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betsysbookcase 's review for:
Career of Evil
by Robert Galbraith
Cormoran Strike is a bold, buff, 6'3" detective with a background in the British military that left him with a leg amputation, an unrelenting fierceness, and bouts of PTSD. In the third book of this mystery series by the creator of Harry Potter (with the pseudonym "Robert Galbraith"), Strike is on the hunt for a serial killer whose distinguishing feature is chopping off body parts of his female victims. The hunt begins when Strike's assistant, Robin, receives a severed leg in the mail. While Strike is the head detective, the brains (and beauty) of the operation is Robin. She is creative, intuitive, and savvy, going above and beyond her job responsibilities (and pay grade) to crack the case.
The murder feels a disturbing intimacy with his victims and saves the a part of them (a leg, a nose, an ear) as a souvenir when his work is complete. His mission is to torment and ruin Strike, for whom he feels bitter resentment. Strike has three potential suspects... Noel Brockbank is an old army comrade with a long documented history of pedophilia, for which he was never convicted after Strike hit him in self-defense, causing a traumatic brain injury. Donald Laing, another army acquaintance, has been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and antisocial behavior, and also has a history of domestic violence, murdering an animal, and biting Strike viciously during a boxing match. Jeff Whittaker is a drug dealer and former rocker who was once married to Strike's famous mother, Leda, and whom Strike believes killed his mother.
The story is filled with unique and troubled characters. One of the victims (whose leg Robin received) had a disorder in which she desired to cut off her own leg, believing she was meant to be an amputee and that her leg really didn't belong to her body. Strike meets with two other individuals with similar body-dysmorphic illnesses, and becomes angry and disgusted with them since he lost his own leg bravely in combat. As Robin peruses the internet for leads, she discovers many other individuals with amputee fetishes and desires for self-mutilation.
Once again, Galbraith writes a thriller that includes elements of mental health problems and disturbing family dynamics, with a dash of romance at times as well, that is suspenseful until the very end. The disturbing and yet very fitting Blue Oyster Cult lyrics at the beginning of each chapter pull the themes together. I have loved watching the development of Strike and Robin's relationship and how much Robin has grown in her confidence and bravery, overcoming a past experience of abuse and violence, throughout the series.
The murder feels a disturbing intimacy with his victims and saves the a part of them (a leg, a nose, an ear) as a souvenir when his work is complete. His mission is to torment and ruin Strike, for whom he feels bitter resentment. Strike has three potential suspects... Noel Brockbank is an old army comrade with a long documented history of pedophilia, for which he was never convicted after Strike hit him in self-defense, causing a traumatic brain injury. Donald Laing, another army acquaintance, has been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and antisocial behavior, and also has a history of domestic violence, murdering an animal, and biting Strike viciously during a boxing match. Jeff Whittaker is a drug dealer and former rocker who was once married to Strike's famous mother, Leda, and whom Strike believes killed his mother.
The story is filled with unique and troubled characters. One of the victims (whose leg Robin received) had a disorder in which she desired to cut off her own leg, believing she was meant to be an amputee and that her leg really didn't belong to her body. Strike meets with two other individuals with similar body-dysmorphic illnesses, and becomes angry and disgusted with them since he lost his own leg bravely in combat. As Robin peruses the internet for leads, she discovers many other individuals with amputee fetishes and desires for self-mutilation.
Once again, Galbraith writes a thriller that includes elements of mental health problems and disturbing family dynamics, with a dash of romance at times as well, that is suspenseful until the very end. The disturbing and yet very fitting Blue Oyster Cult lyrics at the beginning of each chapter pull the themes together. I have loved watching the development of Strike and Robin's relationship and how much Robin has grown in her confidence and bravery, overcoming a past experience of abuse and violence, throughout the series.