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Cormoran Strike #3
El oficio del mal
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Mystery & Thriller (2015)Además de una trama de suspense ingeniosamente construida y repleta de giros inesperados, El oficio del mal nos ofrece una historia apasionante sobre un hombre y una mujer en una encrucijada tanto personal como profesional.
Un nuevo caso de Cormoran Strike.
En un paquete misterioso que ha llegado a la oficina, Robin Ellacott encuentra, horrorizada, una pierna de mujer.
Su jefe, el detective privado Cormoran Strike, se muestra tanto o más sobresaltado ante el hallazgo, aunque mucho menos sorprendido. Hay cuatro personas de su pasado que podrían estar involucradas en el envío, y Strike sabe que todas ellas son capaces de actuar de una forma tan cruel y abominable.
Mientras la policía se concentra en la única pista que Strike ya ha descartado, éste y Robin deciden investigar por su cuenta y se sumergen en el mundo siniestro de los otros tres sospechosos. Pero cuando varios hechos igual de aterradores empiezan a sucederse, Strike y Robin se dan cuenta de que el tiempo se les agota por momentos...
La crítica ha dicho...
«La mejor novela de la saga protagonizada por el detective Cormoran Strike [...]. Galbraith ha creado un personaje que nos hiela la sangre desde la dura pero electrizante primera escena [...]. Un noir trepidante y lleno de sorpresas, que se despliegan con una impecable lógica literaria.»
USA Today
«Galbraith demuestra un dominio absoluto de la complejidad de la trama y del género en sí.»
Toronto Star
«Strike y Robin, tan magnéticos como siempre.»
The New York Times
«Una novela que atrapa. Una historia sorprendente, escabrosa, vibrante y satisfactoria.»
NYT Book Review
«Un thriller inteligente y adictivo.»
The Sunday Mirror
«Es muy difícil resistirse y no seguir leyendo; te mantendrá en vela toda la noche.»
The Observer
626 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 20, 2015
About the author
Robert Galbraith
35 books33.5k followersThis is a pseudonym for J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series and The Casual Vacancy, a novel for adults.
NOTE: There is more than one author with this name on Goodreads.
Rowling was born to Anne Rowling (née Volant) and Peter James Rowling, a Rolls-Royce aircraft engineer, on 31 July 1965 in Yate, Gloucestershire, England, 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Bristol. Her mother Anne was half-French and half-Scottish. Her parents first met on a train departing from King's Cross Station bound for Arbroath in 1964. They married on 14 March 1965. Her mother's maternal grandfather, Dugald Campbell, was born in Lamlash on the Isle of Arran. Her mother's paternal grandfather, Louis Volant, was awarded the Croix de Guerre for exceptional bravery in defending the village of Courcelles-le-Comte during the First World War.
Rowling's sister Dianne was born at their home when Rowling was 23 months old. The family moved to the nearby village Winterbourne when Rowling was four. She attended St Michael's Primary School, a school founded by abolitionist William Wilberforce and education reformer Hannah More. Her headmaster at St Michael's, Alfred Dunn, has been suggested as the inspiration for the Harry Potter headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
As a child, Rowling often wrote fantasy stories, which she would usually then read to her sister. She recalls that: "I can still remember me telling her a story in which she fell down a rabbit hole and was fed strawberries by the rabbit family inside it. Certainly the first story I ever wrote down (when I was five or six) was about a rabbit called Rabbit. He got the measles and was visited by his friends, including a giant bee called Miss Bee." At the age of nine, Rowling moved to Church Cottage in the Gloucestershire village of Tutshill, close to Chepstow, Wales. When she was a young teenager, her great aunt, who Rowling said "taught classics and approved of a thirst for knowledge, even of a questionable kind," gave her a very old copy of Jessica Mitford's autobiography, Hons and Rebels. Mitford became Rowling's heroine, and Rowling subsequently read all of her books.
Rowling has said of her teenage years, in an interview with The New Yorker, "I wasn’t particularly happy. I think it’s a dreadful time of life." She had a difficult homelife; her mother was ill and she had a difficult relationship with her father (she is no longer on speaking terms with him). She attended secondary school at Wyedean School and College, where her mother had worked as a technician in the science department. Rowling said of her adolescence, "Hermione [a bookish, know-it-all Harry Potter character] is loosely based on me. She's a caricature of me when I was eleven, which I'm not particularly proud of." Steve Eddy, who taught Rowling English when she first arrived, remembers her as "not exceptional" but "one of a group of girls who were bright, and quite good at English." Sean Harris, her best friend in the Upper Sixth owned a turquoise Ford Anglia, which she says inspired the one in her books.
NOTE: There is more than one author with this name on Goodreads.
Rowling was born to Anne Rowling (née Volant) and Peter James Rowling, a Rolls-Royce aircraft engineer, on 31 July 1965 in Yate, Gloucestershire, England, 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Bristol. Her mother Anne was half-French and half-Scottish. Her parents first met on a train departing from King's Cross Station bound for Arbroath in 1964. They married on 14 March 1965. Her mother's maternal grandfather, Dugald Campbell, was born in Lamlash on the Isle of Arran. Her mother's paternal grandfather, Louis Volant, was awarded the Croix de Guerre for exceptional bravery in defending the village of Courcelles-le-Comte during the First World War.
Rowling's sister Dianne was born at their home when Rowling was 23 months old. The family moved to the nearby village Winterbourne when Rowling was four. She attended St Michael's Primary School, a school founded by abolitionist William Wilberforce and education reformer Hannah More. Her headmaster at St Michael's, Alfred Dunn, has been suggested as the inspiration for the Harry Potter headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
As a child, Rowling often wrote fantasy stories, which she would usually then read to her sister. She recalls that: "I can still remember me telling her a story in which she fell down a rabbit hole and was fed strawberries by the rabbit family inside it. Certainly the first story I ever wrote down (when I was five or six) was about a rabbit called Rabbit. He got the measles and was visited by his friends, including a giant bee called Miss Bee." At the age of nine, Rowling moved to Church Cottage in the Gloucestershire village of Tutshill, close to Chepstow, Wales. When she was a young teenager, her great aunt, who Rowling said "taught classics and approved of a thirst for knowledge, even of a questionable kind," gave her a very old copy of Jessica Mitford's autobiography, Hons and Rebels. Mitford became Rowling's heroine, and Rowling subsequently read all of her books.
Rowling has said of her teenage years, in an interview with The New Yorker, "I wasn’t particularly happy. I think it’s a dreadful time of life." She had a difficult homelife; her mother was ill and she had a difficult relationship with her father (she is no longer on speaking terms with him). She attended secondary school at Wyedean School and College, where her mother had worked as a technician in the science department. Rowling said of her adolescence, "Hermione [a bookish, know-it-all Harry Potter character] is loosely based on me. She's a caricature of me when I was eleven, which I'm not particularly proud of." Steve Eddy, who taught Rowling English when she first arrived, remembers her as "not exceptional" but "one of a group of girls who were bright, and quite good at English." Sean Harris, her best friend in the Upper Sixth owned a turquoise Ford Anglia, which she says inspired the one in her books.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 16,848 reviews
December 18, 2023
(A-) 82% | Very Good
Notes: Wherein accents abound, people play pretend, men hurt women in many different ways, and Robin is really Batman.
Notes: Wherein accents abound, people play pretend, men hurt women in many different ways, and Robin is really Batman.
June 7, 2018
June 2018: This review is mostly going to be me responding to some of my own thoughts from my first review, with some extras thrown in; for example, how I was considering raising this to five stars because I loved Robert Glenister's narration so much. I love the dead tree versions of this book, but the audio adds another level. Highly recommend if you are so inclined. (I'm leaving my rating at 4.5, rounding down, for now, because of the ending. See below.)
Spoilery discussion of several plot points below.
So firstly, having now re-read this, I can state with approximately 99% surety that .
I pretty much stand by the rest of my thoughts. I love Robin in this book. She and Strike make some significant errors with one another, and become terribly communicators by the end of the book. They also let their personal feelings for one another and what's going on in their lives affect all their decision making. It's just a big clusterfuck of emotions, basically. Robin doesn't want to become that useless, scared person again, and resents anyone trying to protect her, because of that. She never explains to any of them, not her mother or Matthew or Strike, just exactly why she's so adamant about remaining at work. Maybe it's too difficult for her to articulate. In addition,
And Strike doesn't explain his reasons to Robin, for the most part. He's so worried about keeping her safe, he just tells her what to do and doesn't think about any of his requests will affect her. His heart is in the right place, but it's patronizing as hell. With the Zahara situation,
And lastly, there's the ending. This is the reason I can't up this to five stars until I read Lethal White. What the heck is that ending even going for? It's very unclear. Is Robin going to leave Matthew at the altar? Was Strike just going to get his partner back or did he have something else in mind? (He's very clearly attracted to Robin, but knows he should keep it professional, at the same time his attraction to her definitely magnified his rage with the firing incident.) Will Robin stay married to Matthew until his thing with the message deletion and the rest of his asshattery is revealed? It's just, that smile at the end, it's so open-ended! It could just be a little happy ending tip of the hat, letting us know they will mend their relationship, or it could be more. I don't like the ambiguity. So, 4.5 stars it remains.
Lethal White is in the can, so here's hoping for a late 2018 release date. I need some answers.
October 2015: Oh, man, I have so many thoughts. And I'm also not entirely sure what I think about some of what happened in this book. On the one hand, I LOVED IT. The case and Robin and Strike's personal lives dovetailed beautifully. So much of this book was character shiz, which is my favorite kind of shiz. And I've been saying for the past two books that I wanted MORE ROBIN and MORE ROBIN is exactly what I got. Robin backstory. Robin frontstory. Robin Robin Robin.
And the mystery itself was good and different from the last two. In the first book, it was really procedural. Lots of interviews, pounding the pavement, and the central question of whether or not Lula Landry killed herself. It was also an examination of fame and the press. The second book started off as a simple missing persons case that turned into a murder mystery, but it was really a satirization of the publishing industry. But to really make it the trifecta of things JKR is obsessed with, likely because of her own fame in the publishing industry as a woman, this book and its central mystery are all about misogyny and violence against women. The book opens with Robin being sent a woman's severed leg in the mail, and it doesn't let up from there.
This case is personal for both Strike and Robin. Strike, because the leg was sent to Robin, the killer is targeting Robin, to get at Strike. There are three men from Strike's past who would be violent and unhinged enough to do something like this. And Robin because of her own history. We finally learn why she dropped out of University. I know that some people have had (and will have) trouble with Robin's backstory, but I don't. Firstly, because it doesn't feel cheap. It feels earned. JKR has clearly been setting it up since day one. And secondly because of Robin herself. Beautiful, complicated, strong and vulnerable Robin. Certainly what happened to her was terrible and traumatizing, but it's not the event itself she has trouble with, but how her friends and family (and Strike) treat her and her ambitions afterwards that she has the most trouble with.
Which brings me to Matthew. Motherfucking Matthew. He's just terrible. But this book sheds light on why Robin is with him, despite his terribleness.
The stress of the case also works on Strike and Robin's relationship, and a large portion of the book is spent on , just as the killer intended (although I don't think he's smart enough to have foreseen the psychological nuances of the situation he created--he was going for the blunt force option, framing Strike for murder and taking something away from him, not knowing that the more subtle approach was almost as hurtful). The depth of their conflict and interpersonal relationships is what makes this book so great.
The two things I do feel conflicted about were:
1) The decision to have POV chapters from the killer. I'm not sure those were entirely successful. Maybe I'm just not bad enough, but they seemed overly evil to me? I don't know. They didn't work as well for me as I wanted them to. The villain himself when seen from Robin and Strike's POV was great, and I liked the way his POVs kept leading me in opposite directions. I was CONVINCED that one guy had done it, but then it turned out to be something totally unexpected, but obvious in retrospect. It's just, those POVs were so . . . blunt? They served their purpose, though.
and 2)
I think I'm going to have to just wait for the next book, and hope for the best. For now, this gets 4.5 stars. And hopefully by this time next year we'll have book four.
[4.5 stars]
February 2015: A girl could get spoiled with a new JK Rowling book every year, I tell you what.
Spoilery discussion of several plot points below.
So firstly, having now re-read this, I can state with approximately 99% surety that .
I pretty much stand by the rest of my thoughts. I love Robin in this book. She and Strike make some significant errors with one another, and become terribly communicators by the end of the book. They also let their personal feelings for one another and what's going on in their lives affect all their decision making. It's just a big clusterfuck of emotions, basically. Robin doesn't want to become that useless, scared person again, and resents anyone trying to protect her, because of that. She never explains to any of them, not her mother or Matthew or Strike, just exactly why she's so adamant about remaining at work. Maybe it's too difficult for her to articulate. In addition,
And Strike doesn't explain his reasons to Robin, for the most part. He's so worried about keeping her safe, he just tells her what to do and doesn't think about any of his requests will affect her. His heart is in the right place, but it's patronizing as hell. With the Zahara situation,
And lastly, there's the ending. This is the reason I can't up this to five stars until I read Lethal White. What the heck is that ending even going for? It's very unclear. Is Robin going to leave Matthew at the altar? Was Strike just going to get his partner back or did he have something else in mind? (He's very clearly attracted to Robin, but knows he should keep it professional, at the same time his attraction to her definitely magnified his rage with the firing incident.) Will Robin stay married to Matthew until his thing with the message deletion and the rest of his asshattery is revealed? It's just, that smile at the end, it's so open-ended! It could just be a little happy ending tip of the hat, letting us know they will mend their relationship, or it could be more. I don't like the ambiguity. So, 4.5 stars it remains.
Lethal White is in the can, so here's hoping for a late 2018 release date. I need some answers.
October 2015: Oh, man, I have so many thoughts. And I'm also not entirely sure what I think about some of what happened in this book. On the one hand, I LOVED IT. The case and Robin and Strike's personal lives dovetailed beautifully. So much of this book was character shiz, which is my favorite kind of shiz. And I've been saying for the past two books that I wanted MORE ROBIN and MORE ROBIN is exactly what I got. Robin backstory. Robin frontstory. Robin Robin Robin.
And the mystery itself was good and different from the last two. In the first book, it was really procedural. Lots of interviews, pounding the pavement, and the central question of whether or not Lula Landry killed herself. It was also an examination of fame and the press. The second book started off as a simple missing persons case that turned into a murder mystery, but it was really a satirization of the publishing industry. But to really make it the trifecta of things JKR is obsessed with, likely because of her own fame in the publishing industry as a woman, this book and its central mystery are all about misogyny and violence against women. The book opens with Robin being sent a woman's severed leg in the mail, and it doesn't let up from there.
This case is personal for both Strike and Robin. Strike, because the leg was sent to Robin, the killer is targeting Robin, to get at Strike. There are three men from Strike's past who would be violent and unhinged enough to do something like this. And Robin because of her own history. We finally learn why she dropped out of University. I know that some people have had (and will have) trouble with Robin's backstory, but I don't. Firstly, because it doesn't feel cheap. It feels earned. JKR has clearly been setting it up since day one. And secondly because of Robin herself. Beautiful, complicated, strong and vulnerable Robin. Certainly what happened to her was terrible and traumatizing, but it's not the event itself she has trouble with, but how her friends and family (and Strike) treat her and her ambitions afterwards that she has the most trouble with.
Which brings me to Matthew. Motherfucking Matthew. He's just terrible. But this book sheds light on why Robin is with him, despite his terribleness.
The stress of the case also works on Strike and Robin's relationship, and a large portion of the book is spent on , just as the killer intended (although I don't think he's smart enough to have foreseen the psychological nuances of the situation he created--he was going for the blunt force option, framing Strike for murder and taking something away from him, not knowing that the more subtle approach was almost as hurtful). The depth of their conflict and interpersonal relationships is what makes this book so great.
The two things I do feel conflicted about were:
1) The decision to have POV chapters from the killer. I'm not sure those were entirely successful. Maybe I'm just not bad enough, but they seemed overly evil to me? I don't know. They didn't work as well for me as I wanted them to. The villain himself when seen from Robin and Strike's POV was great, and I liked the way his POVs kept leading me in opposite directions. I was CONVINCED that one guy had done it, but then it turned out to be something totally unexpected, but obvious in retrospect. It's just, those POVs were so . . . blunt? They served their purpose, though.
and 2)
I think I'm going to have to just wait for the next book, and hope for the best. For now, this gets 4.5 stars. And hopefully by this time next year we'll have book four.
[4.5 stars]
February 2015: A girl could get spoiled with a new JK Rowling book every year, I tell you what.
November 30, 2016
It's The One With All the Feelings..
A tense,thrill mystery interwoven with complicated emotions, kind of love..even Nostalgia.
No matter how you imaged Strike,
Here you'll get more into him, into his Feelings specially toward his precious engaged partner, Robin..his friends,-I bet you gonna Love Shanker-..
ِ..into his past, During his..
..Career of Evil.
& No matter whether you read the previous ones or not, you'll adore the Remarkable, excellent written, relation of Strike & Robin..
This wonderful unique chemistry between them.. part admiration, part comfortable, exceptional partnership and a little bit of un-name-able kind of can-be love.
It has started 3 years ago -one year in the story timeline-,since she came to 12 Bar Cafe as an unwanted temp.
lf you read the first book that what will make you really nostalgic when you read this one..with all the characters and events developments.
And this time their relation facing a really hard time, some maniac blood and body parts craving murderer is set to sabotage Strike's career and reputation, and then..finish him.
and this murderer made clear that he's targeting Robin as a main mean to do so.
And not to mention the approaching of Robin's Wedding date to her Strike's hater fiancée, Matthew..and a huge fight that may stop the wedding that will increase the complications.
Because hard times make people more vulnerable emotionally, and relations usually get deeper. And this case made Strike and Robin face the darkest, hardest time..all that made this book the one with all the mixed feelings and emotions that very great written , as Rowling's best story telling usual..
And it's not only the feelings of Strike and Robin, You'll get more into Robin's personal life in this one since she have bigger part, and not only her... it has larger scale of Feelings..
The feeling of the amputees , and a strange mental disorder that made some healthy wanna be so. -first time to hear about this community-
The Feelings of women who unfortunately end up with the wrong guy, whether they still staying ,suffering, with them...or who from their past and left them broken and lonely..
Some of them may be just boyfriend, a stepfather, a husband, even a brother..or may be a fiancée that his girl not knowing how wrong her choice is...
And most importantly in the main story, The feeling of women and even little girls who suffered sexual abuses, from strangers or even someone close... how that change their lives ,the feeling of unsecured and shuttered.how sometimes the police make it hard time for the women while taking their statements.
It's really big story this time, and told you, full of feelings..
The Story
-------
A very perfect constructed Story , with faster than the first 'Cuckoo's Calling' and larger in the main characters' life and emotions..friends and family And adversaries..
Robin -instead of Wedding party cameras- received a served woman's leg addressed to her in Cormoran's office.
It's seem to be someone want to bring Cormoran Strike's businesses down and he made a satisfying success..
Strike could think of 4, or 3 main suspect capable of doing so, they're from his past..and one of them is his late 'stepfather' who Strike already suspect he has murdered his mother..
And that's not all..now this bloody murderer not only want vengeance of Strike, but also made it clear that he's targeting what seems to him Strike's weakness...Robin.
Why this murderer need vengeance will lead Strike to think more into his past, his career being in the Special Investigations Branch..
also will lead him into more thinking of Robin, who endanger her life keeping her work with him.. also thinking of her fast approaching Wedding to Matthew, who may take her off his life..
The life of a lone wolf..
The Lone Wolf
~~~~~~~~~~~~
No doubt whoever well read the stories of Cormoran Strike will really feel how deep and interesting character he is..
I always imaged him as Hugh Jackman, but since that I had a big backlash comments about him I changed the main photo to -BASED ON FRIENDS and GOODREADS USERS COMMENTS that mentioned other actors both on my Silkworm and this novel's pre review, I choose the most accurate ones..
Also Thank you Steph for the mention in your blog, and the idea of the particular scene of X-Men I used for Strike portrait.
It was great How Mr. Robert Galbraith described the deep feelings for a lone wolf, who had a broken heart before , not that social, haunted by his past and infamous life of his mother..and has this complicated relation with his businesses partner 'Robin'..
you can clearly see how he defend himself of admitting he truly loves her without writing direct lines, you will observe that through his actions with Robin.
Strike is really interesting character, and so is Robin..so is all the characters that been mentioned before but get bigger role this time..
And it's why I really don't care much about the not-related-to-the-case stuff that the books usually full with.
And here you'll get into more of them, their past..family and friends..and even adversaries..
The Career of Evil
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tensed fast thrilled that full of emotions and feelings and many horrible bloody scenes.
This time full of real tense and some chapters ends in a real cliffhangers.
-I am writing this review by the last 15% of the novel, with a cliffhanger dangers the continuation of Robin in the next stories.-
The novel is obsessed with the many references Blue Oyster Cult, which is have a base in the core of the novel's mystery since the murderer seems obsessed with this band as well.
You can see the phrases of their songs' lyrics in every chapter..
And, as the rest of the series, it's like a detailed Travel literature into England..you visit many places, interesting ones..
such as -for example here-:
Barrow-in-Furness and it's gloomy streets and nuclear submarines bunkers.
The interesting Market Harborough
The Sweet entrance of Catford Shopping Centre
And many many more..
And also living the atmosphere of the time the novel taking place, here in the April-June 2011, the major thing in GB was the Royal Wedding..
And, this time, interweaving all these places and events with the main core of the story is more than marvellous.
-As the Royal Wedding and Robin Story for example-
J.K. Rowling Robert Galbraith
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I guess one of the advantages of using a man , an Ex-SIB officer and actually a man, is being free to do all these bloody scenes some of it Stephen King's bloody type.
As well the great description of the murderer mind, it was also super insight into the feelings of women who suffered rape or sexual abuses..it was very realistic and even the reaction of the ones near the sufferer or the toughness of some police officers is very well stated in the novel.
SO, it's still her, the Queen of Magic, master storytelling elements, getting deep into characters and their feeling, analysing body language and actions without waiting for explanations..
Humorous moments and deep meaning ones, that's what you will fall in love with this series because of this unique storytelling style.
That's , of course, if you don't mind many, or much, digressions.
Now I must go to read the last 75 pages to see what will happen to Robin...and who the bloody murderer will be...
-The Review of 9 Nov. 2015 ends here
Let's Talk the Ending..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AGAINِ, It's The One With All the Feelings...
The One with All the Emotions..
The One with All the Tense..
And all the tensed bloody thrill and slowly resolving the hard, very well constructed mystery in a thrilling double climax..
Then came the very Bittersweet Ending..
Without giving much , as a dear friend has said "Bloody Hell" or as Robin says "Bugger"
An Ending that will leave you grinning, sad a bit, feeling you wanna know more, you wanna more pages ,you don't want to leave them..
The ending...so tense..more excited I was really on the edge of my seat ,literally holding my breath..
Oh God the Ending...
these 2 last points about the ending really pissed me off, but not with the novel of course...it is really one of my best reads
How to know you've been reading a real good,even brilliant literature..
well, I had the symptoms of loss by finishing the novel, after about 12 days of reading as slowly as possible to not end it.....
1-I was really deep thinking ,kinda haunted with the story and keeping the details in mind..,how long did it pass since we 'Strike,Robin and me' received the leg..and who will be the real murderer of the three suspects..
2- The waiter in the cafe I read at told me today "you've been in this book, for few days you've been tensed sometimes and widely grinning many times" , hell yeah I did :) ... I caught myself grinning a lot despite controlling so while I'm in public cafe, siting alone..
3- I Don't know what can I read next although I had a plan for 3 big horrors.I can't see myself committing with big novels now, may be even any novel for a day or two... I just wanna read the next Strike's novel..
So Please Mr.Galbraith.. do your best , I know you always do..:)
Mohammed Arabey
From 27 Oct. 2015
To 10 Nov. 2015
First pre- review in the
A tense,thrill mystery interwoven with complicated emotions, kind of love..even Nostalgia.
No matter how you imaged Strike,
Here you'll get more into him, into his Feelings specially toward his precious engaged partner, Robin..his friends,-I bet you gonna Love Shanker-..
ِ..into his past, During his..
..Career of Evil.
& No matter whether you read the previous ones or not, you'll adore the Remarkable, excellent written, relation of Strike & Robin..
This wonderful unique chemistry between them.. part admiration, part comfortable, exceptional partnership and a little bit of un-name-able kind of can-be love.
It has started 3 years ago -one year in the story timeline-,since she came to 12 Bar Cafe as an unwanted temp.
lf you read the first book that what will make you really nostalgic when you read this one..with all the characters and events developments.
And this time their relation facing a really hard time, some maniac blood and body parts craving murderer is set to sabotage Strike's career and reputation, and then..finish him.
and this murderer made clear that he's targeting Robin as a main mean to do so.
And not to mention the approaching of Robin's Wedding date to her Strike's hater fiancée, Matthew..and a huge fight that may stop the wedding that will increase the complications.
Because hard times make people more vulnerable emotionally, and relations usually get deeper. And this case made Strike and Robin face the darkest, hardest time..all that made this book the one with all the mixed feelings and emotions that very great written , as Rowling's best story telling usual..
And it's not only the feelings of Strike and Robin, You'll get more into Robin's personal life in this one since she have bigger part, and not only her... it has larger scale of Feelings..
The feeling of the amputees , and a strange mental disorder that made some healthy wanna be so. -first time to hear about this community-
The Feelings of women who unfortunately end up with the wrong guy, whether they still staying ,suffering, with them...or who from their past and left them broken and lonely..
Some of them may be just boyfriend, a stepfather, a husband, even a brother..or may be a fiancée that his girl not knowing how wrong her choice is...
And most importantly in the main story, The feeling of women and even little girls who suffered sexual abuses, from strangers or even someone close... how that change their lives ,the feeling of unsecured and shuttered.how sometimes the police make it hard time for the women while taking their statements.
It's really big story this time, and told you, full of feelings..
The Story
-------
A very perfect constructed Story , with faster than the first 'Cuckoo's Calling' and larger in the main characters' life and emotions..friends and family And adversaries..
Robin -instead of Wedding party cameras- received a served woman's leg addressed to her in Cormoran's office.
It's seem to be someone want to bring Cormoran Strike's businesses down and he made a satisfying success..
Strike could think of 4, or 3 main suspect capable of doing so, they're from his past..and one of them is his late 'stepfather' who Strike already suspect he has murdered his mother..
And that's not all..now this bloody murderer not only want vengeance of Strike, but also made it clear that he's targeting what seems to him Strike's weakness...Robin.
Why this murderer need vengeance will lead Strike to think more into his past, his career being in the Special Investigations Branch..
also will lead him into more thinking of Robin, who endanger her life keeping her work with him.. also thinking of her fast approaching Wedding to Matthew, who may take her off his life..
The life of a lone wolf..
The Lone Wolf
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yet he knew he had been left impaired, that he no longer had the capacity to feel in the way that he had once felt. Elin’s distress of the previous evening had not touched him at his core in the way Charlotte’s had once done. He felt as though his capacity for loving had been blunted, the nerve endings severed.
He had not intended to wound Elin; he did not enjoy seeing her cry; yet the ability to feel empathetic pain seemed to have closed down. A small part of him, in truth, had been mentally planning his route home as she sobbed.
No doubt whoever well read the stories of Cormoran Strike will really feel how deep and interesting character he is..
I always imaged him as Hugh Jackman, but since that I had a big backlash comments about him I changed the main photo to -BASED ON FRIENDS and GOODREADS USERS COMMENTS that mentioned other actors both on my Silkworm and this novel's pre review, I choose the most accurate ones..
Also Thank you Steph for the mention in your blog, and the idea of the particular scene of X-Men I used for Strike portrait.
It was great How Mr. Robert Galbraith described the deep feelings for a lone wolf, who had a broken heart before , not that social, haunted by his past and infamous life of his mother..and has this complicated relation with his businesses partner 'Robin'..
you can clearly see how he defend himself of admitting he truly loves her without writing direct lines, you will observe that through his actions with Robin.
Strike is really interesting character, and so is Robin..so is all the characters that been mentioned before but get bigger role this time..
And it's why I really don't care much about the not-related-to-the-case stuff that the books usually full with.
And here you'll get into more of them, their past..family and friends..and even adversaries..
The Career of Evil
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tensed fast thrilled that full of emotions and feelings and many horrible bloody scenes.
This time full of real tense and some chapters ends in a real cliffhangers.
-I am writing this review by the last 15% of the novel, with a cliffhanger dangers the continuation of Robin in the next stories.-
The novel is obsessed with the many references Blue Oyster Cult, which is have a base in the core of the novel's mystery since the murderer seems obsessed with this band as well.
You can see the phrases of their songs' lyrics in every chapter..
And, as the rest of the series, it's like a detailed Travel literature into England..you visit many places, interesting ones..
such as -for example here-:
Barrow-in-Furness and it's gloomy streets and nuclear submarines bunkers.
The interesting Market Harborough
The Sweet entrance of Catford Shopping Centre
And many many more..
And also living the atmosphere of the time the novel taking place, here in the April-June 2011, the major thing in GB was the Royal Wedding..
And, this time, interweaving all these places and events with the main core of the story is more than marvellous.
-As the Royal Wedding and Robin Story for example-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I guess one of the advantages of using a man , an Ex-SIB officer and actually a man, is being free to do all these bloody scenes some of it Stephen King's bloody type.
Women were so petty, mean, dirty and small. Sulky bitches, the lot of them, expecting men to keep them happy. Only when they lay dead and empty in front of you did they become purified, mysterious and even wonderful. They were entirely yours then, unable to argue or struggle or leave, yours to do with whatever you liked.
As well the great description of the murderer mind, it was also super insight into the feelings of women who suffered rape or sexual abuses..it was very realistic and even the reaction of the ones near the sufferer or the toughness of some police officers is very well stated in the novel.
SO, it's still her, the Queen of Magic, master storytelling elements, getting deep into characters and their feeling, analysing body language and actions without waiting for explanations..
Humorous moments and deep meaning ones, that's what you will fall in love with this series because of this unique storytelling style.
“You could find beauty nearly anywhere if you stopped to look for it, but the battle to get through the days made it easy to forget that this totally cost-free luxury existed.”
That's , of course, if you don't mind many, or much, digressions.
Now I must go to read the last 75 pages to see what will happen to Robin...and who the bloody murderer will be...
-The Review of 9 Nov. 2015 ends here
Let's Talk the Ending..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AGAINِ, It's The One With All the Feelings...
The One with All the Emotions..
The One with All the Tense..
And all the tensed bloody thrill and slowly resolving the hard, very well constructed mystery in a thrilling double climax..
Then came the very Bittersweet Ending..
Without giving much , as a dear friend has said "Bloody Hell" or as Robin says "Bugger"
An Ending that will leave you grinning, sad a bit, feeling you wanna know more, you wanna more pages ,you don't want to leave them..
The ending...so tense..more excited I was really on the edge of my seat ,literally holding my breath..
Oh God the Ending...
these 2 last points about the ending really pissed me off, but not with the novel of course...it is really one of my best reads
How to know you've been reading a real good,even brilliant literature..
well, I had the symptoms of loss by finishing the novel, after about 12 days of reading as slowly as possible to not end it.....
1-I was really deep thinking ,kinda haunted with the story and keeping the details in mind..,how long did it pass since we 'Strike,Robin and me' received the leg..and who will be the real murderer of the three suspects..
2- The waiter in the cafe I read at told me today "you've been in this book, for few days you've been tensed sometimes and widely grinning many times" , hell yeah I did :) ... I caught myself grinning a lot despite controlling so while I'm in public cafe, siting alone..
3- I Don't know what can I read next although I had a plan for 3 big horrors.I can't see myself committing with big novels now, may be even any novel for a day or two... I just wanna read the next Strike's novel..
So Please Mr.Galbraith.. do your best , I know you always do..:)
Mohammed Arabey
From 27 Oct. 2015
To 10 Nov. 2015
First pre- review in the
November 10, 2015
Sadly, I felt it as a recoil in the book series.
BACKGROUND
I was quite excited to read this third novel in the Cormoran Strike book series, since I had enjoyed plenty enough, however I think that this third novel was like a retrogression in what the book series was able to accomplish and to develop so far.
The Cuckoo’s Calling was slow pacing, drifting to irrelevant sub-plots, over detailed filling scenes and repetitive situations, along with having more pages than necessary, BUT I was adamant to any reader of my review that they should keep at it since the climax was superb and making worthy all the effort to read the novel, also the use of the fashion/modeling industry was a real plus.
The Silkworm became a fresh air to the rising book series, since it was like magic (yep, pun intended!) due that all those negative elements in the first book were gone. The second novel was intense, focused on the case, each scene was different, even the book was thinner, adding the use of the book publishing industry, easily this book turned to be the best in the series (clearly having in mind that there were only two in the series, so far) but also a “must-read” to any J.K. Rowling fan (yes, it’s her, just in case you are the last one to know that “Robert Galbraith” is just a pseudonym), since I felt it as a very personal book by her, showing light to many feelings from her about the craziness amd intrigue involved in the industry of publishing books. Moreover, since there weren’t any spoilers about the first case, you could easily engage this second novel (without having read the first book) and you wouldn’t be any lost in the reading.
LIKE A CRAB
Career of Evil fell in all the mistakes found the first book and even worse, since this time you don’t have a specific industry involved in the story (I thought earlier that it would be about the music industry that it could be real cool, but no), also it’s not a case per se, since there isn’t anybody who hired Cormoran, but it’s a personal vendetta by some mysterious person but clearly someone from Cormoran’s past, which made quite dumb that he needed so much time to deduce the culprit since he knew quite well all the suspects, and where Cormoran looked as a brilliant detective in how he cracked the previous two cases and how the climaxes were developed, however here (I won’t make any spoilers, don’t worry), let’s just say that his key evidence is something so trivial, so small, along with a non-climatic resolve, that after reading almost 500 pages I felt cheated.
Realizing that it’s a book by J.K. Rowling, which is the alive female writer that I respected the most, it just made more disappointing the whole reading experience of this third book in the series.
THE GOOD SIDE
Commenting about the good side in the book... mmh... well, there is... mmh... aah!... mmh... no... wait!... mmh... nope... Really, I can’t say anything good about the third book.
Still, I guess that some basic expected elements in the construction of a book, by such accomplished writer, helped to get at least two stars for my personal rating.
BACKGROUND
I was quite excited to read this third novel in the Cormoran Strike book series, since I had enjoyed plenty enough, however I think that this third novel was like a retrogression in what the book series was able to accomplish and to develop so far.
The Cuckoo’s Calling was slow pacing, drifting to irrelevant sub-plots, over detailed filling scenes and repetitive situations, along with having more pages than necessary, BUT I was adamant to any reader of my review that they should keep at it since the climax was superb and making worthy all the effort to read the novel, also the use of the fashion/modeling industry was a real plus.
The Silkworm became a fresh air to the rising book series, since it was like magic (yep, pun intended!) due that all those negative elements in the first book were gone. The second novel was intense, focused on the case, each scene was different, even the book was thinner, adding the use of the book publishing industry, easily this book turned to be the best in the series (clearly having in mind that there were only two in the series, so far) but also a “must-read” to any J.K. Rowling fan (yes, it’s her, just in case you are the last one to know that “Robert Galbraith” is just a pseudonym), since I felt it as a very personal book by her, showing light to many feelings from her about the craziness amd intrigue involved in the industry of publishing books. Moreover, since there weren’t any spoilers about the first case, you could easily engage this second novel (without having read the first book) and you wouldn’t be any lost in the reading.
LIKE A CRAB
Career of Evil fell in all the mistakes found the first book and even worse, since this time you don’t have a specific industry involved in the story (I thought earlier that it would be about the music industry that it could be real cool, but no), also it’s not a case per se, since there isn’t anybody who hired Cormoran, but it’s a personal vendetta by some mysterious person but clearly someone from Cormoran’s past, which made quite dumb that he needed so much time to deduce the culprit since he knew quite well all the suspects, and where Cormoran looked as a brilliant detective in how he cracked the previous two cases and how the climaxes were developed, however here (I won’t make any spoilers, don’t worry), let’s just say that his key evidence is something so trivial, so small, along with a non-climatic resolve, that after reading almost 500 pages I felt cheated.
Realizing that it’s a book by J.K. Rowling, which is the alive female writer that I respected the most, it just made more disappointing the whole reading experience of this third book in the series.
THE GOOD SIDE
Commenting about the good side in the book... mmh... well, there is... mmh... aah!... mmh... no... wait!... mmh... nope... Really, I can’t say anything good about the third book.
Still, I guess that some basic expected elements in the construction of a book, by such accomplished writer, helped to get at least two stars for my personal rating.
February 8, 2017
If the first two Cormoran Strike books can be summed up as "celebrity" and "publishing" respectively, then this book is "misogynistic violence," which is possibly my least favorite subject to read about.
This is a closed circle mystery in which Robin and Strike investigate a serial killer whose past is linked to Strike. Due to the fact that there are only four real suspects that are provided by Strike - and that the killer gets his own POV sections in which you see some of the murders happen - this mystery isn't particularly interesting or fun to solve. The Strike/Robin relationship is further developed in this book, which is good because otherwise this would have been 400 pages of stakeouts interspersed with scenes of horrific assaults. In short, it's boring. J.K. Rowling can still propel me through a story, but I'm amazed that this particular story took so many pages to tell.
As a disclaimer before I keep writing: I understand that sexual violence is an extremely important topic to continue discussing openly, both to remove stigmatization of victims and because it's so prevalent: 1 in 5 American women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetimes. But I personally do not enjoy reading graphic depictions of sexual violence. (I'd rather read the discovery of the body of Owen Quine several times than read some of the descriptions in this book again.) And it's always hard to tell if its inclusion is titillating or not. If I didn't already trust J.K. Rowling as a writer, I probably would have abandoned this book near the halfway point.
My least favorite part about this book was the use of rape as a backstory. When a female character needs a life-altering turning point in her past that explains her decisions and current trajectory, rape gets slotted in as the most traumatic event possible.
There is exploration of victimhood here, and what it means to be a victim. It comes up again when . And when Strike goes to see Hazel Furley, he thinks to himself that it's natural that the cops should have questioned her boyfriend Ray so intensely: "most women's rapists and killers were not strangers in masks who reached out of the dark space under the stairs. They were the father, the husband, the mother's or the sister's boyfriend ..."
But I believe that exploration is undercut by the frequent and extremely graphic scenes of rape, dismemberment, and assault. It's one thing to recognize the horror that these acts recur too frequently in the world, and to explore how resilience can play a part in moving on and not letting that experience define you. It's another to have a mother (Rhona Laing's mother, to be exact) explain that one of the suspects - and that's not even close to the first-person scenes from the murderer's perspective, where he talks about women as objects who are better to him dead before killing them.
Does every book that involves sexual assault have to have an underlying moral or point? No, of course not. But if I am expected as the reader to make my way through these various scenes, there should be some sort of payoff. Given that this mystery is not interesting, novel, or fun to read, this book completely failed for me.
This is a closed circle mystery in which Robin and Strike investigate a serial killer whose past is linked to Strike. Due to the fact that there are only four real suspects that are provided by Strike - and that the killer gets his own POV sections in which you see some of the murders happen - this mystery isn't particularly interesting or fun to solve. The Strike/Robin relationship is further developed in this book, which is good because otherwise this would have been 400 pages of stakeouts interspersed with scenes of horrific assaults. In short, it's boring. J.K. Rowling can still propel me through a story, but I'm amazed that this particular story took so many pages to tell.
As a disclaimer before I keep writing: I understand that sexual violence is an extremely important topic to continue discussing openly, both to remove stigmatization of victims and because it's so prevalent: 1 in 5 American women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetimes. But I personally do not enjoy reading graphic depictions of sexual violence. (I'd rather read the discovery of the body of Owen Quine several times than read some of the descriptions in this book again.) And it's always hard to tell if its inclusion is titillating or not. If I didn't already trust J.K. Rowling as a writer, I probably would have abandoned this book near the halfway point.
My least favorite part about this book was the use of rape as a backstory. When a female character needs a life-altering turning point in her past that explains her decisions and current trajectory, rape gets slotted in as the most traumatic event possible.
There is exploration of victimhood here, and what it means to be a victim. It comes up again when . And when Strike goes to see Hazel Furley, he thinks to himself that it's natural that the cops should have questioned her boyfriend Ray so intensely: "most women's rapists and killers were not strangers in masks who reached out of the dark space under the stairs. They were the father, the husband, the mother's or the sister's boyfriend ..."
But I believe that exploration is undercut by the frequent and extremely graphic scenes of rape, dismemberment, and assault. It's one thing to recognize the horror that these acts recur too frequently in the world, and to explore how resilience can play a part in moving on and not letting that experience define you. It's another to have a mother (Rhona Laing's mother, to be exact) explain that one of the suspects - and that's not even close to the first-person scenes from the murderer's perspective, where he talks about women as objects who are better to him dead before killing them.
Does every book that involves sexual assault have to have an underlying moral or point? No, of course not. But if I am expected as the reader to make my way through these various scenes, there should be some sort of payoff. Given that this mystery is not interesting, novel, or fun to read, this book completely failed for me.
November 15, 2015
Best one in the series yet!
October 10, 2017
Wow, I can’t believe it’s been 2 weeks since my last review. I had two hectic weeks at work and home and had no time to read and even less to review. I hope to be able to catch up with my challenge and reviews in the following days.
Career of Evil is the third volume in Cormoran Strike series and in case you did not know, written by wonderful J.K. Rowling under the pen name of Robert Galbraith. If you haven’t read the other two books do not start with this one. They are to be read in order as the personal life of the characters is mingled with the murder mystery.
I am not going to write anything about the story as the blurb is pretty well done. I am just going to make some comparisons with the other two and talk about what I liked and what I did not.
What I love about is series are the two characters, Robin and Cormoran, and the dynamic of their relationship. They are both complex and this volume is the one where we get to learn more about their past which was ta part I was looking forward to explore. However, there was a bit too much drama between the two of them and it took a bit away from my satisfaction.
There is a big difference between Career of Evil and the first two books, namely, the duo is chasing a serial killer this time. I prefer mysteries where the killers have complex reasons for acting violently and serial murders are not fully my type. Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading the small chapters where we were given a glimpse inside the madman’s mind. The pace was a bit slower than in the other novels and the focus was made on surveillance rather then on discussions with potential suspects which I found less interesting.
Although it was my least favorite of the Strike’s adventures, I still enjoyed every page and I can’t wait to read the next one. Hurry up, J.K, please.
Career of Evil is the third volume in Cormoran Strike series and in case you did not know, written by wonderful J.K. Rowling under the pen name of Robert Galbraith. If you haven’t read the other two books do not start with this one. They are to be read in order as the personal life of the characters is mingled with the murder mystery.
I am not going to write anything about the story as the blurb is pretty well done. I am just going to make some comparisons with the other two and talk about what I liked and what I did not.
What I love about is series are the two characters, Robin and Cormoran, and the dynamic of their relationship. They are both complex and this volume is the one where we get to learn more about their past which was ta part I was looking forward to explore. However, there was a bit too much drama between the two of them and it took a bit away from my satisfaction.
There is a big difference between Career of Evil and the first two books, namely, the duo is chasing a serial killer this time. I prefer mysteries where the killers have complex reasons for acting violently and serial murders are not fully my type. Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading the small chapters where we were given a glimpse inside the madman’s mind. The pace was a bit slower than in the other novels and the focus was made on surveillance rather then on discussions with potential suspects which I found less interesting.
Although it was my least favorite of the Strike’s adventures, I still enjoyed every page and I can’t wait to read the next one. Hurry up, J.K, please.
April 22, 2018
Once again, left with post-novel depression as Robert Galbraith has published another well-written Strike/Ellacott novel. Boy was this a wild ride! I have felt each book in this series has grabbed my attention more than the previous one and leaves me craving another.
Set in 2011 (one year after Robin has begun working for Cormoran Strike and during the time of the royal wedding), the story opens with the ramblings of a serial killer who's identity is a mystery to the reader. Robin Ellacott has been sent a female severed leg in the mail and the dynamic duo decide to hunt down this killer while the police are heading in what Strike considers a dead end. Cormoran has 3 suspects in mind and they spend the entirety of the book bouncing back and forth all 3 while keeping us in suspense until the very last pages. Simultaneously, Robin and Strike's relationship takes a new turn as Robin and her fiancé take a break to decide if the wedding will take place at all.
I loved how the author really developed Strike and Robin's relationship deeper than both the previous novels together. I was just as engrossed in this aspect as I was in the suspense of the killer. There was a really nice twist at the end involving the identity of the killer which I did not see coming; honestly, she does a great job of keeping you from knowing who the killer is entirely until she wants it revealed. I really enjoyed how the chapters were structured by breaking up the story chapters with sections of the killer's private thoughts. This is by far one of my favorite books of the year and I am anxiously awaiting the fourth novel in the series!!!
Set in 2011 (one year after Robin has begun working for Cormoran Strike and during the time of the royal wedding), the story opens with the ramblings of a serial killer who's identity is a mystery to the reader. Robin Ellacott has been sent a female severed leg in the mail and the dynamic duo decide to hunt down this killer while the police are heading in what Strike considers a dead end. Cormoran has 3 suspects in mind and they spend the entirety of the book bouncing back and forth all 3 while keeping us in suspense until the very last pages. Simultaneously, Robin and Strike's relationship takes a new turn as Robin and her fiancé take a break to decide if the wedding will take place at all.
I loved how the author really developed Strike and Robin's relationship deeper than both the previous novels together. I was just as engrossed in this aspect as I was in the suspense of the killer. There was a really nice twist at the end involving the identity of the killer which I did not see coming; honestly, she does a great job of keeping you from knowing who the killer is entirely until she wants it revealed. I really enjoyed how the chapters were structured by breaking up the story chapters with sections of the killer's private thoughts. This is by far one of my favorite books of the year and I am anxiously awaiting the fourth novel in the series!!!
October 26, 2015
Jesus, what a rollercoaster! I have been looking forward to this book for such a long time with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation. What if this wasn't as good as the other two in the series? What if I had somehow built up the other two books in retrospect, leaving only disappointment in the third? Would I ever stop with the rhetorical questions and get on with the review?
Let me tell you: this was fucking good. Like REALLY GODDAMNED GOOD. Like I-stayed-up-way-past-my-bedtime-to-finish-this good. The book starts off at a sprint and just keeps going, and I think this is my favourite out of all three of Robert Galbraith's books. There's something about the murder mystery in this book that I really, REALLY enjoyed. It wasn't as heavy with exposition as The Cuckoo's Calling (anyone else remember the paragraphs of dialogue from that book?), nor as outlandish as The Silkworm. This serial killer was creepy, realistic, sadistic, and the question of who he actually turns out to be is set up so well that I couldn't figure it out until the last third or so.
Speaking of the last third - OH MY GOD. SHIT GOES DOWN. I realise this isn't my most coherent review but I'm currently coming down from my Career of Evil-induced high. I was alternately laughing like a maniac, screaming at a book and jumping up and down in excitement. People thought I was possessed. Note to self: don't scream with all the windows open or the neighbours will think you're weird.
In terms of characters, Cormoran is back being his usual awesome self, and there are some great new characters introduced in this book (hi, Shanker!), but the real badass is Robin. I love her. She is so fucking awesome that I can hardly form coherent sentences. What a badass. What. A. Bad. Ass. She is the heart, soul, and central nervous system of these books, which took me a while to figure out, but now that I realise this I love and admire her as a character even more. She goes from strength to strength and I cannot wait to see how she develops in future books. I'm officially crushing majorly on her. WHAT A BADASS.
If you liked the other Cormoran Strike books, you will like this, or at least I assume you will. I loved it. I haven't had a book keep me up all night in a while, and this did that and more. It had my heart racing. It made my neighbours think I am some sort of super excitable psychopath who screams at poor inanimate books. And it reaffirmed my love for Robin, who is as great a female character in any book I've ever read.
*** UPDATE ***
Ok so I've had a few more days to think about this book, and there is one thing in particular that I really need to get off my chest. My family hasn't read this book yet, so I'm forced to unleash my feelings upon my fellow Goodreaders.
Ah I had to get that off my chest. It's all I've been thinking about since I finished the book.
Let me tell you: this was fucking good. Like REALLY GODDAMNED GOOD. Like I-stayed-up-way-past-my-bedtime-to-finish-this good. The book starts off at a sprint and just keeps going, and I think this is my favourite out of all three of Robert Galbraith's books. There's something about the murder mystery in this book that I really, REALLY enjoyed. It wasn't as heavy with exposition as The Cuckoo's Calling (anyone else remember the paragraphs of dialogue from that book?), nor as outlandish as The Silkworm. This serial killer was creepy, realistic, sadistic, and the question of who he actually turns out to be is set up so well that I couldn't figure it out until the last third or so.
Speaking of the last third - OH MY GOD. SHIT GOES DOWN. I realise this isn't my most coherent review but I'm currently coming down from my Career of Evil-induced high. I was alternately laughing like a maniac, screaming at a book and jumping up and down in excitement. People thought I was possessed. Note to self: don't scream with all the windows open or the neighbours will think you're weird.
In terms of characters, Cormoran is back being his usual awesome self, and there are some great new characters introduced in this book (hi, Shanker!), but the real badass is Robin. I love her. She is so fucking awesome that I can hardly form coherent sentences. What a badass. What. A. Bad. Ass. She is the heart, soul, and central nervous system of these books, which took me a while to figure out, but now that I realise this I love and admire her as a character even more. She goes from strength to strength and I cannot wait to see how she develops in future books. I'm officially crushing majorly on her. WHAT A BADASS.
If you liked the other Cormoran Strike books, you will like this, or at least I assume you will. I loved it. I haven't had a book keep me up all night in a while, and this did that and more. It had my heart racing. It made my neighbours think I am some sort of super excitable psychopath who screams at poor inanimate books. And it reaffirmed my love for Robin, who is as great a female character in any book I've ever read.
*** UPDATE ***
Ok so I've had a few more days to think about this book, and there is one thing in particular that I really need to get off my chest. My family hasn't read this book yet, so I'm forced to unleash my feelings upon my fellow Goodreaders.
Ah I had to get that off my chest. It's all I've been thinking about since I finished the book.
October 30, 2015
Honestly, a bit perplexed by this one. The character development was spot on, even though I'm not necessarily a fan of where I think the relationship is going between Strike & Robin. And the mystery in the end left me kind of confused. But the writing is impeccable and diving into any of Rowling's books feels like going home. I just can't get enough of her stories. This is more like a 3.5 stars but I'll round it up to 4 because I still thoroughly enjoyed it.
October 7, 2022
I was right this time about the killer! There's some hope for me.
Mystery was good but what glued me to the book was the turmoil in Robin and Strike's lives. Past events from both of their lives were shared and it helped understanding more of their characters.
Though things didn't end the way I wanted but I think it's a good thing because this will make their relationship stronger.
Mystery was good but what glued me to the book was the turmoil in Robin and Strike's lives. Past events from both of their lives were shared and it helped understanding more of their characters.
Though things didn't end the way I wanted but I think it's a good thing because this will make their relationship stronger.
May 22, 2016
This is an intense, atmospheric and compelling addition to the Cormoran Strike series. Where it really excels is in characterisation with in depth backstories of Cormoran and his history with the three main suspects in this story and his relationship with Shanker, his offbeat and eccentric friend. Robin's traumatic history is revealed, as is the reason why working as a PI is so heartbreakingly important to her. She comes across as emotionally fragile, compassionate, tenacious and highly skilled as a investigator. As for the three main suspects in the story, I think the author stood in front of the mirror, asking Who is the foulest of them all? I can see her having great fun creating the depraved, brutal, and ruthless monsters that are Whittaker, Laing and Brockbank. Those three are truly scraping the bottom of the barrel of human scum. In a well constructed story, we encounter the extreme mental health issues of people who would voluntarily amputate body parts, seek paralysis etc..
It all begins with Robin receiving a girl's leg in a parcel. This has significance for Cormoran and he identifies 4 suspects. The police focus on who Cormoran feels is the least likely suspect, so he and Robin investigate the others. There are references to Blue Oyster Cult songs and lyrics throughout which are connected to Strike's dead mother, Leda. The investigation takes Cormoran and Robin all round the country as more murders take place on what is a dangerous trail. It becomes abundantly clear that a clever and twisted killer wants to destroy Cormoran and killing Robin is a priority in his plan. Under the microscope is Cormoran and Robin's relationship as they get closer whilst Robin's wedding plans continue to gather pace. Her fiance, Matthew, is clearly a ghastly secondary character just waiting to be written out. Cormoran's relationship with the Police remains a minefield that he has to negotiate delicately whilst taking out insurance.
There is much mileage left in this ever improving and engaging series. It is tightly plotted to build the maximum level of tension and suspense with a fast paced narrative. I found it an entertaining, gripping and absorbing read. Cannot recommend it enough. Robert Galbraith is an assured and accomplished writer. I understand the BBC are going to film the series, I look forward to seeing what they make of this series!
It all begins with Robin receiving a girl's leg in a parcel. This has significance for Cormoran and he identifies 4 suspects. The police focus on who Cormoran feels is the least likely suspect, so he and Robin investigate the others. There are references to Blue Oyster Cult songs and lyrics throughout which are connected to Strike's dead mother, Leda. The investigation takes Cormoran and Robin all round the country as more murders take place on what is a dangerous trail. It becomes abundantly clear that a clever and twisted killer wants to destroy Cormoran and killing Robin is a priority in his plan. Under the microscope is Cormoran and Robin's relationship as they get closer whilst Robin's wedding plans continue to gather pace. Her fiance, Matthew, is clearly a ghastly secondary character just waiting to be written out. Cormoran's relationship with the Police remains a minefield that he has to negotiate delicately whilst taking out insurance.
There is much mileage left in this ever improving and engaging series. It is tightly plotted to build the maximum level of tension and suspense with a fast paced narrative. I found it an entertaining, gripping and absorbing read. Cannot recommend it enough. Robert Galbraith is an assured and accomplished writer. I understand the BBC are going to film the series, I look forward to seeing what they make of this series!
November 3, 2015
Seeing the blurb for this book made me have this reaction:
Reading this book made me have this reaction:
In some ways, this book was less intense than the impossibly disgusting, Hannibal-level grossness of The Silkworm. On the other hand, Galbraith's third benefits from taking a look into the dark personal histories of both Strike and Robin - specifically, the fact that they both have violent crime in their pasts - because it helps us, the readers, know a little more about why they're in this line of work. And, in between all that, we're treated to another warped, bizarre world, mostly linked to Strike, with the worst side of rock and roll fandom involved. I might just find myself listening to a lot of Blue Oyster Cult after reading this book, just to get a better idea what this killer likes. It might just be the best serial-killer soundtrack since "Orinoco Flow" appeared in the 2011 Dragon Tattoo movie. Also, I might just find myself attempting to perfect my Cumbrian accent now - which, as it stands at the moment, is the unholy love child of Cockney and Scottish. Is it one of those accents that's impossible to fake if you're not a local? Maybe it is, but now I gotta try, don't I?
Now to sit back and wait for the fourth Strike book...it's gonna be another great one, I'm sure. This author cannot fail, I don't think. :)
Reading this book made me have this reaction:
In some ways, this book was less intense than the impossibly disgusting, Hannibal-level grossness of The Silkworm. On the other hand, Galbraith's third benefits from taking a look into the dark personal histories of both Strike and Robin - specifically, the fact that they both have violent crime in their pasts - because it helps us, the readers, know a little more about why they're in this line of work. And, in between all that, we're treated to another warped, bizarre world, mostly linked to Strike, with the worst side of rock and roll fandom involved. I might just find myself listening to a lot of Blue Oyster Cult after reading this book, just to get a better idea what this killer likes. It might just be the best serial-killer soundtrack since "Orinoco Flow" appeared in the 2011 Dragon Tattoo movie. Also, I might just find myself attempting to perfect my Cumbrian accent now - which, as it stands at the moment, is the unholy love child of Cockney and Scottish. Is it one of those accents that's impossible to fake if you're not a local? Maybe it is, but now I gotta try, don't I?
Now to sit back and wait for the fourth Strike book...it's gonna be another great one, I'm sure. This author cannot fail, I don't think. :)
October 21, 2015
Violent, hateful, misogynistic. And worst of all, boring.
July 12, 2026
In crime fiction, the crime itself is often little more than the engine that drives the plot. In Career of Evil, however, it serves another purpose as well: it becomes a way to explore the human mind, trauma, and the lasting consequences of the past.
What sets this novel apart from the previous books in the series is how personal the conflict becomes for the main characters. The investigation is no longer just a professional challenge but a deeply personal ordeal that forces them to confront their own fears and memories. In doing so, Rowling further develops both Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott, showing that a person's true strength is measured not only by their ability to solve crimes, but also by their willingness to face the consequences of their own past.
One of the novel's greatest strengths is the way Rowling builds suspense. Rather than relying solely on shocking twists, she gradually creates a growing sense of uncertainty. The reader is constantly questioning the characters' motives, trying to separate the truth from the many possible versions of events. As a result, the mystery becomes about more than simply asking, "Who did it?" It also asks why someone is driven to commit such a crime in the first place.
At the same time, the novel emphasizes the idea that the past never truly disappears. No matter how much time has passed, past experiences continue to shape the present and influence the characters' choices. It is this connection between past and present that gives the story its deeper psychological dimension.
For me, the novel's greatest strength is its characterization. The investigation is engaging, but the real reason to keep following the series is the evolving relationship between Strike and Robin. They are not portrayed as flawless heroes but as people with weaknesses, doubts, and inner conflicts. That makes them feel more convincing and, ultimately, more human.
Pre_read
Is this basically Harry Potter 11, or have I completely misunderstood?
What sets this novel apart from the previous books in the series is how personal the conflict becomes for the main characters. The investigation is no longer just a professional challenge but a deeply personal ordeal that forces them to confront their own fears and memories. In doing so, Rowling further develops both Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott, showing that a person's true strength is measured not only by their ability to solve crimes, but also by their willingness to face the consequences of their own past.
One of the novel's greatest strengths is the way Rowling builds suspense. Rather than relying solely on shocking twists, she gradually creates a growing sense of uncertainty. The reader is constantly questioning the characters' motives, trying to separate the truth from the many possible versions of events. As a result, the mystery becomes about more than simply asking, "Who did it?" It also asks why someone is driven to commit such a crime in the first place.
At the same time, the novel emphasizes the idea that the past never truly disappears. No matter how much time has passed, past experiences continue to shape the present and influence the characters' choices. It is this connection between past and present that gives the story its deeper psychological dimension.
For me, the novel's greatest strength is its characterization. The investigation is engaging, but the real reason to keep following the series is the evolving relationship between Strike and Robin. They are not portrayed as flawless heroes but as people with weaknesses, doubts, and inner conflicts. That makes them feel more convincing and, ultimately, more human.
Pre_read
Is this basically Harry Potter 11, or have I completely misunderstood?
November 2, 2015
This book was amazing, and despite its size of 500 pages I read it in merely two days. Robert Galbraith, aka J. K. Rowling, seems to be the only author that can make me truly interested in crime stories, because normally they bore me as well as frustrate me (I can never seem to guess who the murderer is).
Reading this third book in the Cormoran Strike series felt like coming home. I felt safe among some of my favourite characters, Robin and Strike, and because of them I read most of this book with a smile on my face. Galbraith is truly amazing at writing characters, and I definitely think that the characters are what drives this story forward and makes me love it so much.
The murder case in itself interested me, but as is the case with the other two books as well, it was the relationship between Robin and Strike that kept me glued to the pages. I was able to follow the crime case and not be too bored, because Galbraith is really good at mingling it with the everyday lives of the characters. I'm a huge fan of this series, and I can't wait to get back to Robin and Strike in the fourth book - I already miss them!
Reading this third book in the Cormoran Strike series felt like coming home. I felt safe among some of my favourite characters, Robin and Strike, and because of them I read most of this book with a smile on my face. Galbraith is truly amazing at writing characters, and I definitely think that the characters are what drives this story forward and makes me love it so much.
The murder case in itself interested me, but as is the case with the other two books as well, it was the relationship between Robin and Strike that kept me glued to the pages. I was able to follow the crime case and not be too bored, because Galbraith is really good at mingling it with the everyday lives of the characters. I'm a huge fan of this series, and I can't wait to get back to Robin and Strike in the fourth book - I already miss them!
December 12, 2017
A package delivered to a private investigator’s office in London contains the severed leg of a woman. Who sent this, and why? A note contained in the package that appears to be an extract from the lyrics of a song by the rock band the Blue Oyster Cult might offer a clue. The investigator, Cormoran Strike, is upset that his female partner was exposed to such a brutal discovery – for it was she the package was addressed to – but he thinks he can boil the list of perpetrators down to one of four men. Strike’s observation that the leg is ‘not even my size’ heralds the discovery (for me) that he is missing a leg of his own. Interesting.
I was quickly to discover that this was a very well crafted thriller indeed. After rejecting one of his four suspects as unlikely, Strike decides to leave that one to the police while he’ll try to track down the three dark men from his past who he feels are most capable of and incentivised to carry out this atrocious act. And the three men are grim characters indeed. Each is brought to life via the telling a back story and each is more deliciously appalling than the last. If the story had one of these fellows haunting the background of the piece it would have been interesting, but three… well that’s a feast!
This is the third book the author has penned in this series, but as I haven’t read the first two I was somewhat concerned I’d suffer from that annoying tendency for there to be umpteen references I’d fail to grasp the significance of. I needn’t have worried. Galbraith (AKA J.K. Rowling, as I discovered to my utter surprise about half way through) deftly dealt with any relevant pre-story events by skilfully weaving the facts into the narrative. This is definitely a book that can be read as a stand-alone.
I listened to the tale on audio, brilliantly read by British actor Robert Glenister. He brought each of the characters to life and skillfully delivered all the required accents. Even his Cornish accent sounded spot-on. Cormoran and his partner, Robin Ellacott, are interestingly complex and have plenty going on in their own lives to flesh out the action. There’s good chemistry between them and I’m definitely keen to meet up with them again.
I found the pacing of the story to be just right and although the denouement didn’t provide the bombshell moment I’d been hoping for the whole thing was competently resolved come the end. I really felt at home with this tale. The tension was ever present and the hunt for the three grotesquely villainous bad guys was brilliantly handled. Who knew that the author of the Harry Potter books could also churn out top quality adult crime fiction too.
I was quickly to discover that this was a very well crafted thriller indeed. After rejecting one of his four suspects as unlikely, Strike decides to leave that one to the police while he’ll try to track down the three dark men from his past who he feels are most capable of and incentivised to carry out this atrocious act. And the three men are grim characters indeed. Each is brought to life via the telling a back story and each is more deliciously appalling than the last. If the story had one of these fellows haunting the background of the piece it would have been interesting, but three… well that’s a feast!
This is the third book the author has penned in this series, but as I haven’t read the first two I was somewhat concerned I’d suffer from that annoying tendency for there to be umpteen references I’d fail to grasp the significance of. I needn’t have worried. Galbraith (AKA J.K. Rowling, as I discovered to my utter surprise about half way through) deftly dealt with any relevant pre-story events by skilfully weaving the facts into the narrative. This is definitely a book that can be read as a stand-alone.
I listened to the tale on audio, brilliantly read by British actor Robert Glenister. He brought each of the characters to life and skillfully delivered all the required accents. Even his Cornish accent sounded spot-on. Cormoran and his partner, Robin Ellacott, are interestingly complex and have plenty going on in their own lives to flesh out the action. There’s good chemistry between them and I’m definitely keen to meet up with them again.
I found the pacing of the story to be just right and although the denouement didn’t provide the bombshell moment I’d been hoping for the whole thing was competently resolved come the end. I really felt at home with this tale. The tension was ever present and the hunt for the three grotesquely villainous bad guys was brilliantly handled. Who knew that the author of the Harry Potter books could also churn out top quality adult crime fiction too.
June 12, 2022
Sale Alert: Kindle Daily Deal Jun 12, 2022 $3.99
3.5 Fish and Crisps Stars
I really do enjoy the gumshoe investigation stories that are The Cormoran Strike series. In this particular installment I enjoyed the actual case more than in the other two stories for a few reasons. One is that the nature of this case is more personal. It all begins right off when Robin is sent a leg in the mail. I don’t think it gets more personal than that and to our surprise Cormoran can think of about 4 people from his past capable of such an act. The other reason I liked this case a bit more is that we get some stuff from the PoV of the killer. When done correctly I love being in the mind of the bad guy it is a little tricky too much and it gets too uncomfortable, too little and there isn’t enough suspense added but in this I think it was done really well. I like seeing his/her perspective and thought process it made everything just that much creepier. In this story specifically it added to the suspense and danger I felt specifically for Robin but also for Cormoran.
I live for the interpersonal relationships in stories like these and while there were some developments it is still going a little slowly for my taste but I’m totally hooked and I’ll probably read the entire series just to see how it all works out. I loved getting a bit into Robin’s backstory and why she left University. I think her backstory explains a lot about the person she is today and why/how she and Matthew have been together for so long. I am also happy about a few of the developments between Strike and Robin. First and foremost they are good colleagues and work pretty well together most of the time. It is clear that each brings something to the business and Cormoran is seeing more and more what a benefit it is to have Robin in his life. But beyond that they are building a pretty strong friendship and even though there are some underlying feeling between them…not really addressed to each other they are at least starting to admit them to themselves.
I’m a little disappointed in the Robin/Matthew dynamic and how it played out. But it fit both of their characters still very well and while I’m pulling for a Robin/Cormoran HEA eventually it seems like it is going to take a long time to get there if at all. There are some pretty big issues that I saw between Matthew and Robin in this installment that make it seem like either one of them has to change a lot or it is never going to work out. Especially with it ending right where it did…I really wonder how the story will open in the next book.
I didn’t figure out who the killer really was until the last minute…like when the reveal was coming it all clicked into place. The reason that I’m only giving this a 3.5 have a little to do with pacing and a lot to do with Robin. Okay so I’m not sure if J.K. Rowling is brilliant in that she make you feel like the story is dragging a bit when they are having a lull in the case, because the characters are feeling the lull too or if it’s not on purpose at all. Either way there are times when everything just drags a bit. The other part is that Robin after the revelation of her past became a bit whiny. It was the first time that had happened and it really wasn’t becoming on her character. She never quite became TSTL (To Stupid To Live) but she did make some very rash decisions that led to some consequences in the story Robin wasn’t prepared to deal with.
Overall I enjoy the writing and the characters so I’ll definitely continue on with the series. I however didn’t realize that there are around 8-10ish books planned in this series and so the interpersonal ARCs might take a lot longer to play out than I initially anticipated. I just hope I don’t get bored with that aspect of the series.
One more time….Seriously THAT is where you ended it? Okay pretty brilliant but also, so soooo mean :P
3.5 Fish and Crisps Stars
I really do enjoy the gumshoe investigation stories that are The Cormoran Strike series. In this particular installment I enjoyed the actual case more than in the other two stories for a few reasons. One is that the nature of this case is more personal. It all begins right off when Robin is sent a leg in the mail. I don’t think it gets more personal than that and to our surprise Cormoran can think of about 4 people from his past capable of such an act. The other reason I liked this case a bit more is that we get some stuff from the PoV of the killer. When done correctly I love being in the mind of the bad guy it is a little tricky too much and it gets too uncomfortable, too little and there isn’t enough suspense added but in this I think it was done really well. I like seeing his/her perspective and thought process it made everything just that much creepier. In this story specifically it added to the suspense and danger I felt specifically for Robin but also for Cormoran.
I live for the interpersonal relationships in stories like these and while there were some developments it is still going a little slowly for my taste but I’m totally hooked and I’ll probably read the entire series just to see how it all works out. I loved getting a bit into Robin’s backstory and why she left University. I think her backstory explains a lot about the person she is today and why/how she and Matthew have been together for so long. I am also happy about a few of the developments between Strike and Robin. First and foremost they are good colleagues and work pretty well together most of the time. It is clear that each brings something to the business and Cormoran is seeing more and more what a benefit it is to have Robin in his life. But beyond that they are building a pretty strong friendship and even though there are some underlying feeling between them…not really addressed to each other they are at least starting to admit them to themselves.
I’m a little disappointed in the Robin/Matthew dynamic and how it played out. But it fit both of their characters still very well and while I’m pulling for a Robin/Cormoran HEA eventually it seems like it is going to take a long time to get there if at all. There are some pretty big issues that I saw between Matthew and Robin in this installment that make it seem like either one of them has to change a lot or it is never going to work out. Especially with it ending right where it did…I really wonder how the story will open in the next book.
I didn’t figure out who the killer really was until the last minute…like when the reveal was coming it all clicked into place. The reason that I’m only giving this a 3.5 have a little to do with pacing and a lot to do with Robin. Okay so I’m not sure if J.K. Rowling is brilliant in that she make you feel like the story is dragging a bit when they are having a lull in the case, because the characters are feeling the lull too or if it’s not on purpose at all. Either way there are times when everything just drags a bit. The other part is that Robin after the revelation of her past became a bit whiny. It was the first time that had happened and it really wasn’t becoming on her character. She never quite became TSTL (To Stupid To Live) but she did make some very rash decisions that led to some consequences in the story Robin wasn’t prepared to deal with.
Overall I enjoy the writing and the characters so I’ll definitely continue on with the series. I however didn’t realize that there are around 8-10ish books planned in this series and so the interpersonal ARCs might take a lot longer to play out than I initially anticipated. I just hope I don’t get bored with that aspect of the series.
One more time….Seriously THAT is where you ended it? Okay pretty brilliant but also, so soooo mean :P
September 24, 2025
* Second time reading.
In this third book of Cormoran Strike series, Robin receives a package containing a woman's severed leg along a note quoting a song which had been Strike's deceased mother's favorite.
Strike is sure someone from his past sent him the package; someone with a grudge. But which one of the suspects could do such a thing and why?
PS I hate Matthew!
In this third book of Cormoran Strike series, Robin receives a package containing a woman's severed leg along a note quoting a song which had been Strike's deceased mother's favorite.
Strike is sure someone from his past sent him the package; someone with a grudge. But which one of the suspects could do such a thing and why?
PS I hate Matthew!
November 24, 2021
3.5 stars
This is the third book in Robert Galbraith's (aka J.K. Rowling) series about grizzled private detective Cormoran Strike, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan who lost his leg during the hostilities, and his pretty, strawberry blonde partner Robin Ellacott.
As the story opens Strike and Robin are working on a couple of cases and getting on with their private lives: Strike is dating beautiful (almost) divorcée Elin.
And Robin is planning her wedding to Matthew - a handsome but insensitive guy who resents Robin's job and her friendship with Strike. (As before, most readers probably wonder how Robin can continue her relationship with this irritating guy.)
Robin receives a package at the Detective Agency and - thinking it's some wedding doodads - opens it to find the severed right leg of a young woman.
Not only is this horrifying but it seems to be sending a message because Strike is missing his right leg. Strike concludes that the package was most likely sent by one of three men who hate him:
Jeff Whittaker, Strike's former stepfather - a loutish, abusive, would-be rock star that Strike believes murdered his mother.
Donald Laing, a vicious man who once bit Strike's face during an Army boxing match. Later, when Strike was in the Military Police, he arrested Laing for horrific wife abuse and helped imprison him for 16 years.
Noel Brockbank, a serial pedophile who escaped prison because Strike struck him during an arrest. Brockbank blames Strike for his brain injury and epileptic fits.
Strike reports his suspicions of the three men to the police but they decide to concentrate on other leads, in part because they resent Strike - who became famous after solving a couple of high-profile cases that eluded the cops. So Strike and Robin take it upon themselves to track down the three suspects while continuing to work their ongoing cases.
Meanwhile, the killer goes on with his murderous spree. Parts of the story are narrated by the perp, who graphically describes how he abducts and kills young women. The psychopath seethes with jealousy and hatred for Strike and is determined to ruin his life, partly through targeting Robin. Thus, the killer sends another body part to Strike's partner.
Though it's clear the killer has Robin in his sights, she's determined to be a good detective and an asset to the agency. Thus, Robin refuses to take proper precautions and finds herself in some dangerous situations.
For me, this was hard to buy into. If I knew a depraved serial killer was following me around I'd for sure take cover - preferably in a bomb shelter.
Strike and Robin's pursuit of the killer takes them around London and to other parts of Great Britain as they follow leads, question people, investigate dwellings, and so on. During their inquiries the detectives come across a group of people that have 'body integrity disorder', a mental illness that creates an obsession to have one or more limbs amputated. This is especially infuriating to Strike, whose life is greatly hampered by the absence of a leg.
As all this is going on, Strike and Robin struggle with a mutual attraction that both seem reluctant to acknowledge.
Matthew also inadvertently reveals a secret that throws a spanner into his and Robin's upcoming marriage plans. In addition, the story reveals incidents that profoundly affected Robin and Strike in their pasts, which have continuing repercussions. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in future books.
After a good deal of drama and danger, Strike gets a 'eureka moment' that helps him solve the case. For me, this part didn't ring true and I felt unsatisfied with the story's climax. Other than that though, I enjoyed the book and recommend it to mystery fans.
You can follow my reviews at http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/
December 21, 2015
Career of Evil, the 3rd book in the Cormoran Strike series by J.K. Rowling is terrific and a favorite series of mine. This book did not disappoint. A little different in that Cormoran is not hired, but on a self-made journey with his partner, Robin Ellacott, to find a killer.
When a body part arrives for Robin at the office, the two of them set off to look at three men from Strike's past: his stepfather and two ex-soldiers, one a pedophile. Quite a gruesome trail is followed.
I really enjoyed the intertwining of both of their personal and professional lives in Career of Evil. Robin's fiance, Matthew, made a nice triangle of intrigue and put into question whether their marriage would go forward.
This was a very well written book with a delightful ending. I listened to the audiobook and again enjoyed the terrific British accent of the narrator.
Can't wait for the next book.
A definite 5 out of 5 stars.
When a body part arrives for Robin at the office, the two of them set off to look at three men from Strike's past: his stepfather and two ex-soldiers, one a pedophile. Quite a gruesome trail is followed.
I really enjoyed the intertwining of both of their personal and professional lives in Career of Evil. Robin's fiance, Matthew, made a nice triangle of intrigue and put into question whether their marriage would go forward.
This was a very well written book with a delightful ending. I listened to the audiobook and again enjoyed the terrific British accent of the narrator.
Can't wait for the next book.
A definite 5 out of 5 stars.
September 24, 2025
Disturbing
This book was quite underwhelming, especially compared to the previous one. I had a hunch from the very first page that I wouldn't enjoy it as much, and unfortunately, I was right.
The intense focus on Cormoran and Robin's pasts, along with the shift towards a vengeance plot, wasn't to my taste.
I was disappointed to find that the back stories introduced in this book clashed with the established personalities of the characters I had grown to know.
This inconsistency, coupled with the frequent and disturbing depictions of misogyny, sexual assault,pedophilia and violence, made for an uncomfortable and ultimately unsatisfying reading experience
One of the things I disliked most was the focus on the killer's sick mindset.I didn't expect the series to delve into such a disturbing portrayal of the killer's mind.
The excessive and graphic detail in some parts of this writing made me feel nauseous.
This was one of my least favorite aspects, it was unnecessary ,unsettling and a major disappointment.
I don't understand why the writer chose to include such sickening content.
I found Cormoran's characterization in this book disappointing. His sudden shift to overly personal involvement, coupled with lapses in judgment and decision-making, felt inconsistent with his previous portrayal. His focus on vengeance, influenced by his past, seemed to override his usual empathy for victims, particularly children.
It's disappointing to see such a well-developed character portrayed in this way.
Robin and Matthew's relationship is deeply troubling.
His infidelity, spanning a shocking 18 months, occurred during a particularly vulnerable time in her life.
Instead of taking responsibility for his actions, Matthew's own insecurities drive him to project his behavior onto Robin, creating a toxic dynamic where he suspects her of infidelity despite being the one who betrayed her trust.
This is a gross distortion of reality and a clear example of him deflecting his own guilt.
Furthermore, his dismissive attitude towards Robin's work, simply because it isn't financially lucrative, is incredibly disrespectful.He disregards her passion and fulfillment, prioritizing only monetary gain. This lack of support speaks volumes about his character and the imbalance in their relationship.
It's difficult to comprehend Robin's decision to marry him given this history of betrayal, insecurity, and lack of support.
This plot point feels contrived and undermines Robin's agency.
It's a disservice to her character and a significant misstep on the writer's part.
I still love the characters, but I'm disappointed with the story and how events unfolded in this book.
The unexpected twists were underwhelming and even traumatizing, a real step backward for the series.
I hope the next book is a significant improvement.
This book was quite underwhelming, especially compared to the previous one. I had a hunch from the very first page that I wouldn't enjoy it as much, and unfortunately, I was right.
The intense focus on Cormoran and Robin's pasts, along with the shift towards a vengeance plot, wasn't to my taste.
I was disappointed to find that the back stories introduced in this book clashed with the established personalities of the characters I had grown to know.
This inconsistency, coupled with the frequent and disturbing depictions of misogyny, sexual assault,pedophilia and violence, made for an uncomfortable and ultimately unsatisfying reading experience
One of the things I disliked most was the focus on the killer's sick mindset.I didn't expect the series to delve into such a disturbing portrayal of the killer's mind.
The excessive and graphic detail in some parts of this writing made me feel nauseous.
This was one of my least favorite aspects, it was unnecessary ,unsettling and a major disappointment.
I don't understand why the writer chose to include such sickening content.
I found Cormoran's characterization in this book disappointing. His sudden shift to overly personal involvement, coupled with lapses in judgment and decision-making, felt inconsistent with his previous portrayal. His focus on vengeance, influenced by his past, seemed to override his usual empathy for victims, particularly children.
It's disappointing to see such a well-developed character portrayed in this way.
Robin and Matthew's relationship is deeply troubling.
His infidelity, spanning a shocking 18 months, occurred during a particularly vulnerable time in her life.
Instead of taking responsibility for his actions, Matthew's own insecurities drive him to project his behavior onto Robin, creating a toxic dynamic where he suspects her of infidelity despite being the one who betrayed her trust.
This is a gross distortion of reality and a clear example of him deflecting his own guilt.
Furthermore, his dismissive attitude towards Robin's work, simply because it isn't financially lucrative, is incredibly disrespectful.He disregards her passion and fulfillment, prioritizing only monetary gain. This lack of support speaks volumes about his character and the imbalance in their relationship.
It's difficult to comprehend Robin's decision to marry him given this history of betrayal, insecurity, and lack of support.
This plot point feels contrived and undermines Robin's agency.
It's a disservice to her character and a significant misstep on the writer's part.
I still love the characters, but I'm disappointed with the story and how events unfolded in this book.
The unexpected twists were underwhelming and even traumatizing, a real step backward for the series.
I hope the next book is a significant improvement.
November 9, 2015
I always look forward to picking up a book by J.K. Rowling. From Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone through to this current novel she has never put a foot wrong and I firmly believe she could write successfully in any genre. A truly talented author.
Career of Evil is the third in a series which hopefully will be a long one! The two main characters, Stryke and Robin, are wonderful and the trials and tribulations of their relationship are handled beautifully, to the point where this reader at least continues to think about them long after the book is finished! Some new characters pop up too and the mystery is thrilling, well paced and cleverly written. An easy five stars and I am not at all surprised there is to be a TV show. Looking forward to that and also the next book.
Career of Evil is the third in a series which hopefully will be a long one! The two main characters, Stryke and Robin, are wonderful and the trials and tribulations of their relationship are handled beautifully, to the point where this reader at least continues to think about them long after the book is finished! Some new characters pop up too and the mystery is thrilling, well paced and cleverly written. An easy five stars and I am not at all surprised there is to be a TV show. Looking forward to that and also the next book.
April 2, 2017
Cormoran Strike...en zijn partner Robin Ellacott...weergaloze, satirisch getinte detective.
Het leest als een trein...vlot geschreven, vlot gelezen...hierin ligt ook de kracht van het verhaal.
Ik heb genoten!!
Het leest als een trein...vlot geschreven, vlot gelezen...hierin ligt ook de kracht van het verhaal.
Ik heb genoten!!
February 8, 2017
Despite the fact that I love and adore Rowling for Harry Potter stories, I am disappointed to find, as an adult, how formulaic and simplistic her writing has become.
Career of Evil takes a darker turn to the first two novels in the Cormoran Strike series, and while I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this sudden change of atmosphere, the novel overall is a major disappointment. The likability of the series already hinges on the characters and the need to know what happens with them, but this book is held up entirely by Robin and Strike’s drama. The mystery within the novel is actually more intense then the previous mysteries but it’s almost shoved into the corner amidst all the Strike-Robin drama.
Rowling excels at characterizations, she is an absolute master at it, but it’s a bit problematic for me when a “mystery” novel is based more on the characters and their drama then the actual mystery. It’s a bit too much to expect from a reader. And honestly, the drama itself just festers and causes so much angst that this book had me actually clenching my teeth in frustration.
Another aspect which seems typical of Rowling’s writing is info-dumping. While the novel is not at all difficult to read, and can be quite enjoyable at times, it’s tiresome when you are reading a 500 page novel and have to wait until the last 30-20% of it to understand everything that is going on. This is irritating, especially given that major portions of the novel just deal with Robin and Strike trying to avoid a conversation about their relationship.
Strike is a character I’ve never been able to get truly attached to, but that was not much of a concern seeing as how these are ultimately mystery novels and it doesn’t matter if I love him or not because he’s just a detective and all I cared about was that he did his job. Robin, however, is absolutely infuriating. I used to be able to sympathize with her but her character is so childish, filled with so much teenage anxiety that I couldn’t stand her halfway into the book. I had a hard time picturing her as an adult by the end, all I kept seeing was a 15 year old girl who had no clue what life was about. I felt bad for her, but ultimately just couldn’t care enough. It’s fairly easy for me to get attached to female characters but as this novel progressed, I felt myself pulling away from her.
Generally, I would say this novel would work better as TV series (since those allow for more stereotypical drama). As a mystery novel, this book is a disaster.
Career of Evil takes a darker turn to the first two novels in the Cormoran Strike series, and while I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this sudden change of atmosphere, the novel overall is a major disappointment. The likability of the series already hinges on the characters and the need to know what happens with them, but this book is held up entirely by Robin and Strike’s drama. The mystery within the novel is actually more intense then the previous mysteries but it’s almost shoved into the corner amidst all the Strike-Robin drama.
Rowling excels at characterizations, she is an absolute master at it, but it’s a bit problematic for me when a “mystery” novel is based more on the characters and their drama then the actual mystery. It’s a bit too much to expect from a reader. And honestly, the drama itself just festers and causes so much angst that this book had me actually clenching my teeth in frustration.
Another aspect which seems typical of Rowling’s writing is info-dumping. While the novel is not at all difficult to read, and can be quite enjoyable at times, it’s tiresome when you are reading a 500 page novel and have to wait until the last 30-20% of it to understand everything that is going on. This is irritating, especially given that major portions of the novel just deal with Robin and Strike trying to avoid a conversation about their relationship.
Strike is a character I’ve never been able to get truly attached to, but that was not much of a concern seeing as how these are ultimately mystery novels and it doesn’t matter if I love him or not because he’s just a detective and all I cared about was that he did his job. Robin, however, is absolutely infuriating. I used to be able to sympathize with her but her character is so childish, filled with so much teenage anxiety that I couldn’t stand her halfway into the book. I had a hard time picturing her as an adult by the end, all I kept seeing was a 15 year old girl who had no clue what life was about. I felt bad for her, but ultimately just couldn’t care enough. It’s fairly easy for me to get attached to female characters but as this novel progressed, I felt myself pulling away from her.
Generally, I would say this novel would work better as TV series (since those allow for more stereotypical drama). As a mystery novel, this book is a disaster.
July 31, 2025
„В служба на злото“ е поредното страхотно криминале на Джоан Роулинг! В заплетената и напрегната история проследяваме постепенното разплитане на страховита мистерия, както и научаваме любопитни детайли за Корморан и Робин. Сюжетът се оказа доста мрачен, като присъства и гледната точка на убиеца, но и страшно увлекателно написан. Частният детектив не само разследва сложен зловещ случай, а освен това е лично засегнат от тайнствения злодей, който е негов враг от миналото...
„Историята, като всички атрактивни истории, се делеше подобно на амеба, създаваше серия от нови репортажи, статии с мнения, други с версии и всяка държеше на своята тоналност в общия хор.“
„Историята, като всички атрактивни истории, се делеше подобно на амеба, създаваше серия от нови репортажи, статии с мнения, други с версии и всяка държеше на своята тоналност в общия хор.“
March 1, 2016
3.5 to 4 Stars
Enjoyable and creepy. Lots of shocking detail and action.
However, with all of the Cormoran Strike mysteries - I have always found that around 75% through the resolution it falls a bit flat. In each I was like, oh, here we are at the end and this is what happened. Okay, I guess . . .
I will keep reading this series because I enjoy the characters and the details, but I hope it the future to be surprised and excited by the ending.
Enjoyable and creepy. Lots of shocking detail and action.
However, with all of the Cormoran Strike mysteries - I have always found that around 75% through the resolution it falls a bit flat. In each I was like, oh, here we are at the end and this is what happened. Okay, I guess . . .
I will keep reading this series because I enjoy the characters and the details, but I hope it the future to be surprised and excited by the ending.
January 6, 2020
I am so torn with this one.
It was nowhere near as good as the first two books in the series, in my most humble of opinions.
Something about the entire thing just didn't sit right with me. The mystery element, what we were trying to solve, it wasn't intriguing.
My biggest take away was how much more we learned about Robin and Strike's backstory. That aspect, I did enjoy.
With this being said, however, I was disappointed with Robin in this one. Normally, I love her, but she seemed so whiney and I found myself getting annoyed with her instead of feeling sympathy.
It did leave off in a good spot for the next book and I look forward to getting my hands on it once it is released. Nothing shall stop me continuing with this series!
It was nowhere near as good as the first two books in the series, in my most humble of opinions.
Something about the entire thing just didn't sit right with me. The mystery element, what we were trying to solve, it wasn't intriguing.
My biggest take away was how much more we learned about Robin and Strike's backstory. That aspect, I did enjoy.
With this being said, however, I was disappointed with Robin in this one. Normally, I love her, but she seemed so whiney and I found myself getting annoyed with her instead of feeling sympathy.
It did leave off in a good spot for the next book and I look forward to getting my hands on it once it is released. Nothing shall stop me continuing with this series!
May 14, 2023
الرواية الاولى : عارضة الازياء هل انتحرت أم قتلت ؟
الرواية الثانية : الكاتب المختفي اين هو ؟ هل قتل ؟
فى كلاهما كان سترايك يتم اللجوء اليه كمحقق خاص للجريمة وبمساعدة روبن يتوصل للحل
لكن مع الرواية الثالثة كان سترايك وروبن هم القضية .
تستلم روبن طردا ظنا انها مجموعة كاميرات قابلة للاستعمال مرة واحدة لتقدمها كهدايا لمدعويها في حفلة الزفاف لتصدم حين تقوم بفتحها لتجد انها ساق مبتورة لامرأة !!
لمن هذه الساق ؟ وأين باقى الجثة ؟ ام ان صاحبة الساق لازالت على قيد الحياة ؟ ولماذا قطعت الساق مثل ساق سترايك التى فقدها
من يمكن ان يرسل هذا الطرد ؟ ولم بعدما كتب اسم سترايك عليه وضع اسم روبن فوقه ؟
من يرغب فى الانتقام وايذاء سترايك ؟
من يرغب فى تحطيم سمعته ؟
وما علاقة روبن؟؟ ولم يراقبها ؟؟
من سيفكر في إيكال مهمة تحقيق إلى رجل يملك هذه الشهرة المحزنة ؟ إن أى محقق ارتبط اسمه بجريمة قتل غير محلولة لايمكنه ان يوحي بالثقة
يشك سترايك فى البداية فى مجرم سابق لكن لا يلبث ان يستبعده لكن تظل الشرطة تحقق في امره لكن سترايك يضع امامنا ثلاثة مشتبهين آخرين .
من هم ؟ لماذا يشك بهم سترايك ؟؟
والاهم هل فعلا واحد منهم هو من يبحث عنه سترايك ام انه قد اغفل شخصا آخر لم يبحث عنه ؟؟
اعتقد حتى لو توصلت للقاتل رولينج برضه سايبه مفاجأة تخصه للآخر 😁
رولينج اضافت هنا راوى جديد وهو القاتل ، جعلتنا نسمع افكاره وماذا يفعل ؟؟ . ارادتنا ان نعرف خطواته واسبابها . لكن لازلنا نبحث وراءه ومع سترايك وروبن لنعلم من هو !
كما انها هنا ليست جريمة واحدة ، والقاتل يستمتع بالقتل وبأخذ اجزاء من ضحاياه وحفظها .
عبقرية رولينج بالنسبة لي لاتكمن فقط فى ان تجعل الرواية مشوقة وتجعلك تبحث عمن يرغب في الانتقام من سترايك او تبحث عن القاتل . بل ايضا ان جعلتني ارتبط بسترايك وروبن ابطال سلسلتها ، استمتع جدا معهم و بأحاديثهم ، استمتع بقلق سترايك من وجود روبن فى دائرة الخطر بسببه وغضب روبن حين تشعر انه يقلل من شأنها ومن قوتها على مواجهة مخاطر وصعوبة عملهم وانه لازال احيانا يعاملها كمجرد سكرتيرة ليست كشريكة ومساعدة اساسية فى التحقيقات .
علاقات سترايك العاطفية . وروبن وخطيبها ماثيو المستفز ومشاكلهم ( مش عارفة كملوا سنين مع بعض كده ازاى 😂 علاقة فاشلة اساسا 😞 ) . و لقطات من ماضيهم نتعرف منها اكثر على روبن واسباب تركها لجامعتها . وطبعا اجزاء من حياة سترايك السابقة اثناء بحثنا عن المجرم.
متشوقة للجزء الرابع ( يارب تنزل الترجمة قريب ) خصوصا مع احداث نهاية الجزء الثالث 🤩🤩
كان هناك اخطاء بسيطة كانت تحتاج لتدقيق اكثر
مثل مثلا
.احست ببرد شديد لدى سماع سترايك يرفض مساعدة الطفلتين اللتين تعيشان مع سترايك
المفترض انها تقصد تعيشان مع بروكبانك لكن ليست مشكلة طالما أتاحت لنا الترجمة قراءة هذه السلسلة الرائعة .
١ / ١١ / ٢٠٢٠
: الجزء الاول :نداء الكوكو
: الجزء الثاني :دودة الحرير
الجزء الرابع : البيضاء القاتلة
الرواية الثانية : الكاتب المختفي اين هو ؟ هل قتل ؟
فى كلاهما كان سترايك يتم اللجوء اليه كمحقق خاص للجريمة وبمساعدة روبن يتوصل للحل
لكن مع الرواية الثالثة كان سترايك وروبن هم القضية .
تستلم روبن طردا ظنا انها مجموعة كاميرات قابلة للاستعمال مرة واحدة لتقدمها كهدايا لمدعويها في حفلة الزفاف لتصدم حين تقوم بفتحها لتجد انها ساق مبتورة لامرأة !!
لمن هذه الساق ؟ وأين باقى الجثة ؟ ام ان صاحبة الساق لازالت على قيد الحياة ؟ ولماذا قطعت الساق مثل ساق سترايك التى فقدها
من يمكن ان يرسل هذا الطرد ؟ ولم بعدما كتب اسم سترايك عليه وضع اسم روبن فوقه ؟
من يرغب فى الانتقام وايذاء سترايك ؟
من يرغب فى تحطيم سمعته ؟
وما علاقة روبن؟؟ ولم يراقبها ؟؟
من سيفكر في إيكال مهمة تحقيق إلى رجل يملك هذه الشهرة المحزنة ؟ إن أى محقق ارتبط اسمه بجريمة قتل غير محلولة لايمكنه ان يوحي بالثقة
يشك سترايك فى البداية فى مجرم سابق لكن لا يلبث ان يستبعده لكن تظل الشرطة تحقق في امره لكن سترايك يضع امامنا ثلاثة مشتبهين آخرين .
من هم ؟ لماذا يشك بهم سترايك ؟؟
والاهم هل فعلا واحد منهم هو من يبحث عنه سترايك ام انه قد اغفل شخصا آخر لم يبحث عنه ؟؟
اعتقد حتى لو توصلت للقاتل رولينج برضه سايبه مفاجأة تخصه للآخر 😁
رولينج اضافت هنا راوى جديد وهو القاتل ، جعلتنا نسمع افكاره وماذا يفعل ؟؟ . ارادتنا ان نعرف خطواته واسبابها . لكن لازلنا نبحث وراءه ومع سترايك وروبن لنعلم من هو !
كما انها هنا ليست جريمة واحدة ، والقاتل يستمتع بالقتل وبأخذ اجزاء من ضحاياه وحفظها .
عبقرية رولينج بالنسبة لي لاتكمن فقط فى ان تجعل الرواية مشوقة وتجعلك تبحث عمن يرغب في الانتقام من سترايك او تبحث عن القاتل . بل ايضا ان جعلتني ارتبط بسترايك وروبن ابطال سلسلتها ، استمتع جدا معهم و بأحاديثهم ، استمتع بقلق سترايك من وجود روبن فى دائرة الخطر بسببه وغضب روبن حين تشعر انه يقلل من شأنها ومن قوتها على مواجهة مخاطر وصعوبة عملهم وانه لازال احيانا يعاملها كمجرد سكرتيرة ليست كشريكة ومساعدة اساسية فى التحقيقات .
علاقات سترايك العاطفية . وروبن وخطيبها ماثيو المستفز ومشاكلهم ( مش عارفة كملوا سنين مع بعض كده ازاى 😂 علاقة فاشلة اساسا 😞 ) . و لقطات من ماضيهم نتعرف منها اكثر على روبن واسباب تركها لجامعتها . وطبعا اجزاء من حياة سترايك السابقة اثناء بحثنا عن المجرم.
متشوقة للجزء الرابع ( يارب تنزل الترجمة قريب ) خصوصا مع احداث نهاية الجزء الثالث 🤩🤩
كان هناك اخطاء بسيطة كانت تحتاج لتدقيق اكثر
مثل مثلا
.احست ببرد شديد لدى سماع سترايك يرفض مساعدة الطفلتين اللتين تعيشان مع سترايك
المفترض انها تقصد تعيشان مع بروكبانك لكن ليست مشكلة طالما أتاحت لنا الترجمة قراءة هذه السلسلة الرائعة .
١ / ١١ / ٢٠٢٠
: الجزء الاول :نداء الكوكو
: الجزء الثاني :دودة الحرير
الجزء الرابع : البيضاء القاتلة
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