Book: Lethal White
Author: Robert Galbraith
Publisher: Sphere Books
Pages: 656; Price: Rs 452
Touted as ‘the most epic Robert Galbraith novel yet’, Lethal White is not exactly a murder mystery to race through within the span of a night or three—not at a whopping 600+ pages—but it is satisfying alright. The fourth novel in the Cormoran Strike series written by J K Rowling under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, the story begins with a Prologue following immediately after the conclusion of Career of Evil detailing events taking place at Robin Ellacott’s wedding reception. Yes, she does get married thus breaking all fans’ hopes of a Cormoran-Robin sailing into the sunset scene…but does she remain so? Hope still floats!
The mystery starts with ‘I seen a kid killed … He strangled it, up by the horse…’ the revelation of a troubled young man, Billy, who visits Strike’s office to ask for his help investigating a crime he thinks he witnessed as a child. And then Billy bolts in a panic…
Prepare for a long and convoluted ride, which features blackmail and counter-blackmail, deception and betrayal, a high-profile suicide that is evidently murder, a business venture shrouded in mystery, a painting that could be priceless, corrupt government officials who nonchalantly abuse their power, far-left characters, and troubled relationships galore. Peppered with several twists and turns, it is still rather a bloated read that would have benefited with sharper editing. Eventually, we will look forward to the next in the series, mainly to see how our lead pair finally stop shilly-shallying, and take the plunge!
