Book review — Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith

Nine hundred pages of mayhem.

After investing almost three months in 'India after Gandhi', my blood screamed "Blood". I needed me some murder. I was in luck because the fifth installment in the Cormoran Strike series, "Troubled Blood" had released. It was already garnering applause and I immediately picked it up. It's always a delight to read a proper detective novel and a 5 starrer at that.

The story starts with Anne approaching Strike to solve a 40 year old cold case, that of her missing mother. Dr. Margot Bamborough went missing one evening in 1974 when she stepped out of her clinic in order to meet a friend but instead went AWOL. Cormoran Strike, already overwhelmed with multiple case loads, his dying aunt and unconfronted feelings for his assistant, Robin Ellacott, agrees to take on the case. On the other hand, Robin is dealing with a messy divorce, an unwanted admirer and her own mixed feelings for Cormoran. Together they sort out the case and more.

Throughout the book, a lot is going on. I mean a lot! It's a chunky book. But J. K. Rowling AKA Robert Galbraith justifies the length. Along with the cold case, which is the central story of the book, there are a number of detective cases which form tiny subplots, each equally engaging. That has been the writing style of Jo Rowling. She includes not only one but many subplots and mini cases in each book of this series alongside the main case and makes every part of the story quite suspenseful and interesting. It's a brain exercise to keep up with all the characters, plotlines and subplot lines.

This is the fifth book in the Cormoran Strike series, which started with 'The Cuckoo's Calling' in 2013, when Strike, an amputee detective was introduced to us. I have become a big fan of the series and it's a detective series like no other. This one is a fun read if you're already invested in the lives of Cormoran Strike and his partner, Robin Ellacott. That said, don't pick up these books randomly and it's better to read them in sequence. Although Strike deals with a new case in each one of them, the main characters and their backstories are connected. One might not connect the dots or find it extremely necessary to the main plotline. But believe me it's as engaging as the cold case being solved in this one.

Generally I do have some thoughts while reading a book which I jot down. In this case, I let go of my habit and let myself be completely immersed into the story. I had no guesses, no suspicions. Rowling keeps all her cards close to her chest. She lets you keep on guessing the answer till the last pages. You have to make effort to keep track of various characters and timelines. You cannot slack your concentration one bit or you lose track, miss a crucial point. The story is sprinkled with hints so subtle it would take a genius to pick them up. Though me being not one, I certainly remembered them. This book demands your concentration and is in no way a light read. Minor plot twists or reveals were predictable but the major one was completely unpredictable. That's the whole reason why we read a detective novel, isn't it? Having the big reveal slap us in the face and jolt us upright.

I'm a weird person. I don't enjoy reading action packed and chase packed ending to a mystery thriller. It's easy to spun an ending involving physical conflict and running sequences but difficult to deliver a powerful climax with only spoken words or better even, an open-to-speculation end including no physical altercation. Without giving anything away, this book does that aptly.

Cormoran Strike is a former war veteran and a disabled one at that. The fact that he is one of the best detective sketches, and with a disability makes me admire him more. Maybe the admiration stems from the need for validation or representation. Literature has churned out some noteworthy disabled characters, like Kaz from 'Six of Crows', Dr. Kreizlar from 'The Alienist', Dr. Watson from Sherlock series, Ashoke from 'The Namesake' to name a few. Needless to say, Cormoran Strike is another gem in the list.

I enjoyed writing this review as much as I enjoyed reading the book. Pick up this series if you haven't already!