JK Rowling has written a wonderful mystery story. Cormoran Strike, private detective, amputee, and ex military police (but not Jack Reacher, don’t worry) is broke, has a temporary assistant he injured on her first day and didn’t even want, and is sleeping in his office having been thrown out by his girlfriend. The brother of a model who died in a fall from her balcony arrives to beg Strike to investigate her death, driven by a conviction very few share.
Strike’s meticulous investigations, aided by his wonderful temp, are captivating, and I didn’t want to put the book down. I devoured it in only a day or two, and loved the twists and turns. I don’t want to talk too much about the plot, and really think it is one people should discover themselves.
However, if I had one small complaint, it would be that I found the temp (Robin) intriguing and an excellent character. She has always had a secret interest in private detective work, and is delighted to help investigate, showing great initiative. She is dedicated even despite her fiancee’s disapproval. I had hoped that she would get to be a larger part of the plot. However, even though Strike regularly considers how invaluable she is to him, and is impressed by her actions, he leaves her, bored in the office, for most of the book. I can only hope that she’ll be a larger part of any subsequent series.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.