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4.48 AVERAGE
4.48 AVERAGE
This one is not for the faint of heart, story content and sheer number of pages (945). I really love the characters of this series. There has been character growth through the series, but each can be read as stand alone novels very easily.
Private Detective partners Comoran Strike and Robin Ellacott take on a case which uncovers an evil much deeper than they ever could have anticipated. A wealthy client hires them to check on the well being of his adult son Will, who has been gone for four years as a member of a very secretive "CHURCH." He is worried and wants to know if Will is okay.
The Universal Humanitarian Church only allows members of the church to visit their residential farm property. Robin goes undercover to become a church member in order to be transfered to the farm. Once there, she endures a strict programming by the UHC. Sleep deprived, inadequate food, hard physical labor and constant chanting and listening to church jargon. She remains focused on the job and soon uncovers all many of illegal activities. Her only way of communication is handwritten notes back and forth with Stike, hidden at the boarder of the property and exchanged once a week.
I will not go into too much detail here, not to give away any of the major discoveries and plot twists, but this is a very sick and disturbed group of people running the UHC under the smoke and mirrors of charity and humanitarian work.
This is a true cult, members are isolated, abused, not given access to news of the outside world. Not permitted to speak with family or friends. Punishments are framed as trying to help members to find their 'true self' not tainted by the 'materialist world.' All wrapped up in a, "we are the last hope to fix the world’s poverty and evils," message. They use an amalgam of every religion rolled into one, with only the bits from each that fit their message.
Private Detective partners Comoran Strike and Robin Ellacott take on a case which uncovers an evil much deeper than they ever could have anticipated. A wealthy client hires them to check on the well being of his adult son Will, who has been gone for four years as a member of a very secretive "CHURCH." He is worried and wants to know if Will is okay.
The Universal Humanitarian Church only allows members of the church to visit their residential farm property. Robin goes undercover to become a church member in order to be transfered to the farm. Once there, she endures a strict programming by the UHC. Sleep deprived, inadequate food, hard physical labor and constant chanting and listening to church jargon. She remains focused on the job and soon uncovers all many of illegal activities. Her only way of communication is handwritten notes back and forth with Stike, hidden at the boarder of the property and exchanged once a week.
I will not go into too much detail here, not to give away any of the major discoveries and plot twists, but this is a very sick and disturbed group of people running the UHC under the smoke and mirrors of charity and humanitarian work.
This is a true cult, members are isolated, abused, not given access to news of the outside world. Not permitted to speak with family or friends. Punishments are framed as trying to help members to find their 'true self' not tainted by the 'materialist world.' All wrapped up in a, "we are the last hope to fix the world’s poverty and evils," message. They use an amalgam of every religion rolled into one, with only the bits from each that fit their message.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Maybe 3.5 Too long but I still like the characters and the story was interesting.
Content Considerations: suicide, all kinds of child abuse, rape
Content Considerations: suicide, all kinds of child abuse, rape
A really immersive read. All the chapters in the cult setting felt very ominous and tense and it really did feel like a race to get to the final truth. It absolutely could have been 200 pages shorter but it was still a great read.
Will I read this again? No. Was this insanely long? Yes. Do I love cults, murder, going undercover, England, Comoran & Robin? Yes yes yes yes and yes.
One star because I was TRICKED. I forgot this author is actually J. K. Rowling
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
These are 2 or 3 books rolled into one. But it's a wonderful take-down of cults.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Well I’m done. As in I just finished this 34 hour monster of an audiobook. And I’m pretty sure it’s the last one of the series I’ll read. It’s too bloody long! I thought the last one was too long also. But it’s too long for me to exist in this perpetual state of dread, tension, & misery. Robin & Strike are investigating a cult in the hope of extracting their client’s son. So there are all the disturbing hallmarks of a cult. Of course, at the end we’re left with a question for the next book. But honestly, I’ll have to read a synopsis or spoiler if I want the answer badly enough. Don’t get me wrong, the book is gripping & there are lots of twists in the story. But it’s too long for me. I’ll take gripping & even disturbing at half the length please. Also, I just don’t really buy the romantic tension between Strike & Robin. It’s just kind of an extra plot point I don’t need. It doesn’t seem that believable to me. So if you like an intricate mystery & don’t mind perpetual dread for nearly all of the 34 hours, this is the book for you!