book reviewed by showhost March 2015
Having watched an episode of the ‘Casual Vacancy’ on tv (
which was based on the book written by JK Rowling) and finding it very strange
I didn’t know what to expect from this book written by the same author.
Cormoran Strike is a big burly private investigator – ex war
hero, who fought in the Falklands, for which
he received serious injury and lost part of his leg. Cormoran has a not too happy childhood with a
drug addicted mother and being an illegitimate son to a famous druggy pop star
father who doesn’t want to know him. He
has just been turfed out of his (well officially her) home by his wealthy fiancée
and is now living rough in his office.
But maybe his fortune is changing when he is approached by a lawyer,
John Bristow, who is sure that his recently deceased, famous, adopted super
model sister, didn’t commit suicide but was murdered. Lula Landry is the
adopted daughter of a wealthy family and John Bristow, her adopted brother, is
convinced that she had no reason to commit suicide
The police had investigated this at the time of her death
but they found no substance to support this theory. John Bristow chose Cormoran Strike because he
was friends with his adoptive brother, Charlie, who died at a young age after
an accident at a quarry.
Cormorans skepticism begins to change as he investigates and
delves into previously ignored footage and witness statements, helped at times
by his temporary secretary Robin.
I really enjoyed this crime book. It isn’t a fast and furious crime page turner
(like Simon Kernicks books) but a detective novel with a strong lead character
and the scene expertly set. The author
vividly describes the time and place to enable you, the reader, to imagine you
are there with Strike and his newly acquired temporary secretary Robin. A good novel needs a strong lead character
which you get to know and like (Lisbet Salander for instance) and this has it
in Cormoran Strike. All the characters
in the book were very well portrayed and I feel there is a good partnership starting
up with Cormoran and Robin. Looking forward to reading the next one ‘Silkworm’. Watch this space….
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