The Silkworm -Robert Galbraith

I didn't know that Robert Galbraith was the pseudonym of JK Rowling until I had almost finished the book. And, since I have not read Harry Potter, Robert Galbraith is a completely new author for me. And now that I am finally sitting to write a review, I realize that I have been reading only whodunit novels for quite some time now. Need to read a different genre soon! Maybe some drama or history or some breezy chicklit?


The Silkworm features Robert Galbraith's protagonist -Cormoran Strike -Afghan veteran turned private detective operating out of London. Tall, bulky, with a boxer's profile and tight curly hair, he is short of a leg knee down. Cormoran takes up the case of finding Owen Quine, a not so famous author. His wife approaches Cormoran to track the errant author, who has the annoying habit of going off by himself and returning after a few weeks.


But instead of finding the Owen Quine, Cormoran finds the horribly mutated body of the author, who has been murdered in the exact way the protagonist in his latest manuscript got killed. Also, the last manuscript of Quine has real characters in it, portrayed in a very despicable light. Only a handful of people have read that manuscript and they all are offended by the way they were portrayed by Quine. Some of their best kept secrets are revealed in the manuscript. So who among them have killed the author and why? This is the crux of the plot.


Having this kind of a plot, the author could have happily and easily made the readers play a guessing game with the suspects. But that, sadly, doesn't happen. Cormoran and his assistant Robin, interview all those who have read the manuscript and try to figure out who is the culprit. But then, the author does not give a clear picture through these interactions in figuring out who could have done it. She just conveys that "like a lid finding its thread", things slide into place in Cormoran's head. Whaattt??? Noooo. This is not what I expected from a book that has a very limited number of suspects to begin with!! A big let down!


Having said this, the author has fleshed out the characters excellently. The way she has portrayed the publishing world, the ego of authors, the insecurities of an agent...she has really managed to keep the reader fully engaged in the world of Cormoran Strike and Owen Quine. What I also liked is the way she describes the relationship between Robin and Cormoran and Robin's fiancée Matthew. The complexities are beautifully brought out. She also captures the essence of "Bombyx Mori" - the last manuscript of Quine and all the characters in it. So you have a story within the story. And that is made to play a meaty role in the book in a very intelligent manner.


Also, the book moves forward at a nice pace. Though not a racy page turner, it quietly occupies your mind and prompts you to keep turning the pages at a steady pace. Will I read Robert Galbraith again? Yes, if only to find out how Cormoran and Robin and Matthew evolve in the next case of theirs.