When reviewing this book, Mark Lawson commented "Lucky, though, are those few who read it in the purity of obscurity rather than the distracting glare of hindsight." The distracting glare, of course, being that Robert Galbraith is JK Rowling's pseudonym. It shouldn't be an issue, of course. Who cares if the writer is JK Rowling, or an unknown writer who has written an accomplished debut? Who cares if it is a woman or a man?
Even though it does not matter, it does add an intriguing element to it. The novel is a thoroughly enjoyable detective novel, focusing on a slightly different hero to JK Rowling's more famous magical schoolboy. Private detective Cormoran Strike is a brooding, heavy, former soldier with a prosthetic leg, debt and a myriad of issues in his personal life. Meanwhile, a beautiful model has fallen from a Knightsbridge flat and foul play is suspected. Put two and two together and you get a detective novel.
I will focus on the positives first. As with all of JK Rowling's novels, it is very readable: the prose is engaging (if not at all challenging) and the plot moves seamlessly throughout. She seems to enjoy the conventions of the genre and does not attempt to move away from what is expected of a dying breed of novels. When I read a detective novel, I expect the detective to be solitary; I look forward to reading about a dysfunctional family and I anticipate more twists and turns than a proverbial bag of pretzels. This novel does not disappoint. I actually enjoyed the novel far more than I thought I would, having thought 'The Casual Vacancy' was soulless and a bit of a chore to read.
It was also interesting to read Rowling's attacks on the press and politicians. With regards to the former, there are some similarities between the early assertions of what happened to Lula and the death of Princess Diana. This is an interesting aside, particularly when you consider that JK Rowling has been one of the more high profile figures involved in the Leveson Inquiry. It appears to be an itch worth scratching for Rowling, and she probably delights in being able attack 'News of the World' in the pages of this novel.
There are a couple of 'howevers' though. Firstly, I am not sure how I feel about JK Rowling's presentation of the working class. She did it in 'The Casual Vacancy' with Krystal Weedon (Weedon? Really? I'm sure you can do better than that Rowling. What next? Chardonnay Pissedup?) and she does it again in this novel: working class people speak in text-speak-like dialects: "Oh yeah, an' 'e was full of 'ow 'e was gonna 'elp an' shoulder 'is respons'bilities, an'make sure I wuz all right." Meanwhile the middle class and upwards speak using the Queen's English. It's a bit of a personal gripe this one. I think it's lazy and more to the point I think it's a tiny bit insulting.
On top of that - and this is where more uncertainty comes in having praised Rowling for her acceptance of following conventions before - she does love a stereotype Guy Somé is a fashion designer, for example, who holds out his hand "with a slight crook of the wrist," who has a "catlike" walk and a "camp and faintly cockney voice." Meanwhile I cannot help but think that Rowling's young, black men are not realistic in the slightest.
The book does have its faults (as they all do), but these are things that I believe that the author will never change. Strike is an excellent protagonist in a compelling novel. It will be interesting to see how the series develops.
Key quotes
"The country was lumbering towards election day. Strike turned in early on Sunday and watched the day's gaffes, counterclaims and promises being tabulated on his portable TV. There was an air of joylessness in every news report he watched. The national debt was so huge that it was difficult to comprehend. Cuts were coming, whoever won; deep, painful cuts; and sometimes, with their weasel words the party leaders reminded Strike of the surgeons who had told him cautiously that he might experience a degree of discomfort; they who would never personally feel the pain that was about to be inflicted."
"The motherfuckin' press chased her out that window."
Other thoughts
Without wanting to sound like a teenage groupie, I read the whole novel believing that Strike was similar to Al Swearengen and Evan Duffield was Russell Brand.
I enjoyed Strike being surprised that his temporary receptionist had good intuition AND punctuation.
Strike definitely needed a jolly good shag from Ciara. Good for him.
Despite my criticisms, I definitely want to read more Cormoran Strike novels.
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