Under her Galbraith pseudonym, J.K. Rowling impressively sustains suspense over the course of a lengthy mystery in her fourth outing for London PI Cormoran Strike and his partner, Robin Ellacott. The pair have reunited professionally after the events of 2015’s Career of Evil, in which Strike fired Robin for her handling of the Shacklewell Ripper case; their personal relationship remains unsettled in the wake of Robin’s marriage to a man who resents her job. The “curious case of a government minister, slashed horses and a body buried in a pink blanket, down in a dell” begins when a man named Billy, “one of those ill and desperate people you saw in the capital who were always somebody else’s problem,” bursts into Strike’s office and claims that he saw a child strangled when he was very young. Billy flees before offering more information, but Strike’s curiosity about the possible cold case leads him to try to trace Billy. Soon after, in what seems to be suspicious timing, Strike is retained by Culture Minister Jasper Chiswell to protect him against an extortionist, who turns out to be Billy’s brother, Jimmy Knight. Rowling’s emotionally intelligent portrayal of her protagonists never overwhelms the whodunit story line. Agent: Neil Blair, the Blair Partnership (U.K.). (Sept.)Under her Galbraith pseudonym, J.K. Rowling impressively sustains suspense over the course of a lengthy mystery in her fourth outing for London PI Cormoran Strike and his partner, Robin Ellacott. The pair have reunited professionally after the events of 2015’s Career of Evil, in which Strike fired Robin for her handling of the Shacklewell Ripper case; their personal relationship remains unsettled in the wake of Robin’s marriage to a man who resents her job. The “curious case of a government minister, slashed horses and a body buried in a pink blanket, down in a dell” begins when a man named Billy, “one of those ill and desperate people you saw in the capital who were always somebody else’s problem,” bursts into Strike’s office and claims that he saw a child strangled when he was very young. Billy flees before offering more information, but Strike’s curiosity about the possible cold case leads him to try to trace Billy. Soon after, in what seems to be suspicious timing, Strike is retained by Culture Minister Jasper Chiswell to protect him against an extortionist, who turns out to be Billy’s brother, Jimmy Knight. Rowling’s emotionally intelligent portrayal of her protagonists never overwhelms the whodunit story line. Agent: Neil Blair, the Blair Partnership (U.K.). (Sept.)
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 
Well, sorry to say this fourth book in the series didn’t live up to my expectations; it needed serious editing and rambled on too long with too many storylines; it was bogged down with dialogue thus lacking tension; and although the characters were well portrayed, their emotional angst got a bit tedious creating a drama rather than a crime novel. Did you enjoy reading it?
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I have not as yet read it but you are not the first to say what you did. I will still read the book but am less excited than I was. By the way, have you seen the CB Strike TV series?
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It is difficult to review a book by a very well-known author without others thinking it’s a case of sour grapes, however, I did find it long-winded. Yes, I have seen the Strike TV series and enjoyed it 🙂
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I don’t think of it as sour grapes! It is your opinion and I value that.
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Thank you, I appreciate your kind words.
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