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Cormoran Strike #7
袨褌锌褉懈褖械薪 谐褉芯斜
鈥炐炑傂垦€懈褖械薪 谐褉芯斜鈥� (2023), 褋械写屑芯褌芯 褉邪蟹褋谢械写胁邪薪械 薪邪 谢械谐械薪写邪褉薪懈褟 写械褌械泻褌懈胁 小褌褉邪泄泻, 懈蟹谢懈蟹邪 胁 褞斜懈谢械泄薪邪褌邪 写械褋械褌邪 谐芯写懈薪邪 芯褌 褕褍屑薪芯褌芯 薪邪褔邪谢芯 薪邪 泻褉懈屑懈薪邪谢薪邪褌邪 锌芯褉械写懈褑邪 薪邪 袪芯斜褗褉褌 袚邪谢斜褉械泄褌, 锌褋械胁写芯薪懈屑 薪邪 袛卸. 袣. 袪芯褍谢懈薪谐. 袠 芯褌薪芯胁芯, 泻邪泻褌芯 懈 锌褉械写懈褕薪懈褌械 褕械褋褌 褉芯屑邪薪邪, 械 薪邪 胁褗褉褏邪 薪邪 胁褋懈褔泻懈 泻谢邪褋邪褑懈懈 蟹邪 薪邪泄-锌褉芯写邪胁邪薪懈 泻薪懈谐懈 胁 褋胁械褌邪 懈 褖械 褋褌邪薪械 褔邪褋褌 芯褌 褌械谢械胁懈蟹懈芯薪薪邪褌邪 褋械褉懈褟, 锌褉芯写褍褑懈褉邪薪邪 芯褌 鈥炐懷€芯薪褌械 肖懈谢屑 械薪写 孝械谢械胁懈卸褗薪鈥�.
小 写械褌械泻褌懈胁 袣芯褉屑芯褉邪薪 小褌褉邪泄泻 褋械 褋胁褗褉蟹胁邪 褉邪蟹褌褉械胁芯卸械薪 斜邪褖邪, 褔懈泄褌芯 褋懈薪 邪褍褌懈褋褌 褋械 械 锌褉懈褋褗械写懈薪懈谢 泻褗屑 校薪懈胁械褉褋邪谢薪邪褌邪 褏褍屑邪薪懈褌邪褉薪邪 褑褗褉泻胁邪, 褉械谢懈谐懈芯蟹薪邪 芯斜褖薪芯褋褌, 芯斜懈褌邪胁邪褖邪 懈蟹芯谢懈褉邪薪 泻褗褌 胁 袠蟹褌芯褔薪邪 袗薪谐谢懈褟. 袟邪写 斜谢邪谐芯胁懈写薪邪褌邪 屑邪褋泻邪 薪邪 斜谢邪谐芯褌胁芯褉懈褌械谢薪芯褋褌 懈 斜芯褉斜邪 胁 懈屑械褌芯 薪邪 械写懈薪 锌芯-写芯斜褗褉 褋胁褟褌 锌褉芯蟹懈褉邪褌 褎懈薪邪薪褋芯胁懈 懈蟹薪褍写胁邪薪懈褟, 褍薪懈蟹懈褌械谢薪芯 褌褉械褌懈褉邪薪械 薪邪 锌芯褋谢械写芯胁邪褌械谢懈褌械, 褎懈蟹懈褔械褋泻芯 懈 褋械泻褋褍邪谢薪芯 薪邪褋懈谢懈械, 薪械芯斜褟褋薪懈屑懈 褋屑褗褉褌薪懈 褋谢褍褔邪懈. 袟邪 写邪 褋锌邪褋懈 屑芯屑褔械褌芯, 胁锌褉懈屑褔械薪芯 胁 芯锌邪褋械薪 泻邪锌邪薪, 褋褗写褉褍卸薪懈褔泻邪褌邪 薪邪 小褌褉邪泄泻, 袪芯斜懈薪 袝谢邪泻芯褌, 锌褉芯薪懈泻胁邪 胁 褋褉械写懈褌械 薪邪 笑褗褉泻胁邪褌邪 懈 蟹邪卸懈胁褟胁邪 懈薪泻芯谐薪懈褌芯 褋褉械写 褔谢械薪芯胁械褌械 泄. 袗谢邪 褌褟 薪械 械 锌芯写谐芯褌胁械薪邪 蟹邪 写械斜薪械褖懈褌械 褉懈褋泻芯胁械 懈 蟹邪 卸械褉褌胁懈褌械, 泻芯懈褌芯 褖械 泄 褋褌褉褍胁邪 褌芯胁邪 薪邪褔懈薪邪薪懈械...
袟邪谐谢邪胁懈械褌芯 鈥炐炑傂垦€懈褖械薪 谐褉芯斜鈥� 懈 械锌懈谐褉邪褎懈褌械 泻褗屑 胁褋褟泻邪 谐谢邪胁邪, 蟹邪懈屑褋褌胁邪薪懈 芯褌 泻谢邪褋懈褔械褋泻邪褌邪 泻懈褌邪泄褋泻邪 鈥炐毿叫感承� 薪邪 锌褉芯屑械薪懈褌械鈥�, 锌褉懈胁薪邪褋褟褌 写芯锌褗谢薪懈褌械谢械薪 屑械褌邪褎芯褉懈褔械薪 懈 褌褗谢泻褍胁邪褌械谢械薪 褖褉懈褏 泻褗屑 锌芯褋谢邪薪懈褟褌邪 薪邪 褌芯蟹懈 锌褋懈褏芯谢芯谐懈褔械褋泻懈 懈 褋芯褑懈邪谢械薪 褌褉懈谢褗褉. 袩芯褉械写薪懈褟褌 薪械褍褋褌芯懈屑 锌械泄写卸-褌褗褉薪褗褉, 褋胁懈写械褌械谢褋褌胁芯 蟹邪 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹胁邪褔械褋泻邪褌邪 写邪褉斜邪 薪邪 袪芯斜褗褉褌 袚邪谢斜褉械泄褌.
袛懈薪邪屑懈褔械薪, 蟹邪胁谢邪写褟胁邪褖 懈 褍卸邪褋褟胁邪褖.
袙. 鈥炐斝敌剐恍� 袦械泄谢鈥�
小 写械褌械泻褌懈胁 袣芯褉屑芯褉邪薪 小褌褉邪泄泻 褋械 褋胁褗褉蟹胁邪 褉邪蟹褌褉械胁芯卸械薪 斜邪褖邪, 褔懈泄褌芯 褋懈薪 邪褍褌懈褋褌 褋械 械 锌褉懈褋褗械写懈薪懈谢 泻褗屑 校薪懈胁械褉褋邪谢薪邪褌邪 褏褍屑邪薪懈褌邪褉薪邪 褑褗褉泻胁邪, 褉械谢懈谐懈芯蟹薪邪 芯斜褖薪芯褋褌, 芯斜懈褌邪胁邪褖邪 懈蟹芯谢懈褉邪薪 泻褗褌 胁 袠蟹褌芯褔薪邪 袗薪谐谢懈褟. 袟邪写 斜谢邪谐芯胁懈写薪邪褌邪 屑邪褋泻邪 薪邪 斜谢邪谐芯褌胁芯褉懈褌械谢薪芯褋褌 懈 斜芯褉斜邪 胁 懈屑械褌芯 薪邪 械写懈薪 锌芯-写芯斜褗褉 褋胁褟褌 锌褉芯蟹懈褉邪褌 褎懈薪邪薪褋芯胁懈 懈蟹薪褍写胁邪薪懈褟, 褍薪懈蟹懈褌械谢薪芯 褌褉械褌懈褉邪薪械 薪邪 锌芯褋谢械写芯胁邪褌械谢懈褌械, 褎懈蟹懈褔械褋泻芯 懈 褋械泻褋褍邪谢薪芯 薪邪褋懈谢懈械, 薪械芯斜褟褋薪懈屑懈 褋屑褗褉褌薪懈 褋谢褍褔邪懈. 袟邪 写邪 褋锌邪褋懈 屑芯屑褔械褌芯, 胁锌褉懈屑褔械薪芯 胁 芯锌邪褋械薪 泻邪锌邪薪, 褋褗写褉褍卸薪懈褔泻邪褌邪 薪邪 小褌褉邪泄泻, 袪芯斜懈薪 袝谢邪泻芯褌, 锌褉芯薪懈泻胁邪 胁 褋褉械写懈褌械 薪邪 笑褗褉泻胁邪褌邪 懈 蟹邪卸懈胁褟胁邪 懈薪泻芯谐薪懈褌芯 褋褉械写 褔谢械薪芯胁械褌械 泄. 袗谢邪 褌褟 薪械 械 锌芯写谐芯褌胁械薪邪 蟹邪 写械斜薪械褖懈褌械 褉懈褋泻芯胁械 懈 蟹邪 卸械褉褌胁懈褌械, 泻芯懈褌芯 褖械 泄 褋褌褉褍胁邪 褌芯胁邪 薪邪褔懈薪邪薪懈械...
袟邪谐谢邪胁懈械褌芯 鈥炐炑傂垦€懈褖械薪 谐褉芯斜鈥� 懈 械锌懈谐褉邪褎懈褌械 泻褗屑 胁褋褟泻邪 谐谢邪胁邪, 蟹邪懈屑褋褌胁邪薪懈 芯褌 泻谢邪褋懈褔械褋泻邪褌邪 泻懈褌邪泄褋泻邪 鈥炐毿叫感承� 薪邪 锌褉芯屑械薪懈褌械鈥�, 锌褉懈胁薪邪褋褟褌 写芯锌褗谢薪懈褌械谢械薪 屑械褌邪褎芯褉懈褔械薪 懈 褌褗谢泻褍胁邪褌械谢械薪 褖褉懈褏 泻褗屑 锌芯褋谢邪薪懈褟褌邪 薪邪 褌芯蟹懈 锌褋懈褏芯谢芯谐懈褔械褋泻懈 懈 褋芯褑懈邪谢械薪 褌褉懈谢褗褉. 袩芯褉械写薪懈褟褌 薪械褍褋褌芯懈屑 锌械泄写卸-褌褗褉薪褗褉, 褋胁懈写械褌械谢褋褌胁芯 蟹邪 褉邪蟹泻邪蟹胁邪褔械褋泻邪褌邪 写邪褉斜邪 薪邪 袪芯斜褗褉褌 袚邪谢斜褉械泄褌.
袛懈薪邪屑懈褔械薪, 蟹邪胁谢邪写褟胁邪褖 懈 褍卸邪褋褟胁邪褖.
袙. 鈥炐斝敌剐恍� 袦械泄谢鈥�
1016 pages, Paperback
First published September 26, 2023
6,916 people are currently reading
25.9k people want to read
About the author
Robert Galbraith
48听books31.6k听followersThis is a pseudonym for , the author of the Harry Potter series and The Casual Vacancy, a novel for adults.
NOTE: There is more than one author with this name on 欧宝娱乐.
Rowling was born to Anne Rowling (n茅e Volant) and Peter James Rowling, a Rolls-Royce aircraft engineer, on 31 July 1965 in Yate, Gloucestershire, England, 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Bristol. Her mother Anne was half-French and half-Scottish. Her parents first met on a train departing from King's Cross Station bound for Arbroath in 1964. They married on 14 March 1965. Her mother's maternal grandfather, Dugald Campbell, was born in Lamlash on the Isle of Arran. Her mother's paternal grandfather, Louis Volant, was awarded the Croix de Guerre for exceptional bravery in defending the village of Courcelles-le-Comte during the First World War.
Rowling's sister Dianne was born at their home when Rowling was 23 months old. The family moved to the nearby village Winterbourne when Rowling was four. She attended St Michael's Primary School, a school founded by abolitionist William Wilberforce and education reformer Hannah More. Her headmaster at St Michael's, Alfred Dunn, has been suggested as the inspiration for the Harry Potter headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
As a child, Rowling often wrote fantasy stories, which she would usually then read to her sister. She recalls that: "I can still remember me telling her a story in which she fell down a rabbit hole and was fed strawberries by the rabbit family inside it. Certainly the first story I ever wrote down (when I was five or six) was about a rabbit called Rabbit. He got the measles and was visited by his friends, including a giant bee called Miss Bee." At the age of nine, Rowling moved to Church Cottage in the Gloucestershire village of Tutshill, close to Chepstow, Wales. When she was a young teenager, her great aunt, who Rowling said "taught classics and approved of a thirst for knowledge, even of a questionable kind," gave her a very old copy of Jessica Mitford's autobiography, Hons and Rebels. Mitford became Rowling's heroine, and Rowling subsequently read all of her books.
Rowling has said of her teenage years, in an interview with The New Yorker, "I wasn鈥檛 particularly happy. I think it鈥檚 a dreadful time of life." She had a difficult homelife; her mother was ill and she had a difficult relationship with her father (she is no longer on speaking terms with him). She attended secondary school at Wyedean School and College, where her mother had worked as a technician in the science department. Rowling said of her adolescence, "Hermione [a bookish, know-it-all Harry Potter character] is loosely based on me. She's a caricature of me when I was eleven, which I'm not particularly proud of." Steve Eddy, who taught Rowling English when she first arrived, remembers her as "not exceptional" but "one of a group of girls who were bright, and quite good at English." Sean Harris, her best friend in the Upper Sixth owned a turquoise Ford Anglia, which she says inspired the one in her books.
NOTE: There is more than one author with this name on 欧宝娱乐.
Rowling was born to Anne Rowling (n茅e Volant) and Peter James Rowling, a Rolls-Royce aircraft engineer, on 31 July 1965 in Yate, Gloucestershire, England, 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Bristol. Her mother Anne was half-French and half-Scottish. Her parents first met on a train departing from King's Cross Station bound for Arbroath in 1964. They married on 14 March 1965. Her mother's maternal grandfather, Dugald Campbell, was born in Lamlash on the Isle of Arran. Her mother's paternal grandfather, Louis Volant, was awarded the Croix de Guerre for exceptional bravery in defending the village of Courcelles-le-Comte during the First World War.
Rowling's sister Dianne was born at their home when Rowling was 23 months old. The family moved to the nearby village Winterbourne when Rowling was four. She attended St Michael's Primary School, a school founded by abolitionist William Wilberforce and education reformer Hannah More. Her headmaster at St Michael's, Alfred Dunn, has been suggested as the inspiration for the Harry Potter headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
As a child, Rowling often wrote fantasy stories, which she would usually then read to her sister. She recalls that: "I can still remember me telling her a story in which she fell down a rabbit hole and was fed strawberries by the rabbit family inside it. Certainly the first story I ever wrote down (when I was five or six) was about a rabbit called Rabbit. He got the measles and was visited by his friends, including a giant bee called Miss Bee." At the age of nine, Rowling moved to Church Cottage in the Gloucestershire village of Tutshill, close to Chepstow, Wales. When she was a young teenager, her great aunt, who Rowling said "taught classics and approved of a thirst for knowledge, even of a questionable kind," gave her a very old copy of Jessica Mitford's autobiography, Hons and Rebels. Mitford became Rowling's heroine, and Rowling subsequently read all of her books.
Rowling has said of her teenage years, in an interview with The New Yorker, "I wasn鈥檛 particularly happy. I think it鈥檚 a dreadful time of life." She had a difficult homelife; her mother was ill and she had a difficult relationship with her father (she is no longer on speaking terms with him). She attended secondary school at Wyedean School and College, where her mother had worked as a technician in the science department. Rowling said of her adolescence, "Hermione [a bookish, know-it-all Harry Potter character] is loosely based on me. She's a caricature of me when I was eleven, which I'm not particularly proud of." Steve Eddy, who taught Rowling English when she first arrived, remembers her as "not exceptional" but "one of a group of girls who were bright, and quite good at English." Sean Harris, her best friend in the Upper Sixth owned a turquoise Ford Anglia, which she says inspired the one in her books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 8,552 reviews
January 6, 2024
(A-) 83% | Very Good
Notes: Indoctrination exploration, knitting thorny threads, a startling ending (fallout pending!), weighty (dense with dread).
*Check out progress updates for detailed commentary:
Notes: Indoctrination exploration, knitting thorny threads, a startling ending (fallout pending!), weighty (dense with dread).
*Check out progress updates for detailed commentary:
October 9, 2023
E-book and Audiobook narrated by the wonderful Robert Glanister
Oh Wow, she did it again. She has written another excellent, gripping, well written, 900+ pages novel. The length does not bother me anymore. The only problem is that I have a new dilemma. Which one is her best, this one or the Ink Black Heart? I will call this a truce and say both.
Cormoran Strike series are the only books that I pre-order, both as audiobook and e-book. J.K. Rowling/Robert Galbraith鈥檚 is the only author who makes me drop all I am reading and most of what I am doing to read her latest installment. So, I guess, I can say I am a member of her adoring cult (as a writer).
When I first saw that The Runnin Grave is going to be about a cult, I was very excited. She is a writer who started with probably the best and the most popular fantasy series of all time. My favorite at least. I knew she had the necessary imagination and writing skills to create a new believable and terrifying religion so I was looking forward to see the results. They were better than I thought. Yes, these is a lot of info dumping, and the books stalls a bit due to excessive detailing but they were all important parts of the story, as the ending proves.
Also, she also hit home with the subject. I am strongly opposed to and enraged by the hypocrisy of our own Orthodox church so I was struck by some of the similarities. For example, the leader of the cult was driving a silver Mercedes while the believers were given no possessions (or much food either). Guess who also has a Mercedes, white this time? Yes, the leader of the orthodox church. I will not continue, because I could write my own novel about the irregularities from that institution, their greed, interference in politics and disrespect for their flock.
I am digressing. Let鈥檚 get back to the novel. Cormoran and Robin鈥檚 agency are contracted by a upper classe worried father to help get his son out of a strange cult, called the Universal Humanitarian Church. On the surface, they seem to be peaceful organization which gives a lot to the poor through charity work performed by its members. When the two partners dig a bit further( there is pun here), some dark and sinister details come up, including a series of unnatural deaths. (Poor) Robin decides to infiltrate the cult in order to find the truth about what is going on in its Norfolk Centre, a farm who is a lot more than it should be.
From all the series, I think it was the one which kept me on the edge the most. I was really worried about Robin and what those people were doing to her. I do not want to go into details because spoilers but, let鈥檚 say I had nightmares about this book.
I am sure all of you who know and love the duo wants to know if the will they, won鈥檛 they gets any further? Well, I won鈥檛 tell 飦� However, bear in mind that the focus this time is more on the case than their love story. Yes, there quite a few mentions of their feelings, Strike gets into another stupid relationship to get past the relationship between Robin and Murphy. And, there is the ending鈥� Haha. Let鈥檚 say, if she writes another novel next year, is not soon enough.
****
My initial middle of the night thoughts: 1:23 AM , I鈥檓 finally done. Amazing, as the last two. Hard to decide which one was better. But, bloody hell, the ending鈥ou鈥檇 better write the next one fast, Mrs. Rowling.
Review to come at a more decent hour
Oh Wow, she did it again. She has written another excellent, gripping, well written, 900+ pages novel. The length does not bother me anymore. The only problem is that I have a new dilemma. Which one is her best, this one or the Ink Black Heart? I will call this a truce and say both.
Cormoran Strike series are the only books that I pre-order, both as audiobook and e-book. J.K. Rowling/Robert Galbraith鈥檚 is the only author who makes me drop all I am reading and most of what I am doing to read her latest installment. So, I guess, I can say I am a member of her adoring cult (as a writer).
When I first saw that The Runnin Grave is going to be about a cult, I was very excited. She is a writer who started with probably the best and the most popular fantasy series of all time. My favorite at least. I knew she had the necessary imagination and writing skills to create a new believable and terrifying religion so I was looking forward to see the results. They were better than I thought. Yes, these is a lot of info dumping, and the books stalls a bit due to excessive detailing but they were all important parts of the story, as the ending proves.
Also, she also hit home with the subject. I am strongly opposed to and enraged by the hypocrisy of our own Orthodox church so I was struck by some of the similarities. For example, the leader of the cult was driving a silver Mercedes while the believers were given no possessions (or much food either). Guess who also has a Mercedes, white this time? Yes, the leader of the orthodox church. I will not continue, because I could write my own novel about the irregularities from that institution, their greed, interference in politics and disrespect for their flock.
I am digressing. Let鈥檚 get back to the novel. Cormoran and Robin鈥檚 agency are contracted by a upper classe worried father to help get his son out of a strange cult, called the Universal Humanitarian Church. On the surface, they seem to be peaceful organization which gives a lot to the poor through charity work performed by its members. When the two partners dig a bit further( there is pun here), some dark and sinister details come up, including a series of unnatural deaths. (Poor) Robin decides to infiltrate the cult in order to find the truth about what is going on in its Norfolk Centre, a farm who is a lot more than it should be.
From all the series, I think it was the one which kept me on the edge the most. I was really worried about Robin and what those people were doing to her. I do not want to go into details because spoilers but, let鈥檚 say I had nightmares about this book.
I am sure all of you who know and love the duo wants to know if the will they, won鈥檛 they gets any further? Well, I won鈥檛 tell 飦� However, bear in mind that the focus this time is more on the case than their love story. Yes, there quite a few mentions of their feelings, Strike gets into another stupid relationship to get past the relationship between Robin and Murphy. And, there is the ending鈥� Haha. Let鈥檚 say, if she writes another novel next year, is not soon enough.
****
My initial middle of the night thoughts: 1:23 AM , I鈥檓 finally done. Amazing, as the last two. Hard to decide which one was better. But, bloody hell, the ending鈥ou鈥檇 better write the next one fast, Mrs. Rowling.
Review to come at a more decent hour
October 17, 2023
If this ends up being another 1,000 pages of unresolved sexual tension I will punch someone.
September 27, 2023
How does she do it? I inhaled this massive tome rather than sleep the last few nights, marveling as always at the talent and skill this author has for weaving intricate plots and creating believable characters. I was straight up terrified for Robin for 90% of this book. A suffocating atmosphere of danger and menace is not an easy thing to conjure, but it's here in spades. JKR sure knows how to craft suspense, mostly by putting her characters through the wringer, and I am HERE for it. I hope the next book comes out quickly, because the last chapter made me gasp out loud. Talk about a cliffhanger! I think Troubled Blood is still my favorite in the series so far, but this one is probably runner-up. The amount of character growth for Strike and Robin in the last three books has been stellar to watch unfold. It's a slow burn, to be sure, but one of rare quality and believability. More, please!
September 27, 2023
Omg that ending! I'm screaming and waving my hands in the air
October 13, 2023
Please, for the love of God, can someone get this author an editor who will actually edit her books?
Leaving this review as I did for the last one, because I don鈥檛 think the star ratings on Good Reads for JK Rowling actually show anything helpful due to the ongoing controversy surrounding the author. So many of the reviews are left in advance from people on either side, and as someone who likes to read legitimate reviews I thought I鈥檇 leave this here for anyone seeking out a review based on the book and not on the persons opinion of the author.
JK Rowling is an undeniably fantastic author and world creator. She creates the world of the cult very intricately and it really does come alive. I was left feeling so tense after reading these chapters due to how vividly these were described.
However, the book is too long. There are characters that you forget who they are if you鈥檙e reading over a number of days. There are multiple instances where references are made to previous books and these things are explained to the reader. For example the same character鈥檚 relevance to Strike is mentioned in two separate chapters, yet they鈥檙e completely irrelevant to the story (do they really need to be mentioned at all?).
I get that with a huge name like Rowling there is an idea what people want is long books. And maybe I am in the minority; but the Cuckoos Calling was fantastic because it was so well plotted, tight and fast paced. These are losing their way because Rowling wants to cram absolutely everything in to them and it isn鈥檛 necessary.
Overall the book is good. It鈥檚 filled with tension, and as you鈥檇 expect from JK it鈥檚 totally immersive. I just personally feel these books are let down by their lack of proper editing. We as the reader do not need to know every single tiny detail. We do not need to be reminded Strike dated someone a few books ago. We don鈥檛 need all the subplots. It鈥檚 fluff and it slows the book down.
Should you read this book? Well, this was better than the last Strike book, which was overly complicated due to the online conversations. But if you鈥檙e not sold on the Strike books by now, honestly I鈥檓 not sure you should. There is some closure given to some of the ongoing subplots, but definitely not all.
If you鈥檙e the type of person who loves tonnes of detail then you will like this book. But if you鈥檙e like me, and find that a bit slow reading then maybe give it a miss.
Leaving this review as I did for the last one, because I don鈥檛 think the star ratings on Good Reads for JK Rowling actually show anything helpful due to the ongoing controversy surrounding the author. So many of the reviews are left in advance from people on either side, and as someone who likes to read legitimate reviews I thought I鈥檇 leave this here for anyone seeking out a review based on the book and not on the persons opinion of the author.
JK Rowling is an undeniably fantastic author and world creator. She creates the world of the cult very intricately and it really does come alive. I was left feeling so tense after reading these chapters due to how vividly these were described.
However, the book is too long. There are characters that you forget who they are if you鈥檙e reading over a number of days. There are multiple instances where references are made to previous books and these things are explained to the reader. For example the same character鈥檚 relevance to Strike is mentioned in two separate chapters, yet they鈥檙e completely irrelevant to the story (do they really need to be mentioned at all?).
I get that with a huge name like Rowling there is an idea what people want is long books. And maybe I am in the minority; but the Cuckoos Calling was fantastic because it was so well plotted, tight and fast paced. These are losing their way because Rowling wants to cram absolutely everything in to them and it isn鈥檛 necessary.
Overall the book is good. It鈥檚 filled with tension, and as you鈥檇 expect from JK it鈥檚 totally immersive. I just personally feel these books are let down by their lack of proper editing. We as the reader do not need to know every single tiny detail. We do not need to be reminded Strike dated someone a few books ago. We don鈥檛 need all the subplots. It鈥檚 fluff and it slows the book down.
Should you read this book? Well, this was better than the last Strike book, which was overly complicated due to the online conversations. But if you鈥檙e not sold on the Strike books by now, honestly I鈥檓 not sure you should. There is some closure given to some of the ongoing subplots, but definitely not all.
If you鈥檙e the type of person who loves tonnes of detail then you will like this book. But if you鈥檙e like me, and find that a bit slow reading then maybe give it a miss.
November 12, 2024
Read in 13 hours 38 minutes and 20 seconds. (Used a stopwatch.)
I love this series, whenever a new one comes out, it's the literary highlight of my year. Decamped with a friend to a hotel to read this in one glorious unbroken go.
The premise for this book is an extraordinarily captivating and tense one. Without an obvious murder really driving the plot, it's an interesting story challenge for the series. Aiming to free someone from a cult, the team has to do deep undercover work. While there have been very tense moments with our characters being undercover in previous books, it's nothing to the extent of what happens here. I was on the edge of my seat and worried the entire time. How does this detective agency even begin to weedle out information in an environment where everyone is so slavishly programmed to a cult? I imagine this whole stretch of the book is going to be tough on rereads (like the forest parts of Deathly Hallows or when Harry and Ron fall out in Goblet).
Pat gets some terrific lines in this, she's emerging as one of my favourite characters. Strike, despite his jealousy at Robin's new boyfriend, is such a lovable protagonist here and gets some brilliant punch the air moments similar to his interaction with Dennis Creed in Troubled Blood. I was reminded a lot of Troubled Blood while reading as the investigation flirts with potential cold cases that orbit the cult.
There are also some huge moments that had the hairs on my arms prickling up and making me gasp in shock.
Loved it, and love that gap between this and the last book was a lot shorter. I hope that book 8 comes out even quicker!
P.S. I can also confirm a character in this is correct when they say that Il Portico does the best pasta in London.
I love this series, whenever a new one comes out, it's the literary highlight of my year. Decamped with a friend to a hotel to read this in one glorious unbroken go.
The premise for this book is an extraordinarily captivating and tense one. Without an obvious murder really driving the plot, it's an interesting story challenge for the series. Aiming to free someone from a cult, the team has to do deep undercover work. While there have been very tense moments with our characters being undercover in previous books, it's nothing to the extent of what happens here. I was on the edge of my seat and worried the entire time. How does this detective agency even begin to weedle out information in an environment where everyone is so slavishly programmed to a cult? I imagine this whole stretch of the book is going to be tough on rereads (like the forest parts of Deathly Hallows or when Harry and Ron fall out in Goblet).
Pat gets some terrific lines in this, she's emerging as one of my favourite characters. Strike, despite his jealousy at Robin's new boyfriend, is such a lovable protagonist here and gets some brilliant punch the air moments similar to his interaction with Dennis Creed in Troubled Blood. I was reminded a lot of Troubled Blood while reading as the investigation flirts with potential cold cases that orbit the cult.
There are also some huge moments that had the hairs on my arms prickling up and making me gasp in shock.
Loved it, and love that gap between this and the last book was a lot shorter. I hope that book 8 comes out even quicker!
P.S. I can also confirm a character in this is correct when they say that Il Portico does the best pasta in London.
October 8, 2023
I am sleep-deprived, and it's all Jo Rowling's fault
The first thing that struck me when I began 's (AKA 's) was how readable it was. Usually when I begin reading a new book I am conscious of some effort. No matter how good it may be, it feels a little like work to make my way into a new novel. But not when is the author! I was drawn in immediately. And I remained engaged right through to the end. It was not literally unputdownable, but it was pretty darn close. 960 pages, and I finished it in just over two days. What's more, I got up at 4:00 this morning, unable to sleep for wanting to know what came next.
As always in a Cormoran Strike book, there are two plots. The first plot (which is the plot of the series, as opposed to any particular book) is the Strike/Robin romance. At the end of each of them had come to the realization that they were secretly in love with the other. I say "secretly", but this is perhaps the world's worst-kept secret. All of Robin and Strike's good friends think they should be romantic as well as business partners, and both their Exes are convinced that they're sleeping with each other. For several books now we readers have been saying to ourselves, "For Pete's sake, would you two just TALK to each other and straighten yourselves out?" Strike is more at fault in this than Robin -- as one character tells Robin, "I鈥檝e had a sort of impression, from what Corm鈥檚 told me, that you鈥檙e the emotionally intelligent side of the partnership." We make some progress, but I will say no more about the romance plot.
The second plot, of course, is the investigation. It is not immediately clear when the book begins whether there is actually a mystery. Will Edensor, one of the sons of a wealthy family, has joined a cult -- the Universal Humanitarian Church (UHC). His parents think he is being mistreated and exploited and want to get him out, but their attempts to bring the law to bear on the UHC have been unsuccessful. Will's father hires Strike and Robin to investigate the UHC, to find means to get Will out.
Strike and Robin realize immediately that they are going to have to get someone into the UHC, and Robin volunteers -- nay, insists that it should be her. Robin's undercover investigation of the UHC occupies two-thirds of the book. This part is gripping. Point of view alternates between Robin and Strike. Strike continues the investigation of the UHC from the outside. Robin's chapters are the most harrowing -- we feel that she is in real danger throughout this time.
To my surprise, the book didn't end when Robin escaped the UHC. We still have about a third of the novel to go. At this point it has become clear that there is a real mystery to be solved. The last third of the book is a fairly conventional mystery. As always, puts a lot of balls in the air, and manages to keep them all flying with admirable virtuosity.
In the end, feels like a combination of a thriller (first two thirds) and a mystery novel (last third). Both parts are very well done. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
.
The first thing that struck me when I began 's (AKA 's) was how readable it was. Usually when I begin reading a new book I am conscious of some effort. No matter how good it may be, it feels a little like work to make my way into a new novel. But not when is the author! I was drawn in immediately. And I remained engaged right through to the end. It was not literally unputdownable, but it was pretty darn close. 960 pages, and I finished it in just over two days. What's more, I got up at 4:00 this morning, unable to sleep for wanting to know what came next.
As always in a Cormoran Strike book, there are two plots. The first plot (which is the plot of the series, as opposed to any particular book) is the Strike/Robin romance. At the end of each of them had come to the realization that they were secretly in love with the other. I say "secretly", but this is perhaps the world's worst-kept secret. All of Robin and Strike's good friends think they should be romantic as well as business partners, and both their Exes are convinced that they're sleeping with each other. For several books now we readers have been saying to ourselves, "For Pete's sake, would you two just TALK to each other and straighten yourselves out?" Strike is more at fault in this than Robin -- as one character tells Robin, "I鈥檝e had a sort of impression, from what Corm鈥檚 told me, that you鈥檙e the emotionally intelligent side of the partnership." We make some progress, but I will say no more about the romance plot.
The second plot, of course, is the investigation. It is not immediately clear when the book begins whether there is actually a mystery. Will Edensor, one of the sons of a wealthy family, has joined a cult -- the Universal Humanitarian Church (UHC). His parents think he is being mistreated and exploited and want to get him out, but their attempts to bring the law to bear on the UHC have been unsuccessful. Will's father hires Strike and Robin to investigate the UHC, to find means to get Will out.
Strike and Robin realize immediately that they are going to have to get someone into the UHC, and Robin volunteers -- nay, insists that it should be her. Robin's undercover investigation of the UHC occupies two-thirds of the book. This part is gripping. Point of view alternates between Robin and Strike. Strike continues the investigation of the UHC from the outside. Robin's chapters are the most harrowing -- we feel that she is in real danger throughout this time.
To my surprise, the book didn't end when Robin escaped the UHC. We still have about a third of the novel to go. At this point it has become clear that there is a real mystery to be solved. The last third of the book is a fairly conventional mystery. As always, puts a lot of balls in the air, and manages to keep them all flying with admirable virtuosity.
In the end, feels like a combination of a thriller (first two thirds) and a mystery novel (last third). Both parts are very well done. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
.
October 2, 2023
This was much easier to read than The Ink Black Heart. A true thumping good read and page turner. I read it while recuperating from jet lag. Good medicine.
Definitely a few things outside my comfort zone but nothing gratuitous, in my opinion.
Definitely a few things outside my comfort zone but nothing gratuitous, in my opinion.
November 18, 2023
鈥淚 admit the possibility鈥� 鈥� the words that somehow embody the spirit of human beings, irrespective of the kind of belief that drives you, irrespective of the fact that you can be an atheist or a skeptic, there comes a time in everyone鈥檚 life that you want to hold on to something, some kind of HOPE to live on.
JK Rowling is a stellar storyteller, and I don鈥檛 mean that just coz of her massive success through Harry Potter but simply for the fact that she created this masterpiece of a story, an investigative thriller around a CULT. Of course, there are countless books out there on this subject but to construct something so rooted in the 21st century and make it appealing to anyone who hears about the church across all age groups, is just mind blowing.
The Universal Humanitarian Church at first glance is just that, a service based group committed to doing good for the world and the author鈥檚 masterclass touch includes Hinduism and the symbolic use of LOTUS and the chants that I am so used to hearing around me honestly gave me the shivers which kind of reinforces the belief that I have always had, that it doesn鈥檛 matter how sane one is, sucked into a vortex like a cult, there would be never an escape.
The investigation begins with the Edensor family wanting their youngest son Will out of the Chapman farm and Robin being an expert in disguise, goes undercover as Rowena to unearth the skeletons hidden in the church. And this raises the tension to a crescendo as Robin to her horror undergoes physical and mental exhaustion and terrifying and traumatic experiences within the confines of the farm. I loved how the author explores Robin's psyche showing her chanting the 鈥楲okah Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu鈥� and her partial indoctrination and her mental strength to hold on to thoughts of Strike and his reactions to regain her sanity. The mystery of the drowned girl and the goings on of the church, and its activities gave me the creeps and the characters especially Mazu with her tarantula vibes was just evil.
Unlike the other books in the series, the focus is more on the case even though the readers are made to sense the yearning of both partners for each other. As the saying goes, distance makes the heart grow fonder, Strike finally accepts his feelings for Robin as he misses her presence around him and is kind of depressed that he let Robin move further away from him due to his foolishness to maintain the status quo. Robin being already aware of her feelings for her partner is however more into the 鈥渇alling out of love鈥� phase and has a boyfriend in place and how cheeky of the author to lob a grenade at the end of the story getting the readers to crave for the next one immediately.
The are several plots explored in the story in addition to the central plot, Strike鈥檚 relationship with his sister Prudence and his acceptance of the flighty Lucy seeing her truly without any misconceptions, and of course Charlotte and the arc of that enigmatic character drawing to a close giving Strike the clarity of what he wants in his future, the sub contractors, Midge, Barclay and Dev and the newest Littlejohn who has another mystery to be unveiled, and of course, the most efficient Pat and her quips. There are also several characters to sift through, as Strike on the outside and Robin on the inside get to the bottom of the UHC and its web.
Another exemplary work by the author even though there was many a time where I felt the details were way too exhaustive to the point of boring for me, especially the parts inside the Chapman farm, Yes, Strike series is not your typical adrenaline racing thrillers, we all know that and the description does get the imagination running on all tangents but I would have loved it equally with a story more tightly wound and bound.
Mind boggling as always!
This review is published in my blog , ##欧宝娱乐, ##, ##, ##, ##, ##.
'Crisp', JK, please me begging for my poor wrists, not that I mind another 1000 page head spinner, LET THE COUNTDOWN BEGIN!
and the title oh my just freaky!
*
JK Rowling is a stellar storyteller, and I don鈥檛 mean that just coz of her massive success through Harry Potter but simply for the fact that she created this masterpiece of a story, an investigative thriller around a CULT. Of course, there are countless books out there on this subject but to construct something so rooted in the 21st century and make it appealing to anyone who hears about the church across all age groups, is just mind blowing.
The Universal Humanitarian Church at first glance is just that, a service based group committed to doing good for the world and the author鈥檚 masterclass touch includes Hinduism and the symbolic use of LOTUS and the chants that I am so used to hearing around me honestly gave me the shivers which kind of reinforces the belief that I have always had, that it doesn鈥檛 matter how sane one is, sucked into a vortex like a cult, there would be never an escape.
The investigation begins with the Edensor family wanting their youngest son Will out of the Chapman farm and Robin being an expert in disguise, goes undercover as Rowena to unearth the skeletons hidden in the church. And this raises the tension to a crescendo as Robin to her horror undergoes physical and mental exhaustion and terrifying and traumatic experiences within the confines of the farm. I loved how the author explores Robin's psyche showing her chanting the 鈥楲okah Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu鈥� and her partial indoctrination and her mental strength to hold on to thoughts of Strike and his reactions to regain her sanity. The mystery of the drowned girl and the goings on of the church, and its activities gave me the creeps and the characters especially Mazu with her tarantula vibes was just evil.
Unlike the other books in the series, the focus is more on the case even though the readers are made to sense the yearning of both partners for each other. As the saying goes, distance makes the heart grow fonder, Strike finally accepts his feelings for Robin as he misses her presence around him and is kind of depressed that he let Robin move further away from him due to his foolishness to maintain the status quo. Robin being already aware of her feelings for her partner is however more into the 鈥渇alling out of love鈥� phase and has a boyfriend in place and how cheeky of the author to lob a grenade at the end of the story getting the readers to crave for the next one immediately.
The are several plots explored in the story in addition to the central plot, Strike鈥檚 relationship with his sister Prudence and his acceptance of the flighty Lucy seeing her truly without any misconceptions, and of course Charlotte and the arc of that enigmatic character drawing to a close giving Strike the clarity of what he wants in his future, the sub contractors, Midge, Barclay and Dev and the newest Littlejohn who has another mystery to be unveiled, and of course, the most efficient Pat and her quips. There are also several characters to sift through, as Strike on the outside and Robin on the inside get to the bottom of the UHC and its web.
Another exemplary work by the author even though there was many a time where I felt the details were way too exhaustive to the point of boring for me, especially the parts inside the Chapman farm, Yes, Strike series is not your typical adrenaline racing thrillers, we all know that and the description does get the imagination running on all tangents but I would have loved it equally with a story more tightly wound and bound.
Mind boggling as always!
This review is published in my blog , ##欧宝娱乐, ##, ##, ##, ##, ##.
'Crisp', JK, please me begging for my poor wrists, not that I mind another 1000 page head spinner, LET THE COUNTDOWN BEGIN!
and the title oh my just freaky!
*
January 29, 2024
Oh, this was fantastic. It brought back all the scary memories of documentaries based on different cults that I have seen. How innocent people are lured into this crazy factions and then brainwashed into doing things that even when they know are not right. This kept me on the edge after a certain point and it was all rewarded in the end with that climax.
The other thing that I liked about this book was the relationship between the two detectives as it was grating in the last few books. It was not going nowhere, so I was happy to see both of them moving in a new direction.
I want that next book right now.
The other thing that I liked about this book was the relationship between the two detectives as it was grating in the last few books. It was not going nowhere, so I was happy to see both of them moving in a new direction.
I want that next book right now.
October 4, 2023
Like a lot of millennials, I enjoyed Harry Potter. I was way too old for those books when I read them, sure, but they were entertaining, quick reads and, even when the later books ballooned up to over 700 pages, they were still brisk page-turners. Characters did stuff, events happened, the plot moved forward. That stands in stark contrast to the Cormorant Strike books, which are bloated with irrelevant details and dawdle on the minutia of running a detective agency for up to 20 chapters before even introducing the main plot. What happened? It鈥檚 fascinating.
The obvious answer seems to be that, while her publisher gave its star writer more leeway to meander in later Harry Potter books, they were still exercising relatively strict editorial control behind the scenes. They knew Harry Potter was the golden goose and they needed to deliver a readable book. But in the case of Cormorant Strike, no one is minding the store. It鈥檚 a vanity project, published purely as a sop to Rowling so that she鈥檒l allow her publisher to continue profiting off of Potter, and no one at Hachette Book Group really cares if it鈥檚 a mess. It's unconscionable that they would allow their star author to embarrass herself like this.
And it must be said: Without an editor, it becomes obvious that Rowling has abysmal instincts as a writer. Important plot and character moments are glossed over with a single paragraph summary from the narrator, but the story slows to a crawl to deliver blow-by-blow details whenever something 鈥渇unny鈥� happens 鈥� like the chapter where Robin interviews a senile old woman who constantly repeats herself. Rowling reveals new information in massive data dumps, full of comically implausible names that are impossible to remember. We rarely see Strike or Robin engage in real detective work 鈥� they鈥檙e the heads of the agency, so most of that is done by a rotating cadre of freelancers. (This may be more true to how an actual real-life detective agency works, but it鈥檚 dull reading) On the rare occasion that they do detective work, it happens off screen so that they can meet afterwards, in a fancy pub or restaurant, to tell each other (and the reader) what happened. People print out Internet conversations or blog posts on long reams of paper (Has no one in the Strike universe ever heard of a flash drive?) and spend chapters sitting in fancy pubs or restaurants and reading them. Everyone is constantly going to fancy pubs and restaurants. Rowling lards up the narrative with pointless details about random things in the room. Robin gets distracted in the middle of a conversation by the random appearance of an American in a funny hat, because Rowling seems to think it's amusing but the reader is left wondering if this walk-on American is going to figure into the narrative somewhere later.
That鈥檚 not to say anything of the elephant in the room, the fact that Rowling uses these books as manifestos to drag people that she doesn鈥檛 like 鈥� which generally turns out to be people that argue with her online. There is a lot if disdain for autistic people in this book. A young autistic man joins a cult because, his father tells Strike, he simply can鈥檛 be trusted to make his own decisions; Strike nods along approvingly as the father explains his attempts to get his adult autistic son declared mentally incompetent for his own good. A good writer could put detestable words into her characters鈥� mouths and it doesn鈥檛 necessarily mean that the author agrees, of course, but all of these sentiments line up exactly with Rowling鈥檚 real life views as expressed on Twitter. So it鈥檚 extremely fair, I think, to assume Rowling agrees.
Also, boy, Cormorant Strike is just an unpleasant asshole. Rowling obviously intends Strike to be part of the tradition of rumpled detectives like Horace Rumpole or Columbo. He shares a lot of their blue collar affectations, like a love of good beer, smoking, and shitty food. But part of what makes this type of character such an enduring archetype is his surprising flashes of humanity, where his sympathy for the underdog and his passion for justice break through his hard, cynical shell. How many times has a hard-boiled gumshoe reluctantly accepted an unpaying case because he can鈥檛 stand to see a dame in a fix? Strike does not seem to be driven by anything other than, well鈥� he鈥檚 in a detective story so I guess he鈥檚 a detective. But he doesn鈥檛 really seem to enjoy or care about the work.
Strike oozes with barely disguised contempt for everyone in his life. His employees at the detective agency are just that 鈥� employees 鈥� and, by the way that Strike complains about them, they鈥檙e not very dedicated to their work. There鈥檚 no sense of friendship or comradery among Strike鈥檚 underlings nor do they seem to have any particular trust or affection for their boss. Strike meets a growing list of half-siblings (his dad was a famously promiscuous rock star, the narrator constantly informs us) but he seems to resent having to spend time with them. He hates Robin鈥檚 boyfriend with the seething passion of a friend-zoned high school dork. Women are constantly throwing themselves at Strike鈥檚 feet 鈥� despite the fact that Rowling likes to remind us that he鈥檚 ugly, rude, reeks of cigarettes, and has chronic flatulence from his diet of take-away curry 鈥� but Strike can barely think of them as human even as he鈥檚 having sex with them. Yes, Strike will use them for sex, but he doesn鈥檛 respect them because they鈥檙e dumb sluts. Rowling seems to think that this casual misogyny makes him a lovable curmudgeon, but it really just makes him seems like a dour, unpleasant jerk. When Strike can find the energy to be civil, it鈥檚 generally only to his high-paying clients, almost exclusively polished, clean, upper-class dudes who don鈥檛 speak in comical regional accents. (Pick up a book from 1890 and you鈥檒l see that transcribing a country bumpkin鈥檚 drawl was once considered the height of hilarity, but modern readers will probably find Rowling鈥檚 constant 鈥溾€榚re now, wot i fink鈥� dialogue distracting). He鈥檚 the opposite of a Rumpole or a Columbo, a man obsequious to power and openly disdainful of the underdog. 鈥淲hy would anyone join a cult?鈥� he snorts when Robin tells him about her research into the cult in The Running Grave. He doesn鈥檛 ask because he鈥檚 curious, he only asks to show his contempt for those more weak-minded than himself.
Speaking of dumb sluts, every woman, with the exception of the virginal unattainable Robin, is characterized as a dumb slut. One such slut even goes so far as to impregnate herself with semen out of a used condom she found in the trash in order to trap a man into marriage, a move so ridiculous it鈥檚 hard to believe that an ostensibly feminist writer wrote it and not an angry 14-year old chud from Wizard chan. Rowling likes to style herself a feminist but she oozes even more contempt for women than does Strike and the average 鈥渟he breasted boobily鈥� horny dude bro author has more nuance in his female characters than Rowling.
Ultimately, this book just isn't pleasant to read. It's about unpleasant people forced to spend time together but who are too British to ever articulate their boiling resentment. Strike always feels like he鈥檚 mad that someone somewhere might be having fun, and that鈥檚 really the most British vibe ever.
January 8, 2025
The seventh book in this series is a big one: over nine hundred pages or thirty-four hours of audio, the option I went for. In truth, the previous episode was even bigger 鈥� nearly fourteen hundred pages 鈥� and I'd loved that one, so I wasn鈥檛 daunted. I also chose the audio format again, which I knew would be brilliantly narrated by British actor Robert Glenister.
The givens were that the story would be a complex one with many characters and that the unfulfilled romance between Cornish detective Cormoran Strike and his business partner Robin Ellacott would be a continuing theme throughout. This time, the pair are hired by a concerned father whose son, Will, had joined a religious cult, situated in rural Norfolk. Will鈥檚 substantial trust fund was now being drained by the Universal Humanitarian Church, as the cult has badged itself.
Before long, it was decided that despite obvious personal risks, Robin would seek to infiltrate the cult. So we watch as she attends recruitment meetings and is eventually shipped off to Norfolk. Then, for a substantial portion of the book, we follow Robin as an insider and bear witness to the conniving, demeaning and cruel treatment meted out to members by the leaders of this group, under the ultimate stewardship of a man known as Papa J. I thought I鈥檇 tire of this element, but such is the power of the author to bring alive a varied and rich mix of characters, I eventually became captivated by this place and the lives of the sad (and also the dreadful) people caught under Papa J鈥檚 spell.
Outside of the farm, Strike was dealing with a pressing family issue whilst the 2016 Brexit referendum played out in the background. There were a couple of minor cases he and his team were investigating, too, but in all honesty, the book wasn鈥檛 enriched by their inclusion. There was also the ongoing saga of Strike鈥檚 ex-girlfriend, Charlotte, occupying Strike鈥檚 mind, as she naggingly called him with distressing messages, which he did his very best to ignore. In addition, a dalliance with an obnoxious and attention seeking woman allowed him some diversion from his thoughts concerning Robin鈥檚 ongoing romance with Ryan Murphy, a good-looking cop.
There鈥檚 obviously a lot more to the tale than I鈥檝e covered, but suffice to say by half way through, I was totally held captive. I鈥檓 in awe of Galbraith/Rowling鈥檚 ability to create such a convincing world: the scenes she sets inside the cult鈥檚 enclave are both disturbing and totally convincing. And by the end, so many theories had been espoused concerning potential concealment of deaths, outright murder and a mystery concerning an 鈥榓ccidental鈥� drowning that I had no idea where the truth lay.
It鈥檚 a fantastic addition to what is already one of my 鈥榤ust read鈥� series. I really can't wait for the next one.
NB: Each chapter is preceded by extracts from an ancient Chinese divination text (this translation being called The I Ching or Book of Changes) and even these snippets grabbed my attention, strange as they were. In fact, so much that I eventually found myself looking forward to the next.
The givens were that the story would be a complex one with many characters and that the unfulfilled romance between Cornish detective Cormoran Strike and his business partner Robin Ellacott would be a continuing theme throughout. This time, the pair are hired by a concerned father whose son, Will, had joined a religious cult, situated in rural Norfolk. Will鈥檚 substantial trust fund was now being drained by the Universal Humanitarian Church, as the cult has badged itself.
Before long, it was decided that despite obvious personal risks, Robin would seek to infiltrate the cult. So we watch as she attends recruitment meetings and is eventually shipped off to Norfolk. Then, for a substantial portion of the book, we follow Robin as an insider and bear witness to the conniving, demeaning and cruel treatment meted out to members by the leaders of this group, under the ultimate stewardship of a man known as Papa J. I thought I鈥檇 tire of this element, but such is the power of the author to bring alive a varied and rich mix of characters, I eventually became captivated by this place and the lives of the sad (and also the dreadful) people caught under Papa J鈥檚 spell.
Outside of the farm, Strike was dealing with a pressing family issue whilst the 2016 Brexit referendum played out in the background. There were a couple of minor cases he and his team were investigating, too, but in all honesty, the book wasn鈥檛 enriched by their inclusion. There was also the ongoing saga of Strike鈥檚 ex-girlfriend, Charlotte, occupying Strike鈥檚 mind, as she naggingly called him with distressing messages, which he did his very best to ignore. In addition, a dalliance with an obnoxious and attention seeking woman allowed him some diversion from his thoughts concerning Robin鈥檚 ongoing romance with Ryan Murphy, a good-looking cop.
There鈥檚 obviously a lot more to the tale than I鈥檝e covered, but suffice to say by half way through, I was totally held captive. I鈥檓 in awe of Galbraith/Rowling鈥檚 ability to create such a convincing world: the scenes she sets inside the cult鈥檚 enclave are both disturbing and totally convincing. And by the end, so many theories had been espoused concerning potential concealment of deaths, outright murder and a mystery concerning an 鈥榓ccidental鈥� drowning that I had no idea where the truth lay.
It鈥檚 a fantastic addition to what is already one of my 鈥榤ust read鈥� series. I really can't wait for the next one.
NB: Each chapter is preceded by extracts from an ancient Chinese divination text (this translation being called The I Ching or Book of Changes) and even these snippets grabbed my attention, strange as they were. In fact, so much that I eventually found myself looking forward to the next.
October 12, 2023
Update 11.10.2023. Let me explain my 5star rating
I am very enthusiastic about the book because of its well thought-out case, which had a shocking ending that I didn't expect. As a fan of documentaries on cults, I appreciate how the author explored what drives them and how they can manipulate people's beliefs on a large scale.
While some readers may complain about the length of a book, I personally enjoy it. A successful TV series, based on these books, brelies on having multiple books with additional plotlines for each one, which ensures that the story remains interesting and engaging. If they were to cut out everything but the main plot, there wouldn't be enough material for many episodes. Therefore, I appreciate the length of the book and see it as necessary for a well-crafted series.
The writing style is engaging, making it easy to immerse oneself in the story. The character development is excellent, giving me a deep understanding of their motives and perspectives.
Overall, it's an excellent read, and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in mystery and cults.
Update:
It鈥檚 without a doubt my favourite in the series so far. Page-turning, skilfully plotted and executed. This series gets better and better and I can鈥檛 wait for book #8!
Yes, I can't wait! 馃憦馃帀
I am very enthusiastic about the book because of its well thought-out case, which had a shocking ending that I didn't expect. As a fan of documentaries on cults, I appreciate how the author explored what drives them and how they can manipulate people's beliefs on a large scale.
While some readers may complain about the length of a book, I personally enjoy it. A successful TV series, based on these books, brelies on having multiple books with additional plotlines for each one, which ensures that the story remains interesting and engaging. If they were to cut out everything but the main plot, there wouldn't be enough material for many episodes. Therefore, I appreciate the length of the book and see it as necessary for a well-crafted series.
The writing style is engaging, making it easy to immerse oneself in the story. The character development is excellent, giving me a deep understanding of their motives and perspectives.
Overall, it's an excellent read, and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in mystery and cults.
Update:
It鈥檚 without a doubt my favourite in the series so far. Page-turning, skilfully plotted and executed. This series gets better and better and I can鈥檛 wait for book #8!
Yes, I can't wait! 馃憦馃帀
September 29, 2023
me, doing deep lunges and high kicks and shouting about what happened in this book at 9:30 pm on a thursday: you don't get it! you don't even fucking get it!
my husband, calm and fully laughing at me: i don't, i've never enjoyed something this much.
my husband, calm and fully laughing at me: i don't, i've never enjoyed something this much.
September 27, 2023
I just finished it. Total page turner. I could not put it down. You would think more than 1000 pages would be enough, and it is, the book is good maybe that it is the problem, so good that I want more鈥s it wrong that it came out yesterday and I am already craving the next one?
I love this series, I totally recommend these books.
I love this series, I totally recommend these books.
October 19, 2023
Whatever the words are it鈥檚 going to be a 5 Star read!!!
5.
Yep agreed 5 stars. Exactly what I expected.
Spoilers below:
Robin infiltrates the universal humanitarian church cult Mr goes undercover for 4 months. Stands up for herald in the retreat rooms and almost by Taio the icky groody son of Wace. But puts up good story for him to keep hands off.
More crap happens at cult. She finds Will Edensor their clients son. And turns out he is father to Qing who is two with Lin Doherty who is Waces daughter. She had her at 14 bc all females are required to mate with whoever and no birth control. Bc they are baby trafficking and illegal adoptions.
But Waces older daughter Abigail from his first wife actually killed Daiyu and had her cronies Paul Draper -Dopey and Jordan are Andy who overs slept. When Daiyu want Cherie went out on the vegetable run. Had her penned up in woods and liked some how and then cut her up and fed her to the pigs. Bloody machete found in tree and buried thigh bone found in the field.
Turns out Daiyu the spoiled brat of Mazu and Alexander Graves. Killed above. Her likeness was made in straw for all the straw Dollie鈥檚 all the cult members made. And Cheri fittings carried the likeness out to sea and let her drowned.
But we never found out who the jogger was.
We never found out what really happened to Jennifer Wace.
Nicholas and PHILLIpa should have had some repercussions. Etc.
Prediction at end. Robin makes Ryan turn the car around. As too much traffic. But within the hour is back at office and in Strikes arms. Paralleling The wedding scene where she runs out of first dance to hug Strike
5.
Yep agreed 5 stars. Exactly what I expected.
Spoilers below:
Robin infiltrates the universal humanitarian church cult Mr goes undercover for 4 months. Stands up for herald in the retreat rooms and almost by Taio the icky groody son of Wace. But puts up good story for him to keep hands off.
More crap happens at cult. She finds Will Edensor their clients son. And turns out he is father to Qing who is two with Lin Doherty who is Waces daughter. She had her at 14 bc all females are required to mate with whoever and no birth control. Bc they are baby trafficking and illegal adoptions.
But Waces older daughter Abigail from his first wife actually killed Daiyu and had her cronies Paul Draper -Dopey and Jordan are Andy who overs slept. When Daiyu want Cherie went out on the vegetable run. Had her penned up in woods and liked some how and then cut her up and fed her to the pigs. Bloody machete found in tree and buried thigh bone found in the field.
Turns out Daiyu the spoiled brat of Mazu and Alexander Graves. Killed above. Her likeness was made in straw for all the straw Dollie鈥檚 all the cult members made. And Cheri fittings carried the likeness out to sea and let her drowned.
But we never found out who the jogger was.
We never found out what really happened to Jennifer Wace.
Nicholas and PHILLIpa should have had some repercussions. Etc.
Prediction at end. Robin makes Ryan turn the car around. As too much traffic. But within the hour is back at office and in Strikes arms. Paralleling The wedding scene where she runs out of first dance to hug Strike
September 21, 2024
I think this is my favourite novel in the series so far. Insanely good. Rowling/Galbraith never fails to amaze me.
January 19, 2025
袩械褉褕芯谐芯 谐褉褍斜邪褋懈泻邪 褑褜芯谐芯 褉芯泻褍 锌芯写芯谢邪薪芯! 袩芯泻懈 褟 褔懈褌邪谢邪 褋褜芯屑褍 泻薪懈谐褍, 褟 胁褋褌懈谐谢邪 锌芯写懈胁懈褌懈褋褟 5-懈泄 褋械蟹芯薪 褋械褉褨邪谢褍, 褟泻懈泄 褍 2022-屑褍 褟泻芯褋褜 锌褉芯锌褍褋褌懈谢邪 (屑邪斜褍褌褜, 谐芯谢芯胁邪 褨薪褕懈屑 斜褍谢邪 蟹邪斜懈褌邪 褔懈 褖芯), 褨 褋褨谢邪 锌械褉械写懈胁谢褟褌懈褋褟 1-懈泄 褋械蟹芯薪, 斜芯 褍卸械 褋褞卸械褌 写芯褋褌邪褌薪褜芯 胁懈胁褨褌褉懈胁褋褟 蟹 谐芯谢芯胁懈.
校 芦小褌褉褨屑泻褨泄 屑芯谐懈谢褨禄 褍 薪邪褋 斜褍写械 褉芯蟹褋谢褨写褍胁邪薪薪褟 锌褉芯 写褨褟谢褜薪褨褋褌褜 褋械泻褌懈 褨 锌褉懈谐芯褌褍泄褌械褋褟, 褖芯 胁褨写 写械褌邪谢械泄 斜褍写械 薪械泻芯屑褎芯褉褌薪芯. 袗 芯褌 蟹邪泻褨薪褔械薪薪褟 屑邪褦 褋锌芯写芯斜邪褌懈褋褟馃槍
校 芦小褌褉褨屑泻褨泄 屑芯谐懈谢褨禄 褍 薪邪褋 斜褍写械 褉芯蟹褋谢褨写褍胁邪薪薪褟 锌褉芯 写褨褟谢褜薪褨褋褌褜 褋械泻褌懈 褨 锌褉懈谐芯褌褍泄褌械褋褟, 褖芯 胁褨写 写械褌邪谢械泄 斜褍写械 薪械泻芯屑褎芯褉褌薪芯. 袗 芯褌 蟹邪泻褨薪褔械薪薪褟 屑邪褦 褋锌芯写芯斜邪褌懈褋褟馃槍
March 10, 2025
袙懈斜褍褏 屑芯蟹泻褍, 邪 薪械 泻薪懈谐邪! 袛褍卸械 胁邪卸泻芯 斜褍谢芯 胁褨写胁芯谢褨泻邪褌懈褋褟 薪邪 斜褍写褜-褖芯, 胁卸械 褏芯褌褨谢芯褋褟 写褨蟹薪邪褌懈褋褟 褔懈屑 胁褋械 蟹邪泻褨薪褔懈褌褜褋褟 馃
笑褞 褔邪褋褌懈薪褍 屑械薪褨 械屑芯褑褨泄薪芯 褔懈褌邪褌懈 斜褍谢芯 薪邪泄胁邪卸褔械, 斜芯 卸 芯褋薪芯胁薪械 褉芯蟹褋谢褨写褍胁邪薪薪褟 锌褉芯 褋械泻褌懈 馃ゲreally crazy stuff 馃く
袙褋褨屑 褏褌芯 褖械 褔芯屑褍褋褜 薪械 锌芯蟹薪邪泄芯屑懈胁褋褟 蟹 褑褨褦褞 褋械褉褨褞 褉芯蟹褋谢褨写褍胁邪薪褜- 写褍卸械 褉邪写卸褍! 孝芯泄 屑芯屑械薪褌, 泻芯谢懈 泻芯卸薪邪 薪邪褋褌褍锌薪邪 褔邪褋褌懈薪邪 褉械邪谢褜薪芯 泻褉邪褖邪 蟹邪 锌芯锌械褉械写薪褞 馃
袙卸械 褔械泻邪褞 薪邪 锌褉芯写芯胁卸械薪薪褟, 斜芯 cliffhanger 薪邪锌褉懈泻褨薪褑褨 蟹胁褨褋薪芯 卸 斜褍胁
笑褞 褔邪褋褌懈薪褍 屑械薪褨 械屑芯褑褨泄薪芯 褔懈褌邪褌懈 斜褍谢芯 薪邪泄胁邪卸褔械, 斜芯 卸 芯褋薪芯胁薪械 褉芯蟹褋谢褨写褍胁邪薪薪褟 锌褉芯 褋械泻褌懈 馃ゲreally crazy stuff 馃く
袙褋褨屑 褏褌芯 褖械 褔芯屑褍褋褜 薪械 锌芯蟹薪邪泄芯屑懈胁褋褟 蟹 褑褨褦褞 褋械褉褨褞 褉芯蟹褋谢褨写褍胁邪薪褜- 写褍卸械 褉邪写卸褍! 孝芯泄 屑芯屑械薪褌, 泻芯谢懈 泻芯卸薪邪 薪邪褋褌褍锌薪邪 褔邪褋褌懈薪邪 褉械邪谢褜薪芯 泻褉邪褖邪 蟹邪 锌芯锌械褉械写薪褞 馃
袙卸械 褔械泻邪褞 薪邪 锌褉芯写芯胁卸械薪薪褟, 斜芯 cliffhanger 薪邪锌褉懈泻褨薪褑褨 蟹胁褨褋薪芯 卸 斜褍胁
May 22, 2024
袦邪屑邪 袪芯, 小褌褉邪泄泻 褨 袪芯斜褨薪, 褋械泻褌懈 - 屑褨泄 褍谢褞斜谢械薪懈泄 泻芯泻褌械泄谢褜, 写邪泄褌械 写胁邪.
100/10, 褟泻 褨 胁褋褨 泻薪懈谐懈 袪芯褍谢褨薪谐/覑械谢斜褉邪泄褌邪. 袦芯褟 芯褋芯斜懈褋褌邪 谢褞斜芯褍 褑械 褕芯褋褌邪 胁 褋械褉褨褩, 邪谢械 胁芯薪懈 胁褋褨 薪械泄屑芯胁褨褉薪褨 泄 褔褍写芯胁褨, 褋芯褉褨 蟹邪 斜邪薪邪谢褜薪褨 械锌褨褌械褌懈. 袨斜芯卸薪褞褞 写芯 屑褨褋褟褑褟 泄 薪邪蟹邪写, 褔懈褌邪谢邪 斜 褌褨谢褜泻懈 褑褨 泻薪懈卸泻懈 (邪谢械 褑械 薪械 褌芯褔薪芯)))
袣薪懈卸泻邪 蟹邪褌褟谐褍褦 蟹 锌械褉褕懈褏 褋褌芯褉褨薪芯泻 褨 薪械 胁褨写锌褍褋泻邪褦 蟹芯胁褋褨屑, 屑械薪械 褌褨谢褜泻懈 胁懈屑泻薪械薪薪褟 褋胁褨褌谢邪 蟹褍锌懈薪褟谢懈. 袧邪 胁褨写屑褨薪褍 胁褨写 锌芯锌械褉械写薪褜芯褩 褔邪褋褌懈薪懈, 褌褍褌 写械褖芯 褋谢芯褍斜械褉薪械褉, 邪谢械 胁芯薪芯 褌邪泻 褌褉械斜邪. 袪芯斜褨薪 胁锌褉芯胁邪写卸褍褦褌褜褋褟 褍 褋械泻褌褍 锌褨写 锌褉懈泻褉懈褌褌褟屑, 褨 褑械 褌邪泻 蟹邪胁芯褉芯卸褍褞褔械 泄 谢褟泻邪褞褔械, 褖芯 胁褨写褨褉胁邪褌懈褋褟 薪械屑芯卸谢懈胁芯. 袧邪锌褉褍谐邪 胁褨写褔褍胁邪褦褌褜褋褟 褎褨蟹懈褔薪芯, 蟹邪 谐械褉芯褩薪褞 锌械褉械卸懈胁邪褦褕 褟泻 蟹邪 褋械斜械. 袗 褎褨薪邪谢, 褟泻懈泄 褌褍褌 褎褨薪邪谢, 薪褍 锌褉芯褋褌芯 袧袗袪袝楔孝袉 ^___^
100/10, 褟泻 褨 胁褋褨 泻薪懈谐懈 袪芯褍谢褨薪谐/覑械谢斜褉邪泄褌邪. 袦芯褟 芯褋芯斜懈褋褌邪 谢褞斜芯褍 褑械 褕芯褋褌邪 胁 褋械褉褨褩, 邪谢械 胁芯薪懈 胁褋褨 薪械泄屑芯胁褨褉薪褨 泄 褔褍写芯胁褨, 褋芯褉褨 蟹邪 斜邪薪邪谢褜薪褨 械锌褨褌械褌懈. 袨斜芯卸薪褞褞 写芯 屑褨褋褟褑褟 泄 薪邪蟹邪写, 褔懈褌邪谢邪 斜 褌褨谢褜泻懈 褑褨 泻薪懈卸泻懈 (邪谢械 褑械 薪械 褌芯褔薪芯)))
袣薪懈卸泻邪 蟹邪褌褟谐褍褦 蟹 锌械褉褕懈褏 褋褌芯褉褨薪芯泻 褨 薪械 胁褨写锌褍褋泻邪褦 蟹芯胁褋褨屑, 屑械薪械 褌褨谢褜泻懈 胁懈屑泻薪械薪薪褟 褋胁褨褌谢邪 蟹褍锌懈薪褟谢懈. 袧邪 胁褨写屑褨薪褍 胁褨写 锌芯锌械褉械写薪褜芯褩 褔邪褋褌懈薪懈, 褌褍褌 写械褖芯 褋谢芯褍斜械褉薪械褉, 邪谢械 胁芯薪芯 褌邪泻 褌褉械斜邪. 袪芯斜褨薪 胁锌褉芯胁邪写卸褍褦褌褜褋褟 褍 褋械泻褌褍 锌褨写 锌褉懈泻褉懈褌褌褟屑, 褨 褑械 褌邪泻 蟹邪胁芯褉芯卸褍褞褔械 泄 谢褟泻邪褞褔械, 褖芯 胁褨写褨褉胁邪褌懈褋褟 薪械屑芯卸谢懈胁芯. 袧邪锌褉褍谐邪 胁褨写褔褍胁邪褦褌褜褋褟 褎褨蟹懈褔薪芯, 蟹邪 谐械褉芯褩薪褞 锌械褉械卸懈胁邪褦褕 褟泻 蟹邪 褋械斜械. 袗 褎褨薪邪谢, 褟泻懈泄 褌褍褌 褎褨薪邪谢, 薪褍 锌褉芯褋褌芯 袧袗袪袝楔孝袉 ^___^
October 21, 2023
Still excellent even though I think it is too long.
January 16, 2024
鈥炐炐啃把佇叫� 械 写邪 胁褗蟹写懈谐邪褕 胁 泻褍谢褌 褋芯斜褋褌胁械薪芯褌芯 褋懈 薪械褖邪褋褌懈械.鈥�
鈥炐澬� 胁褋懈褔泻芯 械 屑薪械薪懈褟 懈 褋锌芯屑械薪懈. 小褗褖械褋褌胁褍胁邪 懈褋褌懈薪邪.鈥�
袝写懈薪 芯褌 褉械写泻懈褌械 褋谢褍褔邪懈, 胁 泻芯懈褌芯 褋懈 斜谢褗褋泻邪屑 谐谢邪胁邪褌邪 胁褗褉褏褍 屑械褏邪薪懈泻邪褌邪 薪邪 泻薪懈谐邪. 袣邪泻 械 褍褋锌褟谢邪 袪芯褍谢懈薪谐 写邪 胁泻谢褞褔懈 褌芯谢泻芯胁邪 屑薪芯谐芯 谐械褉芯懈 懈 褋褞卸械褌薪懈 褉邪蟹泻谢芯薪械薪懈褟, 写邪 谐懈 锌芯写褉械写懈 泻邪褌芯 斜谢芯泻褔械褌邪 胁 褋谢芯卸薪邪 邪褉褏懈褌械泻褌褍褉薪邪 泻芯薪褋褌褉褍泻褑懈褟, 斜械蟹 薪懈褖芯 写邪 褋褌褗褉褔懈, 胁懈褋懈 懈谢懈 褋械写懈 锌褉邪蟹薪芯? 袣邪泻 褑褟谢邪褌邪 褌邪蟹懈 褋谢芯卸薪芯褋褌 锌褉芯褋褌芯 褋褗褖械褋褌胁褍胁邪 泻邪褌芯 械写薪邪 褋屑懈褋谢械薪邪, 谢芯谐懈褔薪邪 懈 屑芯薪芯谢懈褌薪邪 褑褟谢芯褋褌, 泻邪泻 胁褋械泻懈 写械褌邪泄谢 懈屑邪 褋胁芯械褌芯 芯锌褉邪胁写邪薪懈械 懈 胁褋械泻懈 谐械褉芯泄 鈥� 褋胁芯械褌芯 屑褟褋褌芯. 袧邪懈褋褌懈薪邪 懈蟹褍屑懈褌械谢薪芯.
袧械 斜褟褏 褔械谢邪 薪懈褖芯 锌芯 褌械屑邪褌邪 蟹邪 褋械泻褌懈褌械 懈 泻芯薪褌褉芯谢邪 薪邪写 褍屑邪 懈 邪泻芯 褌芯胁邪 薪械 斜械褕械 锌芯褉械写薪邪褌邪 泻薪懈谐邪 芯褌 锌芯褉械写懈褑邪褌邪 (写邪薪芯 薪懈泻芯谐邪 薪械 锌褉懈泻谢褞褔胁邪!), 褌邪泻邪 懈 薪褟屑邪褕械 写邪 薪邪胁谢褟蟹邪 胁 薪械褟 褔褉械蟹 写褉褍谐邪 泻薪懈谐邪. 孝芯蟹懈 锌褗褌 小褌褉邪泄泻 懈 袪芯斜懈薪 薪械 褋械 懈蟹锌褉邪胁褟褌 锌褉械写 懈薪写懈胁懈写褍邪谢械薪 锌褉械褋褌褗锌薪懈泻, 邪 锌褉械写 芯谐褉芯屑薪芯 泻芯谢械泻褌懈胁薪芯 蟹谢芯 鈥� 胁褗锌褉芯褋薪邪褌邪 褋械泻褌邪, 泻芯褟褌芯 胁褋褗褖薪芯褋褌 械 斜谢邪谐芯胁懈写械薪 锌邪褉邪胁邪薪, 蟹邪写 泻芯泄褌芯 褋械 胁褗褉褕邪褌 芯褌 写械褋械褌懈谢械褌懈褟 谐薪褍褋薪懈 锌褉械褋褌褗锌谢械薪懈褟. 孝褍泻 袪芯褍谢懈薪谐 薪邪懈褋褌懈薪邪 械 薪邪胁谢褟蟹谢邪 胁 写褗谢斜芯泻懈褟 屑褉邪泻, 褌邪屑 泻褗写械褌芯 械 写褗薪芯褌芯 薪邪 褔芯胁械褕泻芯褌芯. 袧邪 卸械褋褌芯泻 锌芯写斜懈胁 褋邪 胁蟹械褌懈 褌邪泻邪 薪邪褉械褔械薪懈褌械 写褍褏芯胁薪懈 锌褉邪泻褌懈泻懈 懈 屑懈褋褌懈褑懈蟹褗屑, 褋 泻芯懈褌芯 褕邪褉谢邪褌邪薪懈褌械 芯锌谢懈褌邪褌 屑邪褋邪 薪邪懈胁薪懈褑懈 鈥� 械褏芯 芯褌 褌芯胁邪 褋械 写芯谢邪胁褟褕械 懈 胁 锌褉械写薪懈褌械 泻薪懈谐懈 芯褌 锌芯褉械写懈褑邪褌邪 褔褉械蟹 褋泻械锌褌懈褔薪懈褟 屑懈褉芯谐谢械写 薪邪 小褌褉邪泄泻, 薪芯 胁 薪邪褋褌芯褟褖邪褌邪 械 锌芯褋褌懈谐薪邪褌芯 懈褋褌懈薪褋泻芯 褋谢邪胁薪芯 褉邪蟹芯斜谢懈褔邪胁邪薪械.
袧邪 屑芯屑械薪褌懈 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪 械 锌谢邪褕械褖邪, 薪芯 薪械 蟹邪褉邪写懈 褋屑褉邪蟹褟胁邪褖懈褌械 械锌懈蟹芯写懈, 胁褋械 锌邪泻 褌邪泻懈胁邪 锌褉懈褋褗褋褌胁邪褌 胁 褑褟谢邪褌邪 锌芯褉械写懈褑邪, 邪 蟹邪褉邪写懈 谢懈褔薪芯褌芯 褍褋械褖邪薪械 薪邪 褔懈褌邪褌械谢褟, 褔械 褋邪屑 斜懈胁邪 蟹邪褋屑褍泻邪薪 胁 褋械泻褌邪薪褌褋泻邪褌邪 褉械邪谢薪芯褋褌 泻邪褌芯 械卸械写薪械胁懈械 懈 锌褉邪泻褌懈泻懈.
袪芯褍谢懈薪谐 胁褋械 芯褖械 薪懈 写褗褉卸懈 胁 褋谢邪写泻芯 屑褗褔械薪懈械 褋锌褉褟屑芯 褔褍胁褋褌胁邪褌邪 屑械卸写褍 写胁邪屑邪褌邪 写械褌械泻褌懈胁懈, 斜邪胁薪芯 懈 褋懈谐褍褉薪芯 薪械褖邪褌邪 褋械 锌褉懈写胁懈卸胁邪褌 薪邪锌褉械写 飦�
鈥炐澬� 胁褋懈褔泻芯 械 屑薪械薪懈褟 懈 褋锌芯屑械薪懈. 小褗褖械褋褌胁褍胁邪 懈褋褌懈薪邪.鈥�
袝写懈薪 芯褌 褉械写泻懈褌械 褋谢褍褔邪懈, 胁 泻芯懈褌芯 褋懈 斜谢褗褋泻邪屑 谐谢邪胁邪褌邪 胁褗褉褏褍 屑械褏邪薪懈泻邪褌邪 薪邪 泻薪懈谐邪. 袣邪泻 械 褍褋锌褟谢邪 袪芯褍谢懈薪谐 写邪 胁泻谢褞褔懈 褌芯谢泻芯胁邪 屑薪芯谐芯 谐械褉芯懈 懈 褋褞卸械褌薪懈 褉邪蟹泻谢芯薪械薪懈褟, 写邪 谐懈 锌芯写褉械写懈 泻邪褌芯 斜谢芯泻褔械褌邪 胁 褋谢芯卸薪邪 邪褉褏懈褌械泻褌褍褉薪邪 泻芯薪褋褌褉褍泻褑懈褟, 斜械蟹 薪懈褖芯 写邪 褋褌褗褉褔懈, 胁懈褋懈 懈谢懈 褋械写懈 锌褉邪蟹薪芯? 袣邪泻 褑褟谢邪褌邪 褌邪蟹懈 褋谢芯卸薪芯褋褌 锌褉芯褋褌芯 褋褗褖械褋褌胁褍胁邪 泻邪褌芯 械写薪邪 褋屑懈褋谢械薪邪, 谢芯谐懈褔薪邪 懈 屑芯薪芯谢懈褌薪邪 褑褟谢芯褋褌, 泻邪泻 胁褋械泻懈 写械褌邪泄谢 懈屑邪 褋胁芯械褌芯 芯锌褉邪胁写邪薪懈械 懈 胁褋械泻懈 谐械褉芯泄 鈥� 褋胁芯械褌芯 屑褟褋褌芯. 袧邪懈褋褌懈薪邪 懈蟹褍屑懈褌械谢薪芯.
袧械 斜褟褏 褔械谢邪 薪懈褖芯 锌芯 褌械屑邪褌邪 蟹邪 褋械泻褌懈褌械 懈 泻芯薪褌褉芯谢邪 薪邪写 褍屑邪 懈 邪泻芯 褌芯胁邪 薪械 斜械褕械 锌芯褉械写薪邪褌邪 泻薪懈谐邪 芯褌 锌芯褉械写懈褑邪褌邪 (写邪薪芯 薪懈泻芯谐邪 薪械 锌褉懈泻谢褞褔胁邪!), 褌邪泻邪 懈 薪褟屑邪褕械 写邪 薪邪胁谢褟蟹邪 胁 薪械褟 褔褉械蟹 写褉褍谐邪 泻薪懈谐邪. 孝芯蟹懈 锌褗褌 小褌褉邪泄泻 懈 袪芯斜懈薪 薪械 褋械 懈蟹锌褉邪胁褟褌 锌褉械写 懈薪写懈胁懈写褍邪谢械薪 锌褉械褋褌褗锌薪懈泻, 邪 锌褉械写 芯谐褉芯屑薪芯 泻芯谢械泻褌懈胁薪芯 蟹谢芯 鈥� 胁褗锌褉芯褋薪邪褌邪 褋械泻褌邪, 泻芯褟褌芯 胁褋褗褖薪芯褋褌 械 斜谢邪谐芯胁懈写械薪 锌邪褉邪胁邪薪, 蟹邪写 泻芯泄褌芯 褋械 胁褗褉褕邪褌 芯褌 写械褋械褌懈谢械褌懈褟 谐薪褍褋薪懈 锌褉械褋褌褗锌谢械薪懈褟. 孝褍泻 袪芯褍谢懈薪谐 薪邪懈褋褌懈薪邪 械 薪邪胁谢褟蟹谢邪 胁 写褗谢斜芯泻懈褟 屑褉邪泻, 褌邪屑 泻褗写械褌芯 械 写褗薪芯褌芯 薪邪 褔芯胁械褕泻芯褌芯. 袧邪 卸械褋褌芯泻 锌芯写斜懈胁 褋邪 胁蟹械褌懈 褌邪泻邪 薪邪褉械褔械薪懈褌械 写褍褏芯胁薪懈 锌褉邪泻褌懈泻懈 懈 屑懈褋褌懈褑懈蟹褗屑, 褋 泻芯懈褌芯 褕邪褉谢邪褌邪薪懈褌械 芯锌谢懈褌邪褌 屑邪褋邪 薪邪懈胁薪懈褑懈 鈥� 械褏芯 芯褌 褌芯胁邪 褋械 写芯谢邪胁褟褕械 懈 胁 锌褉械写薪懈褌械 泻薪懈谐懈 芯褌 锌芯褉械写懈褑邪褌邪 褔褉械蟹 褋泻械锌褌懈褔薪懈褟 屑懈褉芯谐谢械写 薪邪 小褌褉邪泄泻, 薪芯 胁 薪邪褋褌芯褟褖邪褌邪 械 锌芯褋褌懈谐薪邪褌芯 懈褋褌懈薪褋泻芯 褋谢邪胁薪芯 褉邪蟹芯斜谢懈褔邪胁邪薪械.
袧邪 屑芯屑械薪褌懈 泻薪懈谐邪褌邪 械 锌谢邪褕械褖邪, 薪芯 薪械 蟹邪褉邪写懈 褋屑褉邪蟹褟胁邪褖懈褌械 械锌懈蟹芯写懈, 胁褋械 锌邪泻 褌邪泻懈胁邪 锌褉懈褋褗褋褌胁邪褌 胁 褑褟谢邪褌邪 锌芯褉械写懈褑邪, 邪 蟹邪褉邪写懈 谢懈褔薪芯褌芯 褍褋械褖邪薪械 薪邪 褔懈褌邪褌械谢褟, 褔械 褋邪屑 斜懈胁邪 蟹邪褋屑褍泻邪薪 胁 褋械泻褌邪薪褌褋泻邪褌邪 褉械邪谢薪芯褋褌 泻邪褌芯 械卸械写薪械胁懈械 懈 锌褉邪泻褌懈泻懈.
袪芯褍谢懈薪谐 胁褋械 芯褖械 薪懈 写褗褉卸懈 胁 褋谢邪写泻芯 屑褗褔械薪懈械 褋锌褉褟屑芯 褔褍胁褋褌胁邪褌邪 屑械卸写褍 写胁邪屑邪褌邪 写械褌械泻褌懈胁懈, 斜邪胁薪芯 懈 褋懈谐褍褉薪芯 薪械褖邪褌邪 褋械 锌褉懈写胁懈卸胁邪褌 薪邪锌褉械写 飦�
December 4, 2023
3.5 stars
This is the 7th book in Robert Galbraith's (aka J.K. Rowling) series about grizzled private detective Cormoran Strike, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan who lost his leg during the hostilities.....
......and his pretty, strawberry blonde partner Robin Ellacott.
The book can be read as a standalone, but I'd strongly suggest starting with the first book in the series, , and going on from there.
Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott run the Strike and Ellacott Detective Agency, which is currently doing well after solving several high profile cases. Presently, the agency's work includes surveilling spouses suspected of cheating; getting evidence against a stalker; exposing a toy boy taking advantage of an older woman; and more.
The agency's most important case revolves around the Universal Humanitarian Church (UHC), a cult run by a man called Jonathan Wace (aka Papa J) and his wife Mazu Wace. The church is allegedly dedicated to helping the homeless; giving needy kids a holiday; aiding survivors of sexual abuse; helping starving orphans; and other such good works.
In reality, however, the UHC lures people in, isolates them from friends and family, and then milks them for money and exploits them physically and sexually. An escapee from the cult named Kevin Pirbright accused the UHC of serious criminal activity and wrote an expos茅.....
......but publication was stopped by the UHC's powerful lawyers.
Strike and Robin get involved with the UHC when they're hired by Sir Colin Edensor....
..... whose son Will dropped out of university several years ago and joined the UHC. On the one occasion Will's mother and father were allowed to see their son (who was accompanied by a UHC minder), Will looked thin and glassy-eyed.
Since then, Will has not responded to letters and has given the UHC a big chunk of money from his trust fund.
Sir Colin is desperate to extract Will from the cult, and hires Strike and Ellacott to assist in the endeavor. Thus Robin goes undercover, joins the cult, and tries to discover information to be used against the organization.
Robin learns that the UHC worships five prophets, the most important of whom is 'The Drowned Prophet.' The Drowned Prophet is a child called Daiyu Wace who accidently drowned at the age of seven, then (supposedly) came back as a wraith. Phantom Daiyu periodically appears at church services, and is said to haunt people who leave the church and make them commit suicide.
Robin's experiences in the UHC are TERRIBLY HARROWING and take up a good portion of the book (too much in my view).
On the upside, Robin discovers skullduggery in the church, and once Robin gets out, she and Strike try to disclose criminal activity in the UHC and expose the phoniness of The Drowned Prophet. Like Robin's time in the UHC, these activities - which involve finding and interviewing a lot of people with connections to the UHC - take up a good bit of the novel.
As always in this series, some of the narrative concerns the personal lives of Robin and Strike. The duo have been in love with each other for years, but neither one has had the courage to admit it.
So Robin is dating a handsome police detective called Ryan Murphy.....
......and Strike is dallying with a man-hungry bombshell named Bijou.
In addition, Strike's former fianc茅e Charlotte, a gorgeous but troubled woman, is trying to inveigle herself into Strike's life once again.
Strike is the son of a hippy-dippy mother named Leda and a rock star called Jonny Rokeby, who fathered children with a number of women. So Strike has a bunch of half-siblings, most of whom he doesn't know. In this book, Strike meets his half-sister Prudence - a psychologist, and helps his favorite half-sister Lucy take care of their Uncle Ted, who's starting to suffer from dementia.
The book also focuses a bit on people who work for the Strike and Ellacott Detective Agency. For example, newly hired detective Clive Littlejohn is acting squirrelly; office manager Pat is troubled about something; detective Midge is getting too friendly with a client; and so on.
I'm a big fan of the series, but the book, which has almost 950 pages, is much too long. I hope the author edits the next Strike and Ellacott novel more judiciously. Still, the book is a must read for fans of the series.
You can follow my reviews at
November 3, 2023
I finished reading this novel about five minutes ago. I鈥檓 sitting at my desk to write this review but I don't know how. I want to sing its praises because the latest instalment of the Cormoran Strike novels is by far the best one in the series.
This time, Strike and Robin deal with a religious cult, its charismatic leader and everything surrounding these. I will not mention any more plot details because it鈥檚 probably best to go into this novel without too much knowledge or ideas鈥�
I will say, though, 鈥溾€� is without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most suspenseful novels I鈥檝e ever read. Not in a cheap, flashy, and/or sensationalist way, but subtly and almost elegantly. The feeling of a permanent latent danger is omnipresent and mercilessly tugs at the nerves of the reader.
I felt like biting my nails (which I don鈥檛 do) and it triggered the worst of my nervous habits and yet I felt like devouring this novel. I was reluctant to put it down and there were times I actually considered calling in sick (which I didn鈥檛) to be able to keep reading. I read it feverishly and while I usually highlight passages and take notes, I quickly found myself unable and unwilling to do so because it would have broken my immersion.
This novel is so readable and the subject matter so horrifyingly believable (cf. Scientology and similarly despicable cults) that reading 鈥淕rave鈥� felt like entering the world of Strike and Robin. This was enhanced by the level of empathy especially Robin shows during crucial situations in the investigation.
I just wish we had gotten to know more about a certain confrontation between Robin and two principal members of the cult鈥�
Strike, too, grows as a person during the course of the investigation. Especially when dealing with a major change and its aftermath.
Despite its length (more than 1200 pages on my Kindle), 鈥淕rave鈥� never felt long but found a near-perfect balance between the usual personal issues between Robin and Strike, secondary cases and the main mystery.
And that ending...
Rowling created a masterpiece of a detective novel and a marvellous piece of literary art.
Rowling is also still very much openly transphobic and, thus, I encourage you not to buy her books but rather get them in a library so that at the very least she won鈥檛 profit anymore than she already has.
If you鈥檙e one of those people who don鈥檛 believe who and what she is, here鈥檚 an excellent article (permanently updated) that collects Rowling鈥檚 disgusting statements and actions:
Roman Polanski, Woody Allen, Bill Cosby, Joanne K. Rowling - they are different kinds of monsters and yet monsters they all are. I recoil whenever I鈥檓 confronted with their depravity. And, yet, I cannot break from their art. I can keep calling them out, though.
And yet, despite this, 鈥淭he Running Grave鈥� easily garners five stars out of five and a place among my favourite books.
| | | | | | | |
This time, Strike and Robin deal with a religious cult, its charismatic leader and everything surrounding these. I will not mention any more plot details because it鈥檚 probably best to go into this novel without too much knowledge or ideas鈥�
I will say, though, 鈥溾€� is without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most suspenseful novels I鈥檝e ever read. Not in a cheap, flashy, and/or sensationalist way, but subtly and almost elegantly. The feeling of a permanent latent danger is omnipresent and mercilessly tugs at the nerves of the reader.
I felt like biting my nails (which I don鈥檛 do) and it triggered the worst of my nervous habits and yet I felt like devouring this novel. I was reluctant to put it down and there were times I actually considered calling in sick (which I didn鈥檛) to be able to keep reading. I read it feverishly and while I usually highlight passages and take notes, I quickly found myself unable and unwilling to do so because it would have broken my immersion.
This novel is so readable and the subject matter so horrifyingly believable (cf. Scientology and similarly despicable cults) that reading 鈥淕rave鈥� felt like entering the world of Strike and Robin. This was enhanced by the level of empathy especially Robin shows during crucial situations in the investigation.
I just wish we had gotten to know more about a certain confrontation between Robin and two principal members of the cult鈥�
Strike, too, grows as a person during the course of the investigation. Especially when dealing with a major change and its aftermath.
Despite its length (more than 1200 pages on my Kindle), 鈥淕rave鈥� never felt long but found a near-perfect balance between the usual personal issues between Robin and Strike, secondary cases and the main mystery.
And that ending...
Rowling created a masterpiece of a detective novel and a marvellous piece of literary art.
Rowling is also still very much openly transphobic and, thus, I encourage you not to buy her books but rather get them in a library so that at the very least she won鈥檛 profit anymore than she already has.
If you鈥檙e one of those people who don鈥檛 believe who and what she is, here鈥檚 an excellent article (permanently updated) that collects Rowling鈥檚 disgusting statements and actions:
Roman Polanski, Woody Allen, Bill Cosby, Joanne K. Rowling - they are different kinds of monsters and yet monsters they all are. I recoil whenever I鈥檓 confronted with their depravity. And, yet, I cannot break from their art. I can keep calling them out, though.
And yet, despite this, 鈥淭he Running Grave鈥� easily garners five stars out of five and a place among my favourite books.
| | | | | | | |
October 4, 2023
Absolutely brilliant. I stayed awake through several nights listening to Robert Glenister read it. The best yet. I loved every moment of it. Yes it is long and I am a fan of editing but I really didn鈥檛 feel this needed editing. Everything added to the characters and to the story. It unsettled me - cults rely on coercive control which is never easy to read about and the length of the novel allowed for a kind of immersive relationship with this cult which was disturbing.
I am sorry it is over because I loved it all but also slightly relieved because I haven鈥檛 slept well for the last few nights!
Six stars.
I am sorry it is over because I loved it all but also slightly relieved because I haven鈥檛 slept well for the last few nights!
Six stars.
January 9, 2024
Listening to this story I felt I was stuck in the cult with no way out. 900 pages of misery. The whole Strike scene is morose and as dead as this title. I don't need anymore. No stars
February 25, 2025
Un volum cu un subiect mai dur, dar mi s -a p膬rut 葯i volumul cu cea mai pu葲in膬 intrig膬 poli葲ist膬, s-a concentrat mai mult pe descrierea activit膬葲ii de cult 葯i a urm膬rilor fanatismul. Rela葲ia dintre Robin 葯i Strike a fost destule de subiectiv tratat膬 fa葲膬 de restul volumelor. Finalul a salvat oarecum volumul, care mi se pare cel mai pu葲in reu葯it din serie. Cele 4 stele sunt mai mult pentru subiectul mai pu葲in 卯nt芒lnit dec芒t pentru volum per total.
October 16, 2023
I quite enjoyed the early strike novels and after being disappointed by The Ink Black Heart, I was looking forward to this one, hoping for a return to form. Unfortunately, I was disappointed again. The book is terribly slow. 200 pages of suspense crammed into a 945 page novel. While it got off to an interesting start, the pace is destroyed by a tedious amount of detail, which a good editor should have trimmed down. And like The Ink Black Heart, the text is littered with typographical errors that a competent copy editor would have picked up - missing words, repeated words, misspellings and characters who change gender in mid-sentence. I must say I resent a publisher asking me to read a book that they obviously haven鈥檛 read themselves.
I鈥檓 also not thrilled with the increasing change of focus from Strike to Robin. The cover says 鈥淎 Strike Novel鈥� but it鈥檚 mostly about Robin. The only untrained investigator in the agency, Robin鈥檚 achievements are becoming increasingly far-fetched. She鈥檚 so attractive men are smitten the moment they see her. She鈥檚 so insightful she knows better than a therapist what would be good for her patient, leaving the therapist gushing with praise. She鈥檚 so clever, she thinks rings around Strike while he can only express his admiration. He finally gets a decent amount of page-time when finally confronting the killer, but the balance is definitely skewed in Robin鈥檚 favour.
And the thing we鈥檙e all here for, their relationship? There鈥檚 some progress in the last chapter, but it is left unresolved.
Overall, a frustrating and tedious read.
I鈥檓 also not thrilled with the increasing change of focus from Strike to Robin. The cover says 鈥淎 Strike Novel鈥� but it鈥檚 mostly about Robin. The only untrained investigator in the agency, Robin鈥檚 achievements are becoming increasingly far-fetched. She鈥檚 so attractive men are smitten the moment they see her. She鈥檚 so insightful she knows better than a therapist what would be good for her patient, leaving the therapist gushing with praise. She鈥檚 so clever, she thinks rings around Strike while he can only express his admiration. He finally gets a decent amount of page-time when finally confronting the killer, but the balance is definitely skewed in Robin鈥檚 favour.
And the thing we鈥檙e all here for, their relationship? There鈥檚 some progress in the last chapter, but it is left unresolved.
Overall, a frustrating and tedious read.
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