Superlate Review of The Silkworm (A Cormoran Strike Novel) by Robert Galbraith (Pseudonym) J.K Rowling

Late to know, there was a good book like this. I really like mystery, crime, and thriller book. (I am not psychopath). I know this book 2015, December. It’s need one year to realize, there is a superb crime and mystery book by J.K Rowling,








“J.K Rowling releases a novel under a pseudonym? Then announces that said novels sequel is already written and will be released in 2014??” – (aneee kemana ajj?!?)



This was my first of the Cormoran Strike novels. I hadn't read the first one, but it didn't matter much. I know that The Cukcoo’s Calling is first novel of Cormoran Strike Series but I prefer to read The Silkworm first.  I think the case in this book was much more interesting than before. The mystery was much more complicated, but that could just be because I am no good at solving mysteries. The book starts off slowly, introducing the audience to the full cast of characters, but rapidly takes off.


J.K Rowling is still J.K Rowling, She has a fantastic vocabulary. she is so detailed in her stories and things that may seem insignificant in the beginning end up being very relevant to solving the case. I love her writing, her characterization. Her ability to keep me reading sans magic through the almost minute to minute life of Cormoran strike. 



Cormoran Strike (she always has great names for her characters) is a private investigator, a man who has had an interesting career in the defence forces and the police, and now working for himself. Assisting him in his one-man band business is his wonderful assistant, Robin, dying to become a private investigator herself, following and observing every move Cormoran makes. To be honest, she has way more smarts than Cormoran, and is far more instrumental in solving the case. (It’s truly honest)



The Silkworm explores the backbiting, insular world of publishing. Owen Quine, a self-dramatizing has-been cultivating an enfant terrible image, has produced a libelous manuscript he calls Bombyx Mori, the Latin name for the silkworm. In it, he skewers fellow writers and even his own publishing house through parody and thinly veiled characters. After a row with his dragon-lady agent, Quine vanishes, and Mrs. Quine hires Strike. When Quine turns up dead, Strike and his pretty, clever assistant, Robin Ellacot, set out to find out what was so damaging in Bombyx Mori that the author had to be silenced and the manuscript taken.



Actually, Bombyx Mori might have been enough to get him murdered.


Besides the mystery at hand, Cormoran and Robin are each dealing with their own personal issues. Cormoran is still feeling from the end of his long-term relationship with the beautiful and volatile Caroline eight months before, a wound made worse by the fact that Charlotte is now engaged to another man. Robin’s fiance, Matthew, disapproves of her dangerous new job (and all the time she spends with Strike), making it difficult for Robin to avoid terrible fights if she wants to keep working on the case.


The Silkworm hooked me in from the very beginning, and kept me guessing until the big reveal. I have enjoyed this series so far for a couple of reasons. There was little to criticize. The quotations at the start of the chapters were irritating/pretentious, but this structural element made more sense at the end. Some details were grotesque, as to be expected in this genre, and why I usually avoid reading this kind of series. Even if we can find some themes already present in her fantasy saga, this series is dedicated to adult readers and Rowling never forget them, so we shouldn't either. As much as she treated children with respect, so she does with her more mature audience: this is a mystery book and there is violence, blood and, in a limited way, sex and curses. There is real life, which Rowling proves she can manage brilliantly, with a touch of black humor but without thriving in the most gruesome or vulgar details. She can talk about removed guts without being excessively pulp (a genre that only few authors can afford) or plainly gross (a feat managed by many mystery authors) and she can have a transgender character between her protagonists without sounding sensationalistic or prudish but just, you know, a writer.



The story  itself decently interesting with some nice twists, but the identity of the killer is hugely anti-climatic. The motive also makes very little sense. Strike himself doesn’t place a huge importance on motive, focusing instead on means/opportunity, but considering this is a super planned, extremely grisly murder, a stronger motive is definitely needed.  

My biggest complaint bothered me in the first book as well, but felt more egregious here. Strike arrives at his theory for solving the case but the reader is left in the dark as he, Robin, and others play out their ways in order to catch the killer. This is obviously to build up suspense to the big reveal, but I just found it annoying and confusing as we got snippets of their conversations but without the details. I think the confrontation could still be suspenseful knowing what Strike and Robin were actually doing to catch them beforehand. It also made the ending feel a bit rushed like killer caught! I do think more time could be spent on what happens after the case is solved, and that certain details could be saved for revealing later without making the reader purposely wait for them and aware of that fact.



Overall, I enjoyed this book quite a bit. While not perfect, it captures Rowling's talent as a storyteller and a master plotter quite well. I'll be quite happy to follow the adventures of Strike and Robin for quite some time



                                  





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