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!

You have no idea if award winning, best selling JK Rowling can write ? 😂😂

The first ones were excellent. I disliked ink black heart and the one about the cult was OK but not as good as the earlier books

I know that sounds a bit odd! But plenty of people rave about how good some truly badly written shite books are (EL James, BA Paris!!) - So I honestly didn’t know if JK Rowling was style over substance!!

But I can confirm she can indeed write 🤣

They’re perfectly enjoyable as an easy read but they’re not great. For one thing there is (inevitably in a series) always a lot of repetition to catch up the readers who maybe jumped in a few books in. This alone makes the books overly long, and I feel they could have done with a more ruthless editor. I do have a theory that people are too much in awe of Rowling to dare edit, and I’ve held this theory since somewhere around The Goblet of Fire. ;) The characters aren’t that well-rounded either in all honesty, so I didn’t get very invested in them. Good for a holiday read though. Rowling has this incredible light, storytelling touch that really comes through in for example the Ickabod or Philosopher’s Stone but in the longer books it gets lost.

Agree. I've listened to all of them with my husband. We get so excited when a new one comes out and I love how long they are. Best audible beers I have listened to the narration is superb

Go for it

Yes they are good. Have read all up to Troubled Blood, and of those my least favourite is Silkworm, the 2nd book. The others are all very good- Troubled Blood was particularly brilliant. I was put off by its length but somehow she pulls it off by having 3 or 4 subplots.

I've got Inkblack Heart on the TBR shelf .

Troubled Blood is probably my fave too. I’d be inclined to skip Inkblack Heart and go straight to the Running Tide.

I’m a bit in love with Strike.

Reading The Running Grave at the moment, and really enjoying it (apart from the Dick Van Dyke accents).

Anyone read any LJ Ross? They’re supposed to be good mysteries.

So glad someone else said this!

I'm reading The Running Grave at the moment and this is spoiling what would otherwise be a really good book!

Absolutely brilliant and have zero interest in HP

Brilliant books, but I didn't like the first book as much as the others. Thought the last one was her best.

I thought the first four were OK - enjoyable enough and obviously JKR is great at writing a mystery stories (HP is a mystery series at heart - especially the earlier books) but then I hit Troubled Blood and am now hooked on them. I loved Ink Black Heart. I read rather than listen and the chat rooms aren't difficult to understand when you see them in front of you and the take down of tumblr culture was hilarious. I think Ink Black Heart was my absolute favourite. But the Running Grave was brilliant too. I read that earlier this month, stayed up so late one night reading it that I called in sick and finished it off the next day!

Also - because I was so late to reading RG, I'd already stumbled across the spoiler of who the killer was on here months ago. Knowing that all the way through did nothing to spoil my enjoyment. Still brilliant.

Do you and DH sit there listening to the book together? I adore audiobooks but I've never listened to one with someone. My MIL uses my account and often listens to books after me and we discuss them which is nice

I started reading the books from Troubled Blood as I had watched the TV series to that point. I am hooked! Reading the series in 2 ways now as I am continuing to read onwards from Troubled Blood but also gone back to read the earlier ones. Didn't like Silkworm, was so disappointed. Currently reading The Running Grave and it's giving me anxiety like no other book. I literally have to put it down as I'm too stressed to continue reading the UHC bits. So it's going to take me longer to finish this one, enjoying it but feeling scared! 😮

@pontipinemum yes we do listen together. We put it on in the car or if we are doing jobs together
We were doing up our house during the last book so a lot of painting got done in silence listening to the running grave
He is dyslexic so reading books that long would be impossible
We love it

My DH and I listen to 30-60 minutes of strike in bed every night. We really love it but we didn't expect it to bring us closer together. We literally get into bed, turn the lights off and snuggle up until the timer ends. It's a lovely period of closeness/intimacy at the end of the day without any pressure for sex etc. were both look forward to it very much and and only listen to strike together at night but I will listen to other audio books in the car etc when I'm on my own.

I absolutely bloody love them. And Ruth Rendell is one of my favourite crime writers. I'm so jealous - wish I hadn't read them so I could read them again afresh!

He's a bit like Wexford in some ways...

Btw Strike fans, the Reddit discussion of the series is very good. Some good in depth review on there.

Also, when a new book comes out they have strict rules on not putting spoilers in thread titles and do sectioned read-a-long discussions for a couple of months so you can discuss latest book in detail as you go along without spoilers. (Rules are not in place at the moment).

www.reddit.com/r/cormoran_strike/

I recommend the Strike & Ellacott Files podcast.

They’re a bit obsessed with the relationship side & have a mutual crush on Strike, but once you get past that their discussion of the books is really interesting & perceptive.

@WitchyBits
That sounds really, really lovely.
I might suggest it to DH who doesn't read....

Whaaat??!! They've tended to come out around my birthday and I've been telling myself they will continue in this way for the next 35 years or so!

Agree they are brilliant. Also agree that the accents thing is grating but the books are so good that I don't mind too much!

strikefans.com/strike-8-title-the-hallmarked-man/ @Crocosmia74

Sounds lovely.