Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith (a.k.a JK Rowling)

This is the third instalment in the Cormoran Strike series.

Robyn is sent a body part at the office and Strike knows of at least three people from his past who could have sent it.

Now like many readers out there, I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan. Just in case you doubt me on that one, I actually flew to London, from the bottom of Africa, for the 7th book release. Fan? I qualify. So this review really pains me to write.

While I feel it is sacrilegious to give JK Rowling anything less than 4 stars, I could not help myself. There were many parts in this book that I did enjoy, but I was dissatisfied with it overall. You see, I cut my teeth on crime fiction. I know a good crime plot from an average one. And although I feel that the characters in this book (series) are interesting, I have some issues with things.

Perhaps this needs a bit more elaboration, if it is possible to do so with out spoiling the book. Robyn is an intelligent, independent, capable woman - but yet in other aspects of her life, she allows people to walk over her. Although I am completely aware that people change depending on who they are with, for example, I cannot understand how someone would let that happen.

I also did not appreciate 'the twist' at the end. One of the things that makes crime stories compelling and addictive to read is that the reader is involved in the story, hunting for clues. This was unbelievable and left me feeling conned, not awed. In fact if I could be a little blunt here, I thought the climax was a bit stupid. A feeling that I also had with The Cuckoo's Calling. So far, I think the best instalment is the second one in the series, The Silkworm.

I find that Rowling's adult stories lack the one thing that made all her fans fall in love with Harry Potter - charm. I get that she is writing for an adult audience, but I just don't feel anything when I read these books - besides a strong distaste of the adult world. I am getting tired of chair flatulence and other repetitions too, if I have to be honest.

Urgh.

I gave this 3 stars on Goodreads, because, although I found it disappointing in many aspects, it was good in others. If this series was written by anyone else, I would probably abandon it here, but because it is Jo, I will try again.