'Troubled Blood' by Robert Galbraith

 Now I've got to come clean, I'm a JK Rowling fan. She's not a perfect writer but she is very good and I enjoy a good whodunnit. I've read and enjoyed all the Comoran Strike books so getting this one was a no-brainer. And it's just as well I like them because this is huge! I'm a fast reader but it took some getting through. It's an ideal book for lockdown. As usual, the characters are well-depicted and utterly convincing. We really care about Robin and Strike. The plot is a complex web of intrigue that requires some concentration, and it is interwoven by the private lives of the two detectives in a way that feels real, rather than contrived.

Unusually for Rowling, the dialogue feels a bit clunky, and, more usually, the book could do with a judicious edit, but this is a thoroughly enjoyable read. Perhaps one of my biggest criticisms is that the sexual tension between Robin and Comoran is getting a bit wearing, but I'm not really sure how this can be easily resolved. Having a couple as the lead team would be difficult, but the 'will they, won't they' is losing its novelty by the fifth book. I wonder how this will be resolved moving forward...

In the meantime, this is still a damn good read and I warmly recommend it.

Verdict: Read