It comes back to me now that Galbraith writes BIG books!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is a LARGE TYPE book, which makes it be even more huge!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The upside is that even though there are a LOT of pages (1,422<\/strong> to be precise!) the large type makes each page go very quickly. I wasn’t even trying very hard at dinner and I knocked off 90 pages!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I (re?)-learned that Robert Galbraith<\/strong> is actually a pseudonym for J.K. Rowling<\/strong> of Harry Potter fame!!! The main characters in all these books are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cormoran Strike<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n I picture him as a big, shambling hulk of a man. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There’s kind of a star-f**ker vibe to these Strike books where half the people they interview are either famous or related to someone famous, and famous fictional people are always buzzing in and out of the story. It’s not my favorite thing about the stories.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Now that I know that the author is really JK Rowling<\/strong>, this all a little less off-putting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Robin Ellacott<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n His partner at the detective agency. More background<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n At the start of this book they both have been dating other very attractive people and both secretly wishing they were dating each other. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They are each afraid to make a move on the other because it would be unprofessional and therefore if it went wrong it would blow up the partnership which they both value extremely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Robin is in a pretty serious relationship with a regular cop (Murphy<\/strong>). They are serious enough that they spend weekends together looking at houses. She goes along, but it secretly terrifies her! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strike is not dating anybody, although he is incessantly being hit upon because he is evidently such an irresistible hunk..<\/p>\n\n\n\n They’ve hired a new contractor (Kim<\/strong>), former policeman who keeps trying to create siturations where Strike looks at her boobs and stupid stuff like that. Surprise, it’s hate at first sight for her and Robin and she doesn’t last.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The internet tells me that there IS a seven-part Cormoran Strike<\/strong> series released in 2017, but it doesn’t seem to be available on my services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I’m actually pretty happy about that right now, because it allows me to enjoy the books the way we used to in the old days! For instance I have a pretty clear mental image about what Strike looks like, but almost none for Robin. The book opens with Cormoran visiting a potential client. This is where I almost gave up on the book, because I am SO NOT into that star-fucker stuff!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then the Freemasons<\/strong> entered the frame and I’m hooked! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n Galbraith starts each chapter of the book with a quote. After a couple of chapters, these started being Freemason quotes, about the quality of a man who would be a Freemason and such.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It all sort of fits, because what the reclusive lady has hired Strike for is to prove that a dead body from a silver heist is NOT who the police say it is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Freemasons are really into silver turns out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The client is sure<\/strong> that the dead guy is not who the police think it is, rather it’s her boyfriend who disappeared around the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She’s got no support from his rich mom, who says he’s alive and well in Europe, but there’s no evidence of that, and she’s got the money to hire Strike to prove otherwise, so she does!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Robin talks to the lady from Ramsay Silver<\/strong> who was there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They each get occasional phone threats and warnings, and Robin had a really worrisome event where some creeper came up behind her and whispered in her ear. Yuck!<\/p>\n\n\n\n They’re pissing somebody off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I’m about a third of the way through this very thick book, and I don’t know what to say about it. It’s quite interesting page by page, and our heroes are finding stuff out, but there are no big reveals to report yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At least half of all these pages are about the interior lives of Robin and Cormoran. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In this part of the book it’s Robin and her handsome boyfriend. The are shopping for houses together. He’s very enthusiastic about getting the house and getting married … her not so much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We can see that she’s just not ready to marry to the guy. If she could just tell him then they could do other things on the weekend instead of look at houses they’ll never buy. But that’s not how folks do it in real life…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strike is acting even more of a mess about this. Surprise! The right moment never happens and in fact their personal relationship steadily deteriorates over the next 500 pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that I know a woman is writing this, I don’t see how it could be any other way! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n They spend s<\/strong>o mych time thinking about their feelings for each others! <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is SUCH a big book! I am somewhere around page 440, and NOT QUITE 1\/3of the way through!<\/p>\n\n\n\n late 400’s – It’s Christmas. They’re both off to visit their families. Both are really stressed by work and the fact that they are secretly hot for each other. Strike<\/strong> has a particularly unsatifactory visit to the family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have trouble being sympathetic with Strike. The notion of every woman who meets you thinking about going to bed with you is utterly foreign to the life I’ve led.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The related fact that there is a long list of women he met semi-casually and went to bed with “a couple of times” is also foreign to me. Maybe I’m just jealous, but I just “can’t relate” as the cliche goes. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n Robin<\/strong> get into a HUGE row with her mom. Everyone is pretty intense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n p500 – They all – her and her brothers and their women – head to their local to get roaring drunk. That always helps family problems!<\/p>\n\n\n\n She runs into her ex-husband Matthew, who is NOT married to the woman that broke up their marriage. This makes her get even more drunk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her boyfriend Murphy has tagged along with her to visit her family. That h is doing that instead of visiting his family a pretty big sign of how “serious” the relationship officially is!<\/p>\n\n\n\n p 507 Back to Strike … p 519 Back to Robin … Finally it’s closing time at the Bay Horse. Murphy is crabby, because he misunderstood a text to Robin from Strike. Her older brother Stephen seems a cool guy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She opens Strike’s Christmas present, which is a very touching silver charm bracelet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She’s going to spend the next 300 pages mostly pissed off at him, but on this night , when he is far away she is deeply moved!<\/p>\n\n\n\n p 531 Everyone is home from Christmas and back to work!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Robin is thinking a LOT about the bracelet Strike got her!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I am page 600-something, and I am StILL not half way throiugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I’m not really complaining. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Given how many things have happened in the first 620 pages, it boggles the mind to think what will happen in the remaining 800!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I amused myself in bed last night makiing a litle wager with myself about whether at the end of this book, Robin and Strike will get. it together and be ahip.n official committed relations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I think not<\/strong>. p 587 The new hire Kim comes up with crime scene photos of the disgustingly mutilated copse that started this all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strike gets a call saying that Bijou Watkins<\/strong> is telling everyone that he got her preggo back when they spent a couple nights together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I’m one those simple folk who tend to identify with the hero! There have been many times in the 800 pages (so far) of this book where I’m not identifying with Strike at all. Right now, when he is dealing with the collateral damage of randomly fucking a drunk and not too bright but exremely hot woman is one of those times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just because you can get away with it doesn’t mean you should.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 661 Strike is vilely hung over and throwing up on the train that was supposed to take he and Robin to the love nest that he reserved in happier days before it all went to crap spectacularly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He runs into a friendly journalist who drops a little Masonic gossip about Lord Oliver Branfoot<\/strong>, who may turn out to be a big deal!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 672 Robin interviews a random teenage girl named Tia<\/strong> that turned out to be really charming!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I’m beginning to see why Rowling needs so many pages. P 700’s Robin is shadowing a creepy photoshoot guy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cormoran is having a equally awful time but in very different ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They meet at a a pub to exchange notes, and it goes badly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They’re both in terrible moods, and both did NOT to their usual thorough job on their work because they are so distracted by EVERYTHING … and neither one of them would share what was really bothering them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I’m beginning to see why Rowling feels like she needs 1400 pages to tell this story! <\/p>\n\n\n\n She loves doing goofy British accents and describing odd little corners of the island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both are still really about their internal dramas, and so not inclined to communicate with each other in a way that will improve understanding! There’s this character called Tyler<\/strong>. The story of how Tyler got his life ruined in his home town was classic Rowling. 742 The pair of them (Robin and Strike) are in Ironbridge<\/strong>, picturesque town on the Severn River where Tyler grew up. [Nice descriptive detail: p 790 – Turns out pepper spray is illegal in England! I know this because Robin is “weeping” this morning because she rubbed it while she was making a home-made batch (chilies, cayenne, garlic and vinegar) in case the creepy guy attacks again. It would be illegal even to be found carrying it<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [Checkov’s gun alert! If it’s introduced in the story, it’s going to matter later! :)]<\/p>\n\n\n\n Robin and Barclay are out today surveilling a woman named Fiona, who’s in the sex trade and has a big, mean boyfriend. The reason Barclay is here is to look out for him returning while he does the interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 792 Robin learns about the bad prawn incident! 796 Fiona tells Robin that Dick (real name Danny) de Lion is from some place with no cars. There’s a rich guy in the background that has paid all of them for sex (boys AND girls!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n He also paid for Danny’s new teeth! Danny threatened him somehow and now fears for his life and has disappeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 816 They are still surveilling this awful guy Plug. His son was bitten by a dog. Now they think Plug’s into dog fighting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 824 Robin gets a whatsapp from the daughter of Steely Dan guy. 833 An Army buddy gets Strike a tour of the Freemason Hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 844 Finally, a good set up fpr our heroes to make up!! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Robin is surveilling someone they call Mrs Two-Times. (They’ve nicknamed her husband Two-Times, since he’s always two-timing his wife<\/em>! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n Robin is surveilling the wife tonight at a nice restaurant. 845 So there they are, having a nice quiet dinner at a nice restaurant, with nothing better to do thatn maybe figure out their issues a little bit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I guess I’m pretty invested in these characters and this book, because this fictional even made my whole evening a lot nicer!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n They do a lot of catching up. But book ought to come with a storyboard, si you can keep track ofall the minor characters that come and go, then come back again 200 pages later …<\/p>\n\n\n\n 856 As of this page in the book, Robin and Murphy are still house shopping, and in fact have an offer in on one they like. So even though it’s a nice dinner, Strike’s big picture hopes are dashed yet again! sigh…<\/p>\n\n\n\n 860 Strike does the paternity test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 864 Robin is trying to track down Cosima, one of the beautiful people. She has a pretty intense phone interview with Zeta a girl from Tyler’s home town. 867 Robin unleashes this great zinger:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Robin was sick of bullying, callous, deviant men<\/strong><\/em> … (but she had to show her boyfriend a cheerful face when he got to the pub…)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Hard to imagine a dude writing that sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n New Chapter<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then they have the now-familiar scrum where they convince him they aren’t the law or the bad guys. Robin tackles him! <\/p>\n\n\n\n [IMO, this is another sign that the author is a woman: 960 It’s FINALLY becoming clear that this rich guy names Oliver Branfoot<\/strong> is the force behind a lot of the bad things in this book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They have coffee. She gets dinner to cook at their lodge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like all the men in this book, I’m starting to love her too. page 1000!!<\/strong> Back in London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Robin has quality time with Dino Longcaster<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strike’s at the office<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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There’s 400 pages left for things get better then mess up again! \ud83d\ude42<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Still don’t know who is the dead person from page 3, but we’ve got new boatloads of personal drama for both Robin and Strike! \ud83d\ude42<\/li>\n\n\n\n\n
As befits a 1400 page book, the this epilogue was 42 pages.
A lot of loose ends DID get tidied up:\n\n
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I found it deeply satisifying, and don’t tell anybody, but I cried my brains out while reading it last part of the Epilogue this afternoon! \ud83d\ude42<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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The whole book makes more sense (to me) knowing this!
As I say a few times below, all those 800 pages of romance MUST have been written by a lady not a fellow. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nA little background<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Daddy was a famous rock star. <\/li>\n\n\n\n\n
It seems exhausting.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n\n
She’s very pretty and smart and courageous and resourceful of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
We’re hearing this about a lot in this book because it “messed up :her fallopian tubes” so she can’t have kids in the normal way.\n\n
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Have NOT seen the TV series!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You just read the damn book and use your imagination to picture what the characters look like!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Calm+businesslike AND very attractive+sexy is just a hard one for me to process. Once I see the TV show I won’t have to wonder anymore, I’ll know! Which is kind of a loss for me!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nFinally, the book!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
She is a strange woman obsessed with secrecy.
She doesn’t dress it or act like it, but she’s pretty wealthy.
She is part of a famous family and has famous friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
The investigation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
He spends endless time trying to set up a situation where they will together along on a quiet place for an extended time where he can declare his love and lay it all out in a top-down, orderly way as we guys like to do! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\nAlways a lot of stress at Christmas!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
But of course, families have their own set of stresses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He’s going to a Christmas Party at his sister Lucy’s house. He shows up as late as possible. She’s really nice, and loves Strike.
Her husband Greg however is a really asshole and never passes a chance to slag on Strike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Apparently a family tradition is that they all go to the Bay Horse Pub after Christmas dinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That lovely timeof night where everyone is bickering and crabbing at each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He’s VERY touchy about anything Strike-related.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe New Year<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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He gave her expensive presents.<\/li>\n\n\n\ninterlude<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Long-range plot arc planner extraordinaire<\/em> JK Rowling won’t let that happen.
It’s just too easy, better to set it up as a teaser for the next book.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMore drama and a little moralizing from me<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Back to the story — so much happening …<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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It would be easier for Robin’s relationship with the cop of they dropped the case, but Strike wants to keep at it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n\n
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I would love to see her storyboard where she maps out the coincidences that made for such a disastrous weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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He doesn’t hurt her, but does scare the sh-t out of her.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n
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Our heros are working together …<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
It’s so much like real life that I find it quite excruciating toread about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’m nearly to page 800<\/strong> and I don’t remember how they introduced him to the story, but he is a good candidate to be the person who was dead and mutilated in the first chapter oh so many pages ago!.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A GOOD thing! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The old lady (Tyler’s mom) they want to interview is way up on a very steep street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Houses on both sides face the river, so the houses on the left have their backs to you<\/em>.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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“What do you outsiders want<\/strong>?!”<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Save that in your memory bank for later! I .didn’t even include his name first time around, but came back an added it to mark the first time he’s introduced into the story!<\/li>\n\n\n\n
This part is classic Rowling commentary on the politics of class in Britian, and kind of a Roshomon moment:<\/em>
This is one nice neighbor’s take. Local girls they interview later have takes that are pretty much opposite!\n\n
He wasn’t too bright, and if you were nice to him he thought that ment you were into him.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
She did NOT think that!<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
True.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
True.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n\n
The rich kid is dating his former girlfriend of course.<\/li>\n\n\n\nLegal aside:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Back to the story:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
She is processing the info that Strilke was working Saturday night, not shtupping Bijou Watkins again!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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He loved Tyler, but he daughter says he’s a creep! See my italic comments above \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Midge is supposed to join her, since two women chatting is a LOT less noticeable than one woman alone. Bur Midge has to bail for some reason. Strike seizes the opportunity and shows up for quality time with Robin!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s all about crappy men can be to women where they think they can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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Sark<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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the female protagonist gets todo a lot of the “heavy lifting”<\/em>.]<\/p>\n\n\n\nOliver Branfoot<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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She is cooking dinner for Strike<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Fixing food will do it for me every time! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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Brian Judge -> Barnaby’s<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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called Brian Judge Scrap<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n\n
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