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4.13 AVERAGE
4.13 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
slow-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:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Galbraith mysteries are complex with a number of moving parts. There’s also an overarching story arch about the main characters that carries through the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Violence, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual harassment, Classism
Well... I give it 2 stars because I didn't hate it...
But the description on goodreads that it was "ok" is just not true either... It's too bloated and full of nothing, it creates tension by having characters not speaking with each other (and they claim they are friends!!), the ending is pretty lame and anti-climatic.
In short (and in portuguese):
A montanha pariu um rato!
But the description on goodreads that it was "ok" is just not true either... It's too bloated and full of nothing, it creates tension by having characters not speaking with each other (and they claim they are friends!!), the ending is pretty lame and anti-climatic.
In short (and in portuguese):
A montanha pariu um rato!
This is the rare series that just gets better and better with each book. This one, despite being on the long side, was engaging from start to finish. As in any good mystery, there are many, many pieces layered in, and it's difficult to tell what's relevant and how it all fits together until the end. The audiobook narrator was excellent, and I particularly enjoyed hearing Robin take on different accents as she went undercover; for the first time, I got a genuine sense of how Robin's and Strike's accents reflect how their social class contrasts with some of their clients and with some of the less reputable people they deal with.
In addition to the mystery itself, there are a number of subplots that make the book feel more real. Robin struggles with panic attacks after getting knifed in the previous book, and her ass of a husband uses this against her to try to get her to quit her job. Both Robin and Strike deal with challenges in their personal relationships, and we get a stunning show of how manipulative Strike's ex can be. The book is set in 2012 during the Olympics, which plays a kind of background role in the story, and there are elements of politics and activism touched on through the various characters as well.
I said in my review of book two that I was glad the series didn't take a predictable path of putting Robin and Strike together romantically and instead made her a partner in the detective business. I'm still glad that the characters weren't shoehorned into a romance, but it's clear now that what we're getting instead is the slowest of slow burns, and I am 100% here for it. Both characters are very gradually coming to realize that they feel more comfortable with one another than with anyone else, but they both have too much respect for the other and for their partnership to risk dwelling too much on those feelings. I have a feeling that Rowling's going to continue to draw out this slow burn until the end of the series (because it's hard to imagine them having the same working relationship as lovers) but I don't mind; it's sweet just to watch them caring about each other awkwardly.
The one thing that tarnished this book for me was Rowling's ham-handed approach to diverse characters. She's clearly trying to be inclusive, but I don't think she uses sensitivity readers, so we get cringeworthy moments left and right, from someone described as "wheelchair bound" to a blind character who's practically helpless on her own. Another character is said to identify as genderqueer, pansexual, and non-monogamous, but this is all shared in a slightly mocking tone (like, "Look how edgy she thinks she is"), and the character is only referred to with female pronouns — I'm not sure Rowling actually knows what "genderqueer" means. (That's not to say there aren't genderqueer people who prefer female pronouns, but there's zero discussion of pronouns or even gender beyond this one passing comment.) There's a mentally ill character who provides a stark contrast based on whether or not he's on medication, and he in turn believes (when unwell) that "the brown guy" is a terrorist. (The rest of the time Aamir is portrayed as a robotic servant or a helpless foreigner, neither of which are much better.) We also continue to get constant reminders about Strike's amputated leg throughout the whole book. I just felt like I was cringing constantly any time a character who wasn't a straight, white, non-disabled person was in the scene.
I don't recommend reading this if you haven't read the first three books in the series yet, but if you have — definitely pick this up! I really enjoyed the read.
In addition to the mystery itself, there are a number of subplots that make the book feel more real. Robin struggles with panic attacks after getting knifed in the previous book, and her ass of a husband uses this against her to try to get her to quit her job. Both Robin and Strike deal with challenges in their personal relationships, and we get a stunning show of how manipulative Strike's ex can be. The book is set in 2012 during the Olympics, which plays a kind of background role in the story, and there are elements of politics and activism touched on through the various characters as well.
I said in my review of book two that I was glad the series didn't take a predictable path of putting Robin and Strike together romantically and instead made her a partner in the detective business. I'm still glad that the characters weren't shoehorned into a romance, but it's clear now that what we're getting instead is the slowest of slow burns, and I am 100% here for it. Both characters are very gradually coming to realize that they feel more comfortable with one another than with anyone else, but they both have too much respect for the other and for their partnership to risk dwelling too much on those feelings. I have a feeling that Rowling's going to continue to draw out this slow burn until the end of the series (because it's hard to imagine them having the same working relationship as lovers) but I don't mind; it's sweet just to watch them caring about each other awkwardly.
The one thing that tarnished this book for me was Rowling's ham-handed approach to diverse characters. She's clearly trying to be inclusive, but I don't think she uses sensitivity readers, so we get cringeworthy moments left and right, from someone described as "wheelchair bound" to a blind character who's practically helpless on her own. Another character is said to identify as genderqueer, pansexual, and non-monogamous, but this is all shared in a slightly mocking tone (like, "Look how edgy she thinks she is"), and the character is only referred to with female pronouns — I'm not sure Rowling actually knows what "genderqueer" means. (That's not to say there aren't genderqueer people who prefer female pronouns, but there's zero discussion of pronouns or even gender beyond this one passing comment.) There's a mentally ill character who provides a stark contrast based on whether or not he's on medication, and he in turn believes (when unwell) that "the brown guy" is a terrorist. (The rest of the time Aamir is portrayed as a robotic servant or a helpless foreigner, neither of which are much better.) We also continue to get constant reminders about Strike's amputated leg throughout the whole book. I just felt like I was cringing constantly any time a character who wasn't a straight, white, non-disabled person was in the scene.
I don't recommend reading this if you haven't read the first three books in the series yet, but if you have — definitely pick this up! I really enjoyed the read.
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
Lethal White is honestly almost too good. I was sure that this series had peaked with Career of Evil's dramatically dangerous investigation. Somehow that was not the case.
This entry takes all of the best parts of the series and crams them all into a much longer and more complex story. There is plenty of Strike bitching about his leg, Robin and Matthew drama, missing persons, murder, and drives into places so British that I'm not sure that my American sensibilities can comprehend it.
Somehow, I think that Lethal White has the least interesting mystery. There isn't a lot of peril or suspense that is more evident in the 2nd and 3rd novels, but that gives the book a little more room to breath. The sacrifice of the mystery leads into the best execution of the characters themselves in the series. I was fine that some witnesses lead to nothing, because Strike/Robin got to do interesting things that made them grow and react in new ways. This partnership is incredibly fun, and one of my favorite in recent memory. I'm finding myself more engrossed in the characters then the mystery itself, which I think is going to payoff for this series in the long run.
I have some nit-picks, but most of them are based around Rowling's incredibly descriptive writing. If you removed even half the descriptions of building facades, you'd come up 50 pages shorter. I can't say that I blame her though, these books just feel so alive that I try to revel in the absurdly precise setting. Strike has also become almost ridiculously skilled in the acquisition of female partners. It's bordering on crazy that someone so often described as on the lower end of the looks scale is consistently landing Britian's Next Top Model.
I have some concerns with where the series will go from here; we are left on a bit of an emotional cliffhanger, but it's not often that I enjoy a series so much as this. For that alone, I will patiently await the next iteration.
This entry takes all of the best parts of the series and crams them all into a much longer and more complex story. There is plenty of Strike bitching about his leg, Robin and Matthew drama, missing persons, murder, and drives into places so British that I'm not sure that my American sensibilities can comprehend it.
Somehow, I think that Lethal White has the least interesting mystery. There isn't a lot of peril or suspense that is more evident in the 2nd and 3rd novels, but that gives the book a little more room to breath. The sacrifice of the mystery leads into the best execution of the characters themselves in the series. I was fine that some witnesses lead to nothing, because Strike/Robin got to do interesting things that made them grow and react in new ways. This partnership is incredibly fun, and one of my favorite in recent memory. I'm finding myself more engrossed in the characters then the mystery itself, which I think is going to payoff for this series in the long run.
I have some nit-picks, but most of them are based around Rowling's incredibly descriptive writing. If you removed even half the descriptions of building facades, you'd come up 50 pages shorter. I can't say that I blame her though, these books just feel so alive that I try to revel in the absurdly precise setting. Strike has also become almost ridiculously skilled in the acquisition of female partners. It's bordering on crazy that someone so often described as on the lower end of the looks scale is consistently landing Britian's Next Top Model.
I have some concerns with where the series will go from here; we are left on a bit of an emotional cliffhanger, but it's not often that I enjoy a series so much as this. For that alone, I will patiently await the next iteration.
The series just jumped to a whole new level of greatness. I can't wait for the next.
adventurous
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