Ooh, so punny.
So, what has been on my mind today? Well, since the late hours of last night, I have been completely engrossed in Robert Galbraith’s (or J.K. Rowling, if you will) novel The Silkworm. I have been effortlessly dedicated to Strike’s discovery of Owen Quine’s murderer. And what a thrilling discovery it was.
In case you have no idea what I am talking about, here’s the lowdown: The Silkworm is Robert Galbraith’s (a pseudonym for J.K. Rowling) second novel featuring the infamous private detective Cormoran Strike. Closely following the aftermath of The Cuckoo’s Calling, The Silkworm picks up months after Strike’s infamous discovery of what really caused Lula Landry's, a famous supermodel, death. Business is booming now for Strike and his assistant Robin, but when Leonora Quine, the wife of the obtusely horrendous author Owen Quine, comes to Strike for help in finding her missing husband, he gets a little more than he bargained for. He discovers Owen’s dead body, which has been mutilated in death the same way as the hero in his new, unpublished novel. Now Strike has a circle of suspects, the police working against, a vicious killer on the loose. It's up to him, and Robin, to uncover the real literary killer.
Now, I love detective stories, hence my utter obsession with Sherlock Holmes. Even the worse murder mysteries will have me completely captivated; I’m a total sucker for solving a “who-dunnit.” Needless to say, Rowling’s detective stories are fair from dull. The queen of detailed plots, Rowling has an immense talent for creative writing. She writes the kind of stories that make it impossible to put the book down— I needn’t even mention Harry Potter’s impact on the literary world. But one thing we did learn about Rowling through our years of salivating over the Potter novels is that she surely can twists plots, drop subtle hints, and plan an extravagant villain in disguise. So, we all knew she would kill it in the mystery genre. (Is it just me or am I dropping a lot of puns today?)
I love the Cormoran Strike stories. The cases are intriguing, the suspects are plentiful, and the big reveal is always a jaw-dropping moment. But I think what I love best is the way Rowling teases with information. In both novels, Cormoran solves the mystery before we do. Yet, although Cormoran knows the murderer, we are left in the dark until he confronts the suspect. I don’t know about you, but that always leaves me desperate to keep reading. I just need to know who it is! But I will admit, I was so wrong on whom I thought did it… It isn’t actually possible for the victim to have done it.
I would most definitely recommend The Silkworm and The Cuckoo’s Calling. If you love detective stories, you will love the Strike novels. And Rowling said she plans to turn Cormoran’s stories into her next series, with more than seven books! Now, we just have to wait for the movie to come out!
Photo Credit: amazon.com,
0 comments:
Post a Comment