Troubled Blood

J.K. Rowling’s 5th adult detective novel in the Cormoran Strike series will be sure to please fans. Writing under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, Rowling’s newest tops out near 1,000 pages as the 2 detectives are hired to solve a 40 year-old murder mystery. Robin and Strike are hired by a woman whose mother disappeared about 40 years ago. The case was never solved and no one knows what happened to the young doctor who was supposed to be meeting her friend for a drink in the pub, but never showed up. There was a serial killer on the loose at the time and some people believe that must have been how Margot Bamborough met her fate. Others suspect her husband. Most agree she would not have walked out on her young 2 year-old daughter. As Strike and Robin interview witnesses and gather clues, we are given a further glimpse into their personal lives as well. We also wait to see if the romantic attraction that is obvious between them will be addressed. I enjoyed the personal parts of the novel most of all as the cover is slowly lifted to reveal a bit more of Strike’s vulnerable side. As the book ended with a cliff-hanger, it appears Rowling is planning another in the series.