Book #49 for 2023: The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith
The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This sixth Cormoran Strike novel is possibly the best yet.
So, at the start, Strike and Robin are approached by the co-creator of the cartoon, "The Ink Black Heart", who is being blackmailed by someone. Quite early in the book, she is found dead, after agreeing to a rendezvous in a graveyard, and her partner is found stabbed and badly injured.
The murder seems to be connected to a fan-made online game, "Drek's Game", and so Strike and Robin start an investigation that involves internet trolls, and right-wing activists.
Because the plot involves the internet, a lot of the narrative is in the form of Twitter feeds, and online chats involving people known only by their screennames (most notably the mysterious "Anomie", who Strike and Robin are trying to unmask).
Not surprisingly, the narrative mostly revolves around what a toxic place the internet can be. I wasn't too surprised that J.K. Rowling also tackled the subject of cancel culture, following the general reaction online to her comments involving trans women.
There are a number of sub-plots as well. First of all, there is the relationship between Strike and Robin, particularly after he attempts to kiss her in the first chapter. However, he is also said to be going out with a character called Madeleine, while Robin starts receiving a number of male suitors.
To make things more complicated, Strike's ex shows up, and asks him to deal with an issue with her former husband, and yet another subplot involves a character called "Fingers", who as I understand is stealing items of value. It was a bit strange that J.K. added a few cases unrelated to the main story, but she managed to add them without them becoming distracting.
The segments involving internet chatrooms took some getting used to, but overall I really enjoyed this. I was left continually guessing who the identity of the killer, and was taken by surprise at the final reveal. The book's coda also developed the Strike/Robin relationship a little more.
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"Set in a place of employment" feels like a cheat for the Calendar of Crime, but so much of the book involves Strike and Robins' detective agency that I will count this one; 3/10 for September.
January: 3/10
February: 4/10
March: 2/10
April: 3/10
May: 3/10
June: 4/10
July: 2/10
August: 3/10
September: 3/10
1. September in the title
2. Author's birth month
3. Primary action takes place in this month
4. Labor Day (US thing, I think)
5. Other September holiday (Harvest festival?)
6. Original publication month
7. Book title has word starting with S
8. People working, picnic scene, means of travel on the cover
9. Year of the Monkey
10. Set in a place of employment
October's challenges:
1. Octomber in the title
2. Author's birth month
3. Primary action takes place in this month
4. Hallowe'en
5. Other October holiday (are there any?)
6. Original publication month
7. Book title has word starting with O
8. Hallowe'en related image or Autumn scene on cover
9. Year of the Rooster
10. Costume/disguise or mistaken identity