Book Review: The Silkworm

Robert Galbraith has done it again! And by Robert Galbraith I really mean J.K. Rowling. Her newest book The Silkworm published under her pseudonym was just as good if not better than her first in hopefully a long series of mystery novels starring the private detective Cormoran Strike.

Fresh off of the Lula Landry case, Cormoran Strike has never been busier. Everyone wants that detective on the news to solve their problems. Strike is so busy he has no room for any new clients. But when Leonora Quine walks in, there is something about her that compels him to take her case. Leonora's husband, Owen, is missing. As an overly dramatic author looking for publicity, he's pulled stunts like this before. But on the eve of releasing his self-proclaimed masterpiece, the author has disappeared for good. Strike must delve into Owen's life and uncover dark and sinister secrets to find out who is behind a crime like nothing Strike has ever seen. And all the clues may stem from the masterpiece itself, Bombyx Mori aka The Silkworm.

I really enjoyed that even though this is a stand alone book and you don't necessarily have to read The Cuckoo's Calling in order to follow along, the character's still develop from where we left them at the end of the first book. These character's are not sedentary and unchanged each time we open the window into their lives. They grow and change like real characters in a real series, and I think that's refreshing in a genre full of episodic mysteries.

I also enjoyed how this Cormoran Strike mystery is so dark compared to the last. In the Cuckoo's Calling there is a crime of passion, but in The Silkworm it is much more calculated, sinister, and evil than that. And Rowling does an amazing job building that sense of foreboding by surrounding Strike and the reader with sinister characters who all have dark secrets hiding behind their smiles. The characters are so mysterious and Rowling does such a good job of weaving such a complicated tale, that I honestly did not know who the culprit was until it was revealed. I thought I knew, and she even let me think I was right, but then, right at the last moment, she revealed the truth and I knew I had been so wrong all along.

I won't say anymore about it. It's a mystery, of course! I'm not going to ruin the fun and spoil the clues. I cannot taint your introduction to each character. You must solve the mystery right along Strike without my help. But I will say if you enjoy a good mystery filled with dark secrets, life-like characters, and a reveal that will blow you away, look no further than The Silkworm. 

Title: The Silkworm

Author: Robert Galbraith

Genre: Mystery

Recommendation: Yes

Best Reader Audience: Adult Male and Female Readers

Final Rating: Four out of Five mugs of hot chocolate 

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