I recently finished reading Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith a.k.a J K Rowling. I was eagerly awaiting its release and once it was out I hardly caught a wink for 2 days and it was totally worth it cos I simply loved the book! The Cuckoo's Calling was good, I didn't like The Silkworm as much but Career of Evil is just splendid!
The book starts with this grim opening scene where a killer is happy after having committed a murder.
A dark line like a parenthesis lay under the middle fingernail of his left hand. He set to digging it out, although he quite liked seeing it there: a memento of the previous day’s pleasures.Yup, that's how the book starts - the lady who created Hogwarts and brought magic into our lives now introduces us to the grim and grisly world of psychopathic killers and abusive/possessive partners.
Business is suffering at Strike's detective agency and Robin is soon to marry her boyfriend. A package arrives for Robin with the severed leg of a woman and the hunt begins to find the killer. Strike can almost immediately think of 4 men from his past, each deplorable and disgusting in his own way; who could have committed the crime.
The novel alternates between 2 perspectives, one of the killer as he goes about chasing Robin who is his next target, and committing other murders; and the other of Strike and Robin, their chemistry, and the events happening in their lives. Strike's business was already suffering but the killer gives it a crushing blow as no client wants to enlist the services of a detective who cannot safeguard his own office premises from 'severed leg' deliveries. There is a very detailed section about Robin's past and how that has shaped her personality. There is also a break-up which I personally felt was really good for Robin, as Matthew really doesn't deserve her.
The characters are drawn out with great precision. You loathe all the suspects and every suspect makes you think that he did it. Apart from the murders and suspects, the book touches upon a diverse range of topics - domestic violence, child abuse, pedophilia and body integrity identity disorder.
The ending is interesting and it makes you wonder as to what will happen next between Strike and Robin. Overall, Career of Evil is a great read.
Other Details:-
- Pages: 512
- Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
- Price: Rs. 489 for the Paperback Edition
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