February 19, 2015

The Silkworm


The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling)
Cormoran Strike Series #2
Mystery
2014 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Reader: Robert Glenister
Finished on January 24, 2015
Rating: 4/5 (Really liked it)



Publisher’s Blurb:

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 poison-pen portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were to be published, it would ruin lives—meaning 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.

A compulsively readable crime novel with twists at every turn, The Silkworm is the second in the highly acclaimed series featuring Cormoran Strike and his determined young assistant, Robin Ellacott.

This is a wonderful series, especially on audio. The pacing is taut, the plot full of twists & turns, and Robert Glenister proves, once again, to be an excellent reader. Unlike other male readers, I’m never annoyed with his female characterizations. As with The Cuckoo’s Calling (the first in this series), I was more interested in the character development and not quite as engrossed in the actual mystery. I’m eager to see what’s in store for Cormoran and Robin and hope I don’t have to wait too long!

Final Thoughts:

No sophomoric slump for Robert Galbraith! The Silkworm is another entertaining installment to the Cormoran Strike series. If you haven’t read either of these mysteries, you’re missing out.


14 comments:

  1. I liked the first book in this series so I;m guessing I will enjoy this one as well. Sounds good.

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    1. Diane, I think this one was better than the first, so enjoy!

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  2. I got The Cuckoo’s Calling when it came out but just haven't had a chance to get to it. One day!

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    1. Well, now you can read both! Sometimes I think it's almost better to have all the books in a series ready to read rather than having to wait for each installment. At least I'm caught up on this series!

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  3. We're discussing the first book in this series in my mystery group in May. I'm waiting a bit to listen to it because I'm afraid I'll forget too much. Looking forward to it though and then, very likely, this one as well. Glad to hear your recommendations for both of them.

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    1. I wonder how your mystery group will like Cuckoo's Calling, Kay. Good idea to wait a bit to listen to it. I've already forgotten a lot of the details.

      By the way, now that I've finished these two books and have just recently finished The Various Haunts of Men, I have to say that I like Susan Hill's series better. Thanks again for reminding me to read more in the Simon Serralier series. So good!!!

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  4. I didn't like Rowling's first foray into adult fiction so I skipped her mysteries. It sounds like I need to readdress that.

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    1. I never tried The Casual Vacancy and really have no desire to, Kathy. My husband read The Cuckoo's Calling before me and enjoyed it so well that I decided to give it a try. Rod's pretty picky about the fiction he reads, so I figured if he thought it was good, I would enjoy it, too. Glad I trusted his opinion!

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  5. Somehow, I could not get into her books after Harry Potter. I tried The Cuckoo's Calling, and just couldn't move past page 30. And probably, the main reason I enjoyed Harry Potter so much was because my son and I shared him together. Nothing like time well spent with your child, right? xo

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    1. Meredith, I don't know if I would have enjoyed (or even finished) the Cuckoo's Calling if I had read it rather than listened. It was a nice audio production and one which held my attention, but I really didn't care a whole lot about the mystery. It's the characters I came to care about. I'll probably listen to the 3rd in the series when it comes out.

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  6. My husband liked this one and the first book a lot. Not really my bag, but I'm always glad when he finds something that goes into his "re-read and re-listen" hopper. He does that a lot.

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    1. My husband is the one who got me interested in The Cuckoo's Calling, Andi. I was pretty surprised that he wanted to read it, but he thought it was very good and was pleasantly surprised that Rowling could craft such a good mystery. Rod re-reads a lot of books, too. Of course, he's a very fast reader, which makes me insanely jealous!

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  7. I love this series, and I can't wait for the next one. Quite a contrast from Harry Potter, but equally as skilled!

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    1. I really like this series, Jenclair, but I'm not sure I'd say I love it. I will read the next in the series, though. Maybe I'll try it in print instead of audio, just for a change of pace.

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