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)

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.

Unbelievable, unpleasant, disappointing

I'm not sure what was in the author's mind with this story. I was interested at the start, and as I could listen to Robert Glenister read the paper for 30 hours, it was easy just to keep listening. It was good to hear Robin & Strike's "voices" again, and there were some parts that rang true. The details about their other cases though - the main plot was about a 40 year old disappearance - was in too much detail and, given all the other detective's background in police work, I found the length of time it took for them to work out one of the cases ridiculous.
The astrological stuff was just boring - I skipped many bits just waiting for something intelligible - and it didn't ring true that Robin would start consulting the tarot. The fact that the author actually recreated the notebook into a PDF feels like such a waste of time - I would have preferred she concentrate more on her characters.
There is way too much information about the terrible things that the serial killer did to his victims - things that are hard to forget once the image is in your mind. I really didn't need that and I think the level of detail was completely unnecessary.
But the most unbelievable part of the story was in the last few chapters, when the case was solved. I may have missed something, but I have no idea how they worked out where to look. So ultimately unsatisfying and quite disappointing. I've loved all the previous books and was so looking forward to this one.

Another great Strike novel

Great narrator, great plot. One thing that keeps bugging me is that names of reappearing secondary characters get changed from a book to a book. Ilsa Herbert became Isla Herbert in this one, Chiara Porter from the first book was Chiara Parker in the next.

There is nothing better than good story telling.

I loved it and it was never boring in spite of the length. Actually, I was surprised when I realized just now how many listening hours this book provides. It was a pleasure to enjoy it. Hopefully, there will be a next one in the series soon. The people come to life and there are stories within stories. And thankfully it was not so gruesome I had to skip forward. I think I'll listen to it again very soon to fully appreciate the book and the narrator.

Just brilliant

clever clever writing. development of characters, story... kept me addicted. Had to space listening time so didn’t all end too soon.

Loved it!

So many twists and turns and an unexpected suspect. I consider it to be the best of the series

Loved it

I have been waiting on pins and needles for this book! Loved every second of it. The characters were as entertaining and well rounded as before. The growing of the main characters were emotional and endearing. The conclusion of the mystery absolutely amazing and unexpected. Loved it.

A really great whodunit

This is superb detective story with lots of detail, suspense and a great narration. it's long but interesting both with regards to the mystery but also the main characters.

Galbraith has in my opinion breathed new life to the genre. Very well done 👍

One might argue that the detective agency wasn't too smart with their time management and deployment of assets in their cases. No one can afford 24/7 surveillance on a infidelity case or similar and quite frankly it's not very smart to post someone outside a house all night long. Not perhaps very realistic.

But this was a minor complaint in an otherwise great book.

the narrator did a fantastic job.

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.

Great Mystery

To all the people saying it‘s „cutting off“ - it is not. It‘s exactly the same in the book, it is deliberate because it says that whatever they were hearing in the book was cut off as well, so they only heard parts of it. The same thing we hear. There is nothing wrong with it that would need fixing.

About the book: great mystery that keeps one on the edge of the seat until the end.

Robert Glenister is a great narrator and really easy to listen to, 31h seem long but not with this book and narrator.

Can highly recommend the (audio)book and can‘t wait for a new Cormoran Strike novel!

Chapter two cuts out suddenly

Chapter two cuts out in the middle but there is no problem report button.

Not a review yet.

I've noticed some are mentioning that chapter 2 ends abruptly. Yes, it does but it's not a technical fault. I have the ebook as well and the chapter ends with the punctuation mark '...' So the narration halts at that point. Hope that helps.

Why is Ilsa now Isla!

A character called Ilsa that has been pronounced correctly by the same narrator for all the other books...now calls her Isla!! And a few other miss pronunciations like Troy instead of Croy...sounds like autocorrect to me...deeply frustrating and there is some skipping in chapters 2 and 6. Great book though!

This audio is so disappointing

This audio is so disappointing. In several places it just seems to cut off at random.

Nick's wife has been pronounced Ilsa for four books and suddenly her name, despite being still spelt Ilsa, is pronounced Isla which is absolutely ridiculous, didn't the narrator have a quick listen to one of the other books he'd previously narrated. Her accent is wrong as well. Completely different to how she was voiced in previous books.

In addition Masham, is supposed to be pronounced Massam not Mash-am, and was correctly pronounced in the early books, although I think the pronunciation was incorrect in the last Strike book too, is there no quality control on these recordings? So annoying.

I've abandoned listening and had to revert to reading.

Technical issues

Chapter two cuts out and also strikes friend's name is Ilsa not isla, this character has been in the other books where the name is said correctly - slightly annoying, I've not got to chapter 6 where others have said it's gone wrong. I have reported this issue.

Chapters cutting short

So far up to chapter 6 and both this chapter and chapter 2 are cutting off before the end.

Can this be fixed ASAP please!

Update just brought the book, and weirdly in chapter 2 the line cuts short and doesn’t seem to go anywhere, so narration accurate but odd to say the least, incorrect inflection?...also I love the narrator, but he is pronouncing Ilsa as Isla...not good...

Problem with Chapters

There seems to be an issue with chapter 2 and 6 aren’t complete. This needs sorting ASAP

Chapter 2 cuts out.

Chapter 2 cuts out. Will this be fixed? Love this series. Don’t want anything to ruin the experience.

loved it

I have read and listened to this book, and am glad to say it has not changed my good opinion of transexuals, nurses or anyone else - it's just a story, and a fabulous story at that. It made me question my assumptions right to the end, and the beautifully drawn characters and surroundings had me lost in London with Strike and Robin.
The mix of murder, investigation and relationship plots are as always beautifully balanced, and I wish I didn't have to wait for the next installment to find out what happens next. Much as I know the characters' lives would be happier if Strike and Robin got together, and Charlotte slung her hook, the books themselves would be lacking in so much tension and excitement if this banal, enevitable event happened too soon. I seriously hope the soon to be ex Mrs Ross, Matthew and Sarah, and the newest edition to the agency cause some serious mischief, and Robin and Strike can rise above it with tact and decency (and a few arguements), further cementing their friendship and mutual regard, and providing us with more frustrating moments of missed opportunity and denial from them both. Let's be honest, it's the relationship that keeps us hooked.
There are some variations in the performance of characters from previous books, but as my own internal voices for characters change as I get to know them better I am happy to excuse that.
I really do hope the next adventure isn't too far away.