Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Sphere (2023), 960 pages
Description
Fiction. Mystery. HTML:In the seventh installment in the Strike series, Cormoran and Robin must rescue a man ensnared in the trap of a dangerous cult. Private Detective Cormoran Strike is contacted by a worried father whose son, Will, has gone to join a religious cult in the depths of the Norfolk countryside. The Universal Humanitarian Church is, on the surface, a peaceable organization that campaigns for a better world. Yet Strike discovers that beneath the surface there are deeply sinister undertones, and unexplained deaths. In order to try to rescue Will, Strike's business partner, Robin Ellacott, decides to infiltrate the cult, and she travels to Norfolk to live incognito among its members. But in doing so, she is unprepared for the dangers that await her there or for the toll it will take on her. . . Utterly page-turning, The Running Grave moves Strike's and Robin's story forward in this epic, unforgettable seventh installment of the series.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Bookmarque
So far I'm pretty sick of the cult propaganda (and it's only the first sermon, ha!), but am glad that Corm is taking his health and condition more seriously. It was painful to see him get into needlessly stupid situations because he ignored the special care his leg requires. About time he pulled
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his head out of his ass. Show Less
LibraryThing member thiscatsabroad
The Strike series has become ridiculously formulaic, & this one is no exception. The book is just long which makes me wonder if any editor dares to edit Rowling anymore. There are great moments in the book, but these are often punctuated with cut & paste scenes from previous books, or just more of
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the same (vis-a-vis the cult). Was definitely better than the last Strike novel. Show Less
LibraryThing member Aronfish
Another win for the Cormoran Strike series... this one centering on the efforts of Strike and Robin's detective agency to extricate the son of a client from a cult. Robin goes undercover in the "church", and the descriptions about what she endures and the constant fear of discovery makes this a
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chilling, gripping narrative. As always in this series, the sub-context of the detectives' feelings for one another and the deepening of the backstory of Strike's family background kept me turning the pages just as much! Show Less
LibraryThing member ecataldi
I was ENGROSSED from the beginning. Galbraith's writing and intricate plots keep getting better and better and I could not put this down. I literally stayed up until 2am last night to finish it like a crazy person. Strike and Robin's latest case is from a concerned father who just want to get their
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adult son back. Will Edensor has been taken in by the Universal Humanitarian Church (picture Scientology, but worse) and is unwilling to leave. Will has a delicate mental state and is easily coerced so they are sure that he is being taken advantage of. Robin agrees to go under cover and join the ranks of the UHC and what she discovers is far worse then they had imagined. They knew it was a cult, but what is going on at the farm is beyond the pale. It's dark, fucked up, and omg this book was intense. Such a great twisty read. I am already sad that I have to wait upwards of a year for the next book! Show Less
LibraryThing member diana.hauser
The Running Grave is Book #7 (of 7) of the Cormoran Strike series written by Robert Galbraith (pen name for J.K. Rowling).
This is the best title yet in the tense detective series. Each title seems to top the last. The Running Grave kept me on the edge of my seat for over 800+ pages on my Kindle.
When Cormoran and Robin’s agency begins to look into a religious cult for a client missing a beloved son, we are bombarded with Robin’s horrific undercover operation, secret identities, torturous activities and unexplained deaths. It is so tense, so sinister - one can’t stop reading.
Very highly recommended. *****
This is the best title yet in the tense detective series. Each title seems to top the last. The Running Grave kept me on the edge of my seat for over 800+ pages on my Kindle.
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Yes, it is a long one, yet every word, every page, every chapter counts.When Cormoran and Robin’s agency begins to look into a religious cult for a client missing a beloved son, we are bombarded with Robin’s horrific undercover operation, secret identities, torturous activities and unexplained deaths. It is so tense, so sinister - one can’t stop reading.
Very highly recommended. *****
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LibraryThing member 06nwingert
J.K. Rowling (alias Robert Galbraith) does it again. In this, the seventh installment of the Cormoran Strike series, Strike and Robin are tasked with getting a man out of a religious cult. The UHC seems to be a decent church, but it’s much more sinister: a religious cult that engages in sexual
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and physical abuse, and murder. Robin infiltrates that cult, pretending to be a member for 4 months. Those chapters are anxiety-inducing, as you see the horrors behind the scenes. There are several themes in the tome: people believing dumb things when they’re young, and how people can be manipulated, to name a few. This is my second favorite in the series (Lethal White, book 4, is my favorite). Show Less
LibraryThing member bookworm12
I just love reading about these two. Book 5 remains my favorite, but i couldn’t put this one. Robin goes undercover in a cult while Cormoran call down the fort and all their other cases. There’s a lot of growth as they each come to terms with their unhealthy habits from the past, so they can
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move forward to a better future. At this point most people reading this series either love it or don’t, this one stays in the same vein. It didn’t disappoint. Show Less
LibraryThing member Figgles
The seventh installment of the Strike/Ellacott series sees a welcome return to form from Galbraith/Rowling after the disappointing Ink Black Heart. The Running Grave sees Strike and Ellacott investigating a religious cult, at the instigation of a wealthy client who's son has vanished into the
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cult's headquarters in Norfolk. Robin goes under deep cover as a cult convert and, at risk to her health and sanity, begins to unravel the multiple strands of abuse and corruption that are hidden behind the fascade of universal love and good works. I very much enjoyed the development of some of the previous minor characters such as Pat the chain smoking office manager and the continuing UST between Robin and Cormoran. A horrifying but enjoyable read. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookappeal
The first section is unnecessary but overall, this is a more gripping plot than the previous book.
LibraryThing member TobinElliott
I know it's not cool, or politically correct to admit to liking J.K. Rowling anymore, and I know there's many out there now who—despite having devoured her first little series about a boy named Harry—disavow her writing prowess.
But, the intricate plotting she used to build the seven books of
This book.
It's huge. But for me, the mark of a damn good book is when I'm pulled in so tightly, when I'm caught up so hard in the characters and events of the story that I just need to find out what comes next. And for me, this book did that. Rowling has littered the vast number of pages with seeming innocuous points that all come crashing together in a spectacular climax.
I am literally in awe of the story she's built here.
But it's not just the story, it's also the characters, and especially the nefarious church she's created. The scenes of Robin in the church are so well written, the indoctrination so well detailed, and the inevitable horrors so diabolical, that I was completely sold. This wasn't a story for me, this was real.
I could go on how the low raters of this novel have completely missed points, but I won't convert anyone, so I'll leave that to someone smarter than me.
All I will say is, this is easily the best book of the series so far, and I am eagerly awaiting the next installment.
But, the intricate plotting she used to build the seven books of
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that series were just a test run for what she's doing now.This book.
It's huge. But for me, the mark of a damn good book is when I'm pulled in so tightly, when I'm caught up so hard in the characters and events of the story that I just need to find out what comes next. And for me, this book did that. Rowling has littered the vast number of pages with seeming innocuous points that all come crashing together in a spectacular climax.
I am literally in awe of the story she's built here.
But it's not just the story, it's also the characters, and especially the nefarious church she's created. The scenes of Robin in the church are so well written, the indoctrination so well detailed, and the inevitable horrors so diabolical, that I was completely sold. This wasn't a story for me, this was real.
I could go on how the low raters of this novel have completely missed points, but I won't convert anyone, so I'll leave that to someone smarter than me.
All I will say is, this is easily the best book of the series so far, and I am eagerly awaiting the next installment.
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LibraryThing member KallieGrace
I don't know why I'm still reading these, but the Strike/Robin chemistry pulled me in from the first few. Mysteries just do not need to be this long. They just don't. And there's so little interaction between the two over all those pages that it's exasperating to be reading for the chemistry. All
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that said, this was a better mystery than the last few, and the cult was truly terrifying and anxiety inducing. I don't know why they sent Robin in, given the threat of sexual violence and her history, when she couldn't talk herself out of the punishment box how was she going to get out of rape? I'm glad that didn't happen, but still. They were trying to get a man out of the cult, so it seems like a man would have been better suited for connecting with him too. Any way, there was one relationship bomb dropped in the last few sentences as always, so I'll probably be back for more. Sigh. Show Less
LibraryThing member Romonko
I have to say that this book grabbed me. Right from the opening quotation, to the final page! It takes a lot to keep me enthralled for over 1,100 pages of book! I was so enthralled that I didn't feel like just reading the book, I also listened to it on audible as I was wading my way through it.
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That's why I love audible! I can still listen while I am busy doing something else. As it turns out, I listened to over half of the book this way. This is a definite winner, but that doesn't mean that it wasn't difficult to wade through. The first half of the book, while Robin was in extreme danger undercover in a religious cult, I could barely keep going. I should mention that the audio book is 34 Hours + in length, but i still managed to keep listening and reading for seven days. It kept me on the edge of my seat, or on my feet, for every single one of those days. It's been a long while since I've had a book take over my life like this one. Yes, parts of the book are certainly cringe worthy, and parts are just pure terror. But let me tell me you, by the time the book ends, I couldn't believe the depths that the Universal Humanitarian Church would go to preserve their persona and their reputation. It was difficult to decide which scenarios in the book were the real story. Was it the Church itself, was it the degradation and subservience of the people inside the church, was it the unexplainable disappearance of a seven-year-old girl. or was it the atrocities that were committed in the name of religion? After finishing, I can't tell you which of these was the main story behind the continuous battering of my senses and made me question th surety of my knowing of what was right and wrong. What I do know is that I did not even guess the main thrust of the story until the final denouement. I highly recommend this series, and this book especially, but I do feel that the other books in the series should be read before this one. That is the only way that a reader will ever be able to grasp what is going on here, and most importantly, how much it affected the personalities of the main characters. Show Less
LibraryThing member infjsarah
Wow - this novel was fantastic. I always enjoy the Strike novels but the last one was a 1000 pages and was too long.
The Running Grave is also a 1000 pages but I never felt it was too long. Cults, Robin in danger - physically and emotionally. It was unputdownable.
My least favourite part of the
Read this series - but start from the beginning...........
The Running Grave is also a 1000 pages but I never felt it was too long. Cults, Robin in danger - physically and emotionally. It was unputdownable.
My least favourite part of the
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series (the will they won't they romance) is present but because Strike and Robin are apart for much of the novel, it's far less intrusive and thus annoying.Read this series - but start from the beginning...........
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LibraryThing member Kathy89
Robin goes undercover in a religious cult to find the son of their client who wants to know if he’s still alive, or just brainwashed since there’s been no contact. While there she’s been subjected to mind games, malnutrition, torture, physical assault, sexual groping, and witnessing a
Spoiler:
The secondary storyline of Strike and Robin is left as a cliffhanger. Looking forward to the next installmentr.
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severely ill child on his deathbed denied medical attention. Meanwhile, on the outside, Strike and the team are interviewing former members and hangers on before Robin manages to escape. The threat to Robin was always there, and is even after her escape during the next part of the investigation. Spoiler:
The secondary storyline of Strike and Robin is left as a cliffhanger. Looking forward to the next installmentr.
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LibraryThing member foggidawn
Strike and Robin are hired to try to extract a young man who has joined a cult. As they investigate, they begin to discover secrets that could take the whole organization down.
Another solid entry in this series. I listened to the audiobook during my holiday travel, and felt that it really could
Another solid entry in this series. I listened to the audiobook during my holiday travel, and felt that it really could
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have been edited down. Interviews, in particular, feel exhaustive and drawn out -- probably realistic, but it makes for heavy going, though I might not have noticed it if I read it in text format. (Also, the narrator, though talented at a variety of British accents, does a very poor American one.) Despite the length, I stayed engaged in the plot and invested in the characters, so I'd recommend this to other fans of the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member drthubbie
J. K. Rowling writes well and I enjoy her plots but carrying on the "will they/won't they" tease about the Cormoran/Robin relationship through 7 books gets a bit old.
LibraryThing member smik
Well, this must be the longest book I've ever read - Kindle tells me nearly 18 hours, page count 961, but to be honest, my interest in it never flagged. I did initially contemplate reading the hard copy edition, but eventually hopped between my Kindle and my Samsung tablet.
The story itself has a
Highly recommended.
The story itself has a
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huge time span, and an enormous range of characters, but the more you read, the more you want.Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member capewood
2024 book #10. Robin goes undercover to help extract a client's son from a cult. I mostly enjoyed it except for the length, it was too long. There were so many clues and loose ends that when the denouement finally came I had a hard time following it (and it was pages long).
LibraryThing member creighley
Private Detective CormoranStrike is contacted by a worried father whose son,Will, has gone to join a religious cult in the depths of the Norfolk countryside.
The Universal Humanitarian Church is, on the surface, a peaceable organization that campaigns for a better world. Yet Strike discovers that
In order to try to rescue Will, Strike’s business partner, Robin Ellacott, decides to infiltrate the cult, and she travels to Norfolk to live incognito among its members.
The Universal Humanitarian Church is, on the surface, a peaceable organization that campaigns for a better world. Yet Strike discovers that
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beneath the surface there are deeply sinister undertones, and unexplained deaths. In order to try to rescue Will, Strike’s business partner, Robin Ellacott, decides to infiltrate the cult, and she travels to Norfolk to live incognito among its members.
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LibraryThing member malcrf
Typical JKR/Strike. Great characters, vivid prose, intricate plot, compelling reading.
LibraryThing member pgchuis
I had to read this very quickly because I was experiencing so much anxiety about Robin being undercover in the UHC cult compound. It was overlong as usual, but I found it gripping and a real return to form after the last one.
LibraryThing member reading_fox
Not my favourite. Although not in anyway explicit, it's very dark in content, and doesn't quite work mostly because I don't really think of religious cults in a UK setting. I know we have had them, but never quite to this extreme.
Strike and Robin get asked to investigate whether there's any chance
It's a cruel and evil conspiracy that is uncovered, never feels fully believable and as plot device, won't appeal to any fundamentalist religionists, but I suspect Rowling's past caring at this point. I still like the characters and agency and will continue reading.
Strike and Robin get asked to investigate whether there's any chance
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a son can be extracted from a religious cult called UHC. This leads to a side plot where another agency messed up and Strike has to deal with the competition. There's a lot of names and 'family' connections and they all tend to blur a bit, despite being critical to the plot of knowing who had influence where. There remains a degree of telling us what Robin and Strike are thinking rather than showing, it appears to be a style that Rowling has introduced for this series, but it remains annoying. The characters storylines all progress, the focus is mostly on Robin's agency work, and Strike's personal life which balances out quite well. It's a cruel and evil conspiracy that is uncovered, never feels fully believable and as plot device, won't appeal to any fundamentalist religionists, but I suspect Rowling's past caring at this point. I still like the characters and agency and will continue reading.
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Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2023-09-26
2023
Physical description
960 p.; 9.45 inches
ISBN
1408730944 / 9781408730942
Local notes
Ellacott goes undercover in a religious cult to try and rescue a brainwashed young man.