'Lethal White' by Robert Galbraith
This is the latest, substantial episode, in the Cormoran Strike series and contains all the elements we've come to expect. The plot is suitably convoluted and would defy anyone to deduce the 'lethal white' at any point in the first three quarters of the book. There are disreputable politicians, which surely stretches credibility, marital deceits, a man whose shaky mental health threatens the authenticity of his testimony and wrong doings of all kinds, that are deftly woven with a finishing flourish.
One of J K Rowling's strengths as a writer, is her ability to portray characters that are three dimensional; likeable but realistically flawed, and in whose fates we are prepared to invest as a reader. Cormoran Strike epitomizes this with his unhealthy diet and lifestyle, dysfunctional background and relationships with women, determinedly rugged and uncultured demeanour and his missing leg whose absence is a presence in its own right. Robin is a suitable counterfoil with her physical attractiveness, and a conventional upbringing, cruelly violated at her first step of independence, causing her to retreat into a safe but charmless marriage. The tension of mutual attraction between her and Strike, is perpetuated throughout, without conclusion, and the reader is still left hanging for their happy ending, which can surely only be delayed for so long before their procrastination begins to be slightly irksome.
JK creates a strong sense of place, and although I'm not so familiar with London that I can state with authority that every detail checks out, I bet it does.
Whilst this is a cracking good read, it is not without its flaws. It would benefit from some editing down, the writing occasionally slips with word proximity issues, and horror of horrors, Sphere, there are some errors that have made it through the publishing process unnoticed. How can this be? It would also be helpful for the reader, in trying to follow the multifarious threads, if there were slightly few characters, but I did hold on, just about, to the end, with all my senses intact.
Lethal White, however, has a pleasingly insistent page-turning capacity, which is just as well as there are quite a few of them! It held my attention, made me late out of bed in the morning, and I just like Cormoran and Robin. Therefore there is only one verdict, just make sure you set aside sufficient time...
Verdict: Read
One of J K Rowling's strengths as a writer, is her ability to portray characters that are three dimensional; likeable but realistically flawed, and in whose fates we are prepared to invest as a reader. Cormoran Strike epitomizes this with his unhealthy diet and lifestyle, dysfunctional background and relationships with women, determinedly rugged and uncultured demeanour and his missing leg whose absence is a presence in its own right. Robin is a suitable counterfoil with her physical attractiveness, and a conventional upbringing, cruelly violated at her first step of independence, causing her to retreat into a safe but charmless marriage. The tension of mutual attraction between her and Strike, is perpetuated throughout, without conclusion, and the reader is still left hanging for their happy ending, which can surely only be delayed for so long before their procrastination begins to be slightly irksome.
JK creates a strong sense of place, and although I'm not so familiar with London that I can state with authority that every detail checks out, I bet it does.
Whilst this is a cracking good read, it is not without its flaws. It would benefit from some editing down, the writing occasionally slips with word proximity issues, and horror of horrors, Sphere, there are some errors that have made it through the publishing process unnoticed. How can this be? It would also be helpful for the reader, in trying to follow the multifarious threads, if there were slightly few characters, but I did hold on, just about, to the end, with all my senses intact.
Lethal White, however, has a pleasingly insistent page-turning capacity, which is just as well as there are quite a few of them! It held my attention, made me late out of bed in the morning, and I just like Cormoran and Robin. Therefore there is only one verdict, just make sure you set aside sufficient time...
Verdict: Read
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