Why I Won't Be Reading Lethal White

You think as a huge Potterhead/JK Rowling fan, that I would be excited as heck over the next that the fourth Coroman Strike book, Lethal White, is coming out in exactly one month's time. You would think that I would have preordered it and be trying to find clues and titbits over what this book is about and how it continues after the events of Career of Evil. 

You would think that, right? 

Expect… well… I have no plans to preorder or read Lethal White. And you know what? I’m actually at peace with my decision. 

Ok, let’s backtrack and explain why. I am a huge Harry Potter fan. I grew up reading this series, finding my voice and shaping my opinion with this series. I reread the books, watched the films, discover podcasts that talk about this series in cool and unique ways, I read Casual Vacancy and enjoyed it hugely (I really should reread it one day). I read then watched Cursed Child (even though I had reservations on this - I still have reservations and gripes with it). 

GoodRead - The Silkworm

I finished this yesterday, dear readers, so I'm still feeling raw over what I have read (if you wish to call this weird state that I'm in as "raw" - will explain further down). But yes, after around three weeks of reading this, I HAVE FINALLY FINISHED THE SILKWORM BY ROBERT GALBRAITH!!!

The second book in the Cormonran Strike series, The Silkworm takes place several months after The Cuckoo's Calling. Strike has made a name for himself after the Lula Landry affair. So when the wife of author, Owen Quine, comes to him, asking to help her find him and bring him home, Strike decides to take the job - it's not like money is a issue now.

But Strike begins to dig and realises that something very wrong has happened to Quine and his wife hasn't the foggest clue. The novelist has written a manuscript, filled with poisonous pen-portraits of everyone he knows - his agent, his former best friend, his publisher, even his wife and daughter. If the manuscript ever got published, it would ruin lives.

To Strike's horror, he finds Quine - dead. Brutally and savagely murdered. It quickly becomes a race against time to save the innocent as this killer is ruthless and is unlike any Strike has encountered.

I like my attitude to how I got this book. I wasn't going to preorder this after my reactions to The Cuckoo's Calling (my review to that is here) and yet, as soon as the news was announced, I preordered it without thinking. Then I changed from preorder from Amazon to Waterstones because of the whole Amazon vs Hachette in the USA drama and then, I read this slowly, trying to take my time and enjoy it.

That was the plan, as I wondered if the reason why I disliked The Cuckoo's Calling was because I was forcing myself to like it as it was JK Rowling.

But here, I took my time and... well... I'm torn over it. In some ways, this book is much better than Cuckoo, but at the same time, I struggled with it.

As you guys know, I do like a good murder mystery book. I like crime. And I felt myself enjoying the start of this with great ease. I think I slipped into this book much easier than I had done with Cuckoo. I'm not 100% sure why this is the case. Maybe it was my outlook. But yes, that and I enjoy the sense of foreboding I had and when we got to the reveal of Quine's body, we were left in no doubt that it was murder (if you remembered in my review of Cuckoo's Calling, I wondered if it was murder or if I hoped it was murder...).

I also quite liked Strike and Robin's relationship and the tiny amount of insight we got into their private lives. I wish I could have had more scenes with Robin and her fiancee, Matthew (who I have always disliked but here, I hated!) as I felt this was interesting - how can there be a balance between work and love? And with Strike, it was nice to see him having friends and him trying to get over his ex and the fact she's now getting married (and the fact that Charlotte, the ex, was playing mind games with Strike and was refusing to let him moved on).

Also, the characters within the publishing industry. You can't help but wonder if Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling) had met people like this...

However... I still had the same issues as Cuckoo. There was a lot of people and, after a while, I got confused over who was who/what they had done/where they were. Usually, I can keep it all straight in my head, but I did get confused.

I also, had problems with the pacing. Again. It felt very slow for my tastes. I like things to have a fast pace, something that will keep me on the edge of my seat. But Silkworm took its time. In some places, this pacing was a good thing. In others... not so much for me.

I think the reason why I have problems with The Cuckoo's Calling and The Silkworm is because I can't get a handle on Robert Galbraith's writing. Note that I didn't say JK's writing, but Robert's writing. JK Rowling took a while to make Robert's voice come through so it doesn't sound like her. While I can very easily read and love JK Rowling's voice, I can't seem to get a grip on Robert's voice. Once I do, I know I will enjoy myself but his voice seems a tad - not sure if this is the right word to use but is the only word I can think of - dense.

Again, middle of road on this series. I think I will try the next book and if I can't gel with it, might have to leave this series alone. But again, will try and read it at a more leisurely pace as I think this helped me a little bit...

(PS - the song choices. The first is the main book's theme song while the other two fit certain themes/moments perfectly...)

GoodRead - The Cuckoo's Calling

I think we can all admit that we were all shocked/delighted/flailing out when we read the news that JK Rowling had released a book earlier in the year under the pen-name of Robert Galbraith and read the news in the coming days of how the truth came out (the dangers of Twitter and telling your wife's best friend something that is better kept to yourself!). My other half found out five minutes before I did that Sunday morning and, in a haze of "I KNEW SHE WOULD WRITE UNDER A PEN NAME! I KNEW IT!!!" (well played, JK) and ordering it on Amazon, it was only then that I read the sysnopis and went "You know, this actually sounds like something I would actually read while in my crime reading blitz". 

The Cuckoo's Calling is the first book in the series that follows private investigator Cormoran Strike and his new-temp, Robin Ellacott. Several months earlier, one snowy night, troubled model Lula Landry fell to her death from her Mayfair balcony. The Police (and Media) assume that she committed suicide. However, months later, her brother still has doubts and goes to Strike, begging for his help. 

And Strike agrees. Not just because he needs the money now more than ever, but Lula Landry was the sister of one of his old friends, Charlie, who fell to his death when they were children. But as the former war veteran slowly investigate Lula's life and the world she lived in, he can't help noticing how similar - physically and psychologically - Lula was to him. And as he digs deeper and deeper, things get dark and, before long, Strike has to wonder: did Lula really jump that night, or did something sinister and evil happen to her? 

Now, I finished reading this late on Monday, writing this now on a Tuesday and, once I figured out when am posting, you guys are probably reading this on Wednesday so, for me, this is a fast turn around. So, does it deserve the sudden JK hype? Does this book deserve the high praise from crime authors such as Val McDermid, Mark Billingham and Peter James? 

Now, I am very torn over how I feel on this book. Ask me in a week or two's time, I bet my feelings will change to be more one side than the other. But, at this very moment in time, I am in the middle. 

As you guys know, I am a fan of reading crime novels. I still think Kimberley Derting's The Body Finder series tackles crime in YA brilliantly and I am a fan of Kathy Reichs and Tess Gerristen (I have also read Agatha Christie along with the lovely Stevie from SableCaught under the Twitter hashtag #MurderTheyRead some time back in June [was it June? Can't remember]) so reading a crime novel wasn't new terriorty for me, but reading this made me realise that I haven't read enough books in the crime genre than I first thought...

So, let's talk about what I liked about this book. I liked the mystery and I liked reading how Strike was investigating Lula's death, thinking "Ok, this has to be a murder. But... but am I sure that it is? Am I 100% certain that it was a murder or do I hope it was murder?", and because of I enjoyed the mystery, I didn't see the ending coming and that is a good sign of a good crime novel. You don't see it coming! 

I also really liked Strike's and Robin's relationship. At first, Strike didn't want this temp and was determined to be rid of her by the end of the week, but Robin shows herself to be quiet valuable to Strike's investigation. And Robin likes working for Strike who, we see, is wounded by war and by love. I enjoy how these two character, in a way, compliment each other. 

Now... let's talk about the two things that bother me about this book. Yes I have two, don't hurt me. The first was information. I know this is weird, seeing at this is a crime novel as information is valuable, but there was SO MUCH. We had information about the case, about the people who Strike questioned, about Strike's private life and, at times, I felt a little overwelled by it all. I just wanted the information that I needed to figure out what happened and whodunnit. I want information about Strike's and Robin's personal lives - don't get me wrong, I love reading that - but I wish that, at times, it was more subtle. 

The thing that bothered me the most was pacing. I like my books pacey, where they are twists and turns and gasps. I like things a little fast paced. But with the Cuckoo's Calling, it moved very slowly. At times, not a lot happened. Strike interviewed people, one by one, and it took time. This felt similar to Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express (the book I co-read with Stevie). Part two of Murder on the Orient Express was just Poirot interviewing the suspects and Cuckoo's Calling had that same feel to it. It took its time and, at times, I struggled with it because the book took its time. My other half even said that he saw me struggle with times...

The pacing reminds me of my failed attempts to read Ruth Rendell and PD James. Both authors take their time to explain the case and the characters. So, if you're a fan of either of these authors, you might like Cuckoo's Calling. But if you want something a bit more pacey, you might want to try a few chapters before you buy your copy or borrow a copy from a friend or from your local library. 

As for me? Well, I do want the sequel, but I might not be rushing to buy it on the book's release day and, when I do buy it, I want to read it at a leisurely pace.