Career of Evil

By: Robert Galbraith

Narrated by: Robert Glenister

Length: 17 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2015 Robert Galbraith (P)2015 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Robert Glenister is the man in this fine performance of Robert Galbraith's (aka J.K. Rowling) most recent detective thriller. Having narrated the first two books in the series, Glenister knows the main characters...." (AudioFile)

So damn good!!!

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

Up in the top 50 for sure. I've listened t a lot of fantastic books and this I would definitely say is a fantastic book! The story moves along. The characters are engaging. And I was sad when it ended. It's hard not to get wrapped up in the relationship of Robin and Cormoran all over again as they solve another one.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Cormoran is my favorite because he's so down to earth and interesting to follow along with. Though, Robin comes a close second. The two of them work so good together.

What about Robert Glenister’s performance did you like?

Robert is perfect for these books and plays the characters to perfection. He has no annoying tendencies what so ever. RG and RG make a perfect pair!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Too long for one sitting, but once I started, it was hard to stop. If you like the first 2 of this series, this one does not disappoint. Do not think twice. Totally credit worthy!

Am Loving This Series

I just can't wait to read the next addition to this series. This addition was really good and evil.... so many things and it was great.. Loved it

I'll keep it short, it was great, from the start all was WOW!!! Narration was amazing as well.

MUST READ SERIES

Another Winner

When the severed leg arrives , it seems to plainly be a message for Cormoran Strike, due to the fact that he is missing part of a leg from service in Afghanistan---however, the package is addressed to Robin. Thus starts the increasingly tense hunt for the person who sent it. Amazingly to Robin, Cormoran says he can name at least four men he knows who are capable and have reason to send him this kind of thing.

Part of what makes this crime novel so appealing is the continuous wit and increasing attraction between Robin and Cormoran. Without them, if would be just a so-so story.

This one reveals a big secret in Robin's life, and a more in depth look at her relationship with her family and her fiancé. The wedding day is set, but everything is not all rosy. There is a bit of a cliffhanger at the end which might throw everything into another direction in the next installment--

Great storytelling, wonderful credible characters

I don't usually like mysteries that are too grizzly, and I might well have avoided this tangled story of psychopathologies and lesser human weaknesses. I'm so glad I didn't miss it.

The suspense is built with mastery. Even the red herrings and miscues illuminate both the plot line and the people. The personal stories of Cormoran and his partner (or assistant?) Robin are complex, full of successes, mistakes and regrets, but their emotional resilience gives depth to their evolving relationship and to the story. The ending -- no ending at all -- is pure genius, and totally believable.

Didn't want it to end!

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

I really liked this book - kept me guessing and the interest high.

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

The twist of en ending!!

What about Robert Glenister’s performance did you like?

Adore his reading of this series. Will look for others he's done.

Any additional comments?

Was sad when it ended, and can't wait for another!

The best so far

The evolution of Cormoran + Robin is amazing. it adds so much to the story!! The main story is much easier to follow than 2nd book also.
Robert Glenister delivers an outstanding performance as usual!!

SPOILER ALERT
The parts where you get to read the side of the murderers mind is so cool. It adds so much richness and depth...

2 hour book told in 17 hours and 58 seconds

If you could sum up Career of Evil in three words, what would they be?

Not worth reading.

What could Robert Galbraith have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Given the book more interesting characters with broader vocabulary.

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

I wouldn't make it into a movie because I think it would be a fail.

Any additional comments?

I'm not very good at posting about really good books but I do post IMHO about really bad books. This book clearly did not appeal to either my husband nor me as we listened to it on a trip to NM. Maybe this is the author's style of writing or genre but 17 hours of crude language and repetition gets tiring. I'm not opposed to 4 letter words here and there but when it's at the frequency as in this book it makes me think the author has a narrow vocabulary. I realize the character is a nasty, low down, demented character but there is better language that can be used to get that point across. I bought the book because of the length at 17 hours, good for a long road trip and the 4+ star rating and the many 4-5 star rave reviews. This book obviously did not meet our expectation and I will be returning it which is a great feature of Audible.

Entertaining enough for five stars, but....

..."Robert Galbraith" needs to make it more difficult to figure out who the killer is. I know it's a convention that "It's always the one you least suspect," but if a writer does that in every book, the reader just has to pick out the least suspicious person as the culprit. I've read all three books in this series, and the way to figure out the killer is not to follow clues or put two and two together but to choose whichever character the story emphasizes as "definitely not the killer." Yep, that's definitely going to be the one.

I've said this on an earlier review, but JK Rowlings' depictions of interpersonal relationships are so infantile. Everyone has an idee fixe, and there's a lot of pouting and neuroticism.

All negativity aside--I like to get that part out of the way first--this is probably my favorite audiobook that I've listened to this year. Rowling's expertise at world-building and story-telling is practically unmatched--no writer of popular fiction that I can think of can bring a place and time vividly to life like she can. There's a scene in a strip club, and the way Rowling described the mirrors, the music, the patrons, the strippers and other workers--I felt like going into that club was an experience I'd actually had (I've never been in a strip club FYI). And the two main characters are so well-drawn and likable, and the story doesn't drag at any point. The narration is top-notch, as well--none of that annoying tendency some narrators have to lower their voices to depict internal monologue, thus making it practically impossible to hear parts of the story (Harry Lloyd, I'm looking at you!)

Definitely worth a credit. I only gripe about the book because it annoys me to see a writer fall into such a predictable pattern.

Dark, twisted and hooking

It amazing how such a dark plot can beautifully intertwine with the captivating from the develops between Cormoran and Robin

Nice Follow Up to The Silkworm

Very intriguing villain, but mostly I enjoyed the Robin/Cormoran back-and-forth the most. Can’t wait for #4 to come out!