It's been three long years waiting for this book but finally...Robin and Strike are back!!
I was on countdown from the very minute I pre-ordered this book, and couldn't wait to dive in. Picking up exactly where the last book finished it was easy to fall back into this story and back into these characters lives.
Billy, a young man with mental health issues, arrives in Strike's office claiming he witnessed a crime as a child. After Billy bolts from the office in a panic, Cormoran can't quite put these distressed ramblings out of his mind. With Robin, now a partner in the agency, at his side Strike follows the twists and turns of a case that becomes more sinister with every step.
Whilst the pair become further entwined in the investigation, their relationship is fraught. It seems the easy going partnership they once had has gone, to be replaced by awkward silences and second guessing. As Cormoran and Robin tread unsettled waters in their personal lives, they must try and stay on course and solve the case.
I found myself so quickly pulled into this instalment that it was easy for me to devote an entire weekend to it. I felt this case was the most interesting since Lula Landry's in The Cuckoo's Calling, new clues were thrown into the mix right up until the very end and although I had my suspicions on who the culprit was I couldn't put 100% faith into my guess like with most in this genre.
Galbraith (Rowling), as always, is amazing at creating characters and building environments that are suited to the theme of the story. I have seen that many have commented on the authors lack of skill in writing romance, but I have to say I disagree. Romance isn't always long lingering looks and hearts and flowers, sometimes it is attraction without realising its mutual and second guessing whether your feelings are true. I believe the chemistry between the two protagonists is just the right amount for this genre, I personally don't want to get sidetracked by the lovey-dovey stuff during a gritty crime thriller.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and just hope the wait for the next one won't be as long.