The Silkworm
~Robert Galbraith (J K Rowling)
Owen Quine, an author with just one successful novel to his credit and a penchant for drama, disappears soon after writing a book – Bombyx Mori (Latin for silkworm). Written in his usual gothic and surreal style, the book contains insulting pen-portraits of all people acquainted with Quine, including who’s who of the publishing world. In the chaos that ensues, nobody, except his wife, seems to be bothered about the missing author.
Quine’s wife, Leonora, hires
private detective Cormoran Strike (of the Lula Landry fame) to find her
husband. She thinks he has gone to a writer’s retreat, as he often goes
out by himself (“because he is a writer”), and she is reluctant to call
police as the last time she had done that, Quine had been very angry (he
had been found with “a friend” in a hotel).
As Strike starts investigating, the seemingly simple case of a missing man becomes murkier. A lot of people had motive to harm the writer: the head of his publishing house, Daniel Chard, his agent, Elizabeth Tassel, his editor, Jerry Waldergrave, his contemporary and much famous author, Michael Fancourt, his mistress and her friend Kathryn and Pippa.
And then, Strike finds Quine– his guts carved out, acid poured over the entire body and seven sets of plates and cutlery arranged around his corpse, like seven people had feasted on his intestines.
The case is taken over by cops and the person-in-charge is Anstis. He is convinced that Leonora is the murderer. It becomes a race against time for Strike to save his client and expose the cold-blooded murderer lurking around in the society.
Helping Strike is his very able and enthusiastic secretary Robin. She is eager to prove her competence, and at the same time she is dealing with a strenuous relationship with her fiancĂ©. The Silkworm, a sequel to The Cuckoo’s Calling, also throws more light into Strike’s past and his relationship with his family. The narrative is not racy, but manages to hold your interest with the array of interesting and memorable characters, and plot twists. The plot is better than that of its prequel and this is a must-read for all mystery lovers and Rowling fans.
~Robert Galbraith (J K Rowling)
Owen Quine, an author with just one successful novel to his credit and a penchant for drama, disappears soon after writing a book – Bombyx Mori (Latin for silkworm). Written in his usual gothic and surreal style, the book contains insulting pen-portraits of all people acquainted with Quine, including who’s who of the publishing world. In the chaos that ensues, nobody, except his wife, seems to be bothered about the missing author.
Quine’s wife, Leonora, hires
private detective Cormoran Strike (of the Lula Landry fame) to find her
husband. She thinks he has gone to a writer’s retreat, as he often goes
out by himself (“because he is a writer”), and she is reluctant to call
police as the last time she had done that, Quine had been very angry (he
had been found with “a friend” in a hotel).As Strike starts investigating, the seemingly simple case of a missing man becomes murkier. A lot of people had motive to harm the writer: the head of his publishing house, Daniel Chard, his agent, Elizabeth Tassel, his editor, Jerry Waldergrave, his contemporary and much famous author, Michael Fancourt, his mistress and her friend Kathryn and Pippa.
And then, Strike finds Quine– his guts carved out, acid poured over the entire body and seven sets of plates and cutlery arranged around his corpse, like seven people had feasted on his intestines.
The case is taken over by cops and the person-in-charge is Anstis. He is convinced that Leonora is the murderer. It becomes a race against time for Strike to save his client and expose the cold-blooded murderer lurking around in the society.
Helping Strike is his very able and enthusiastic secretary Robin. She is eager to prove her competence, and at the same time she is dealing with a strenuous relationship with her fiancĂ©. The Silkworm, a sequel to The Cuckoo’s Calling, also throws more light into Strike’s past and his relationship with his family. The narrative is not racy, but manages to hold your interest with the array of interesting and memorable characters, and plot twists. The plot is better than that of its prequel and this is a must-read for all mystery lovers and Rowling fans.
