In the epic fifth installment in this “compulsively readable” (People) series, Galbraith’s “irresistible hero and heroine” (USA Today) take on the decades-old cold case of a missing doctor, one which may be their grisliest yet. 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 … her mother, Margot Bamborough–who went missing in mysterious circumstances in 1974.
Strike has never tackled a cold case before, let alone one forty 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. And Robin herself is also 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 . . .
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Book Review: Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling) (2020) (Mystery) 4 Stars ****
N.B. Let me start off by saying I had no idea of the controversy surrounding this book. This book and its author have been chastised and ostracized for what is deemed by a segment of society to be transphobic bias
because the serial killer sometimes dresses in women’s clothing in order to make his approach to young women less intimidating. He sometimes masturbates into their underwear and sometimes wears their underwear, and saves their jewelry as keepsakes as he violently tortures, rapes, and kills them. Anyone who is familiar with the behavior of sexual predators knows this is common behavior and is in no way indicative of a bias against transgender people. That bring said, the character is never mentioned as trans, and only uses women’s clothing as a disguise to gain trust—just as actual kidnappers/rapists/killers have dressed as women, pizza and UPS delivery, gas and electric company service, police, clergy, and false emissaries from relatives or people supposedly in need of help. Sexuality, one way or the other, is not judged.
This being said, let’s get on with the plot …
Set in England in 2013-2014, private detectives Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott are hired to solve the 40 year old cold case disappearance of Dr. Margot Bamborough in 1974. While the now imprisoned serial killer/rapist/torturer Dennis Creed has never admitted to her abduction and murder, many believe that she was one of his victims, even though no body was ever found. The sexual tension between the two detectives runs rampant throughout the chapters. These two barely move an inch closer to each other in this book with over 900 pages. The list of co-workers, characters, suspects, red herrings, locations , etc. is longer than a monthly grocery list. There are close to 100 characters mentioned in the book with varying degrees of importance.
Strike and Robin are beset by personal problems and baggage from their pasts. Loners, trying to keep it together, it’s one thing after another. Strike ponders, … “Then he closed his eyes, and like millions of his fellow humans, wondered why troubles could never come singly, but in avalanches, so that you became increasingly destabilized with every blow that hit you.”
Our wise author tells us, “We aren’t our mistakes. It’s what we do about the mistake that shows who we are.”
Each setback only temporarily slows them down … unless it’s their attraction for each other, of course.
With determination and an uncanny attention to detail, the pair shovel through copious, confusing notes left by investigating police detectives from the past (one detective put heavy emphasis on astrological signs and attributes), interview witnesses, compare testimony, check alibis, and discuss likelihood and probability in order to solve the case. They encounter roadblocks: deceased witnesses, untruthful or mistaken testimony, conflicting information and so many leads that take them further away from the case, rather than closer.
Somehow, after a year’s time, Robin recognizes a pattern and an incongruity—and voilà!—the culprit is discovered! Believe me, it’s no one you would suspect! This is certainly a surprise ending with focus on the untimely demise of numerous characters. A twist of an ending after so many red herrings.
So, what didn’t I like? The book is way too long. The author’s style has always been to use a thousand words where a hundred could make the point. Exhausting! Too many details and descriptions that are not essential to the plot. So many characters make it hard to keep track. Was the astrology that occupied hours and hours of analysis and verification even necessary to the plot? The truth is: This author, whether writing as Robert Galbraith or J.K. Rowling, loves to turn a phrase into a tome. Case in point—this book as well as the Harry Potter series.
I also find the characterization of Italians as crime families offensive and prejudicial stereotyping. While society defends gender and criminal rights, as well as political correctness for racial stereotyping of black and brown people, why is there never an outcry against the negative portrayal of Italians as gangsters? Why do so many authors get away with mentioning the Italian background of a character, and leaving it like that, as if assumptions can be made and no qualifying statements are necessary? This is never allowed against other groups. Other people can be addicts, alcoholics, rapists, abusers, murderers, thieves, etc, without their national backgrounds mentioned. Why not the same respect for Italians and Italian-Americans? If anyone out there reading this is a member of the ACLU or a defender against bias, how about adding this underserved and over-exploited group to your list of causes?
I love these books. I hated it when this one ended. Next one will be out in 2022??
I will miss these people while waiting for the next book.
A cold case. A forty year old cold case. Strike hasn’t done a cold case before this.
What kind of clues could still exist?
Always enjoy Cormoran Strike books and this didn’t disappoint.
Warning, the hardback version weighs over 4 pounds and is 1493 pages- but worth ever ounce. I love the characters and the depth the author goes to create them. That saying, there are a lot of characters in this one, and I suggest getting some small Post It tabs to mark each character as introduced, to help keep them straight.
The agency is so successful that Cormoran and Robin have had to hire a receptionist and several contract investigators to help with the case load and yet they still have clients on a waiting list. OIn addition, they are both struggling with some personal issues, Robin’s ex, Matthew is prolonging the divorce and Strike’s beloved aunt, Joan is dying of cancer, but they are not yet at that point in their relationship that they feel they can lean on each other for support. They take on a 40 year old cold case, which allows the author to demonstrate how intricate, twisted and time consuming, real detective work is.
Read 1.26.2021
Whoosh. What a read. I loved every second of this book. Fantastic!
Just a little too long …. almost a thousand pages!
I love this series but this one I got to the point that I just wanted it to end.
When Strike takes on his first cold case, it’s clear from the off that it’s going to take a lot of digging to uncover the truth of what happened to Margot Bamborough.
There’s a lot to love in this instalment. Strike and Robin’s relationship is at the heart of it all. We’ve got some great side stories with Robin’s flat mate, Strike’s family in Cornwall, and the ever/never-present Rokeby clan who keep trying to get Strike to give Jonny Rokeby, Strike’s absentee rock star father, a chance even though he clearly doesn’t deserve one. Strike’s clingy ex continues to linger on, adding further drama to his personal life.
Then there’s a solid A plot involving a missing doctor, her husband, daughter, former colleagues, and the obligatory ex lover.
(Spoilers here on out)
Where this stumbles for me is the sheer length. It just doesn’t need to be nine hundred odd pages. There isn’t that much plot, and I found myself wanting to skip over the many descriptions of appearance. I was equally unenamoured with the astrology elements which really didn’t add anything to the storyline and could have been deleted entirely without much impact. Perhaps some will enjoy those elements more than I did.
My second issue with Troubled Blood is the excessive use of happenstance. A lot of the ‘reveals’ come about by pure chance rather than Strike and Robin’s actions. Spotting the Athorn boy, the French witness coming forward, finding Satchwell, all involve a lot of luck. Being critical, it’s easy to feel that, on occasion, Strike stumbles onto the truth rather than detects it.
Nevertheless, it’s well-executed, enjoyable, and well worth picking up.
Despite a couple of shortcomings, the ending is worth waiting for.
Waiting for this 5th book in the Cormoran Strike series was excruciating, but worth it. I’m a Cormoran fan, and root for his success as a detective, in his romantic life and in his life-long pursuit to come to peace with his wild up-bringing. Getting closer….
Incredible! This book had so many twists and turns! A 40 year old missing person case and many other cases. I could not keep up with all! I know I would make a terrible detective. Lol This was a terrific book!
The narration was perfect too!!
Can’t wait to read it! I love this series!!! Need to finish current read first!!!