Lethal White (A Cormoran Strike Novel, 4) Paperback – June 11, 2019

Ah, detective fiction! Is there anything better than curling up with a good whodunnit?It's been 3 years since Galbraith graced us with a new Strike novel (I hear he's been gallivanting around New York and Paris with various beasts over the past few years), and I could not be more satisfied with the newest installment. Out of the first 3 novels in the series, Silkworm was undoubtedly my favorite. I enjoyed Career of Evil, but it lacked the page-turning, sleep is for the weak, I haven't eaten in 12 hours quality that the first two did. Lethal White is now competing with Silkworm for the top spot. It is, however, my least favorite title thus far, and the cover does not match that of the rest of the books which makes my eye want to twitch. But you don't care which one is my favorite, so let's get to the story. I'll try to avoid revealing any real spoilers.We last left Strike and Robin at Robin's wedding to Matthew in Career of Evil. Lethal White takes place immediately after the events of the previous book. Following the prologue, we are quickly thrown into a new case with about 1,032 threads running through it. We dive into the personal lives of both Robin and Strike as the case develops, and the reader is thrust into 600+ pages of deceit, blackmail, and murder (or was it?). Despite it's length, the book is fast-paced and engaging. There is a veritable sea of red herrings (I'm pretty sure I saw a green herring in there as well). The novel concludes with a satisfactory denouement (I was only half right) and then essentially leaves us where we were before picking up the book in the first place, impatiently waiting for a new Strike novel with more questions than answers.Throughout the book, Strike is, well, Strike. He's a smart, somewhat boorish man with a decent heart and a lack of decorum. In Lethal White he's still drinking beer, smoking his cigarettes, and eating rubbish (despite being on a diet). So, yeah. He's delightful (no sarcasm). We do see his character develop more in this installment, but I'll spare you the spoilers. The real shining star is this book is Robin. Her journey and growth in this novel are inspiring. We really get to see what an astute, resourceful, and strong woman she has become. Galbraith's tackling of mental heath and the aftereffects of trauma are handled particularly well through Robin's character arc.So grab yourself a Doom Bar and curl up with Galbraith's Lethal White. If nothing else, you'll walk away with a better knowledge of the coloring of horses.

The long-awaited fourth installment of the Strike series has arrived at last! My greedy hands snatched it up and devoured the near-700 pages in a single weekend. Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott are off on another adventure - this one larger and grander than any of their previous tales.This one took about 250 pages to get going. My friends reading along with me had similar feedback. It's a tediously slow and complicated start and just about the opposite of a page turner. Towards page 300 things really get going and the story veers into movement. I really enjoyed it after that. Have some patience for this one if you feel the same. In the end, it was worth the investment and really paid off. In fact, it may be about my favorite book of the series. And even though the first third was pretty meh, I never mind just being in the company of these characters. And the plot itself is pretty complicated, so I suppose the intense set up was more than necessary.On a negative note, I'm not a fan of the Matthew/Robin side story that's been going on for, at this point, about 1500 pages and four entire novels (someone should have stopped that madness!!). I wish I understood the ultimate aim here or why we've had to sit through the longest, most boring breakup in novel history (or which feels like a break up anyway, and has since book one). I get it to an extent, what with Robin's history, but my patience has worn thin. Unfortunately I can't comment further without giving spoilers. But needless to say I was both satisfied and frustrated with some of the outcomes there.There were a few questions I had after I read it. Perhaps some plot holes, things that didn't quite add up to me. I tend to overthink stories and I'm guilty at trying to connect everything. When I was done, I was not satisfied with Billy's role in the story despite the neatly tied up closure we get. Not to be nit picky, but it's a huge part of the story. Discussion with my friends didn't help anything (they all agreed it was loosey goosey) but overall it didn't detract from the overall story. No spoilers of course, so you have to decide for yourself.On a positive note, this was one of the more exciting books in the series. Tons of undercover work, road trips, treks through the woods, lots of interviews and clues and research, all set against the backdrop of the 2012 London Olympics, which was mildly interesting but served well as a juxtaposition for social commentary. Most importantly, I felt like both Strike and Robin really glowed in this one. I felt like I got to know them both even better than before, with their character development really off the charts. The chemistry between these characters is brilliant, and they are at their best when they are looking out for one another. We meet some new friends, and revisit some old ones, and all is good fun. The mystery itself was complicated and challenging, but felt very real. You have tons and tons of twists and turns and surprises waiting for you in this one. Highly recommended! And can't wait for this one to make it to the series. I just love Tom Burke and Holliday Grainger.