You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
This book did NOT have to be 1073 pages long! There were countless interviews that just blended together and plots that felt recycled. That being said, this was definitely a huge improvement from the last 2 books. This felt more like on par to the original 2 books. The motive for this made sense unlike the last 4 books. The emotion in this was surprisingly well written. The pacing in some chapters was better than others but not a boring book. There was enough to keep me going but this really could've been trimmed a good 2-300 pages. Overall a good book.
5 stars for this one. Strike and Robin get called into solving a cold case, that of the disappearance of a lady doctor almost 40 years in the past. In a book of almost a thousand pages, with Robin going through a divorce, it was expected that their might be further developments in the relationship between Strike and Robin. At the very start, going by how this has progressed in the earlier books, the picture in my mind was of Book 14, set in 2055, having Strike and Robin walking on eggshells wondering how they felt about each other. Well whether it went this way or not, you'll need to read the book. No spoilers.
The investigation isn't easy as how the incident is from the 70s and a lot of persons of interest are either dead or missing. Also one never knows whether the people who are located, remember the events accurately and are giving a perfect account, or worse, are lying about things.
The sheer volume of information and misinformation is handled rather deftly and everything comes together rather satisfactorily in the end.
The investigation isn't easy as how the incident is from the 70s and a lot of persons of interest are either dead or missing. Also one never knows whether the people who are located, remember the events accurately and are giving a perfect account, or worse, are lying about things.
The sheer volume of information and misinformation is handled rather deftly and everything comes together rather satisfactorily in the end.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Ok, here’s the thing. If you love this series you’ll finish this book despite it being SO LONG. But *slight spoiler alert* skip all of the astrology nonsense. While I usually love these books, this one seems like she just tried to throw a ton of unnecessary red herrings in to throw you off. However, the ending is still unexpected and I was gobsmacked.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
mysterious
tense
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:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Very mild spoilers.
If you're reading for the characters of Robin and Strike (as I primarily was) there's a lot to like. If you're reading for the mystery, I liked how it established the cold case. I don't believe I've ever read a novel with a cold case, so it was a new experience and one I largely enjoyed. I liked all of the interviews that were included as Robin and Strike investigated. I thought it was interesting seeing our detectives puzzle out a mystery from the 70s when half of the witnesses are dead and the other half are recalling an event from half a lifetime ago. However, if you are reading the novel entirely for the mystery, there is a LOT of filler. I enjoyed the novel (but I tend to like "filler" as I feel this is where I really get to know characters), but 50-100 pages probably could have been cut and you wouldn't have lost much of the overall story.
If you're reading for the characters of Robin and Strike (as I primarily was) there's a lot to like. If you're reading for the mystery, I liked how it established the cold case. I don't believe I've ever read a novel with a cold case, so it was a new experience and one I largely enjoyed. I liked all of the interviews that were included as Robin and Strike investigated. I thought it was interesting seeing our detectives puzzle out a mystery from the 70s when half of the witnesses are dead and the other half are recalling an event from half a lifetime ago. However, if you are reading the novel entirely for the mystery, there is a LOT of filler. I enjoyed the novel (but I tend to like "filler" as I feel this is where I really get to know characters), but 50-100 pages probably could have been cut and you wouldn't have lost much of the overall story.
Worth the wait, and the slog through 900 pages. Cormoran and Robin don't disappoint (although a character list and a little more editing down would have been appreciated)
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated