Summary from Goodreads:“I seen a kid killed…He strangled it, up by the horse.”
When Billy, a troubled young man, comes to private eye Cormoran Strike’s office to ask for his help investigating a crime he thinks he witnessed as a child, Strike is left deeply unsettled. While Billy is obviously mentally distressed, and cannot remember many concrete details, there is something sincere about him and his story. But before Strike can question him further, Billy bolts from his office in a panic.
Trying to get to the bottom of Billy’s story, Strike and Robin Ellacott—once his assistant, now a partner in the agency—set off on a twisting trail that leads them through the backstreets of London, into a secretive inner sanctum within Parliament, and to a beautiful but sinister manor house deep in the countryside.
And during this labyrinthine investigation, Strike’s own life is far from straightforward: his newfound fame as a private eye means he can no longer operate behind the scenes as he once did. Plus, his relationship with his former assistant is more fraught than it ever has been—Robin is now invaluable to Strike in the business, but their personal relationship is much, much trickier than that.
Review: (spoilers for the Cormoran Strike series ahead!)
It has been a while since I read the first three books in this crime fiction series. I binge read them all in 2016 but remembered enough of the main plot to read the fourth novel. Plus, the author did a great job of reminding readers of important plot points from previous novels.
What I Liked:
Writing Style. I'm a fan of J. K Rowling's writing style, the way she weaves together the story and characters, plus, her prose itself always makes me want to keep reading her novels. She is great at character development and the Strike series is very character focused.
Characters. The reason I keep coming back to the series is the characters. I love both Robin and Strike and enjoy reading from both of their points of view. The side characters were okay in this. It is clear that both Robin and Strike's love interests are being let go so the book can lead up to a romance between the two of them, so they did not get the best treatment.
Slowburn Romance. I'm a huge fan of slowburn romances and this is turning out to be both a good and frustrating one. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series to see what happens between Cormoran and Robin.
What I Disliked:
Length. The audiobook was 22 hours long, the book was over 600 pages. It felt like it way too long for a crime fiction novel. I struggled to keep reading but my love for the characters keep me going until the end.
Main Mystery. I had a hard time with the main mystery. I found Robin and Strikes love life and personal life ten times more interesting. I would totally have read a romance with a tiny focus on the mystery, lol.
Rating:
3.5 Stars Out of 5 Stars.
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