A Book A Week

Having enjoyed both The Cuckoo's Calling and The Silkworm, I eagerly purchased Robert Galbraith's latest novel, Lethal White. Before I began reading that fourth novel in the series, I came to the realization that I'd somehow never read the third novel, Career of Evil. I read a lot of books each year (this review marks number 42), so I wasn't surprised by this mistake. Still, I knew I'd need to read this one before beginning the fourth book. Fortunately, Career of Evil was already downloaded to my Kindle, just waiting for me to dive in.

I've come to really enjoy Cormoran Strike. J.K. Rowling writing as Galbraith imbues her hero with a gritty realism that makes him a relatable underdog. the Afghanistan war veteran has built quite the private investigating firm, especially after solving a couple of high profile cases. Along with his temp turned assistant Robin, Strike's reputation has garnered the attention of all kinds of people. When Robin opens a package at the office, she's taken aback by the contents. Strike has learned to expect the unexpected, but even he is a bit startled to see the severed limb in the box.

As the pair begin to investigate the package, a suspect list of the worst kind of people arises. Each person is capable of unspeakable violence and terror. On the home front, Robin is torn between her relationship with her fiance Matthew and her growing fondness for Strike. With a pending wedding date set, she must face those feelings head on and come to a decision about the future of her career and her heart.

In Career of Evil, Rowling focuses much of her attention on her two main characters. The mystery takes a back seat to the strong development of both Robin and Strike. The feelings that have been bubbling between the two over the course of the previous two books come to a head in this one. Rowling perfectly balanced plot and character growth through the last two novels, so I was a bit disappointed to see this novel lean so heavily into the characters. It's not that I didn't enjoy the story arc of the characters, it's just that the imbalanced focus on them made for the least engaging mystery of the series. Despite these qualms, I ended up enjoying Career of Evil for the sense of conclusion it gave some of the existing plot lines from the previous novels. I'm really looking forward to reading the next novel too.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2018, 42)