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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
I want to be inside the brain of J.K. Rowling. First, it came up with the elaborate and magical world of Harry Potter. Then, it was able to create great mysteries that require a lot of work to pull together a cohesive puzzle. In The Silkworm, Cormoran Strike is hired to find a missing author. When the author is found dead, Strike then works to track down his real killer while the police assume it's his disgruntled wife. The mystery itself is compelling and the work of solving it keeps me turning the pages, but the real strength of these books is the character of Cormoran Strike. I mean, Strike is described as having pube-like hair and he is missing part of one of his legs, but something about him is still so sexy (and these books aren't even about that)! And, his assistant, Robin is fantastic. This book gave us a little bit more insight into her, but did not give all the answers to her history, and all I want is more Cormoran and more Robin. I sure hope there is another book coming out next year.
**ETA, 11/10/18: Second listening: dove into this again as I've been revisiting these great books (tho I think I'll read a hard copy of Career of Evil as it's just too scary for me to listen to!). Funny to see my comments from before: I still hold to them--would love a bit more info on Owen and the conclusion is a bit rushed, but still: whoosh. What a book! Highly enjoyable.
After I binge-read Cuckoo's Calling, I knew I wanted to read the second Strike novel, but I couldn't give my life over to it, so. . . . . I got it as an audio. Good call--but it was nearly as irresistible as an audiobook as it had been as a paper version. The reader is amazing, the story engrossing, the plot fast-paced: all in all, it provided me with a fast-paced two weeks or so of imagination. Brava/bravo!
Notes: the one bit I couldn't figure out in the story was why Leonora and Owen ended up together in the first place. She was such a resolutely flat character that I never got a real sense of her personality. Maybe I'll have to reread the book at another time and see if I just missed some details there. However, Strike and Robin have personality to spare, so I still stick by my five star rating!
After I binge-read Cuckoo's Calling, I knew I wanted to read the second Strike novel, but I couldn't give my life over to it, so. . . . . I got it as an audio. Good call--but it was nearly as irresistible as an audiobook as it had been as a paper version. The reader is amazing, the story engrossing, the plot fast-paced: all in all, it provided me with a fast-paced two weeks or so of imagination. Brava/bravo!
Notes: the one bit I couldn't figure out in the story was why Leonora and Owen ended up together in the first place. She was such a resolutely flat character that I never got a real sense of her personality. Maybe I'll have to reread the book at another time and see if I just missed some details there. However, Strike and Robin have personality to spare, so I still stick by my five star rating!
medium-paced
Not for the faint of heart, Galbraith/Rowling presents a particularly dark and gruesome crime (and some equally squirmy literary imagery) in this detective story. The first few chapters were slow, and I get a bit tired of the unspoken rivalry between Strike and Matthew in Robin's life... maybe the tedium of that is what made the beginning of the book drag for me. But once you're past the exposition, the story is creative and cunning with tricky characters and a well-woven, deliciously-paced reveal. I especially love the unconventional cast in this series: characters with disabilities are open about them but not defined by them, not everyone is cis-hetero (and no one bats an eyelash about it), and ordinary characters are given surprising and useful talents instead of cliché character flaws.
Well, it is overly long and overly confusing. BUT, it is introducing probably new characters to fill out the future stories. AND, it is entertaining and I want to know more about the characters and what will be in the future.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Story-wise, this is a 3, but I really like Cormoran and Robin.
I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first in the series. I believe it is mostly due to the central victim in the case and his life...not as interesting/appealing to me as as the one in the first book. I do however continue to love Strike and his dynamic with Robin. I look forward to reading book #3.
dark
mysterious
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:
No
Unputdownable, an expansion of the first, with a compelling plot that I couldn’t decipher before the big reveal.