Cormoran Strike is basically Jilly Cooper

[MorrisZapp]

I'm reading my first CM book, Lethal White. It's very absorbing, ideal lockdown reading.

But it's basically Jilly Cooper isn't it? Nobody's actually paying attention to the job in hand, everyone just wants to shag everyone else.

I'm only halfway in but so far I think ten women have fought their desire for Strike, and Robin is so hot she can't go undercover without Boris Johnsons's half Italian son falling for her and his wife leaving him out of jealousy.

I'm all for a bit of back story about my detectives but this just feels weird. Don't most people just... go to work?

I tend to skim the romantic side of things with Strike, although am sure some will come along who are engrossed in it.
The other thing I don't get is that he's famous followingthe solving of one of his cases. How many famous detectives are there really? None.

Enjoyable though. The Cuckoo Calling is the other good one, haven't read the latest.

Yup, famous private detectives aren't a thing. In fact even the actual police who crack huge cases remain largely anonymous.

It's the endless 'keeping them apart' storyline that is so wearing. I'm a survivor of Ross and Rachel. Just effing shag already, he's just a bloke like any other.

Lethal White is several books in. You’d be better off starting with Cuckoo’s Callimg.

Hmm. I really think you need to start with The Cuckoo's Calling to appreciate the significance of the characters' back story and the central relationship. It does make a big difference to know what has happened in the previous books. I can just about see how you get to Jilly Cooper from the Lethal White Tory MP plotline, but I can't see too many other similarities, really.

I'm a big David Lodge fan so I do appreciate your name, though.

I think Strike is famous because he has solved high profile cases AND because he is the illegitimate son of Mick Jagger a very famous rock star. And he dated the equivalent of a Tatler It girl for a while.

Why would you not start at the beginning of the series? The backstory isbound to seem a bit wtf if you haven't read from the beginning. I liked the first one, and I loathe anything remotely Jilly Cooperesque.

I'm reading the middle book because it was the one the charity shop has! I can infer much of the back story. Woman marries terrible man because he cut his foot on holiday before she could get the annulment processed. Man has toxic ex he shags freely to try to forget. Both got raging horn for each other but make do with glances and unexplained feelings of happiness in each others presence because there's still four hundred pages and a franchise to go.

She doesn't marry him because he cut his foot. She married him because... Read the series & understand the characters!

Also, who on earth is giving Strike books to the charity shop?! Sacrilege!

Yes, I thought the same when I watched the penultimate episode of Pride and Prejudice and hadn'tseen the four episodes before it.

Fwiw, the first two books aren't really relationship heavy at all, it's only in the third one that that aspect kicks in to a much bigger degree. You've basically started reading the book just before everything goes effing tonto after a slow burn over three other books on the relationship front, so I don't know what to say, really.

Anyway, far more sex in a Jilly Cooper book. Robin doesn't get a sniff of Cooper-esque anything except in fan fiction, poor lass.

Well, he does grab her breast quite early on. Is that Jilly Cooperish?

TV series was very good. On iPlayer.

She notices his upper body strength at one point.
Another woman strokes his nethers in a car at another point.

It's hardly rampant shagging behind a polo pony.

@parentalhelpline

Hmm. I really think you need to start with The Cuckoo's Calling to appreciate the significance of the characters' back story and the central relationship. It does make a big difference to know what has happened in the previous books. I can just about see how you get to Jilly Cooper from the Lethal White Tory MP plotline, but I can't see too many other similarities, really.

I'm a big David Lodge fan so I do appreciate your name, though.

This. There is sooo much more to the characters and backstop. At least watch the 3 TV adaptations prior to Lethal White (BBCiPlayer) to give yourself some idea.

@ISmellLikeRobin have you been buying Narciso?

@BuntingEllacott...where do you read your fan fic? I write for the fandom on AO3.

MintyCedric there's a whole Troubled Blood thread in this topic if you want to join us...

Including information on BuntingEllacott’s fabulous podcast. Full of spoilers though so not for anyone who hasn’t yet read all the books.

@MintyCedric Yep!

Ooh I will definitely jump on this evening...I'm on just about every other Strike group on t'internet I think!

I bought a sample of Narciso too...and Pour Homme

You’re defo not going to get the interpersonal dynamics if you don’t start with the first one! I don’t care about the relationship stuff myself, it’s very minimal, it’s more key in book four because it’s the first time it’s really addressed. Tbh you’ve done yourself a disservice starting four books in.

Also PP is correct, he’s famous because the first case involved a high profile celebrity, and he himself is the son of a high profile celebrity.

Ahh Lethal White is rather Jilly Cooper when you put it like that but if you’re going to start mid series, Troubled Blood is a much better call but the best is to read whichever one you’ve found then go back and read from the beginning -multiple times-

Strike through fail...

the best is to read whichever one you’ve found then go back and read from the beginning -multiple times-

I think I more or less know the first four off by heart now.

Have also downloaded the Kindle versions to make it easier to cross reference. I spent over and hour searching through Career of Evil last Christmas for a reference to marzipan pigs

I've ordered the first one! But I'll finish this one before tackling it. Lodge fans will note a significant housecoat scene anyway, the poignancy of Della not knowing the colour she's wearing while old Hilary Swallow zips hers right up and doesn't get how alluring it is.

Love it MintyCedric

MorrisZapp I love David Lodge. I re-read Nice Work last year, but I really should go back and do all the Changing Places books.