Cormoran Strike - is the series any good?

[Tootingbec]

I need a new set of books to get into. Are the Strike books good? I see lots of threads here raving about them!

My absolute favourite author is Ruth Rendell but love any well written psychological thriller. Like some of the early Nikki French stand alone books (hated the Frieda Kline series though!) Was also a fan of Dick Francis back in the day 🙂

On this basis would you recommend Strike? Never into Harry Potter so no idea if JK Rowling can write!

Yes I would recommend. I've read up to Troubled Blood and so far would say they're all very good, though Silkworm is my least favourite.
Recently read Troubled Blood and thought that was brilliant- really liked the interview scenes. Although long, with shedloads of characters to get your head around, I would say there are separate subplots within the book.

She obviously plans ahead because there's a couple of sentences in TB relating to the central theme of the latest Strike.

The only thing I'm not into is the Robin / Strike love interest.

They are absolutely brilliant books. Although personally I don’t much like the silkworm, I don’t enjoy any of the bombyx mori stuff. The rest however are fabulous

I love them! So hard to put down, and I love they're so long too they keep you going for a while!
Also I really like the way she writes different accents, I can really "hear" them in my head then as I'm reading them

I'm on the last one now. I listen to them, the narrator is really good. I am listening to it on 0.95 though

I also found Ink Black Heart hard going on audible due to the chat room scenes, but I still enjoyed it.

Not a spoiler but there was a little mention of MN in the latest book, somewhere that 30+ women hang out gave me a smile.

That's my greatest problem with the series @JustKen equating class with accent. She needs to stop with it.

Listening to Running Grave on audible at the moment and really enjoying it. The narrator is fantastic.

Very well written and the stories are so well built! Highly recommended

This is good! I read the reviews on Amazon and was put off starting. They mentioned a lot of graphic violence.

There is some graphic violence maybe most in the second one, Silkworm

I enjoy them very much. Character driven , plot driven excellent storytelling.
Remind me of PD James.

Amazing!!!! Pretty gruesome in party but it's superb!

I watched the TV series and found it quite good. I generally find books to be better than their TV counterparts, so would say they are worth a read.

Me too. Hooked already!

Really good. I read the first few and then switched to audible as I love Philip Glenister's narration. I could not listen to any more of Ink Black heart ( the text speak bits were so painful to listen to ) but I got my friend to give me a summary of it and am very happily listening to the Running grave. I know Norfolk well so extra interest there. I love Ruth Rendell too , PD James and Anne Cleeves.

I think they're great! The characterisation is brilliant and I think when she writes how people speak it adds to this and she doesn't just do it for working class accents.

The whole 'will they, won't they' is getting infuriating though 😄

The love interest part is the very best bit! I am fully invested and feel bereft at the end of each book. I think she has developed it beautifully and it doesn’t take over the story but is still a significant draw to keep reading.

Slipslidinginthefray
The love interest is my most favourite bit too!!

Just finished the Running Grave....😳

Some are okay. Some (the 2nd one and the horse one) are total crap. All are badly written and all but the first are far too long. The big reveals are often stupid.

Having said all that, I still read them and am still invested in whether or not Strike and Robin will ever get to shag.

I thought the first one (cuckoo calling) was stupid. I hated the ending and the “whodunnit”. And I so wanted to like it. But on dh insistence I have powered through and I’m glad I did. Working my way through the series now ans it definitely improves. The characters are great.

Just came on here to say thank you for recommending the Strike series!

Just finished The Running Grave - couldn’t put it down. And agree with most of you - the books just got better and better. First few I thought “this is quite good” and then I hit Troubled Blood and I was totally hooked.

And they are funny too - some parts that made me laugh out loud - mostly Strike “FFS-ing” at something.

Feeling rather bereft now ☹️. When is the next one published?!

There will be 10 in the series. 8 is called The Hallmarked Man no release date yet

Aw such good books. I'm not sure when the next one is out.

Have you watched any of the TV adaptation? I watched the 1st series ages ago but haven't caught the rest yet

I loved them. And unlike others, I enjoyed the Ink Black Heart too. The chat room bits were easy to follow once you got your eye in and were so true to chat room life!

It was even worse by audio book! Currently registering to it with my DH ( his first time) and he's a bit lost at times.

Toast are the last one was miles and miles the best.

I've really enjoyed this series by Jane Casey about a female detective in the murder squad in London.Great plots and as it's a series, you get really invested in the characters. And a bit of romance too!😁

www.deadgoodbooks.co.uk/jane-casey/