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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
I've enjoyed this just as much as The Cuckoo's Calling. The writing style is wonderful, crisp, doesn't wander, and I like following the twists and turns as Cormoran Strike tries to solve the murder crime. One thing I've noticed about this and The Cuckoo's Calling is that I have no idea who the criminal is until the reveal at the final 10 pages. Cormoran figures it out like 100 pages before the end but the reader isn't told his thought process yet. It makes sense to me because it keeps the book suspenseful, but it also bothers me a little because I haven't been able to follow the clues to get to the final call for either book.
The Silkworm was excellent because it was focused in the literary world, and it was gruesome! Characters who were publisher directors, literary agents, editors/assistant editors, and writers were involved. This was fun to read about since I have a publishing background. The manuscript of the victim was the main evidence that they were using, so it was heavily referenced, which was fun. That manuscript reminded me a lot of medieval Epic Poem Romances like "Yvain, the Knight of the Lion" and "The Faerie Queene" and even Victorian children's novel "Alice in Wonderland" because it followed a main character who came upon a series of notable characters and then traveled on. Symbolism and context were a big deal.
Owen Quinn, an unsuccessful author who considers himself a big deal and who laps up attention, has been murdered. What's particularly notable is that he's been murdered in exactly the same way as the main character (who's clearly Owen) in the manuscript he just sent to his publishers: hung and bound, split down the middle with guts taken out, with plates set around a table as if he'd been eaten. Quine's wife goes to Cormoran to find her husband in the first place, and Cormoran searches for the true murderer. With human intestine ground dog food, acid destroyed lungs, and rewritten novel, this was graphically wicked!
The Silkworm was excellent because it was focused in the literary world, and it was gruesome! Characters who were publisher directors, literary agents, editors/assistant editors, and writers were involved. This was fun to read about since I have a publishing background. The manuscript of the victim was the main evidence that they were using, so it was heavily referenced, which was fun. That manuscript reminded me a lot of medieval Epic Poem Romances like "Yvain, the Knight of the Lion" and "The Faerie Queene" and even Victorian children's novel "Alice in Wonderland" because it followed a main character who came upon a series of notable characters and then traveled on. Symbolism and context were a big deal.
Owen Quinn, an unsuccessful author who considers himself a big deal and who laps up attention, has been murdered. What's particularly notable is that he's been murdered in exactly the same way as the main character (who's clearly Owen) in the manuscript he just sent to his publishers: hung and bound, split down the middle with guts taken out, with plates set around a table as if he'd been eaten. Quine's wife goes to Cormoran to find her husband in the first place, and Cormoran searches for the true murderer. With human intestine ground dog food, acid destroyed lungs, and rewritten novel, this was graphically wicked!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It is a perfectly nice mystery and a good audio experience.
Found out who done it half way through... Not because of the motive but because of what had happened to the ...
Spoiler
guts
I really enjoyed this, even more than The Cuckoo's Calling (probably because there were parts of that plot that I just never understood). I'm glad that Rowling took the chance of branching into a different genre, as she's an excellent mystery writer, and she solidified her talent even more in this book than the last. She fit all the pieces together brilliantly and had me guessing and going after red herrings until the last. She also did a nice job of once again showing how the characters' personal and professional lives (and emotions) weave together.
I'm glad for the decisions Rowling made about Strike and Robin's relationship. For a while there it looked like it was going to go down the well-worn path of "The fiancé's an ass, call off the wedding and let these two get together instead" but to me it wouldn't have rung true. Giving her equal footing as investigative partner was far more satisfying.
If there was anything that annoyed me, it was that the focus on Strike's leg felt excessive toward the beginning. Bringing it up in circumstances where he can't move quickly, or the practical consequences of re-injuring it, having to go out in public with the pant leg pinned up, etc., are reasonable, but toward the beginning I felt like there was a lot of "HIS LEG IS MISSING LET'S BRING UP HIS LEG AGAIN DID YOU KNOW HIS WEARS A PROSTHESIS DID I MENTION HIS LEG IS MISSING." It was overkill, but it got more reasonably incorporated later on.
In any case, I ate this one up in the course of a weekend. Highly recommended for mystery fans.
If there was anything that annoyed me, it was that the focus on Strike's leg felt excessive toward the beginning. Bringing it up in circumstances where he can't move quickly, or the practical consequences of re-injuring it, having to go out in public with the pant leg pinned up, etc., are reasonable, but toward the beginning I felt like there was a lot of "HIS LEG IS MISSING LET'S BRING UP HIS LEG AGAIN DID YOU KNOW HIS WEARS A PROSTHESIS DID I MENTION HIS LEG IS MISSING." It was overkill, but it got more reasonably incorporated later on.
In any case, I ate this one up in the course of a weekend. Highly recommended for mystery fans.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was such a suspenseful read. The murder was more gruesome than I generally like, but wow I was shocked at the reveal. It was there all the time.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes