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Cormoran Strike #5
Nemirna krv
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Mystery & Thriller (2020)Nemirna krv peti je roman o Strikeu i Robin, najupečatljiviji je i najuzbudljiviji dosad. Čudesno zapetljan, ostavit će vas bez daha. Privatni istražitelj Cormoran Strike u posjetu je obitelji u Cornwallu, kad mu se za pomoć obrati žena čija je majka, Margot Bamborough, nestala u nerazjašnjenim okolnostima 1974. godine.Strike nikad nije rješavao stari slučaj, a pogotovo ne slučaj star četrdeset godina. Ali, iako su šanse za uspjeh vrlo slabe, zaintrigiran je i prihvaća taj izazov – dodajući ga dugom popisu slučajeva na kojima trenutačno radi s Robin Ellacott, partnericom u agenciji. Robin usto prolazi kroz ružan razvod, trpi neželjenu mušku pozornost i bori se s vlastitim osjećajima prema Strikeu. Istražujući Margotin nestanak, Robin i Strike nailaze na paklenski kompleksan slučaj s tragovima koji uključuju tarot-karte, serijskog ubojicu psihopata i svjedoke kojima se ne može u potpunosti vjerovati. I shvaćaju da se čak i desetljećima stari slučajevi mogu pokazati kobnima…
972 pages, Paperback
First published September 15, 2020
11457 people are currently reading
44753 people want to read
About the author
Robert Galbraith
32 books32.9k 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 - 30 of 12,829 reviews
October 20, 2020
I was extremely excited to read this novel as J.K Rowling/Robert Galbraith is the only author that makes me pre-order. I got this in the morning the novel was published but I started to properly read it after two weeks because I needed quiet time from GR to be able to enjoy my reunion with Strike and Robin.
I enjoyed the ride but it was way too long. I jokily anticipated the length with a comment as soon as I knew the title and added the novel to my TBR but I wasn’t expected to be so right. I understand that she is a very famous writer but editors should still do their job and edit down unnecessary information. Troubled Blood could have easily been 300 pages shorter without losing anything important. While I enjoy spending as much time with Robin and Strike as possible, there were too many side stories, additional characters and endless interviews that did not bring much to the plot.
Despite its length and some filler scenes, it was still a wonderfully written mystery. Robin and Strike are hired to investigate the cold case of a woman who disappeared 40 years ago. It was believed to be killed by a known serial killer but the daughter wants to know for sure what happened to her. Without too much hope, the pair agrees to investigate and for the next one year and a bit they try to dig into the past while struggling to solve the other cases they have on their hands. There are lots of incursions into Strike and Robin personal lives, most of them unhappy but necessary for the evolvement of the characters and their relationship. The plot was complex and full of twists and turns, which I enjoy. I also appreciated the exploration of tarot and astrology and the inclusion of the police officer’s notes, a device I applaud although it was impossible to read the whole thing on kindle.
The novel explores the idea of bias and how we can be deceived by our judgment of appearances, social status, occupation, sex etc. A special accent is put on violence against women, in its many forms.
15.09: This beauty waited for me on my kindle this morning. Already sank my teeth in it and can't wait do devour all its 888 pages.
I enjoyed the ride but it was way too long. I jokily anticipated the length with a comment as soon as I knew the title and added the novel to my TBR but I wasn’t expected to be so right. I understand that she is a very famous writer but editors should still do their job and edit down unnecessary information. Troubled Blood could have easily been 300 pages shorter without losing anything important. While I enjoy spending as much time with Robin and Strike as possible, there were too many side stories, additional characters and endless interviews that did not bring much to the plot.
Despite its length and some filler scenes, it was still a wonderfully written mystery. Robin and Strike are hired to investigate the cold case of a woman who disappeared 40 years ago. It was believed to be killed by a known serial killer but the daughter wants to know for sure what happened to her. Without too much hope, the pair agrees to investigate and for the next one year and a bit they try to dig into the past while struggling to solve the other cases they have on their hands. There are lots of incursions into Strike and Robin personal lives, most of them unhappy but necessary for the evolvement of the characters and their relationship. The plot was complex and full of twists and turns, which I enjoy. I also appreciated the exploration of tarot and astrology and the inclusion of the police officer’s notes, a device I applaud although it was impossible to read the whole thing on kindle.
The novel explores the idea of bias and how we can be deceived by our judgment of appearances, social status, occupation, sex etc. A special accent is put on violence against women, in its many forms.
15.09: This beauty waited for me on my kindle this morning. Already sank my teeth in it and can't wait do devour all its 888 pages.
December 3, 2020
Updated review:
There was a lot going on in this book which made it hard to follow at times. At heart, it revolves around the character development of Strike and Robin. The case itself was slower and more along the lines of The Cuckoos Calling. Addressing the issue of Creed, or the “trans” alleged villain, he was not trans or gender confused. He disguises himself in a way that appeals to his victims but it’s such a minuscule detail that if you blink you’ll miss it entirely. Rowling does address other tough topics such as abortion, pornography/sex trafficking, and sexual harassment, but she does so in a careful way that sheds important lights of truth but also compassion on the topics for anyone who is ignorant to them, or may have been involved in them.
All in all, the character development between Strike and Robin was what made the story while the actual investigation got to be confusing with many different people and theories that were hard to keep track of.
Original:
Rowling is not transphobic. Everyone giving this book 1 star before they’ve even read it is doing so to silence someone because they have a different opinion than them. I don’t want to rate this book before I’ve read it but everyone giving it a one star because Rowling is “transphobic” is just being childish and unfair. Rowling has done her research on the issue that brought her to her position which is based on factual science, not fear or hate.
There was a lot going on in this book which made it hard to follow at times. At heart, it revolves around the character development of Strike and Robin. The case itself was slower and more along the lines of The Cuckoos Calling. Addressing the issue of Creed, or the “trans” alleged villain, he was not trans or gender confused. He disguises himself in a way that appeals to his victims but it’s such a minuscule detail that if you blink you’ll miss it entirely. Rowling does address other tough topics such as abortion, pornography/sex trafficking, and sexual harassment, but she does so in a careful way that sheds important lights of truth but also compassion on the topics for anyone who is ignorant to them, or may have been involved in them.
All in all, the character development between Strike and Robin was what made the story while the actual investigation got to be confusing with many different people and theories that were hard to keep track of.
Original:
Rowling is not transphobic. Everyone giving this book 1 star before they’ve even read it is doing so to silence someone because they have a different opinion than them. I don’t want to rate this book before I’ve read it but everyone giving it a one star because Rowling is “transphobic” is just being childish and unfair. Rowling has done her research on the issue that brought her to her position which is based on factual science, not fear or hate.
September 24, 2020
You are all acting like JK Rowling is rounding up trans people into her mansion and brutally slaughtering them. You sound like children... You can't enjoy a story by an extremely talented writer because she doesn't have the exact same views as you? That is beyond pathetic. Do you have any idea how much money Jo has donated to charity? She's done so much more for humanity than any of you simpering morons ever will.. Congrats on being woke on the internet though, you're really making a difference I'm sure... Maybe this book is nothing but militant anti-LGBT propaganda. I'm at least going to read it before I make any judgements though, and judge the story on it's own merit. I'm only giving it 5 stars because so many of you """"heroes"""" have unfairly given it 1 star without even reading it.
September 15, 2020
Absolutely excellent book, just finished. There is no transvestite murderer. There's a sentence in which one near-victim in the 1970s couldn't give a good description her attacker as he wore a woman's wig and coat. That's it. No mention of transgender throughout the book.
The statements from the online mob of bullies are pure bulls*#t.
The statements from the online mob of bullies are pure bulls*#t.
December 18, 2023
(A-) 81% | Very Good
Notes: A catchy yet belabored song, elaborate and story-strong, it all in all goes on and on, ho-hum in spots and far too long.
Notes: A catchy yet belabored song, elaborate and story-strong, it all in all goes on and on, ho-hum in spots and far too long.
September 15, 2020
When the killer is a woman: "YOU'RE A MISOGYNIST"
When the killer is a transgender: "YOU'RE A TRANSPHOBE"
When the killer is black: "YOU'RE A RACIST"
When the killer is a straight white male: "This is fine because all white men are white supremacists and rapists."
- The idiotic left (2020)
When the killer is a transgender: "YOU'RE A TRANSPHOBE"
When the killer is black: "YOU'RE A RACIST"
When the killer is a straight white male: "This is fine because all white men are white supremacists and rapists."
- The idiotic left (2020)
July 31, 2023
Of course I was going to give it 5 stars, as always!
This one is a bit different because it’s a cold case they have to solve, so there wasn’t much immediate danger. Though, without giving anything away, Strike and Robin are in more danger than they think.
The relationship between Strike and Robin is VERY interesting in this one and I’m sure everyone is dying to know what happens between them just as much as wanting to know whodunnit.
I loved the involvement of astrology, tarot cards, occultism/Aleister Crowley and satanism; clues left behind by a detective inspector who had been on the verge of a mental breakdown during the original investigation; and also one of the suspects, Dennis Creed, being a convicted and imprisoned serial killer.
I loved the new characters in this book, and also characters previously mentioned in other books which are more involved this time round.
I think Career of Evil is still my favourite in terms of the murder mystery, but in terms of the relationship between Strike and Robin, this is without a doubt the best one yet. And I think most people would agree, it’s Strike and Robin that keeps people coming back for more.
This one is a bit different because it’s a cold case they have to solve, so there wasn’t much immediate danger. Though, without giving anything away, Strike and Robin are in more danger than they think.
The relationship between Strike and Robin is VERY interesting in this one and I’m sure everyone is dying to know what happens between them just as much as wanting to know whodunnit.
I loved the involvement of astrology, tarot cards, occultism/Aleister Crowley and satanism; clues left behind by a detective inspector who had been on the verge of a mental breakdown during the original investigation; and also one of the suspects, Dennis Creed, being a convicted and imprisoned serial killer.
I loved the new characters in this book, and also characters previously mentioned in other books which are more involved this time round.
I think Career of Evil is still my favourite in terms of the murder mystery, but in terms of the relationship between Strike and Robin, this is without a doubt the best one yet. And I think most people would agree, it’s Strike and Robin that keeps people coming back for more.
October 26, 2020
Can't wait to read this
Couldn't care less her views on Gender whatever, still writes a good enough story for me.
Couldn't care less her views on Gender whatever, still writes a good enough story for me.
November 14, 2020
Rowling's latest in the London based private investigator Cormoran Strike series is one for those who enjoy being immersed in a mystery for a considerable length of time, a fast paced read this is not. The author plays to her trademark strengths of focusing on characters and their development, both with Strike and Robin, who have personal challenges to handle, and the other people created specific to a 40 year old cold case. Strike is in Cornwall staying with his Aunt Joan and Uncle Ted, more parents to him and his half-sister Lucy, than his groupie mother, Leda, and rock star father, Jonny Rokeby, who never showed the slightest interest in him until he became well known. Joan is dying from cancer, and Strike who has never been one to talk about his emotions is struggling to handle this, trying to do his best to be there for Joan and support Ted, who is devastated. With all this on his plate, he is less than amenable to his half siblings on his father's side and Rokeby wanting his presence at their family and band event.
Robin as we know has separated from Matthew after she discovered he had been cheating on her with Sarah, her life is being made miserable as he refuses to accede to a straightforward divorce, insisting that Robin is responsible for the breakdown of their marriage. His meanness and spite makes him want to hold on to all marital assets, including what Robin's parents had financially contributed, the only thing she will fight for. Robin is further pushed to reflect on her tendency to avoid confronting certain situations in the interests of avoiding conflict, even when a odious subcontractor, Saul Morris, crosses lines that she should not have put up with, bringing back traumatic memories from her past. 40 years ago in 1974, GP and mother, Margaret Bamborough, disappeared in London on her way to meet a friend at a pub. Anna, her daughter, wants to know what happened to her, and is willing to pay for a year's worth of investigative work, on a case where it was assumed she was a victim of notorious cross dressing serial killer now in Broadmoor, Dennis Creed.
Strike is upfront with Anna that they are unlikely to solve what happened to Margaret after so much time has passed, and it is certainly one of the most difficult cases they have taken on. For a start, many key figures from the case are dead, and a number that might be living prove to be particularly difficult to locate. Getting hold of the police files on the case is harder than expected, and when DI George Laybourn finally hands them over, it is clear the original police inquiry under DI Bill Talbot was a fiasco, for some time he disregarded anything that didn't fit his belief that she had been one of Creed's victims. That is not all, Talbot had serious mental health issues, and had pursued and obsessed over the strange territories of applying intricate and hard to fathom astrology and tarot card interpretations to those involved in the case.
The narrative takes place just over the period of a year, a year which includes other cases, and the impact of what is happening in the personal lives of Strike, such as his grief at the loss of Aunt Joan, contact from the likes of Strike's volatile ex-girlfriend, Charlotte Campbell, and Robin's divorce. Strike is determined not to let anyone get close to him, he struggles to emotionally read others or adequately understand that he needs to let others into his life and express what he is feeling so that he is less likely to implode when under emotional stress. Whilst both he and Robin are reluctant to cross into personal territory with each other, they do not want to threaten their professional business partnership, they love what they do, their relationship does develop to the point they are able to be more honest with each other. This is a terrifically entertaining and stellar addition to what is a marvellous series which I recommend to those who love their character driven crime mysteries.
Robin as we know has separated from Matthew after she discovered he had been cheating on her with Sarah, her life is being made miserable as he refuses to accede to a straightforward divorce, insisting that Robin is responsible for the breakdown of their marriage. His meanness and spite makes him want to hold on to all marital assets, including what Robin's parents had financially contributed, the only thing she will fight for. Robin is further pushed to reflect on her tendency to avoid confronting certain situations in the interests of avoiding conflict, even when a odious subcontractor, Saul Morris, crosses lines that she should not have put up with, bringing back traumatic memories from her past. 40 years ago in 1974, GP and mother, Margaret Bamborough, disappeared in London on her way to meet a friend at a pub. Anna, her daughter, wants to know what happened to her, and is willing to pay for a year's worth of investigative work, on a case where it was assumed she was a victim of notorious cross dressing serial killer now in Broadmoor, Dennis Creed.
Strike is upfront with Anna that they are unlikely to solve what happened to Margaret after so much time has passed, and it is certainly one of the most difficult cases they have taken on. For a start, many key figures from the case are dead, and a number that might be living prove to be particularly difficult to locate. Getting hold of the police files on the case is harder than expected, and when DI George Laybourn finally hands them over, it is clear the original police inquiry under DI Bill Talbot was a fiasco, for some time he disregarded anything that didn't fit his belief that she had been one of Creed's victims. That is not all, Talbot had serious mental health issues, and had pursued and obsessed over the strange territories of applying intricate and hard to fathom astrology and tarot card interpretations to those involved in the case.
The narrative takes place just over the period of a year, a year which includes other cases, and the impact of what is happening in the personal lives of Strike, such as his grief at the loss of Aunt Joan, contact from the likes of Strike's volatile ex-girlfriend, Charlotte Campbell, and Robin's divorce. Strike is determined not to let anyone get close to him, he struggles to emotionally read others or adequately understand that he needs to let others into his life and express what he is feeling so that he is less likely to implode when under emotional stress. Whilst both he and Robin are reluctant to cross into personal territory with each other, they do not want to threaten their professional business partnership, they love what they do, their relationship does develop to the point they are able to be more honest with each other. This is a terrifically entertaining and stellar addition to what is a marvellous series which I recommend to those who love their character driven crime mysteries.
October 26, 2020
Intricate and Surprising!
40 years ago, Margot Bamborough, a young doctor, went missing without a trace. At the time, a notorious serial killer named Creed was on the loose, targeting innocent women. Although there was no evidence, the police believed Creed was responsible for Margot's disappearance. In the present, her daughter contracts the famous Detective Cormoran Strike to find out what really happened to her mother. No one really believes that Strike and his partner, Robin, will unearth what really happened to Margot Bamborough, including Strike and Robin themselves.
Strike and Robin have a lot to contend with on this case, including the notes of a delusional police officer obsessed with astrology, lost witnesses, those who tried to profit off of Margot’s disappearance, as well as her widow, his new wife, and the notorious killer, Creed. Much has been made of Creed's penchant for cross-dressing as a method to lure his victims, but after reading this, I can say this element of the controversy is overblown.
At the same, Strike and Robin’s agency is growing and they can barely keep up with all of their cases as their personal lives are getting in the way, Strike is dealing with a personal tragedy while at the same time trying to deal with the attention of his famous father. Robin is trying to process her divorce and single life. They also have some new and difficult employees to contend with. Of course, Robin and Strike pondering their feelings for one another takes up a good portion of the book. I am over this back and forth, and I am hoping they reach a new stage of their relationship in the next book because I can’t take it anymore!
The mystery is intricate and intriguing. There are so many interesting and eccentric characters tied to the case that I couldn’t exactly pinpoint what was going on. My armchair detective skills were put to the test, and I failed. I had a theory, which was rather conventional, and I was surprised by the reveal, which caught me off guard.
As others have commented, this is a lengthy book, but I am happy to report that there is not a superfluous moment, all matters (I didn’t feel this way about book #4). The events of the narrative take place over a year, and the way Galbraith plots out the events made the timeline feel real. The pacing was appropriate and enjoyable. When I got to the final pages, I was sad to see it was over as I could have read more!
I am excited to see where things are headed for our detective duo, and I am looking forward to seeing what role the new detective, Michelle, plays in the next book.
On a final note, I would like to say that I DO NOT AGREE with J.K Rowling’s personal views on the Trans community. I would prefer not to get into a political discussion, so please only post comments about Troubled Blood.
40 years ago, Margot Bamborough, a young doctor, went missing without a trace. At the time, a notorious serial killer named Creed was on the loose, targeting innocent women. Although there was no evidence, the police believed Creed was responsible for Margot's disappearance. In the present, her daughter contracts the famous Detective Cormoran Strike to find out what really happened to her mother. No one really believes that Strike and his partner, Robin, will unearth what really happened to Margot Bamborough, including Strike and Robin themselves.
Strike and Robin have a lot to contend with on this case, including the notes of a delusional police officer obsessed with astrology, lost witnesses, those who tried to profit off of Margot’s disappearance, as well as her widow, his new wife, and the notorious killer, Creed. Much has been made of Creed's penchant for cross-dressing as a method to lure his victims, but after reading this, I can say this element of the controversy is overblown.
At the same, Strike and Robin’s agency is growing and they can barely keep up with all of their cases as their personal lives are getting in the way, Strike is dealing with a personal tragedy while at the same time trying to deal with the attention of his famous father. Robin is trying to process her divorce and single life. They also have some new and difficult employees to contend with. Of course, Robin and Strike pondering their feelings for one another takes up a good portion of the book. I am over this back and forth, and I am hoping they reach a new stage of their relationship in the next book because I can’t take it anymore!
The mystery is intricate and intriguing. There are so many interesting and eccentric characters tied to the case that I couldn’t exactly pinpoint what was going on. My armchair detective skills were put to the test, and I failed. I had a theory, which was rather conventional, and I was surprised by the reveal, which caught me off guard.
As others have commented, this is a lengthy book, but I am happy to report that there is not a superfluous moment, all matters (I didn’t feel this way about book #4). The events of the narrative take place over a year, and the way Galbraith plots out the events made the timeline feel real. The pacing was appropriate and enjoyable. When I got to the final pages, I was sad to see it was over as I could have read more!
I am excited to see where things are headed for our detective duo, and I am looking forward to seeing what role the new detective, Michelle, plays in the next book.
On a final note, I would like to say that I DO NOT AGREE with J.K Rowling’s personal views on the Trans community. I would prefer not to get into a political discussion, so please only post comments about Troubled Blood.
August 24, 2025
There is nothing worse than people who rate a book before it’s release!!!
August 2, 2022
Reread:
Okay, I am trash for this series. I didn’t start this year out planning to reread this series, but I am endlessly happy that I did. I will now spend the remainder of this month obsessively counting down the days until book 6 releases on the 30th.
Original Review:
Could it have been trimmed down a bit? Maybe. But, this book had all of the mystery, heart, and character dynamics that I love about this series. Strike and Robin are such a wonderful duo. It was so easy to fall back into the familiar rhythm of their story, even though it’s been two years since I finished the last one. If you like a good mystery, this one does not disappoint!
Okay, I am trash for this series. I didn’t start this year out planning to reread this series, but I am endlessly happy that I did. I will now spend the remainder of this month obsessively counting down the days until book 6 releases on the 30th.
Original Review:
Could it have been trimmed down a bit? Maybe. But, this book had all of the mystery, heart, and character dynamics that I love about this series. Strike and Robin are such a wonderful duo. It was so easy to fall back into the familiar rhythm of their story, even though it’s been two years since I finished the last one. If you like a good mystery, this one does not disappoint!
September 16, 2020
Great book. A 900 page, roller coaster ride through deep relationships and a 40 year old cold case. Firstly lets get the thought police out of the way first - the offending comment in the book is on page 75 and it recounts a serial killer who used to dress occasionally in a women's coat and wig to look less threatening in persuading women to jump into a van with him. This is not transphobic - if you don't want to read the book and give JK Rowling your money - great! That is your choice - but don't talk ignorantly about a book you've not read and mix up someone standing up for women's rights as being transphobic. Also - please would you write the same kind of vitriol about all the other novels and real cases where this has occurred, otherwise we may simply consider your views misogynistic against Rowling, rather than being balanced about inequality in society.
Back to the book - this is a simply put down-able race through the disappearance of a missing GP and the way in which Robin and Strike unravel the case. It is a touching and analytical view of human relationships and the complex way that they wax and wane and how they develop. The way that Rowling writes the investigation is thorough and realistic and keeps you hanging on for more. There is so much life in this book, so much character and understanding of the human condition, that reading gives you a different perspective on many things - but for me it was relationships and the way that interactions between people could be so much easier if we all were a little more open with our experiences.
I was lucky to get this yesterday in B&N - they had only 1 copy left!
Back to the book - this is a simply put down-able race through the disappearance of a missing GP and the way in which Robin and Strike unravel the case. It is a touching and analytical view of human relationships and the complex way that they wax and wane and how they develop. The way that Rowling writes the investigation is thorough and realistic and keeps you hanging on for more. There is so much life in this book, so much character and understanding of the human condition, that reading gives you a different perspective on many things - but for me it was relationships and the way that interactions between people could be so much easier if we all were a little more open with our experiences.
I was lucky to get this yesterday in B&N - they had only 1 copy left!
nope
June 29, 2023This blog doesn’t support transphobic authors or their equally phobic works. I recommend instead people read some books by actual trans authors!
Here’s a short list:
Felix Ever After
I Wish You All the Best
Cemetery Boys
A Safe Girl to Love
Edit: I am done responding to hateful comments. However if anybody would like to have an actual discussion on how this work is harmful, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Here’s a short list:
Felix Ever After
I Wish You All the Best
Cemetery Boys
A Safe Girl to Love
Edit: I am done responding to hateful comments. However if anybody would like to have an actual discussion on how this work is harmful, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
September 16, 2020
It is so stupid that people are giving this book 1 star without reading it because a serial killer cishet killer sometimes likes to dress up as a woman TO LURE HIS VICTIMS IN by making himself seem non threatening. I do not understand how this is transphobic whatsoever. Now, if they were upset about a trans character in "Silkworm", I'd understand. But this is just "brave" keyboard warriors fighting for... what? So brave to click on one star for a book you haven't read and vow you never will.
I loved this book. It's the first cold case Strike and Robin are trying to solve so it is extra challenging. It was quite a wild ride. The relationship between the two detective partners was also showing progress - finally, after 4 years LOL. I just finished reading reading it at 3 am and plan to re-read it (hopefully listen to audiobook, actually).
I loved this book. It's the first cold case Strike and Robin are trying to solve so it is extra challenging. It was quite a wild ride. The relationship between the two detective partners was also showing progress - finally, after 4 years LOL. I just finished reading reading it at 3 am and plan to re-read it (hopefully listen to audiobook, actually).
nah-bro
September 17, 2020There sure is some TROUBLED BLOOD surrounding this book!
Can it get worse?
Does the irony of the issues surrounding this book deepen??
Y E S
↓ ↓ ↓
JKR basically spoiled this book's plot with her slew of transphobia:
https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/09/14...
https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/09/16...
PUBLICATION DAY things to consider if, after all the calls to stop supporting this author, you still want to read this book:
— a cisman dressing up as a woman to kill women is a rare, improbable thing because men don't need dresses to help them kill women
— the above was a fear that JKR kept tweeting about & pushing as a reason to keep transwomen from ciswomen space (note: women are women whether or not the bodies are a bit different)
— you don't need to "read this to find out for yourself" because the transphobia has been called out & shared multiple times
— if you ABSOLUTELY MUST read this because you refuse to be "bullied" into avoiding ONE problematic book . . . do it quietly. Don't purchase it. Borrow from a library or a friend. Don't shovel money into the author's pockets & stop piling onto the hurt transpeople don't deserve and have repeatedly, consistently asked readers to stop
— and if you do still choose to read this, I'm not going to tell you stop. It should still be a free world to read whatever you decide & that's a right I will defend . . . but if you decide to read this?? I'm going to unfriend/unfollow because you have chosen to ignore the voices of the oppressed transpeople that this book and author target. You choose to follow in the footsteps of bigotry and transphobia when there are plenty of other authors & stories you could support but choose to support transphobic material instead
Pre-publication:
Can it get worse?
Does the irony of the issues surrounding this book deepen??
Y E S
↓ ↓ ↓
JKR basically spoiled this book's plot with her slew of transphobia:
https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/09/14...
https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/09/16...
PUBLICATION DAY things to consider if, after all the calls to stop supporting this author, you still want to read this book:
— a cisman dressing up as a woman to kill women is a rare, improbable thing because men don't need dresses to help them kill women
— the above was a fear that JKR kept tweeting about & pushing as a reason to keep transwomen from ciswomen space (note: women are women whether or not the bodies are a bit different)
— you don't need to "read this to find out for yourself" because the transphobia has been called out & shared multiple times
— if you ABSOLUTELY MUST read this because you refuse to be "bullied" into avoiding ONE problematic book . . . do it quietly. Don't purchase it. Borrow from a library or a friend. Don't shovel money into the author's pockets & stop piling onto the hurt transpeople don't deserve and have repeatedly, consistently asked readers to stop
— and if you do still choose to read this, I'm not going to tell you stop. It should still be a free world to read whatever you decide & that's a right I will defend . . . but if you decide to read this?? I'm going to unfriend/unfollow because you have chosen to ignore the voices of the oppressed transpeople that this book and author target. You choose to follow in the footsteps of bigotry and transphobia when there are plenty of other authors & stories you could support but choose to support transphobic material instead
Pre-publication:
September 20, 2020
note: i'll be deleting any new comments since it all went out of control with sick and obsessed people attacking me and calling me racist slurs just for defending a minority.
i'll repeat what i said in the comments here: if this book had been written by someone else, the story would be different. i can't give a free pass to a woman that has previously made discriminatory statements towards the trans community. declarations that have fed the stereotypes that negatively affect trans people, making suicide rates higher and their lives miserable. trans people aren't "dangerous" like the media has made them look.
***
944 pages of pure transphobic crap. how does this woman even gets the green light to write this? also why is she so obsessed with trans/gender non-conforming people?
anyway chile, i never rate books that i haven’t read but i hate seeing the TERFS happy.
i'll repeat what i said in the comments here: if this book had been written by someone else, the story would be different. i can't give a free pass to a woman that has previously made discriminatory statements towards the trans community. declarations that have fed the stereotypes that negatively affect trans people, making suicide rates higher and their lives miserable. trans people aren't "dangerous" like the media has made them look.
***
944 pages of pure transphobic crap. how does this woman even gets the green light to write this? also why is she so obsessed with trans/gender non-conforming people?
anyway chile, i never rate books that i haven’t read but i hate seeing the TERFS happy.
November 13, 2020
Firstly I would recommend that you read this book on your kindle or other device. I read the paperback and it was huge, unwieldy and very heavy. Nevertheless the content made my struggle worthwhile.
This series is definitely character driven and although I have had issues with some characters (especially Robin) in the previous books I had no such problems this time. In Troubled Blood both Robin and Strike are going through stressful times with their own families and it is good to watch them leaning on each other for support. The ending to the book promises better things in the future too.
As I struggled with the size of the book I wondered why it was not published in two volumes but there turned out to be no point at which the story could have been stopped. The main mystery is a forty year old cold case which tests all of the team's ingenuity and takes all 945 pages to solve. Lots of other little stories are told along the way of course plus all the family dramas and I never lost interest at any point. It helps that the author writes so well.
I enjoyed the whole thing right down to the smart ending. I was left wondering if the author intends to write any more books in this series or if we have been left to imagine Robin and Strike one day walking off into the sunset together.
This series is definitely character driven and although I have had issues with some characters (especially Robin) in the previous books I had no such problems this time. In Troubled Blood both Robin and Strike are going through stressful times with their own families and it is good to watch them leaning on each other for support. The ending to the book promises better things in the future too.
As I struggled with the size of the book I wondered why it was not published in two volumes but there turned out to be no point at which the story could have been stopped. The main mystery is a forty year old cold case which tests all of the team's ingenuity and takes all 945 pages to solve. Lots of other little stories are told along the way of course plus all the family dramas and I never lost interest at any point. It helps that the author writes so well.
I enjoyed the whole thing right down to the smart ending. I was left wondering if the author intends to write any more books in this series or if we have been left to imagine Robin and Strike one day walking off into the sunset together.
September 15, 2020
This book features a crossdressing male serial killer. Many documented serial killers have been cross dressers. Trans women are not crossdressing men. Saying this book is transmisogynistic says more about how you view trans women than how Rowling does
November 7, 2022
Missed the target again. :(
At 900+ pages this book was a little too long for a mystery. I liked the mystery part even though the all the talk around sun signs made my head spin. I think some of that and some other parts could have been omitted without hurting the story or the characters' arc.
I loved the personal life events of Strike and Robin, through they could use some more heart to heart. No use of bottling up all those emotions. Both of them accepted few necessary things about themselves and I am happy for them.
I would give this a three star but I am bumping it to four for Strike and Robin.
At 900+ pages this book was a little too long for a mystery. I liked the mystery part even though the all the talk around sun signs made my head spin. I think some of that and some other parts could have been omitted without hurting the story or the characters' arc.
I loved the personal life events of Strike and Robin, through they could use some more heart to heart. No use of bottling up all those emotions. Both of them accepted few necessary things about themselves and I am happy for them.
I would give this a three star but I am bumping it to four for Strike and Robin.
October 19, 2025
The first thing to say is that this is a very big book: close to 950 pages of print or nearly 32 hours of audio. But, in truth, it didn’t really feel that way. I took the audio route, read by the ever reliable British actor Robert Glenister. This is book 5 of the crime series featuring London based private investigator Cameron Strike and his attractive female sidekick, Robin Ellacott. There’s a mutual attraction between the two, but for reasons that will be evident to existing followers of this series, the ‘will they won’t they’ saga has been ongoing from virtually the start. It continues here, and it’s a core element of the book, getting almost as much page (or voice) time as the main crime they’re called on to investigate. Is that a problem? In all honesty, the answer for me is no.
The investigators are engaged by the daughter of a woman who disappeared over 40 years ago. Dr Margot Bamborough left her surgery one evening after work but never made her liaison with a friend at a nearby pub. And despite a rumoured sighting some years back there’s been no sign of her since. It seems like an impossible task for Strike & Robin, but they’re signed up for a full twelve months to do what they can. In addition to this case, there are also a handful of minor enquiries they continue to manage and provide the reader with updates on.
Having managed, through contacts, to get sight of the original case file and also a personal notebook maintained by the detective who originally investigated the case, there is a good deal of material to work through. But unfortunately it quickly becomes clear that in the course of his investigation the detective had begun to have mental health issues, with the result that the material they had to work with turning out to be cryptic or even plain daft. Many of the detective's ramblings focussed on astrology and the use of tarot cards, meaning that his notes were often barely comprehensible.
It’s a complex puzzle of a case and we’re led through the events of the day Dr Bamborough went missing - and indeed events prior to and following her disappearance – via a series of interviews conducted with each of her colleagues (the ones still living) and others who may have witnessed something of significance on the day. This might sound laborious but its nothing like that in reality as Galbraith (AKA J.K Rowling, of course) is hugely adept at bringing alive colourful characters, interesting conversation and creating a tension that is pulpable out of these proceedings. And the tension doesn’t stop there, the chemistry between the two investigators is something that drew me back to the earlier books in this series and because I’ve grown to like both characters so much I really wanted to see how this would play out.
For me, there’s an awful lot to like here. The journey is a good one, and the destination, once reached, doesn’t disappoint either. It’s another quality offering in what I believe is a truly excellent series.
The investigators are engaged by the daughter of a woman who disappeared over 40 years ago. Dr Margot Bamborough left her surgery one evening after work but never made her liaison with a friend at a nearby pub. And despite a rumoured sighting some years back there’s been no sign of her since. It seems like an impossible task for Strike & Robin, but they’re signed up for a full twelve months to do what they can. In addition to this case, there are also a handful of minor enquiries they continue to manage and provide the reader with updates on.
Having managed, through contacts, to get sight of the original case file and also a personal notebook maintained by the detective who originally investigated the case, there is a good deal of material to work through. But unfortunately it quickly becomes clear that in the course of his investigation the detective had begun to have mental health issues, with the result that the material they had to work with turning out to be cryptic or even plain daft. Many of the detective's ramblings focussed on astrology and the use of tarot cards, meaning that his notes were often barely comprehensible.
It’s a complex puzzle of a case and we’re led through the events of the day Dr Bamborough went missing - and indeed events prior to and following her disappearance – via a series of interviews conducted with each of her colleagues (the ones still living) and others who may have witnessed something of significance on the day. This might sound laborious but its nothing like that in reality as Galbraith (AKA J.K Rowling, of course) is hugely adept at bringing alive colourful characters, interesting conversation and creating a tension that is pulpable out of these proceedings. And the tension doesn’t stop there, the chemistry between the two investigators is something that drew me back to the earlier books in this series and because I’ve grown to like both characters so much I really wanted to see how this would play out.
For me, there’s an awful lot to like here. The journey is a good one, and the destination, once reached, doesn’t disappoint either. It’s another quality offering in what I believe is a truly excellent series.
September 18, 2020
I’d say this was between 4-4.5 stars for me, but my reasons for rounding up to 5 are twofold:
1) I love Cormoran and Robin, and all I want to do is quit my job, somehow learn how to become a private detective, and move to London to hang out with them and solve crimes.
2) It REALLY pisses me off that people are on GR giving this 1 star without even reading it because it’s just “proof that JKR is transphobic” or whatever. Sorry, but her fictional serial killer would most definitely NOT be the first (male) serial killer to don women’s clothing in an attempt to lure female victims. This novel is absolutely NOT transphobic but the people giving it 1 star and screaming obscenities and hatred at JKR wouldn’t actually know that because THEY HAVEN’T EVEN READ IT. Also. I don’t agree with her on many points, but she’s allowed an opinion, and you suddenly hate her because hers is the unpopular one....? Hmm. So, 5 stars to try and combat the unnecessary hatred.
I will admit that this 944 page tome could have used an editor to say “hey lady, you can trim about 200 pages of fluff from the middle and this 744 page novel will still be fantastic, I promise.” Oh, well, though. I loved it.
“I am Envy...I cannot read and therefore wish all books burned.” - Christopher Marlowe
1) I love Cormoran and Robin, and all I want to do is quit my job, somehow learn how to become a private detective, and move to London to hang out with them and solve crimes.
2) It REALLY pisses me off that people are on GR giving this 1 star without even reading it because it’s just “proof that JKR is transphobic” or whatever. Sorry, but her fictional serial killer would most definitely NOT be the first (male) serial killer to don women’s clothing in an attempt to lure female victims. This novel is absolutely NOT transphobic but the people giving it 1 star and screaming obscenities and hatred at JKR wouldn’t actually know that because THEY HAVEN’T EVEN READ IT. Also. I don’t agree with her on many points, but she’s allowed an opinion, and you suddenly hate her because hers is the unpopular one....? Hmm. So, 5 stars to try and combat the unnecessary hatred.
I will admit that this 944 page tome could have used an editor to say “hey lady, you can trim about 200 pages of fluff from the middle and this 744 page novel will still be fantastic, I promise.” Oh, well, though. I loved it.
“I am Envy...I cannot read and therefore wish all books burned.” - Christopher Marlowe
on-hold
October 27, 2020IMAGINE A NAZI CLAIMING THEY'RE NOT RACIST AND THEN THEY WRITE A 900 PAGE NOVEL ABOUT A HAWK-NOSED JEW STEALING SHIT FROM UPSTANDING CISHET BLONDE BLUE-EYED CIVILIANS AND CONSPIRING AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT (feat. a misunderstood and kindly concentration camp chief)
that's what this book is about.
My eyes bulged a little when I saw the news but only a little because I'm used to expecting the worst from people and from 2020 in general. There is only bad news and people are always worse than you thought and JK Rowling is deeply transphobic and with this book, entirely hateful. I don't know why she's so scared that one day she'll be stabbed to death in the bathroom by a man dressed like a woman. It never happened to me. But let's be real if a man wants to stab and rape you in the woman's bathroom he doesn't need a fucking dress. He'll just get in and do his business with you and no one would stop him because he has a knife and not because he's wearing a dress! In my life, I have been scared and harassed a few times, always by cis men. Never has a transwoman done anything remotely harassing or violent to me or anyone I know.
A transwoman is less threatening than a cis man. Cis men commit most violent crimes. In all my years of following local and national news, there have been murders by men and a few by women but not one single murder committed either by a crossdressing man or a transwoman (in Germany).
I'm not saying they don't happen. They're just that RARE. Because let's face it, tabloids would LOVE portraying a transwoman who doesn't "pass" and looks like a clown in a skirt as a murderer. The silence of the lambs did it and it felt very wrong, to me at least.
So stop claiming that "men in dresses" are dangerous. Men are more dangerous than women, but "men in dresses" aren't more dangerous than a regular man. No one can outkill and outrape the regular man. Especially transwomen, who are targets for harassment, bullying and murder all over the globe. It's not necessary to portray transwomen in a light that make them look like dangerous villains who just wait to rape and kill everyone. In the vast majority of cases, they are the victims and not the culprits.
FAQ
Have you read the book?
No. I read excerpts though, that related to the issue at hand (the man dressing up as a woman). I did not just base my review on one article, it is a culmination of months of reading JKs tweets, reading her transphobic peers' tweets and websites and then reading excerpts of this book as well as book 3 of the Cormoran Strike series that featured an unstable trans woman character.
There are no trans women in this book!
To Rowling, trans women are not women, but men dressing up as women. When she wrote about a trans women character in book 3 of the Cormoran Strike novels (yes, I read that book! The whole ting!) the character was presented as very male and very unstable mentally. Rowling's stance on trans men and women shows that she believes being transness is a mental illness at best, but an agenda to usurp the place and rights of women at worst. Since all trans women are men in dresses to her, and all trans women are threats to women in spaces that ought to be reserved for real uteruses, this is what she wrote in this book.
This is just her opinion manifesting in fiction, It does not make the content of this book (or the content of her twitter timeline) less transphobic. The book is harmful because it portrays a man trying to trick women into trusting him and then using that trust to destroy them. Trans women are not like that. Still, the most prominent portrayals of trans women are portrayals like Buffalo Bill; he wasn't a trans woman either. But to this day, his appearance in the Silence of the Lambs colors (negatively) our perception of what a trans person is.
Stop leaving 1-star reviews! It's mean and dishonest.
My review has no star. It does show my conviction that this book does more harm than good. But reading it is a choice, you can also scroll past. Or educate yourself on the topic.
Comments will get vacuumed.
that's what this book is about.
My eyes bulged a little when I saw the news but only a little because I'm used to expecting the worst from people and from 2020 in general. There is only bad news and people are always worse than you thought and JK Rowling is deeply transphobic and with this book, entirely hateful. I don't know why she's so scared that one day she'll be stabbed to death in the bathroom by a man dressed like a woman. It never happened to me. But let's be real if a man wants to stab and rape you in the woman's bathroom he doesn't need a fucking dress. He'll just get in and do his business with you and no one would stop him because he has a knife and not because he's wearing a dress! In my life, I have been scared and harassed a few times, always by cis men. Never has a transwoman done anything remotely harassing or violent to me or anyone I know.
A transwoman is less threatening than a cis man. Cis men commit most violent crimes. In all my years of following local and national news, there have been murders by men and a few by women but not one single murder committed either by a crossdressing man or a transwoman (in Germany).
I'm not saying they don't happen. They're just that RARE. Because let's face it, tabloids would LOVE portraying a transwoman who doesn't "pass" and looks like a clown in a skirt as a murderer. The silence of the lambs did it and it felt very wrong, to me at least.
So stop claiming that "men in dresses" are dangerous. Men are more dangerous than women, but "men in dresses" aren't more dangerous than a regular man. No one can outkill and outrape the regular man. Especially transwomen, who are targets for harassment, bullying and murder all over the globe. It's not necessary to portray transwomen in a light that make them look like dangerous villains who just wait to rape and kill everyone. In the vast majority of cases, they are the victims and not the culprits.
FAQ
Have you read the book?
No. I read excerpts though, that related to the issue at hand (the man dressing up as a woman). I did not just base my review on one article, it is a culmination of months of reading JKs tweets, reading her transphobic peers' tweets and websites and then reading excerpts of this book as well as book 3 of the Cormoran Strike series that featured an unstable trans woman character.
There are no trans women in this book!
To Rowling, trans women are not women, but men dressing up as women. When she wrote about a trans women character in book 3 of the Cormoran Strike novels (yes, I read that book! The whole ting!) the character was presented as very male and very unstable mentally. Rowling's stance on trans men and women shows that she believes being transness is a mental illness at best, but an agenda to usurp the place and rights of women at worst. Since all trans women are men in dresses to her, and all trans women are threats to women in spaces that ought to be reserved for real uteruses, this is what she wrote in this book.
This is just her opinion manifesting in fiction, It does not make the content of this book (or the content of her twitter timeline) less transphobic. The book is harmful because it portrays a man trying to trick women into trusting him and then using that trust to destroy them. Trans women are not like that. Still, the most prominent portrayals of trans women are portrayals like Buffalo Bill; he wasn't a trans woman either. But to this day, his appearance in the Silence of the Lambs colors (negatively) our perception of what a trans person is.
Stop leaving 1-star reviews! It's mean and dishonest.
My review has no star. It does show my conviction that this book does more harm than good. But reading it is a choice, you can also scroll past. Or educate yourself on the topic.
Comments will get vacuumed.
January 18, 2021
This will be a better TV series than the overlong, plodding and tedious story written. I am weary of the juvenile like relationship between Cameron and Robin. The end brings this up to average at best. 5 of 10 stars
September 28, 2020
*Just finished. I'm shattered that it's over 😭 And of course, this is my favorite Cormoran Strike book in the series now. God, I just love him and Robin. Can't wait to listen to the audio book! And heads up - literally no transphobia, witch hunting dinguses. Full review to come.
Because we all know this is going to be a damn good book. Honestly, the controversy surrounding Rowling just makes me want to read it more. #nobannedbooks #nocencorship #fuckyourcancelculture
Because we all know this is going to be a damn good book. Honestly, the controversy surrounding Rowling just makes me want to read it more. #nobannedbooks #nocencorship #fuckyourcancelculture
September 15, 2020
Really great book!! Plot was beautiful, and meshed well with the previous book. Just what I needed after a long weekend.
June 4, 2025
5 amazing stars.
First off: FUCKING CHILL, PEOPLE. Seriously. I'm not saying JKR hasn't made some questionable comments, but this is not a transphobic book. I don't know who got the wrong end of the stick, but this is so far from that I can't even. Similar to Career of Evil, it's a book about violence against women, and the story of the man who cross dresses in order to kill women is a side show, unimportant, and a reflection on the fact that women feel they are safe with women and not with men.
Second off: I have waited 2 years for this book and it was worth waiting for. High Five, JK Rowling, High five.
Also, it's so nice, I've already read it twice. Win.
First off: FUCKING CHILL, PEOPLE. Seriously. I'm not saying JKR hasn't made some questionable comments, but this is not a transphobic book. I don't know who got the wrong end of the stick, but this is so far from that I can't even. Similar to Career of Evil, it's a book about violence against women, and the story of the man who cross dresses in order to kill women is a side show, unimportant, and a reflection on the fact that women feel they are safe with women and not with men.
Second off: I have waited 2 years for this book and it was worth waiting for. High Five, JK Rowling, High five.
Also, it's so nice, I've already read it twice. Win.
April 10, 2022
3.5 stars
This is the fifth 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.
The book works fine as a standalone, but familiarity with the characters is a plus.
*****
Ever since private investigators Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott made headlines by catching a high profile killer, business has been booming in their detective agency. The enterprise now has a full-time secretary and several additional detectives, all of whom are busy with cases ranging from blackmail to infidelity.
Still, Cormoran and Robin are intrigued when they're approached by a woman named Anna Bamborough, whose mother vanished in 1972. Anna explains that her mom, Margot Bamborough, was a doctor in a London clinic when she left work and vanished, never to be seen again.
The Bamborough case remains unsolved after four decades and two separate police inquiries, and Anna is still haunted by her mother's disappearance.
Though Anna knows a case this cold is unlikely to be solved, she hires Cormoran and Robin to investigate, and gives them one year to get results.
Around the time Margot vanished a horrific sadistic serial killer was active in London, and the monster was suspected of snatching the doctor. However the murderer, named Creed, was subsequently arrested.....
.....and his collection of victim souvenirs contained nothing connected with Margot. So the physician's disappearance was treated as a (more or less) separate incident.
Cormoran and Robin get hold of the original police files about the Bamborough case, and the notes of the first two police detectives who headed the inquiries. They then proceed to rebuild the case from scratch.
The PIs re-interview witnesses who are still alive, re-visit the scenes of alleged Margot sightings, delve into the lives of Margot's husband and the nanny he later married, and so on.
The PIs learn that the first cop who led the investigation was mentally ill, and tried to resolve the case using astrology and mysticism.
Though this seems like an obviously incorrect approach, Cormoran and Robin STILL spend an inordinate amount of time going over the addled detective's mystical 'clues.' (This unnecessarily pads the book by hundreds of pages in my opinion.) The PIs also study the second cop's notes, which are more straightforward, and provide useful information.
Cormoran and Robin DO obtain lots of new data by speaking to people who knew Margot, because witnesses are more willing to tell the truth, and divulge deep dark secrets, after forty years have passed. Some of the new discoveries are startling, and help to uncover what happened.
Though the Margot Bamborough case forms the heart of the book, the narrative - which is is over 900 pages long - contains several tangential story lines. Some revolve around the detective agency's other cases, which are described in detail; some focus on Creed, and finding all his victims; and some are connected with the personal lives of Cormoran and Robin.
⦿ Cormoran
Cormoran's Aunt Joan, who essentially raised him and his sister Lucy, is dying of cancer, and the detective spends a lot of time with her in Cornwall; Cormoran's father, rock star Jonny Rokeby - who abandoned Cormoran when he was a baby - wants to reconcile now that the detective is famous; Cormoran's former girlfriend Charlotte, now married with twins, wants to get back with her ex and threatens suicide; and more.
⦿ Robin
Robin is still haunted by being raped when she was in college; Robin and her husband Matthew are in the midst of an ugly divorce; Robin and her landlord/housemate Max give a dinner party that turns into an ugly debate about prostitution and human trafficking; Robin is having trouble with a new detective in the agency, who's too flirty and aggressive; and so on.
⦿ Cormoran and Robin
Cormoran and Robin, who always had a low-key attraction, are both single now, and (individually) think about taking their relationship to the next level. Personally, I hope they don't; romance can ruin a good business partnership.
The book is unquestionably MUCH too long, but I'm a fan of the series and I enjoyed it. Still, I hope the next book is more tightly edited.
Note: I've seen a lot of comments about Rowling being trans-phobic, and demonstrating this by making the serial killer Creed sometimes dress in women's clothing to snatch victims. I have no intention of getting drawn into a discussion about Rowling's personal opinions, but in my view - in THIS book - cross-dressing is just a ploy Creed uses to get close to victims.
I'd recommend the book to fans of the Cormoran Strike series, and advise a bit of skimming over the astrology parts.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com
September 15, 2020
So let me get this right, people on here are giving the book 1 star reviews without even reading the content for themselves and forming thier own opinion but are then calling out other people who have given it 5 star reviews saying they havent read the book? Seems like madness to me
Gonna give it a 5 star review to restore balance and will consider changing it once i have read the book.
Gonna give it a 5 star review to restore balance and will consider changing it once i have read the book.
March 1, 2021
I wasn't going to read this. Everyone has to decide where they draw the lines of 1- what they want to use their money to support and 2- where they can kill the author and remove their presence from the fictional work. For me, I just cannot remove JKR from her work, and I have no desire to put money in her pockets.
That said, a free copy of this book came my way so I thought I'd give it the ole review. I will say that I hadn't really heard anything about the content of the book before reading. I was trying to stay way from JKR discourse on Twitter.
In general, these books have been 3-star reads for me. They are description and suspect heavy mysteries that focus a lot on the day to day hoofing it of investigation and on the relationship between the investigators, Cormoran and Robin.
Two things happened to me here: 1- It relied so heavily on drawn out miscommunication that it wasn't at all enjoyable and 2- I just saw JKR's politics stamped all over it.
Part of the appeal to me of the first books was indeed the description-heavy nature of the prose and the way they felt like heftier, drawn out mysteries. Unfortunately, this one felt a couple hundred pages too long, and I don't mean that as a rule, but for this specific story that was solving a cold case and that was already relatively low stakes. We are introduced to a sort of arbitrary timeline at the beginning-- a year to solve the case-- but it did nothing for me personally to pick up the pace. Especially because the bits in between were filled in with Robin and Cormoran spending pages and pages and pages just not talking to each other. Miscommunications is one of my least favorite things to encounter in fiction and for this entire book to just be based all around these two characters not only refusing to talk to each other, but assuming so much about the other because no one will say "oh, no, I'm not mad at you, I'm literally going through a divorce"? I think it's a writing failure if, like, 100 pages could be cut out from your book with that one sentence. If the central tension between your characters could be resolved if someone just said "oh, sorry, I'm grumpy about a unrelated phone call."
The other piece of this is that I just couldn't stop thinking about JKR's terrible takes because it felt like her politics were stamped all over this story. I generally struggle with "death of the author" but my goodnesses. I don't think that you can in good faith make an argument that this isn't about the presentation of femininity when we are told in so many words that the real killer was missed because she was so feminine and a serial killer was trusted because he presented as feminine. It's also hard not to take those connections further when you know the flavors of JKR's transphobia. Sorry, but this isn't a coincidence.
Overall, a weak book in the series, but also one that yelled at me REMEMBER WE DON'T LIKE THE AUTHOR? Yes, I do remember. And I'm glad I didn't spend a penny here, and I'm sad I spent my minutes.
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