Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Again, long, but ok. I don’t appreciate how all of the female characters are depicted. The plot was plodding because of the method of solving the crime (meeting at restaurants that must be described as well as the meals).
Entertaining read. Good recommendation for fans of detective stories.
An absolute banger of a crime novel that got me out of a reading slump. Incredible fast paced plot with sound characters and lovely descriptions of autumnal London leading up to Christmas. Looking forward to continuing with this series!
He had expected death, but not this.
A carcass: trussed, stinking and rotting, empty and gutted, lying on the floor instead of hanging from a metal hook where surely it belonged. But what looked like a slaughtered pig wore human clothing.
It lay beneath the high arched beams, bathed in light from that gigantic Romanesque window, and though it was a private house and the traffic sloshed still beyond the glass, Strike felt that he stood retching in a temple, witness to sacrificial slaughter, to an act of unholy desecration.
Seven plates and seven sets of cutlery had been set around the decomposing body as though it were a gigantic joint of meat. The torso had been slit from throat to pelvis and Strike was tall
enough to see, even from the threshold, the gaping black cavity that had been left behind. The intestines were gone, as though they had been eaten. Fabric and flesh had been burned away all over the corpse, heightening the vile impression that it had been cooked and feasted upon. In places the burned, decomposing cadaver was shining, almost liquid in appearance. Four hissing radiators were hastening the decay. The rotted face lay furthest away from him, near the window Strike squinted at it without moving, trying not to breathe. A wisp of yellowing beard clung still to the chin and a single burned-out eye socket was just visible.
He had expected death, but not this.
A carcass: trussed, stinking and rotting, empty and gutted, lying on the floor instead of hanging from a metal hook where surely it belonged. But what looked like a slaughtered pig wore human clothing.
It lay beneath the high arched beams, bathed in light from that gigantic Romanesque window, and though it was a private house and the traffic sloshed still beyond the glass, Strike felt that he stood retching in a temple, witness to sacrificial slaughter, to an act of unholy desecration.
Seven plates and seven sets of cutlery had been set around the decomposing body as though it were a gigantic joint of meat. The torso had been slit from throat to pelvis and Strike was tall
enough to see, even from the threshold, the gaping black cavity that had been left behind. The intestines were gone, as though they had been eaten. Fabric and flesh had been burned away all over the corpse, heightening the vile impression that it had been cooked and feasted upon. In places the burned, decomposing cadaver was shining, almost liquid in appearance. Four hissing radiators were hastening the decay. The rotted face lay furthest away from him, near the window Strike squinted at it without moving, trying not to breathe. A wisp of yellowing beard clung still to the chin and a single burned-out eye socket was just visible.
Another enjoyable mystery by "Robert Galbraith". The detecting team of Cormoran Strike and his secretary Robin are an interesting mix and the puzzle was a good one with enough twists and turns to keep me guessing until almost the end. It was hard to feel sorry for the murder victim and the author was obviously having fun with her depiction of the world of publishing, but the portrayal of the effect of the murder on the victim's widow and daughter was done with a lot of empathy. A good mystery and I'm looking forward to the next in the series.
Enjoyed this book as much as the first Galbraith book. Now I can't wait for another! I love the writing, word choice, and character development, and the plot unfolds at a good pace. I really couldn't stop reading, especially toward the end. No character is perfect, and the books provides a gritty, twisty mystery. Loved it.
DISCLAIMER: Bought second hand for an essay I’m working on
A much better mystery with a much more engaging conceit - but I can’t forgive both using a burqa as a disguise and having trans representation this bad IN THE SAME BOOK.
A much better mystery with a much more engaging conceit - but I can’t forgive both using a burqa as a disguise and having trans representation this bad IN THE SAME BOOK.
Once again, 'Galbraith' seems to draw from some of her own experiences: the first book dealt with the world of celebrities and the associated parasites and paparazzi that follow them around and this second one addresses the world of writers and publishing companies, with all the usual rivalries, feuds and drama that accompanies the clashing of such big, fragile egos. It was good fun to get an insider's perspective.
As always, Rowling's strength is her ability to develop compelling characters and relationships. Strike's gruffness and brilliance, and Robin's humour and grit makes for some dazzling chemistry, and that's what really makes the book enjoyable.
However, her weakness appears to be a tendency towards convoluted plots just for the sake of the complexity. This time around, the mystery centres on Owen Quine, an obnoxious writer whose one gimmick is being offensive and disgusting. When the man goes missing, his hapless wife calls Strike in to find him. Strike discovers that Quine has written an extremely nasty manuscript, insulting pretty much everyone he knows, so it's hardly any surprise when Quine's body turned up, as everyone and their mother had motive for murder. There's a list of suspects as long as your arm, but at the final reveal, I didn't have that vital sensation that I could have figured it out if only I'd been a little cleverer. There was no real reason to suspect one of the possible murderers more than any other. It was also a very gruesome book – stomach turning in places – but I liked the literary atmosphere, especially the idea of hunting for clues within a manuscript.
As always, Rowling's strength is her ability to develop compelling characters and relationships. Strike's gruffness and brilliance, and Robin's humour and grit makes for some dazzling chemistry, and that's what really makes the book enjoyable.
However, her weakness appears to be a tendency towards convoluted plots just for the sake of the complexity. This time around, the mystery centres on Owen Quine, an obnoxious writer whose one gimmick is being offensive and disgusting. When the man goes missing, his hapless wife calls Strike in to find him. Strike discovers that Quine has written an extremely nasty manuscript, insulting pretty much everyone he knows, so it's hardly any surprise when Quine's body turned up, as everyone and their mother had motive for murder. There's a list of suspects as long as your arm, but at the final reveal, I didn't have that vital sensation that I could have figured it out if only I'd been a little cleverer. There was no real reason to suspect one of the possible murderers more than any other. It was also a very gruesome book – stomach turning in places – but I liked the literary atmosphere, especially the idea of hunting for clues within a manuscript.
Raczej zwykły kapuśniaczek
Muszę przyznać, że rozczarowała mnie trochę ta książka. Kiedy do niej zasiadałem - a celowo zrobiłem to w jednym z wakacyjnych miesięcy - pomyślałem sobie, że kto jak kto, ale sam(a) Galbraith poniżej pewnego poziomu nigdy nie schodzi.
Otóż tym razem zszedł. Minimalnie, bo minimalnie, ale spodziewałem się raczej odchyleń w drugą stronę. Do samej zagadki kryminalnej specjalnie przyczepić się nie da, tutaj akcenty są rozłożone prawidłowo, a stopniowo podsuwane nam tropy powoli odkrywają jej szczegóły, nie dając się jednak domyśleć zakończenia.
Jednak sposób, w jaki prowadzona jest fabuła, w moim odczuciu pozostawiał wiele do życzenia. Coś tam się niby dzieje, poszczególni podejrzani zdradzają nam - mniej lub bardziej chętnie - swoje brudne sekrety, lecz mimo to czułem się jakby obok, nie dając się wciągnąć wirowi wydarzeń.
Tak samo główny bohater, Cormoran Strike, nie dał się jakoś bardziej polubić czy też znienawidzić - po prostu jego charakter i zachowanie nie budzi specjalnych emocji. A tego wymagam od bohatera cyklu książkowego.
Na podobnym poziomie rozwija się relacja Cormorana ze swoją "Watsonką", Robin, wydaje się zbyt płaska, pomijając już fakt, że żadnego aspektu tej relacji nie musimy się domyślać, wszystko jest zawsze dokładnie dopowiedziane. To chyba jeszcze zaszłość ze starych dobrych czasów tworzenia powieści dla młodszych odbiorców (swoją drogą czy to naprawdę możliwe, że od premiery pierwszego "Harry'ego Pottera" minęło już 18 lat?!).
Podsumowując, do jedwabnika tej książce daleko. To raczej zwykły motyl kapuśniaczek. Co nie zmienia faktu, że po następny tom sięgnę. Liczę na odbicie po tym małym potknięciu.
Muszę przyznać, że rozczarowała mnie trochę ta książka. Kiedy do niej zasiadałem - a celowo zrobiłem to w jednym z wakacyjnych miesięcy - pomyślałem sobie, że kto jak kto, ale sam(a) Galbraith poniżej pewnego poziomu nigdy nie schodzi.
Otóż tym razem zszedł. Minimalnie, bo minimalnie, ale spodziewałem się raczej odchyleń w drugą stronę. Do samej zagadki kryminalnej specjalnie przyczepić się nie da, tutaj akcenty są rozłożone prawidłowo, a stopniowo podsuwane nam tropy powoli odkrywają jej szczegóły, nie dając się jednak domyśleć zakończenia.
Jednak sposób, w jaki prowadzona jest fabuła, w moim odczuciu pozostawiał wiele do życzenia. Coś tam się niby dzieje, poszczególni podejrzani zdradzają nam - mniej lub bardziej chętnie - swoje brudne sekrety, lecz mimo to czułem się jakby obok, nie dając się wciągnąć wirowi wydarzeń.
Tak samo główny bohater, Cormoran Strike, nie dał się jakoś bardziej polubić czy też znienawidzić - po prostu jego charakter i zachowanie nie budzi specjalnych emocji. A tego wymagam od bohatera cyklu książkowego.
Na podobnym poziomie rozwija się relacja Cormorana ze swoją "Watsonką", Robin, wydaje się zbyt płaska, pomijając już fakt, że żadnego aspektu tej relacji nie musimy się domyślać, wszystko jest zawsze dokładnie dopowiedziane. To chyba jeszcze zaszłość ze starych dobrych czasów tworzenia powieści dla młodszych odbiorców (swoją drogą czy to naprawdę możliwe, że od premiery pierwszego "Harry'ego Pottera" minęło już 18 lat?!).
Podsumowując, do jedwabnika tej książce daleko. To raczej zwykły motyl kapuśniaczek. Co nie zmienia faktu, że po następny tom sięgnę. Liczę na odbicie po tym małym potknięciu.
This book is a fun read. Cormoran Strike is securing his place among my favorite fictional characters. I enjoyed seeing more of Robin, and I'm liking her more and more. Their partnership is going to become more amazing in the books to come (fingers crossed!) Early on I tried to guess the killer, as you do when reading a mystery. I gave up though because I couldn't figure it out, and just followed along in the book. I was genuinely surprised at the reveal! I highly recommend digging into this series.