had abducted, tortured and then murdered a long string of victims, although they never found anything solid evidence to connect the doctor to the convicted murderer, and he never confirmed that she had been among his victims. Cormoran and Robin are commissioned by the doctor’s daughter to see whether they can uncover any clearer idea of what might have befallen her.
Rowling/Galbraith dexterously weaves this sad tale in and around the other cases that the agency is pursuing. Her plot management is amazing, and there seems to be no limit to the number of plates she can keep spinning atop their respective poles. All of the cases being undertaken by Cormoran Robin have their own idiosyncrasies, but they are all followed assiduously. Similarly, Rowling/Galbraith is an acute observer of relationships, and captures the tensions and misunderstandings that close working and long hours can bring to a small business.
The principal plotline, concerning the fate of the doctor, is a masterpiece in its own right, featuring tensions and rivalries within the surgery where the doctor was based, and also highlights the stresses that police officers feel when following high profile cases amid the crucible of media attention.
This is a well-constructed, well written and very entertaining novel, whatever it might have done to my wrists!
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LibraryThing member purpledog
This was quite the tome and I worried that I might struggle with it. Yet, I enjoyed the other books in this series so much I wanted to at least give it a try. I need not have worried. I became so absorbed with the story and in the lives of Strike and Robin that the pages just flew by. It is one of
The plot is realistic and totally believable. I found that it is was way too easy to get lost in the nuances. Which is why the character of Strike works well with the plot. Not only is he smart but he is good with details. Then you have the underlying fire between Strike and Robin. It is such a slow burn and added an extra level of depth to the story. I am dying to read the next book and see what new challenges they face and where this unresolved tension between them goes. I am not sure I can stand the wait.
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those rare books that is just so well written you don’t even realize how long it truly is. The plot is realistic and totally believable. I found that it is was way too easy to get lost in the nuances. Which is why the character of Strike works well with the plot. Not only is he smart but he is good with details. Then you have the underlying fire between Strike and Robin. It is such a slow burn and added an extra level of depth to the story. I am dying to read the next book and see what new challenges they face and where this unresolved tension between them goes. I am not sure I can stand the wait.
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LibraryThing member Lukerik
The thing about this novel is how real it feels. Some of this is because it is. If you don’t live nearby it’s worth hopping on google street view and following Margot’s last journey as Robin and Strike retrace it. But it’s not just real details like that. It’s the build up of incidental
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detail not relevant to the plot, the believable psychology of the characters and the flawless dialogue. There were a couple of points where it felt so real it actually destroyed my suspension of disbelief. Take the scene where our heroes interview Irene and Janice. We’ve all met Irene. That’s exactly how she talks. And it’s at times like that that we see the ranged joining and parting lines of our lives. The easy downward gradient leads to the twinge of guilt, the trial, life imprisonment. The harder track is not to murder her, not to squeeze the life from her reddening neck for just one minute of silence. Show Less
LibraryThing member diana.hauser
TROUBLED BLOOD is Book #5 of the Cormoran Strike novels. TROUBLED BLOOD is written by Robert Galbraith. [Robert Galbraith is a pen name of J.K. Rowling.]
The book is magnificent. One of the best crime novels/detective novels I have ever read. Once I started reading I couldn’t put it down -
I would give it 10 stars if I could. **********
The book is magnificent. One of the best crime novels/detective novels I have ever read. Once I started reading I couldn’t put it down -
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well-written and very well-paced. I would give it 10 stars if I could. **********
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LibraryThing member Kathy89
I finally finished the audiobook .. all 31 hrs. It needed an editor. While visiting his sick aunt in Cornwall, Comoron is approached by a woman who wants him to look into the disappearance of her mother 40 yrs ago. The woman was a doctor and walked out her clinic and was believed to have been
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kidnapped and murdered by a notorious serial killer of the time. While travelling back and forth to Cornwall, talking to everyone who knew the doctor, leaving a lot of work to Robin, including an uncomfortable work situation and lots of individual personal problems. Not my favorite in the series and gave it 3 stars because I like Comoroan and Robin but it was too long and covoluted. Show Less
LibraryThing member John_Warner
J.K. Rowling may be better known as the creator of the Harry Potter series, what she is one darn good storyteller. She is as skilled in the world of crime fiction writing under the pseudonym of Robert Galbraith, as she is in the world of fantasy.
Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott's detective agency
Although this book can be read as a standalone, it is not as rich an experience as when the reader immerses himself or herself in the worlds of the pair of detectives beginning with The Cuckoo's Calling. In the current book, Cormoran continues to wrestles with his relationships with his beautiful ex-girlfriend, Charlotte Campbell and his biological father, famous rock star Jonny Rokeby. Robin is struggling with the breakup of her marriage with an over-controlling man who never liked her current private investigation career. Finally, Cormoran and Robin are dealing with romantic feelings toward each other, fearing that to act on them would result in an end to their satisfactory business arrangement.
Rather than read this series, I have been listening to them on audiobooks. There are so many characters in each book, it helps for each to have their respective voices. Robert Glenister, as the narrator, does a splendid job in providing the voices to both male and female characters, characters with differing English accents and dialects. The book will mention one character's East London accent but I can't appreciate this description until I hear the voice. I'm sure that Mr. Glenister had to do retakes on the voices even if the final product seems to be so seamless.
If you are an adult reader who has enjoyed, like me, the Harry Potter series, you might pick up the Cormoran Strike series.
Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott's detective agency
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continues to bask in profitable notoriety after several difficult-to-crack cases are solved. The pair are asked to look into a decades-old mystery when a woman approaches the agency to discover what happened to her mother, Dr. Margot Bamborough, who disappeared almost forty years ago. Was she truly as presumed the victim of a now imprisoned serial killer? Might she still be alive? To solve the case, Cormoran and Robin, will need to investigate her career as a Playboy bunny and a physician of a medical clinic while also juggling with their respective personal lives.Although this book can be read as a standalone, it is not as rich an experience as when the reader immerses himself or herself in the worlds of the pair of detectives beginning with The Cuckoo's Calling. In the current book, Cormoran continues to wrestles with his relationships with his beautiful ex-girlfriend, Charlotte Campbell and his biological father, famous rock star Jonny Rokeby. Robin is struggling with the breakup of her marriage with an over-controlling man who never liked her current private investigation career. Finally, Cormoran and Robin are dealing with romantic feelings toward each other, fearing that to act on them would result in an end to their satisfactory business arrangement.
Rather than read this series, I have been listening to them on audiobooks. There are so many characters in each book, it helps for each to have their respective voices. Robert Glenister, as the narrator, does a splendid job in providing the voices to both male and female characters, characters with differing English accents and dialects. The book will mention one character's East London accent but I can't appreciate this description until I hear the voice. I'm sure that Mr. Glenister had to do retakes on the voices even if the final product seems to be so seamless.
If you are an adult reader who has enjoyed, like me, the Harry Potter series, you might pick up the Cormoran Strike series.
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LibraryThing member ecataldi
First off, obligatory disclaimer that I do not endorse JK Rowling and her transphobic views. I am eliminating the author from this book series (as I have with Alexi, Diaz, Carroll, and others) and appreciating the story for the story. Personally I think this is my favorite in the series. Which says
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a lot as this dense book is over NINE HUNDRED PAGES! I've been all in on Cormoran Strike since the first book in the series and I love him even more now. I love that Robin is his full fledged partner and I love that beneath their mutual respect is simmering slow burn attraction (kiss already!). For the first time ever they decide to take on a cold case about a woman who disappeared more than thirty years prior and what they have to go on isn't much. Everyone assumes the Essex Butcher murdered her along with others but there has never been any proof. When Strike and Robin finally get their hands on the police notes they're horrified by the state of the case. It was mishandled from the beginning and the officer in charge back in the day suffered a neurotic break in the middle of it - attributing suspects to black magic and astrology. On top of that Strike's aunt, the woman who raised him, is slowly dying and Robin's ex-husband is determined to draw out the divorce proceedings. They have their hands full. So many layers and twists and turns - I didn't see the end coming. Fantastic detective novel!! Show Less
LibraryThing member infjsarah
This is a long book but I did enjoy it a lot. Enjoyable & different plot but I did get lost as to who was who at times. Still not a fan of the will they, won't they plot and TG it stayed that way.
LibraryThing member invisiblelizard
Here's my problem with detective stories where all the detective(s) have to do is run around and talk to a bunch of people to collect clues about the crime they are investigating: the story seems to do little more than just a bunch of people talking. For a novel about grisly murders, this one sure
That said, I'm five books in and completely invested in the story of Cormoran and Robin, so if she writes another one I'll probably read it. The previous book was a lot better (if I recall) so maybe there's hope. This one needed to be a couple hundred pages shorter and my god it needed some actual things to happen. Dullest mystery I've ever read. Even Sherlock Holmes got into some fisticuffs from time to time.
Last thought: there was a lot of controversy about her including a cross dressing killer in this book due to her public comments related to the transgendered community. In my opinion, that plot device was completely unneeded. This book would have been exactly the same if the killer in question had never dressed up like a woman. I seriously doubt she was actively trying to represent all trans people in a negative light, but she wasn't trying very hard to help them either. My guess is she pulled a page from The Silence of the Lambs and thought this would make him, I don't know... creepy? Anyway, it's a very minor point and ultimately didn't matter at all. If you don't want to support Rowling because of her views, don't buy the book, but if you're on the fence about it, don't let this minor plot annoyance stop you from reading it. There are plenty of other reasons not to read it. If you're curious about how Cormoran and Robin are getting along, 944 pages is quite a slog to find out two or three tidbits that you already suspected.
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didn't do much more than give Rowling a chance to write a lot of dialog. Also, the reveal at the end wasn't that interesting because she dropped zero clues that this was the solution to the big case. So when we found out whodunit, we were left scratching our heads wondering how on earth that could have happened. This is no spoiler to say that the solution was out in left field for the first 90% of the entire novel.That said, I'm five books in and completely invested in the story of Cormoran and Robin, so if she writes another one I'll probably read it. The previous book was a lot better (if I recall) so maybe there's hope. This one needed to be a couple hundred pages shorter and my god it needed some actual things to happen. Dullest mystery I've ever read. Even Sherlock Holmes got into some fisticuffs from time to time.
Last thought: there was a lot of controversy about her including a cross dressing killer in this book due to her public comments related to the transgendered community. In my opinion, that plot device was completely unneeded. This book would have been exactly the same if the killer in question had never dressed up like a woman. I seriously doubt she was actively trying to represent all trans people in a negative light, but she wasn't trying very hard to help them either. My guess is she pulled a page from The Silence of the Lambs and thought this would make him, I don't know... creepy? Anyway, it's a very minor point and ultimately didn't matter at all. If you don't want to support Rowling because of her views, don't buy the book, but if you're on the fence about it, don't let this minor plot annoyance stop you from reading it. There are plenty of other reasons not to read it. If you're curious about how Cormoran and Robin are getting along, 944 pages is quite a slog to find out two or three tidbits that you already suspected.
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LibraryThing member almin
Great addition to the series....I had some difficulty keeping track of the many characters, but the x-ray feature on Kindle helped. The mystery kept me guessing and I was surprised with the resolution to the mysterious disappearance of Margot Bamborough. This was a long book (over 900 pages), but I
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never once was bored or skimmed. I love the development of the relationship between Strike and Robin, so cautious and thoughtful, always weighing their attraction against their business relationship. Looking forward to the next installment in the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member passion4reading
While visiting his aunt and uncle in Cornwall, Cormoran Strike is approached by a woman who would like him to investigate the disappearance of her mother, a GP at a London practice, thirty-nine years ago. Strike and Robin agree to take on the case, with the investigation limited to a year; they
I thought this was a great addition to the canon, though I would have preferred if the astrological angle had not been given quite such prominence in the plot, as it slowed down the pace and made it unnecessarily complicated to follow. RG/JKR neatly runs several threads through the story, such as motherly love andpreconceptions based on people's appearances/professions , the latter of which turned out to be one of the clues that leads Cormoran to the solution in the end, which I did not see coming.
Strike and Robin deal with some personal issues during the course of the novel, both individually and together, and it will be interesting to see how this part of the characters will be developed; that being said, I thought the scene with Robin and the tarot cards at the end was unnecessary, clumsy and too much in your face when subtlety is the name of the game. But of course I'll still be queuing up to be one of the first to lay my hands on volume no. 6 when it comes out.
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interview former colleagues and other associated persons, sift through the police files – including the astrological ramblings of the first investigating detective – and try to follow up leads that resulted in a dead end almost forty years ago.I thought this was a great addition to the canon, though I would have preferred if the astrological angle had not been given quite such prominence in the plot, as it slowed down the pace and made it unnecessarily complicated to follow. RG/JKR neatly runs several threads through the story, such as motherly love and
Strike and Robin deal with some personal issues during the course of the novel, both individually and together, and it will be interesting to see how this part of the characters will be developed; that being said, I thought the scene with Robin and the tarot cards at the end was unnecessary, clumsy and too much in your face when subtlety is the name of the game. But of course I'll still be queuing up to be one of the first to lay my hands on volume no. 6 when it comes out.
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LibraryThing member adaorhell
These little detective novels are quite fun. We would call them beach books, in another life.
LibraryThing member PatsyMurray
I was surprised to find out the identity of the murderer! It is one of those books that is its own world, and I chose it for that purpose - to escape my present. Still, I did think it was too long. If you deleted all of the references to Strike smoking you would probably save twenty pages! An
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enjoyable read, but not a classic. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheWasp
Private detectives Cormoran Strike and Robyn Ellacot are hired to solve the mystery disappearance of doctor Margo Bamborough 40 years ago which was attributed to a serial killer although her body was never found. Lots of interesting characters.
The book is very long and at over 900 pages was
The book is very long and at over 900 pages was
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starting to get a bit heavy.. Show Less
LibraryThing member pierthinker
This is the fifth instalment of Robert Galbraith’s (a nom de plume of J. K. Rowling) series of crime/thriller novels featuring Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott. The crime under investigation is a 40-year old missing person and this turns out to be an extraordinarily complex and convoluted case
A large part of the book addresses the complex relationship between Strike and his business partner Robin. Both of them address major personal traumas in the book that make them reconsider their own on/off desires for each other. This is a very realistic appraisal of the way relationships are shaped by complex multi-dimensional characters trying to work out who they are and what they want out of life and of each other.
Distinctly lacking in action and with fewer laughs than previous volumes this is, nonetheless, an immersive and immensely satisfying read.
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and, frankly, I got lost half a dozen times in the twists, miserly revealing of clues and fiendishly difficult appraisal of the original police notes. The final reveal is a satisfying turnaround, but is a bit like saying - ‘Of course, why did I not see this before, replace “elephant” with “swine flu” and all becomes clear!’A large part of the book addresses the complex relationship between Strike and his business partner Robin. Both of them address major personal traumas in the book that make them reconsider their own on/off desires for each other. This is a very realistic appraisal of the way relationships are shaped by complex multi-dimensional characters trying to work out who they are and what they want out of life and of each other.
Distinctly lacking in action and with fewer laughs than previous volumes this is, nonetheless, an immersive and immensely satisfying read.
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Awards
Crime Writers' Association Awards (Shortlist — 2021)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2020-09-15 (UK)
2020-09-29 (US)
ISBN
0751579939 / 9780751579932
Local notes
As Strike and Robin investigate Margot's disappearance, they come up against a fiendishly complex case with leads that include tarot cards, a psychopathic serial killer and witnesses who cannot all be trusted. And they learn that even cases decades old can prove to be deadly.