The Silkworm

When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife calls in private detective Cormoran Strike. At first, Mrs. Quine just thinks her husband has gone off by himself for a few days—as he has done before—and she wants Strike to find him and bring him home.

But as Strike investigates, it becomes clear that there is more to Quine's disappearance than his wife realizes. The novelist has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were to be published, it would ruin lives—meaning that there are a lot of people who might want him silenced.

When Quine is found brutally murdered under bizarre circumstances, it becomes a race against time to understand the motivation of a ruthless killer, a killer unlike any Strike has encountered before...

*May Contain Spoilers*

Robert Galbraith continues the investigative prowess of Cormoran Strike in this sequel to The Cuckoo's Calling, The Silkworm. Beginning as an assignment to find a missing person, this novel evolves into a story of grisly murder, the malevolence of fiction, and the hatred between old friends. 

Cormoran Strike is ex-military with a memory like a vault and the urge to find answers. While juggling cheating partners, Cormoran decides to take on the writer's disappearance because of something other than the promise of pay. This case is important to the mousy wife and the mentally challenged daughter. Strike is a man who has seen suffering in his life, experienced it, and his big heart won't let him turn Mrs. Quine down because of money. Readers will enjoy Strike's determination and feel empathy for his own pains, that pop up quite often through the book. His focus, bravery, and persistence create a respectable character who readers believe will solve this case. 

In this book, readers get to see more of Robin as she starts to officially take part in investigations. Readers learn that she's got her sights set on being a private detective and considers her job incredibly important. Through her own dedication and her relationship with her fiance, Matthew, readers will witness that Robin is an invaluable asset as a detective, committed to her work, and considerate and caring. 

The plot of this book is tricky and filled with murder suspects. It begins with Quine being reported missing leading Strike to retrace his steps, trying to determine where he went. When Strike does find him, murdered, it's quite an elaborate set-up: ropes, acid, body parts missing, place settings as if for a dinner party. And it's all because of a book that hasn't been published yet. A book that trashes and reveals secrets of everyone Quine knows. With Mrs. Quine becoming the prime suspect, Strike decided to keep the case, but now he's determined to discover who the murderer is. Those who loved the first book will thoroughly enjoy the twisted storyline of this sequel. It's interesting, intriguing, and hard to figure out (if you're one who likes to try to solve the mystery before the ending). Though, I'll tell you, there is one specific clue towards the end of the book that reveals the killer. If you read the sentence with emphasis on a certain word, it narrows down the suspect list to one. Here's hoping that Galbraith has more mysteries planned. I certainly enjoyed the writing style and layout of the mystery. 

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups

Read the review of The Cuckoo's Calling

Note: Robert Galbraith is a pen name for J.K Rowling.