Galbraith, Robert. (a.k.a. J.K Rowling). The Silkworm, Sphere, London, 2013. (Pages 456)

Rating: 5/10

I read this book immediately after the earlier Cormoran Strike adventure, the first book in this series, the Cuckoo's calling. I much preferred the Cuckoo's calling. My wife, though, read the Silkworm first followed by the Cuckoo's calling. She thought the Silkworm was better. My conclusion is that the series may not be as attractive and delightful as I had thought after reading the first book. Galbraith may go the same way as John Grisham, read one book, enjoy it, and the remaining are re-churning the same or similar.

While Galbraith (read: Rowling) maintains his (read: her) mastery over the language, displays great understanding of human psychology through subtle actions or dialogue, the Silkworm is much contrived and in places not credible. Readers, like theatre goers who accept the missing fourth wall,  are willing to suspend belief but not to any degree. I am tempted to give examples, but review ethics forbid me from playing a spoiler.

One thing I may mention, though. Many key characters in the Silkworm are related to the literary world, either authors or publishers. The author of Harry Potter appears to have drawn extensively from her experience with the publishing world. This industry appearing in a detective, murder mystery genre may be original, but for majority of the readers it is likely to be dull and tiresome.

Robert Galbraith is a refined, 21st century version of Agatha Christie. After the Cuckoo's calling, I excitedly took up the Silkworm. Now after completing it, I am not keen to read the Career of Evil, at least not for another year or so. I couldn't read Agatha Christie books one after the other either.

Verdict: Read the Cuckoo's calling instead. And if you have read that one recently, don't read the Silkworm for another year or so.

*****

Galbraith, Robert. (a.k.a. J.K Rowling). The Cuckoo's Calling, Sphere, London, 2013. (Pages 450)

Rating: 8/10

The Cuckoo's calling is a delightful book whether you know who Robert Galbraith is or not. It had sold only 1500 copies, before a publishing agent unethically and illegally leaked on twitter that Robert Galbraith was a literary transgender who had earlier written a series called Harry Potter. Once the news was leaked, the book began selling in millions. (ThisCNN report offers this and another story about the bizarre world of book publishing.)

If you keep aside this pseudonym tale and evaluate the book objectively, it's a real pleasure to read it. The book creates a strong new Private Detective, Cormoran Strike, not a superman but fairly human, someone who has lost part of his leg in the Afghan war. There is also Robin Venetia Ellacott, a 25 year old intelligent girl who assists him. The author is not shy to use 'f' language and other profanities. (Maybe that's why Rowling took a male pseudonym). This, I suppose, is inevitable for a book where events happen in 2010. Other than the swearing bit, the novel is a classical British detective- mystery-whodunit drama. A cocktail of Sherlock Holmes, Perry Mason and Agatha Christie.

The novel is written chronologically, in a straight-line, every new chapter begins where the earlier one ended. No parallel plots, no cross-cutting, no jump from one city to another. It's becoming difficult to find a modern novel so completely devoid of gimmicks. That I think is one of the major strengths of Cuckoo's calling.  

Superfluous to say the language is fluent, at times almost Wodehousian. Although not too often, you meet a few delightful metaphors. Characterization of the key characters is excellent.

I am deliberately not saying anything about the story. One should not reveal anything in a crime fiction book. (Unless the book is bad, in which case you may reveal everything so as to discourage anyone from reading it.)

It is obvious J.K. Rowling doesn't need to write for money. Her writing this series is an extraordinary example of what is meant by the 'writing urge.' She has gifted a new detective to the readers. May she produce more books with Cormoran Strike than she did with Harry Potter.

Verdict: If you are fan of crime fiction, a must read. If you like Cormoran Strike, potentially you will be able to read many more of his cases.

*****