Mel B from the buying team checking in here. We rated this series along time before it came out that J.K Rowling was writing them. Uber exciting to hear the next one is coming, Silkworm by Jk Rowling as Robert Galbraith. If you like a well written, pacey thriller then you will be hanging out like the rest of us to read this. Get started with Cuckoo's Calling in the wait.. woo hoo!!

I thoroughly enjoyed the sequel to The Cuckoo's Calling' by Robert Galbraith, possibly more than the original as I felt it book took awhile to understand and develop the rather complex back story of Strike and his assistant Robin. This book builds further on the relationship and as always J.K Rowling does a terrific job in her characterization. 'The Silkworm' quickly gets into the mystery of a high profile murder, giving fans a great detective novel. I found this book compelling and easy to read and hoping the author continues the Cormoran Strike series.

Saying that i couldn't put this book down sounds cliche`, but i really couldn't put it down, finishing this book at 4am on a Monday morning, loving every minute and really loving the characters, with all their quirks.

A mystery set in the literary world? Be-still my heart. Keen to read the next one when it arrives.

...writers are a savage breed, Mr. Strike. If you want life-long friendship and selfless camaraderie, join the army and learn to kill. If you want a lifetime of temporary alliances with peers who will glory in your every failure, write novels.

One cant help but believe, from very early on in Robert Galbraiths second crime novel in the Cormoran Strike series, that the writer is speaking from a very personal, raw place when we follow the murder of an infamous writer and his associations with the publishing industry.

When we first met Cormoran in The Cuckoos Calling, he was quite broken, cantankerous and unsure of where his next meal was coming from, let alone how he was going to manage the rest of his life outside the military parameters he had become accustomed to. After making some bold choices and difficult decisions, establishing a detective agency and removing the dead wood from his life, we left Strike in a slightly more positive state of mind at the end of the first book.

Strike has enjoyed his publicity from solving the Landry case, and hes picked up the attic studio in his building and has regular clients, an intuitive secretary-cum-rookie detective, and has grown to adjust, if not accept, that his smashed leg wont be coming back anytime soon.

When Leonora Quine comes to visit, seeking out her walkabout author/husband (not out of concern for his wellbeing, but more for their daughters sake), Strike is led down the dark, vicious world of publishing.

Quine as an author is grotesque, and banks on the shock factor of his parodies and mimicry. He burns his closest and dearest friends and family, and no-one is safe from his wrath, leaving behind a messy emotional brood of writers and agents, all miffed at having their dirty laundry aired in Quines sadomasochistic tome.

The flow of this novel was still slow. Whilst many crime writers have parallel points of view in showing the reader both the culprit and the detective, often creating a climax where their narratives clash in the middle, the viewer is left to fumble along with Strike and Robin as we attempt to determine the who-dunnit of Quines murder.

As such, you can feel the monotonous consistency of the questioning continue for a little longer than required, and the pace could have been slightly quicker, or the plot a little more intriguing in order to keep up the pace. Youre left with a few loose ends in the book that I found slightly irritating, the constant grumbling regarding Strikes bung leg, Robins relationship with Matthew and Strikes post-mortem on his previous romantic relationship are left hanging or forgotten in the bulk of the novel.

If youre looking for romantic dalliances in this novel, youll be disappointed. Theres a hint of what (perhaps) could come, and Im uncertain as to whether this is something I can get behind.

Im glad that Rowling is proving to be competent in other genres, however she is by no means a favourite crime writer. There are much worse novels out there, for sure, but its not the best Ive ever read. Id stick her firmly in the middle, with anticipation that she can bring back some magic from Harry Potter into Strikes world.

Robert Galbraith started us off down the track of the very memorable Cormoran Strike in The Cuckoos Calling, sucking us into its depths of mystery and making us feel a little like a detective ourselves as we tried to puzzle through the clues he found and it was a great novel to read butThe Silkworm was even better.

A different murder to solve (and a very gruesome one at that) and different suspects, it did not fail to draw me into the story in one big swoop. And yet again I tried on that tartan hat and cloak, paid the closest attention to the clues Strike and Robin had both found. Even paid really close attention to each character. And trying as hard as I could to guess the killer I fell short of the last few chapters when it really hit me as to who it could be and then I went Of course! So it was either my profoundly terrible detective skills or the book was just that fantastically written (which I would prefer to think and know is the real reason!) that I could not guess, yet again who that killer was until it was the end.

Galbraith just has such a way with unravelling the mystery right before your eyes and even if you read over it again for a second time I bet you still couldnt predict who the killer could be and that is what makes it so fantastic. It could still have been anyone: just like in the real world with so many enemies and motives and opportunities. I do not feel envy for detectives in our world. And I love the fact that Strike (yet again) made the police look like fools. Will they ever learn to listen to him? And his friend Anstis, will he?

Robin, in this book, stood out a whole lot more. It was great to see her go from someone that was half-in, half-out of the background to a modern day heroine who could dodge a huge accident on the highway with her driving skills and had the intellect to help Strike solve a murder in whatever way she could. She was someone to admire greatly in this story and I cant wait to see her develop even more in the following books to come (of which I am hoping there is more!?!) And Strikeah Strike, the fondness for the one-legged detective grows more and more with each book. He is smart, witty and very easy to connect with. And that Charlotte! Oh my Gosh. Even though she doesnt get mentioned much in this book (or even the other for that matter) she leaves a lasting impression of what a B*%$#. I dont know how people can be so cruel, but I know that they can and poor Strike never deserved her cruelty. I hope he gets back at her in some way like moving forward and being happy just to nah nah neh nah nah in her face! You know what I mean?

But anyway...
Overall the book is another fantastic story written by Robert Galbraith, who has secured my allegiance to J.K Rowling once again, no matter the feelings I had before about her (the world and its judgemental critics can be a harsh place sometimes and its no wonder she went under the pseudonym at the beginning). It starts with an easy pace and then it breaks out into a much quicker read. I mean you just HAVE to find out who the killer is right? See if your assumptions are correct? So for me, this book is one HUGE ticknot a Strike, in my book. I look forward to many more adventures and mysteries with Strike and Robin in the future!

4.5 stars

Silkworm is the next instalment that follows a new case for Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott. It starts off as a missing person case before turning into a murder hunt. There is a great deal of mystery and intrigue. The culprit could be anyone. The writing community is place under the microscope as Owen Quine certainly made enemies among publishers and writers alike. Strike must battle the police who have become hostile towards him since his last case. But at the same time, Strikes personal life is causing him to reminisce about what once was. Robin too is struggling. First, she feels that Strike is not treating her as an equal. She desperately wants to be his investigative partner and not just his secretary. Her personal life also diverts her attention because Matthew does not approve of her job or Strike.

As the case continues, Strike becomes more determined to prove the innocence of suspect despite the police believing them to be guilty. The plot thickens and a mysterious hooded individual is following Strike. Who are they and what do they want? What is interesting is how Strike figures out the truth and creates a plan to collect the proof required. But the reader does not learn the name of the person until Strike is interrogating them. This withholding of information allows the reader to ponder who is responsible and gives them the opportunity to figure out the details on their own. The ending is sweet and endearing especially after such an action packed climax.

This is brilliant second instalment for Robert Galbraith. It is even more captivating and exciting than the first. A must read for all crime readers and anyone in general. It is a real page-turner!

A good one to snuggle up in bed with on a cold night but don't read it of a morning or you won't want to get up out of bed to go to work. Very satisfying characters with human flaws. Not easy to pick where the plot leads you. gets you in! Nice mix of macabre and drama.

Yes it is by JKR but she has done her homework which makes exciting and gripping reading.

Only problem it could be up to a year before another thriller becomes available

Cannot wait for this to come out - The Cuckoo's Calling is the first in the Cormoran Strike series and if The Silkworm is anything like it we can expect a fast-paced thriller that's just about impossible to put down. Cormoran is the new Jack Reacher.