Troubled Blood

Cormoran Strike, Book 5

By: Robert Galbraith

Narrated by: Robert Glenister

Length: 31 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

Shortlisted for the Audiobook of the Year Award at the British Book Awards

Private Detective Cormoran Strike is visiting his family in Cornwall when he is approached by a woman asking for help finding her mother, Margot Bamborough - who went missing in mysterious circumstances in 1974. Strike has never tackled a cold case before, let alone one 40 years old. But despite the slim chance of success, he is intrigued and takes it on; adding to the long list of cases that he and his partner in the agency, Robin Ellacott, are currently working on.

Robin herself is juggling a messy divorce and unwanted male attention, as well as battling her own feelings about Strike. As Strike and Robin investigate Margot's disappearance, they come up against a fiendishly complex case with leads that include tarot cards, a psychopathic serial killer and witnesses who cannot all be trusted. And they learn that even cases decades old can prove to be deadly....

A breathtaking, labyrinthine epic, Troubled Blood is the fifth Strike and Robin novel and the most gripping and satisfying yet.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2020 Robert Galbraith (P)2020 Hachette Audio UK

Critic reviews

"A blistering piece of crime writing." (Sunday Times)

"The work of a master storyteller." (Daily Telegraph)

"Highly inventive storytelling." (Guardian)

Brilliant!

Amazing intricate story and beautiful ending. It was a great listen thanks to the brilliant performance of Robert Glenister.

MORE PLEASE!!

These are some of the best books I have ever listened to. Extremely well written with many intricate characters which keeps you captivated all through the story.
The narrator does a superb job of voicing the characters leaving you never doubting who is talking.
Simply brilliant!! Please please continue the series.

Another deep and light study of humanity

I loved this book. I got immersed, again, into the many facets of the characters, threads are woven naturally. Life and death, love and hate, friendship, ridicule... The crimes reveal the everchanging hues of humanity, fragile, heroic, pathetic, deranged. Another handbook on human relations from which you emerge a better person. Well done.
Like the four other novels, I first got the audiobook, read by Robert Glenister, and I really love the way he renders the voices. Robin and Strike are vivid, alive in their own right.

Brilliant

Mr Glenister is excellent.
Engaging and challenging plot that requires the reader to pay attention.
The twist and reveal were as always brilliant and the way the details were brought together impressed in their intricacy.
The beautiful writing and complex story always satisfy.
Keep the story alive please.

Splendid performance

Best narrator I’ve heard since I don’t know when. Accents and all, it’s like you’re actually there!

Imperfect nature

The STRIKE series are the best private detective books I have ever read or listened to. The characters are very real and Robert Glenister is an amazing narrator, so many accents so many different people covered flawlessly
Can’t wait for the next one though I realise these books must take a huge amount of time to organise and write
When a character like Strike appears it is hard not to imagine him as real
Thank you RG or should I say JKR

Very complicated plot

This is probably the best in the series. There are a lot of twists and turns - clues and red herrings and you certainly get enough listening hours for your credit. . All the things you expect from this series and books in this genre you get.
The narration is EXCELLENT!!!!
What I didn’t like:
I’m completely sick of the Charlotte melodrama. If she has genuine mental health issues then she’s a poor reflection on the health system because she’s poorly supervised and never gets any better (in fact she gets worse). If not then she’s a caricature of someone who has severe depression and unfairly portrayed as manipulative, selfish and an awful mother more by choice than as a consequence of being ill.


There are a LOT of characters - some are part of the crime investigation (and there are MANY of them), then you have Strikes friends and family, Robins friends and family and staff at the agency. When the killer was revealed I actually couldn’t remember who they were for a minute or two! It might just be me but I find names harder to keep track of when I only ever hear them and don’t see them in print.

Galbraith seems a bit preoccupied with cancer in this book. Off the top of my head at least 5 characters have it - there may be more. Variety is always good. People get lots of other serious health problems.

I can’t actually think of a many male characters in the whole book who are portrayed in a positive light.... except maybe Strike‘s friend “Chum “ , the Scottish guy who works for him and his Uncle. The rest are misogynistic, weak, insane, brutal, cheating, abusive etc. Even her example of a “good” husband whose marriage is an example to Robin of what marriage can be chooses to be a complete prick in the moment the wife needs him the most.


The whole horoscope angle was very confusing and I was mostly completely lost.

Overall I enjoyed it. It’s not my favourite crime series but it’s well thought out and the narrator is wonderful.

Picture painting in words.

Great picture painting - the story unfolds in your mind. Plenty of intrigue where everyone is innocent and every one is guilty. Only criticism is the blasphemy - I think it unnecessary.

a gripping listen

it doesn't disappoint and maintains the storyline well and character development. enjoyable twists along the way

Exceptional

As ever a masterful piece. Had me guessing til the end. Narrator superb. Absolutely loved it.