Career of Evil (Cormoran Strike #3)

When a mysterious package is delivered to Robin Ellacott, she is horrified to discover that it contains a woman’s severed leg.

Her boss, private detective Cormoran Strike, is less surprised but no less alarmed. There are four people from his past who he thinks could be responsible – and Strike knows that any one of them is capable of sustained and unspeakable brutality.

With the police focusing on the one suspect Strike is increasingly sure is not the perpetrator, he and Robin take matters into their own hands, and delve into the dark and twisted worlds of the other three men. But as more horrendous acts occur, time is running out for the two of them…

Career of Evil is the third in the series featuring private detective Cormoran Strike and his assistant Robin Ellacott. A mystery and also a story of a man and a woman at a crossroads in their personal and professional lives.

*May Contain Spoilers*

I just love reading detective novels and Robert Galbraith exceeds every expectation with his book, Career of Evil, the third in the Cormoran Stike series. This installment revolves around Cormoran's past as someone is determined to see Strike taken down from his role as premiere detective. 

Though readers already know Strike and Robin pretty well, I'd say Galbraith takes it a step further in this book as we learn more about both of these main characters through their pasts. Readers learn more about Strike through the three suspects he reveals could have sent the leg and, thus, is committing the murders. Strike's mother and step-father are discussed in detail as Strike's hatred for Mr. Whittaker is bluntly demonstrated. This hatred stems from the way Whittaker treated Strike's mother and how Strike blames him for his mother's death. Both Donald Liang and Noel Brockbank are horrible men from Strike's past who both blame Strike for the way their lives turned out. Even though Noel is a child molester and Liang is severely unhinged as well as violent, Strike knows they blame him for their reputations and jail time. From these three men, Strike's past and mental state are further opened for the reader. However, I think readers will make a deeper connection with Robin in this book as something heartbreaking from her past is revealed. 

Robin's interest in detective work has never made sense to her fiance Matthew or her family. Yet, with this book, Robin's experience with sexual assault is revealed and therefore, readers will come to better understand her interest not only in detective work but in self-defense and sleuthing in general. This book also revolves around the fear of Robin being hurt as the initial severed leg is sent to Robin and not to Strike. With glimpses into the life of the killer, readers learn that his whole plan revolves around murdering Robin and disgracing Strike completely with the added hope that Strike is arrested for the murderer's crimes. This important aspect gives the entire book an air of trepidation as readers fear for Robin's every step as the killer stalks her. 

Overall, of course, the plot is engaging, intriguing, and, at times, downright disturbing. Galbraith leaves no gritty detail unwritten and the images are a bit extreme. This book kept me reading past my bedtime many nights and even inspired me to not start a new series on Netflix. If that doesn't say it's good, I don't know what will. I would highly recommend this to readers who like detective novels, the previous books in the series, or want to give a really well-written mystery a go. I'll also add that even though there were only three suspects, I did not figure out which one it was before it was revealed. Galbraith really keeps readers on their toes. 

Rating: 4.5/5 Cups

Note: Robert Galbraith is the penname for JK Rowling

Teaser Tuesday (291)

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR, or just share what you are currently reading. It is very easy to play along:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

Career of Evil (p.150)

    - Robert Galbraith 

He knew this was almost certainly a fool's errand, but if -- if -- they had been followed by the man who had sent the leg, he was clearly a reckless bastard who might not have been scared away from Robin's vicinity by Strike's ungainly pursuit. 

What's Next, Wednesday (79)

•  To play along share a book you've been looking forward to reading, whether it's new or has been on your reading list for a while.

I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on a copy of Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith, the third book in the Cormoran Strike series. I loved the first two books and I really need to make a bookstore run to pick this one up. This time, Robin, Cormoran's assistant, gets a disturbing package that sends them through a list of four suspects.

It seems like a lot of mysteries have been on my reading list lately... which I'm fine with.

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.

What's Next, Wednesday (19)

•  To play along share a book you've been looking forward to reading, whether it's new or has been on your reading list for a while.

I'm looking forward to...

The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith. Found this sequel to The Cuckoo's Calling at BAM. I enjoyed the first one so I figured I need to give this one a go. A novelist goes missing after completing a manuscript that slashes the reputations of everyone he knows. His wife hires Cormoran Strike to investigate. 

The Cuckoo's Calling

After losing his leg to a land mine in Afghanistan, Cormoran Strike is barely scraping by as a private investigator. Strike is down to one client, and creditors are calling. He has also just broken up with his longtime girlfriend and is living in his office.

Then John Bristow walks through his door with an amazing story: His sister, thelegendary supermodel Lula Landry, known to her friends as the Cuckoo, famously fell to her death a few months earlier. The police ruled it a suicide, but John refuses to believe that. The case plunges Strike into the world of multimillionaire beauties, rock-star boyfriends, and desperate designers, and it introduces him to every variety of pleasure, enticement, seduction, and delusion known to man.

You may think you know detectives, but you've never met one quite like Strike. You may think you know about the wealthy and famous, but you've never seen them under an investigation like this.

Introducing Cormoran Strike, this is the acclaimed first crime novel by J.K. Rowling, writing under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.

*May Contain Spoilers*

J. K. Rowling's latest book, The Cuckoo's Calling, is a mature crime novel that centers around a supermodel's suicide. While Lula Landry is the focal point of the investigation, Strike becomes the main character as he tries to determine if the police missed some key evidence when ruling Lula's death as self-inflicted. 

Cormoran Strike is an experienced war veteran who also served with the military police force. He's always had the knack for close observation and he utilizes his unique skill set by working as a private eye. Strike is intelligent and curious, a former Oxford student. He's pushy, demanding, persuasive, and persistent. These traits, coupled with his attention to detail and ability to sell a lie, make him a damn good detective. While not working on the case, readers also learn that he is loving, thoughtful, and understanding. Readers will revel in his investigative nature but connect with his personality and past. The not-so-lovey side plot will bring readers close while the main story line keeps them reading.

The plot starts off slow, which is odd in a crime novel. The first two parts of the book work to set up the investigation and then the story takes off when readers learn that Strike has a theory - and so far it's spot on. Though, the theory isn't revealed until the end. It isn't an easy conclusion to draw but I think reader's will enjoy the surprise ending. There were a couple of typos in the Kindle edition, but nothing more than instant distractions. I love Rowling's writing style, her ability to apply intent to a description, and the thought process behind the character's actions. Highly recommended novel. 

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups

WWW Wednesday (67)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

          

01. Currently Reading:
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith and J.K. Rowling. A novel surrounding the mysterious death of a supermodel that was ruled a suicide but believed to be a murder by her brother.

02. Recently Finished:
Birth of a Nation by James Butler. Time travel novel in which the outcome of the Civil War is changed after a group of future Americans go back to 1861.

03. Reading Next:
Ever Near by Melissa MacVicar. Book 1 of the Secret Affinity series, blog tour coming up on October 5th.

Teaser Tuesday (80)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!



The Cuckoo's Calling
   - Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling)

It'd be better for John if he'd just accept the facts. She killed herself.