LETHAL WHITE
by
Robert Galbraith
Lethal White is the fourth Cormoran
Strike novel by J.K. Rowling, written under the Robert Galbraith pseudonym. Strike,
a private investigator, and his junior partner, Robin Ellacott, are extremely
busy after Strike was instrumental in catching the Shacklewell Ripper. In the
midst of this, Billy, a mentally ill young man, ends up in Strike’s office
claiming that he had witnessed the murder of a child. Shortly after, Strike is
hired by Jasper Chiswell, the Minister For Culture. The Minister is being
blackmailed by two men, the husband of the Minister For Sport and Billy’s older
brother. Is this one case or two? Who is behind the various crimes and why?
Rowling is
the queen of character development, and Lethal
White does not disappoint. From the upper-crust member of Parliament to
poor, downtrodden mentally ill Billy, Rowling delivers a full panoply of
interesting characters, replete with the complexities we have come to expect
from her. But, the most interesting characters in the book are Strike and
Robin. We are treated to the continued development of each character, as well
as development in their personal and professional relationships.
In addition to the signature
character development, Lethal White
again delivers a wonderful, old-fashioned mystery that we have come to expect from
the plots of the Cormoran Strike novels. And, this is a particularly complex,
convoluted plot.
It was
wonderful to be back in Strike’s world. But, even after almost 650 pages, I
hated to see it end and continued to think about the book long after I reached
the end.
