The Silkworm (Cormoran Strike, #2) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Feb 17, 2014 D.G. rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed, re-read, audiobook, awesome-narration, mystery

Reviewed at Badass Book Reviews.

Like I did in my review of The Cuckoo’s Calling, let me start by clarifying that this is an adult MYSTERY. If you don’t like the genre, you probably won’t like this series, even if you are a great fan of Harry Potter. Now that that’s out of the way, let me proceed with sharing my thoughts about The Silkworm.

Sequels are hard. Main characters have already been established in the first book, so now the author has to take things to the next level. I don’t think The Si Reviewed at Badass Book Reviews.

Like I did in my review of The Cuckoo’s Calling, let me start by clarifying that this is an adult MYSTERY. If you don’t like the genre, you probably won’t like this series, even if you are a great fan of Harry Potter. Now that that’s out of the way, let me proceed with sharing my thoughts about The Silkworm.

Sequels are hard. Main characters have already been established in the first book, so now the author has to take things to the next level. I don’t think The Silkworm accomplished that – I didn’t learn a lot more about Cormoran than I knew in The Cuckoo’s Calling – but the mystery was well done and Ms. Rowling established a theme for the series: murders of artists/famous people. Which makes you wonder where this will take Strike, given that his father is a famous rock star.

Since his success with the Lula Landry case, Strike’s luck has turned. His business is booming but a lot of his works consists of investigating cheating husbands/businessmen. So when Leonora Quine asks him to find her husband, he’s intrigued. Mr. Quine disappeared after having a row with his agent about Bombyx Mori, his latest manuscript. This is a terribly disturbing, semi-autobiographical story full of secrets and pure malice, portraying almost everybody the author knew in the most horrible way. It doesn’t take long for Strike to find his mutilated body and realize that Bombyx Mori is the clue to the murder.

Thus Strike gets immersed in the world of publishing and meets Quine’s agent, his editor, his publisher, successful writers and aspiring ones, all the time wondering about these people’s obsession with seeing their words in print. As I was reading, I smiled imagining that Rowling used her own experience to portray this world and that maybe she knows authors who talk in quotable bites like Mr. Fancourt or how many times she’s heard agents complaining:

“Have you any idea”, said the agent harshly, “how many people think they can write? You cannot imagine the crap I am sent, day in and day out.

I can usually figure out the murderer before the denouement in most mysteries, but not in this case. The clues were there but expertly buried. Strike doesn’t have access to all of the Police resources and authority – which frustrates him to no end – so he has to reconstruct the events that lead to the murder instead of working backwards. Everybody portrayed in Bombyx Mori seemed to have a powerful motive, although in hindsight, I didn’t pay attention to two discrepancies that should have pointed to the murderer. I was surprised there was only one murder in the book, because as Agatha Christie would say, a second murder always spices things up. This didn’t make the book boring, on the contrary, it required some ingenuity on Strike’s part to apprehend the murderer (those second murders are always handy to give the investigator additional clues or proof.)

Ms. Rowling has a wonderful way to describe people and places in a way that makes them real without being over descriptive or fussy. The characters are vividly portrayed, with interesting quirks and traits. There wasn’t much new about Strike, except his predilection for eating and drinking, his increasing frustration with his prosthesis and Charlotte’s continued attempts to hurt Strike even if she destroys herself in the process. I didn’t buy the explanation as to why Strike put up with her for so long. I know men can be shallow but Strike is so solid in other ways that I don’t think that her exquisite beauty would keep him on and off for 16 years. I won’t be surprised if Charlotte kills somebody in the future just to catch Strike’s attention.

There was a lot more going in this book: Robin’s conflict with Matthew and Strike because of her job, and the introduction of Strike’s oldest friend Dave (I loved the little I heard of him) and Al, Strike’s younger brother. I really hope I get to know more about them both in future books.

I’ve heard that Ms. Rowling will be writing 7 books in this series (she seems to like that number) so I’m really looking forward to the rest, specially the narrations by Mr. Glenister which are simply marvelous. ...more

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Oct 09, 2013 Lisa Kay rated it it was amazing

Shelves: series-c, authors-g, anticipation, m-audible-dot-com, vocation-private-investigator, authors-r, genre-mystery, challenge-2014-rlftci, ordered-pre-ordered, length-chunkster

★★★★★ Yet another excellent installment of this delicious detective series. Loved and savored every word printed and, although I had company visiting, I snuck back to it when I could.

Comoran Strike is such a wonderful character with whom to catch-up. While the mystery is intriguing, he and his assistant Robin are what make this story. I was worried there wasn’t going to be enough of Robin this go around, but RG comes through in the end. We also get to met Comoran’s brother, who made me laugh th ...more

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Jun 08, 2014 Nancy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: still-owned, crime

I loved the first Cormoran Strike novel, and I was eagerly awaiting this one. I ordered it on the day that it was released and finished it last night at 1.00am and what a fabulous book. She has such a great ability to draw you in and get you involved with the characters. Once again, there was the predictable tension between Strike and Robin, his assistant although I was pleased that there was a bit of honesty between them and it really looks like Robin is shaping up to be a fabulous sidekick.

Thi ...more

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Feb 20, 2016 Brooke rated it liked it

Shelves: b-n, book-2, mystery, audio, 2016

3.5⭐

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Feb 12, 2016 Marla rated it liked it

Shelves: series, book-about-books, mystery, audiobook, adult, zz-2018, celebrate-birthday

3.5 stars. Owen Quine is a flamboyant mediocre writer. He cheats on his wife and he goes away without warning often enough that his wife isn't certain he's really missing, but hired Strike to look for him. Quine wrote a inflammatory satire trashing many acquaintances in his literary world and exposed many secrets and taboos. Quine was such a jerk that when he's found murdered, there are a plethora of suspects. The police focus on one, but Strike thinks they are wrong again and sets out to prove 3.5 stars. Owen Quine is a flamboyant mediocre writer. He cheats on his wife and he goes away without warning often enough that his wife isn't certain he's really missing, but hired Strike to look for him. Quine wrote a inflammatory satire trashing many acquaintances in his literary world and exposed many secrets and taboos. Quine was such a jerk that when he's found murdered, there are a plethora of suspects. The police focus on one, but Strike thinks they are wrong again and sets out to prove it. The nature and scene of Quine's murder was quite spectacular.

Strangely, I am reading 2 books about the literary world and publishing: this book and Envy. I'm not a huge fan of the superficial people and brutal competition.

Robin's grumpiness and her fiance, Matthew's jealousy added to the angst in the book. I like Robin's support of Strike on cases and as his personal assistant. Strike's pain and prosthesis was an interesting aspect of him that made him more sympathetic. Strike using Nina for access and information then sleeping with her as her reward was a bit crass.

This story had many aspects of family and personal lives that told us more about Strike and Robin. (view spoiler) ...more

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Dec 05, 2014 Ouroboros rated it really liked it

I wasn't prepared for the ton of details and names to digest, but I still enjoyed this one far more than the first book in the series. The developing relationship between Robin and Strike is an intriguing one, and I can't wait for more. Matthew be damned! I hope the next book will do away with the big reveal coming at the very end; I had to listen to the last two chapters twice before I completely got who killed Owen and why. ...more

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Aug 30, 2019 lia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Grisly murder.
It gives us insight on publication business and the pressure on authors and pubslihers alike.
One spoiler: pay attention to the dog *wink*

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