Who Dunnit?

With minimal encouragement from Hannah while I was looking for books to pad my TBR with, she suggested a change of pace with the Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith aka JK Rowling. I have always been hesitant to pick up her pseudonym books because Harry Potter has a Horcrux on my soul and I didn't want anything to taint my love for this author in case it didn't jive with me. Fortunately for me, I had nothing to worry about. 

The mystery/thriller/crime genre isn't one I seek out on my own, but I can't help being completely bewitched by them when I do stumble upon ones that are good. I love a good whodunit, a mystery to solve, trying to stay one step ahead of the main characters by trying to figure it out myself. I love that rush of adrenaline while reading when I can't turn the pages fast enough because I have to find out what happened. The Cormoran Strike series hit every bullet point on my list and so many more.

What I loved about this series as a whole was the setting. Taking place in central London and surrounding Britain, I loved being back in my favorite place in the world...even if they were talking about fictional crimes committed there. The characters Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott are a dynamic duo and a very unlikely pair. We follow them as they get to know one another, become more of a team dynamic, and surprise each other on many occasions. I loved getting to know these characters, what made them tick, what affected them, their strengths, their weaknesses, their lives. I loved every moment I got to spend with Cormoran and Robin and I already am eagerly anticipating the next books.

THE CUCKOO'S CALLING is the first book in the series and plays out in a very matter-of-fact detective manner. While investigating the possible murder of a famous model that was initially ruled a suicide, we follow Cormoran interviewing all possible suspects. I will say very boastfully that I did call the perp in this book very early on and, not gonna lie, was very proud of myself. What I loved about this book was the discussion of fame and how much celebrity is just a facade of who a person really is and how people think they know somebody when in all actuality they hardly know them at all. It was so interesting to hear people talk about the deceased model and how many different variations of person she portrayed to those around her.

THE SILKWORM was by far the most grotesque and I was shocked many times while I was reading. A well-known author has gone missing and turns up murdered in the most horrifying way after a first draft of his newest book roasting all the people in his life goes public in the book world circle of the people talked about. While the content was a little cringe-worthy because of how the author wrote his book and how he was murdered, I could not wait to find out who the murderer was because it was set up in such a way that ANYONE could have been guilty. I loved this! There were so many different ways the pieces of the puzzle could have fit together and when it did, it made perfect sense. 

CAREER OF EVIL takes another slight departure from the previous book because it focuses on Cormoran, somebody who is out to get him, and a POV from the person he's trying to catch. It was so eerie and unsettling to be in the murderer's head and, similar to the last book, it could have been any of the people suspected. My small criticism with this book was that, unlike the previous book, while anybody could have done it, the puzzle pieces felt so interchangeable that there wasn't a hint at all as to who it could have been. I am aware that is sometimes the point but I also think a really great mystery gives you clues that you don't realize are clues. I felt that this was the case with THE SILKWORM but not CAREER OF EVIL.

Overall, I was obsessed with this series and couldn't put it down. When I found the BBC television version was just starting to air in the US, I was ecstatic. While not as good as the books--they never are--I do enjoy seeing the story played out in front of me. And the actor who plays Cormoran is a total dish. Rawr.

VIP
If you love twisty mysteries, amazing characterizations, and crime in central London...this series is for you.