Career of evil

*Starred Review* It's no secret that London PI Cormoran Strike has met his share of disreputable characters. What is alarming is that when a serial killer sends Strike's assistant, Robin, a severed leg, Strike can name at least four acquaintances capable of both the murders and the grotesque communique. The unflappable Robin refuses to step back from her sleuthing, but the violent message does reopen some old emotional wounds, making her particularly intolerant of a stunning confession by her fiancé. Perhaps the darkest of the Cormoran Strike mysteries, Career of Evil tackles misogyny, pedophilia, murder, rape, and body integrity identity disorder. Readers familiar with the popular series written by Galbraith's alter ego, J. K. Rowling, will recognize the author's skill at creating complex tales with immensely rewarding payoffs. She pulls it off again here. The plot involves catching an obsessed slasher before he kills again. The real appeal here, on the other hand, is Robin and Strike's relationship. A contemporary thriller with characters whose emotional journey is just as page-turningly gratifying as the most high-stakes manhunt.--Keefe, Karen Copyright 2015 Booklist

More thriller than whodunit, J.K. Rowling's captivating third novel written under her Galbraith pseudonym (after 2014's The Silkworm) further deepens her lead characters, Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott. Strike, who lost a leg during his military service in Afghanistan, was struggling in his career as a London-based PI until, serendipitously, Robin was assigned to him as a temp. The emotional intelligence she brought with her helped him solve some high-profile cases and turn him into a celebrity. But now their partnership faces two serious threats: Robin's fiancé suspects she wants a romantic relationship with her boss, and a serial killer has targeted her as his next victim. The murderer, who has a deep hatred for Strike, begins a campaign of terror by delivering a parcel to Robin at the office, which she assumes contains supplies for her upcoming wedding. Instead, to her horror, she finds a severed human leg inside. Maintaining a high level of suspense throughout, Rowling transforms Robin into a professional equal of Strike's and sets the stage for further complexities in their relationship in the next book. Agent: Neil Blair, the Blair Partnership (U.K.). (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Robin Ellacott is surprised, to put it mildly, when she opens up a package at work to find inside a woman's severed leg. Her boss, PI Cormoran Strike, can think of at least four people who might be angry enough with him to send him a human limb, plus there are numerous others eager to see his detective agency fail. Added to the complicated mix is Matthew, Robin's fiancé, who blames Cormoran for the dangerous situations into which Robin frequently finds herself. Could the ghastly package be connected to letters they've been receiving from people who believe Cormoran, a veteran of the Afghanistan war, voluntarily had his leg amputated? Determined to discover the truth, Robin is distracted by grim memories from her past and uncertain feelings about her impending wedding. Verdict Under the Galbraith pseudonym, J.K. Rowling continues to develop interestingly flawed characters and compelling stories. This time around, the grisly murders take a definite backseat to an exploration of interpersonal relationships and the dramatic revelation of Robin's backstory. A must buy and great for readers of contemporary British mysteries.-Laurel Bliss, San Diego State Univ. Lib. © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

J.K. Rowling continues her investigation of the dark sidethis time giving us three gruesomely twisted suspectsin her latest pseudonymous mystery. Robin Ellacott first showed up at hard-living private eye Cameron Strike's office as a temp, but by the end of their second big case (The Silkworm, 2014), she'd become indispensable as a fellow investigator. As this third book opens, she's arriving at work off Charing Cross Road and accepts a package from a deliveryman, thinking it's a shipment of favors for her upcoming wedding to Matthew, the jealous fiance who disapproves of her job. When she opens it, though, she's horrified to find a woman's leg. Someone seems to be using Robin to get to her boss, who's missing a leg himself, having lost it in an explosion in Afghanistan. Strike can think of four men, right off the top of his head, who would be capable of such a horrific thing: the stepfather he thinks killed his mother with a heroin overdose; a famous mobster; and two sick bastards he tangled with when he was an Army investigator. The police immediately go after the mobster, who, on second thought, Strike finds an unlikely culpritso he and Robin set to work tracking down the other three. Rowling is, as always, an unflinching chronicler of evil, interspersing chapters told from the perspective of the carefully unnamed perpetratora serial killer with a penchant for keeping "souvenirs" from his victims' bodies and an unhealthy obsession with Strikeas he follows Robin around London, waiting for her to get distracted just long enough for him to kill her, too. Robin and Strike's relationship continues to be the best part of the series, though perhaps it's too easy to dislike Matthew; readers will be cheering when Robin breaks off their engagement, but of course it won't be that easy to get rid of him. The story has its longueurs, and if Galbraith weren't actually Rowling, an editor might have told him to trim a bit, especially once Strike and Robin close in on their three suspects and start conducting repetitive stakeouts (and especially since the two who aren't Strike's former stepfather are hard to keep straight). The book ends on a cliffhanger worthy of Harry Potter, and Rowling's readers will eagerly await the next installment. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

*Starred Review* It's no secret that London PI Cormoran Strike has met his share of disreputable characters. What is alarming is that when a serial killer sends Strike's assistant, Robin, a severed leg, Strike can name at least four acquaintances capable of both the murders and the grotesque communique. The unflappable Robin refuses to step back from her sleuthing, but the violent message does reopen some old emotional wounds, making her particularly intolerant of a stunning confession by her fiancé. Perhaps the darkest of the Cormoran Strike mysteries, Career of Evil tackles misogyny, pedophilia, murder, rape, and body integrity identity disorder. Readers familiar with the popular series written by Galbraith's alter ego, J. K. Rowling, will recognize the author's skill at creating complex tales with immensely rewarding payoffs. She pulls it off again here. The plot involves catching an obsessed slasher before he kills again. The real appeal here, on the other hand, is Robin and Strike's relationship. A contemporary thriller with characters whose emotional journey is just as page-turningly gratifying as the most high-stakes manhunt. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

Robin Ellacott is surprised, to put it mildly, when she opens up a package at work to find inside a woman's severed leg. Her boss, PI Cormoran Strike, can think of at least four people who might be angry enough with him to send him a human limb, plus there are numerous others eager to see his detective agency fail. Added to the complicated mix is Matthew, Robin's fiancé, who blames Cormoran for the dangerous situations into which Robin frequently finds herself. Could the ghastly package be connected to letters they've been receiving from people who believe Cormoran, a veteran of the Afghanistan war, voluntarily had his leg amputated? Determined to discover the truth, Robin is distracted by grim memories from her past and uncertain feelings about her impending wedding. Verdict Under the Galbraith pseudonym, J.K. Rowling continues to develop interestingly flawed characters and compelling stories. This time around, the grisly murders take a definite backseat to an exploration of interpersonal relationships and the dramatic revelation of Robin's backstory. A must buy and great for readers of contemporary British mysteries.—Laurel Bliss, San Diego State Univ. Lib. (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

More thriller than whodunit, J.K. Rowling's captivating third novel written under her Galbraith pseudonym (after 2014's The Silkworm) further deepens her lead characters, Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott. Strike, who lost a leg during his military service in Afghanistan, was struggling in his career as a London-based PI until, serendipitously, Robin was assigned to him as a temp. The emotional intelligence she brought with her helped him solve some high-profile cases and turn him into a celebrity. But now their partnership faces two serious threats: Robin's fiancé suspects she wants a romantic relationship with her boss, and a serial killer has targeted her as his next victim. The murderer, who has a deep hatred for Strike, begins a campaign of terror by delivering a parcel to Robin at the office, which she assumes contains supplies for her upcoming wedding. Instead, to her horror, she finds a severed human leg inside. Maintaining a high level of suspense throughout, Rowling transforms Robin into a professional equal of Strike's and sets the stage for further complexities in their relationship in the next book. Agent: Neil Blair, the Blair Partnership (U.K.). (Oct.)