By now, it's common knowledge that Robert Galbraith, author of last year's critically acclaimed mystery novel, The Cuckoo's Calling, is actually Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling. I was a big Harry Potter fan in high school, and when I read Rowling's first adult novel, A Casual Vacancy, I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I could never stop contrasting it to her early work. I did the same with The Cuckoo's Calling, though not as much. Well, I'm happy to say that I've finally kicked that habit. While reading "Galbraith's" second novel, The Silkworm, I never forgot that J.K. Rowling was behind every word, but I barely thought about Harry at all.
I'm not going to give away the ending to this book, or it's predecessor, but if you know the first one's story (Cormoran Strike, a decorated Afghanistan war veteran turned private detective, is hired to investigate the alleged suicide of a famous model), then you won't be surprised to hear that he successfully proved that the suicide was a murder, or that the resulting publicity granted him an influx of clients. The majority of Strike's new jobs are standard private investigator stuff involving sexual infidelity, but there is one that catches his interest: a woman named Leonora Quine hires him to track down her missing husband, an egotistical novelist named Owen Quine. Leonora thinks that he's run off to a writer's retreat. He hasn't; when Strike does find Quine... well, I won't describe the body in detail, but I will say that it's not pretty.
Two of Rowling's three greatest strengths are her characterization and her plotting. (Her third strength is worldbuilding, which doesn't factor into a book like this, set in real-world London.) Like all good mysteries, this one has a strong lineup of suspects; among the most memorable are: Elizabeth Tassel, Quine's long-suffering yet thoroughly unpleasant agent; Kathryn Kent, a writer whose blog posts make Zero Wing look like Strunk and White's The Elements of Style; and Michael Fancourt, an established novelist and rival of Quine's. All of these people (and more!) have their own individual reasons to loathe Mr. Quine, but they've also got a stronger, shared motive: his last, unpublished novel, Bombyx Mori (latin for "silkworm of the mulberry tree," according to Wikipedia) includes insulting and in some cases outright libelous depictions of many of Quine's associates. Fortunately, all of the characters are genuinely interesting, fleshed-out people. In typical Rowling fashion, some of these characters can come across as more humorous than serious, but they never become full-fledged comic relief.
I can't discuss the plot in detail without giving too much away, but I will say that I found the solution a bit out there. The Silkworm reminds me of A.A. Milne's The Red House Murder, insofar as both books involve a particularly complicated deception that completely turns the case on its head. Okay, so plot twists are an important part of a good mystery, but some have more of a "conspiracy theory" vibe to them. Compared to The Silkworm, The Cuckoo's Calling was much more believable. But then that's exactly why I preferred Strike's sophomore adventure to the original. I like mysteries with clever, unlikely-but-still-possible solutions, as long as they don't involve hiding evidence from the reader, and The Silkworm never cheats like that. It has a tough answer, but a fair one.
It's worth noting that, for a mystery novel, this book puts a lot of emphasis on the characters' love lives. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, mind you, but it isn't always necessary. The references to Strike's ex-girlfriend and her impending marriage, in particular, don't feel like an organic part of this novel so much as a set-up for a bigger plot point in a later book. Robin's subplot--that her fiance is jealous of her relationship with Strike--is a lot more fleshed-out and interesting, but it runs parallel to the Owen Quine plot more than it runs through it. It does make Strike and Robin feel more like real people, but if you don't like books with unnecessary romantic subplots thrown in, you'll probably get annoyed by this one.
A lot of people used to wonder if J.K. Rowling would ever escape Harry Potter's shadow. Well, that's hard to say. She's written three non-fantasy novels, all of which have sold well (though A Casual Vacancy has a lot of detractors, even among Harry Potter and Cormoran Strike fans), but none of them have entered the public consciousness in the same way as the Harry Potter books. Try asking your friends if they know who Dobby the House Elf or Vernon Dursley are, then ask them about Cormoran Strike, and you'll still find Harry's supporting cast getting a lot more recognition than Rowling's newest hero. I imagine that the Boy Who Lived will always be Rowling's most famous creation. Even so, The Silkworm proves once again that he's going to have some very well-written, entertaining, and memorable siblings.
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