The Silkworm

I really enjoyed the first book CUCKOO'S CALLING....purchased this one too but was disappointed in how slowly it moved...........seemed to drag on and on with 'extreme wordiness and repetition to fill in the gaps'. However, that said, I enjoyed the characters and the strange story line but could offer only a three star rating because of the sluggishness. I felt I "had finally gotten to the end" with this one.

Even as it goes through the motions of standard detective fiction, this second Cormoran Strike novel admirably expands upon the well-rounded central characters established in The Cuckoo's Calling. As a former soldier and a natural detective, Strike lends himself to comparison with Lee Child's Jack Reacher, but where Reacher is personalized with a few token interests (notably coffee and mathematics), Strike is painted with softer strokes. He's introverted, yes, but his contact list defies the easy-to-apply label 'loner'. He is vexed by his family, but he embraces them with more than a mere sense of duty. He feels the desire to have a couple pints with lunch, but he recognizes the formation of bad habits and avoids them with some effort.

His receptionist-turned-protégée Robin proves to be equally well-rounded, particularly with respect to her fiancée. In a clumsier novel, her engagement to a side character would be nothing more than a burden for Robin to shed in the name of character growth. In Ms Rowling's nuanced world, however, the relationship is a genuine reflection of Robin's increasing confidence, and it bends and adjusts to her development with impressive realism. Whether or not the relationship will or should survive is far from a given.

Yes, the plot is fine too—it'll scratch the itch for those that crave a mystery to solve and concludes with reasonable coherence—but mystery plots are a dime a dozen. Characters like Cormoran and Robin are not.

Robert Glenister is well suited to this series, managing to narrate with both a seriousness and a lightness that matches Ms Rowling's remarkably well-balanced voice.

In this second novel, Ms. Rowling sets her admirable and dogged detective loose into the cutthroat world of publishing. Cormoran Strike, aptly named after the Cornish giant of “beanstalk fame”, embodies the best traits of the archetypical detective: relentless, curious, and practical - without ever slipping into the dangerous territory of the stereotype. As a retired solider, amputee and keen observer of human nature, Cormoran Strike is a refreshing addition to an old and familiar genre.


The story begins a few months after the conclusion of the infamous Lula Landry murder, when a taciturn Leonora Quine arrives at Strike’s office demanding he find her vanished husband. Despite no reasonable assurance of payment, Strike takes her case (it is after all, an aberration among a workload of philandering spouses). Along with his assistant/protégée Robin Ellacott, Strike cuts a wide, weary swath through frigid London streets in pursuit of the missing author Owen Quine and answers to a bizarre and brutal mystery.


Rowling is a master of observation. Among references to Jacobean horror stories and nested narratives, she builds characters that are at once fantastical and unflinchingly revealed. From the raspy voiced, domineering book agent to the closeted and alcoholic publishers, from the self-pitying self-published to gratingly solipsistic established authors - she paints her cast in vivid colors and none is spared from Rowling’s incisive prose.


The mystery unfolds in a manner reminiscent of old fashion detective stories - Strike never actually whips out a hand lens, but it’s a close call. He and Ellacott take to the streets to interview suspects, dig for clues, turn up red herrings and into dead ends, until finally bringing the audience in for an eminently satisfying conclusion.


It seems that Ms. Rowling has seven books planned for the series (her lucky number perhaps?) and I for one am stoked. Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott are unlikely partners and deeply sympathetic characters. I have no doubt that they will continue to delight audiences for years to come.

For me, one of the joys of a sequel, especially when it has been announced that there will be at least one other to follow, is the comfort I develop with the characters as they bloom. From their humble beginnings in Cuckoo's Calling, Cormoran Strike and his Watson-esque side-kick Robin Ellacot felt like people I wanted to spend more time with. Knowing Robert Galbraith's talent for character development (consistently captivating us through 7 volumes penned under Galbraith's nom de plume of J.K. Rowling), continuing on from Cuckoo was a given which paid off. The duo is back on the case looking for novelist Owen Quine who has gone missing since writing a scathing quasi-fictional manuscript that paints his associates in the publishing world in the darkest tones possible. When his body is found, elaborately murdered in a ritualistic play that mirrors Quine's manuscript, his colleagues are all suspect.

Here Galbraith shows her/his wonderfully inventive mind creating the eccentric characters and names as colorful as the residents that populated the Potter series. She also pokes some good-spirited fun at the publishing world that she reigned over in her rise to a billion dollar author. Even as *Galbraith* JK's talent is distinct, and a pleasure to read. It flows effortlessly, carrying the reader along through a world Rowling always seem to thoroughly inhabit in all of her writings and incarnations. This style is her strength. The plot of Silkworm is interesting and holds your attention, but it is theatrical more than plausible, with a bit of over achieving on the part of the murderer. Still, it makes for fun reading, as good as any in this genre.

I like the character of Comornan Strike and very much enjoyed the first book. However, after a week of trying I am going to abandon this book with 39 chapters behind me. I just don't care who did it or why. I have no empathy for the victim and the potential cast of perps are boring. Enough.

I started this book the day before a business trip to Florida and found it hard to put down outside of business hours. I was so happy to have this well-crafted mystery to help the miles melt beneath my wheels; otherwise the hours I spent on the road wouldn't have been so pleasant (although, I learned one needs cruise control with such an involving tome, otherwise the speedometer frequently tips 80.)

"The Silkworm" (Rowling's 2nd mystery under the nom de plume Robert Galbraith), continues with the character development begun in "Cuckoo's Calling" of Cormoran Strike (war hero, illegitimate son of a rock star and struggling PI with one prosthetic leg, courtesy of the Afghan theater) and Robin, Cormoran's temp secretary turned Girl Friday/Dr. Watson.
I love that Galbraith/Rowling makes Cormoran a bit misanthropic and surly and not some unrealistic, noble hero. His imperfections make him all the more likable.
And the icing on the cake -- a twisty mystery with multiple plot arcs, replete with engaging characters.
Rowling proved to the world that she can write YA fantasy -- well, she has proven to me she can write mysteries irrespective of which name appears on the cover.
And the narrator, Robert Glenister -- PERFECTION! His range is incredible despite is deep voice, he manages not to make the women sound campy (like some male narrators do.) I plan to search for books narrated by him so I do not have to wait until the next Robert Galbraith novel appears.
The worst part is I have started and stopped several books since I finished "The Silkworm" -- it is a tough act to follow.

It is hard to believe that the same author who gave us Harry Potter can also give us such a gritty and dark mystery series. Cormoran Strike is a private detective along the lines of Phillip Marlow or Sam Spade. The descriptions make you able to actually see his grubbiness yet gentile personality. The sophistication with which this series is written is part of what makes it so real. I feel like I know London's streets with the descriptions provided and the make up of the literary world. Can't wait to catch the next book in this series. I keep hoping that Robin and Cormoran can be a couple but that is part of what makes the series so intriguing, the play off each other's weaknesses. He's a damaged veteran of the Afghanistan war trying to revive his life. She's a nice girl from Yorkshire. They do provide the care for each other.

Yes. I want to go over the details in the plot and see what I missed.

The building tension between Cormoran and Robin. The details of the plot.

Very well done, lots of different accents, and the way he makes Cormoran sound - the voice says naive, and the actions say something altogether different.

Yes. Sadly, I had to stop...

It's not an easy listen. Because of the detail and the vast amount of secondary characters there was quite a bit of rewinding and even some rereading of chapters for me. At one point I even used a crib sheet. It was well worth the extra effort. A smooth clever plot that I was glued to till the bitter end. I sincerely was clueless to the outcome till it was revealed. For me, this book was 17 and a half hours well spent.

Cormoran Strike is my kind of hero. The compassionate private investigator without a quirk or an ex-wife that uses every day technology to his advantage. Thankfully his supporting staff is an educated woman with normal issues. I enjoyed their chemistry in both books but, it's as if the author was much more comfortable with her principals this time around. I would love to visit and grow with this entourage for years to come.

To not rave over Robert Glenister's brilliant narration would be sinful. Pure perfection how he melted into the background yet enhanced the author's work. Each character was spot on but, his handling of Elizabeth Tassel elevated this from a read to a performance.


Keep bringing this dynamic duo!

N/A as I am visually impaired and cannot read in print.

The detective and his assistant. The way they play off each other is masterful and classic of the great duo sleuths throughout time. There is always that tease of a developing romantic interest.

Difficult to say. One would be the birthday dinner party Strike's sister gives him when he shows up with an unexpected date.
The drive when a near accident is averted ...`

I listened over the course of two days. It was riveting, but then I am a fan and loved the first book in this series.

The descriptive and atmospheric prose is wonderful. The portrayals of the diverse cast of characters rings true. If I had one negative to make, it would be that I skipped over the graphic descriptions of the murdered body. That was a bit too much for me.