A review by ladytheo
The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith

dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

The first 600 pages of this book are slow.   And I mean slow.  It's a lot of character and plot building.  I also cannot ignore the author's insertion of themselves into the first victims shoes.   It actually reminds me of the authors 2nd book, the silkworm,  in which she makes a rather pointed critique of authors inserting themselves into their own text "nobody likes me,  nobody understands me".  (Or something to that effect.)

 It's really hard to separate the ink black heart from the author's personal life and feelings about people having opinions on social media in response to her transphobic comments.  And frankly detracts from the book.

I wanted to like this book more than I did and there were certainly parts that were entertaining and suspenseful.  But if you weren't already invested in the cormoran strike books it's not worth the read.
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