Career of Evil is Robert Galbraith’s (aka J.K.
Rowling) third mystery featuring private detective Cormoran Strike and his
assistant Robin Ellacott. The plot develops
around an unknown enemy of Strike seeking revenge by murdering young women with
the intent of implicating Strike.
Strike’s PI
business is going well after the notoriety he received from solving two very
public cases. So well that Robin’s role
is expanded to include investigative duties as well as administrative ones. Robin is elated both at by her expanded
duties and by Strike’s confidence in her abilities. She is so engrossed in her work that
preparation for her approaching marriage to Matthew seems less of a priority.
Then a mysterious package arrives at the office addressed to Robin. It contains a woman’s severed leg and
suddenly everything changes.
Strike calls
the police and is relieved when they assign Detective Wardle to
investigate. Strike’s success in twice
solving active cases of the London police, has put him at odds with many of the
police inspectors. Wardle, on the other
hand, was not offended by Strike’s superior sleuthing. Strike searches his memory and offers four
possible suspects that may have reason to seek revenge on Strike and are
capable of such unspeakable brutality.
One is connected to a London crime syndicate, two were adversaries of
Strike during his stint as special investigator in the army and one was a
rocker and former live in lover of his mother, a super-groupie who had died of
a drug overdose when Strike was a child.
Wardle is most interested in the crime syndicate suspect so Strike
begins searching the whereabouts of the other three. Afterall, he knows his business will suffer from
this type of publicity, so the sooner he finds the perpetrator the better.
But searching
his gloomy past is emotionally painful for Strike. Each one of the suspects has done despicable
acts to women and children and tracking them brings back depressing memories. We also learn that Robin was raped at
university during her first year and dropped out to recover. Much of her interest in criminology and
detective work stems from that incident.
Her fiancé, Matthew’s behavior was somewhat supportive but was at times
demeaning during her recovery. This
whole ordeal makes Robin respect Strike more and Matthew less which results in
more conflict between Robin and Matthew.
As Strike closes
in, the psychopath murders two more women and attacks Robin. Robin’s self-defense training saves her life
but Strike bands her from the investigation for her own safety. But Robin can’t remain uninvolved and her initiative
leaves her vulnerable. Meanwhile Strike
lays a trap in hopes of catching the villain in the act.
I’m impressed
with Rowling’s mastery of this genre.
The characters are sufficiently flawed to be vulnerable and
likeable. The plot is complex enough to
keep you guessing and simple enough to follow and the pacing keeps you engaged
to the end. I’m sure we will see more of
detectives Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacot.
