Career of Evil

By: Robert Galbraith

Narrated by: Robert Glenister

A disturbing package leads Detective Cormoran Strike and his assistant Robin Ellacott to investigate four dangerous murder suspects in this "magnetic" British mystery (Michiko Kakutani, New York Times) that inspired the acclaimed HBO Max series C.B. Strike. When Robin Ellacott opens an unexpected delivery, she is horrified to discover that it contains a woman's severed leg. Her boss, private detective Cormoran Strike, is less surprised but just as alarmed. He suspects that four people from his past could be responsible -- and any one of them is capable of sustained and unspeakable brutality. With the police focusing on the one suspect Strike has essentially ruled out, he and Robin take matters into their own hands and delve into the dark and twisted worlds of the other three men. But as more horrendous acts occur, time is running out for the two of them . . . Career of Evil is the third in J. K. Rowling's highly acclaimed series featuring private detective Cormoran Strike and his assistant Robin Ellacott. A fiendishly clever mystery with unexpected twists around every corner, Career of Evil is also a gripping story of a man and a woman at a crossroads in their personal and professional lives.

This isn't Harry Potter!

Career of Evil is the third book in the Cormoran Strike series and it is the third book that JK Rowling has written using the pen name Robert Galbraitth. It is an excellent mystery novel. The book is set in London (UK) and main character is Cormoran Strike. Strike is a struggling private investigator who has a prosthetic lower leg as the result of a war wound. Robin Ellacott is Strike's assistant who has a role in the books almost as large as he. This book is about solving serial murders. There are many references to and lines from the Blue Oyster Cult songs, especially (Don't Fear) the Reaper in the book. My one very minor complaint about Career of Evil is that the author is a bit excessively wordy.

The narrator, Robert Glenister, is exactly right for the for the Cormoran Strike series. He is superb.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Very Dark

Where does Career of Evil rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Pretty high. I walked around with headphones in whenever I could.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Career of Evil?

**Spoiler**
The mental image of the villain (I won't give away his name) keeping trophies and in particular the scene where he bites into the finger haunted me. I felt really sick to my stomach after listening to that chapter.

What does Robert Glenister bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His voice is exactly how I pictured Strike when I read the The Cuckoo's Calling. His perfect accents and voices leave no doubt which character is speaking. He's an excellent narrator.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I felt physically ill after the chapters from the perspective of the villain. I had a visceral reaction to his thoughts and actions that I rarely have felt in response to a book. It felt like watching a tragedy happen, and staring in horror, unable to look away.

Any additional comments?

This book was really dark, probably the darkest work by J.K. Rowling/Robert Galbraith. I actually can't say I'd recommend it to the people I love because it was pretty disturbing. But to someone who enjoys that kind of dark literature, it is gripping.

Highly entertaining series!

This has become my favorite series and I was actually sad when I finish this book because it's SO good. I simply did not want it to end! AND the performance is outstanding. It's not often that the performance is as good as the material. Mr. Glenister is flawless and gives a seamless performance.

Really good - but not the best

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book to a friend as I thought it was a really good, well crafted story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Strike, of course!

Have you listened to any of Robert Glenister’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Awesome, as usual!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Strike Misses the Clues

She's Back! and the Narrator is Fantastic!

For those of you who ever wondered if Madame Rowling was ever capable of such great heights following Harry Potter... this is your answer. Book three solidifies this series a place among my favorite serial fiction.

It is too bad I must advise you to "get through" The Cuckoo's Calling. Trust me, by the time you read The Silkworm you will not regret it. Finally, having the opportunity to read Career of Evil, will be entirely satisfying. Without the first two books, you would be wholly incapable of following the storyline.

Do yourself a favor, dig into these. They are easily read, though rough, quite adult, and certainly not for the faint of heart. If you have a proclivity for a dark crime story with a hero you can root for, you will find it here.