Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith

"They’re drawn to the church, women like dat. Nearly every congregation’s got a couple. Outward observance, inward poison. They say the words, you know ‘Father forgive me, for I have sinned,’ but the Dorothys of this world, they don’t believe they can sin, not really." Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith

Strike and Robin are partners at the Detective Agency, and business is booming. They've hired subcontractors to help sort through all the work, and they need the help because they're personal lives are becoming increasingly more complicated. Robin's tied up in a toxic divorce, while Strike's father and ex-girlfriend try to suck the life out of him... And then they get contacted about a 40 year old murder of a doctor, suspected victim of a serial killer, whose body was never recovered.

This was the best one yet. The author skipped the usual tedious character introductions and just went directly into storytelling. The creep factor was high and thick with suspense; it was one of those stay up all night books because even when I stopped reading it, I couldn't stop thinking about when I could restart reading it...

I loved all the characters. After 40 years of hiden secrets and faded memories, the suspects and witnesses had great stories to tell the detectives. And the main investigator on the Doctor's case had been severely mentally ill which adds to the chaos of clues. And Dennis Creed was delightfully disturbing predator.

I don't want to take away too much from this book by discussing controversial events, BUT: JKR did the book a disservice when she decided to discuss her political views online, and so close to this book's publication date. I'm not going to debate with you on whether or not she's transphobic. I will say I do not believe the book is transphobic. Whatever her personal views on the trans-community are, she kept to Twitter. There is however a serial killer who cross dresses to trick a victim... and while cross dressing isn't the same thing as being trans, I know there will be many who are offended by that detail given the circumstances. If you can't read an author based on their politics and personality this may not be the book for you.

As for other political content, this book is soaked with feminist ideology and includes a scathing indictment on toxic masculinity, so there is that. It won't be a book for everyone.

But the ending, I never saw coming. I have mixed feelings with Who-Dunnits. If the clues are too easy and I guess who did it, I'm never happy. If the ending isn't based on any clues at all, I'm equally unhappy because it is like the game being rigged. So the ending, I never could have guessed at, and its all connected to clues in a way I never would have thought. So I'll say it again: Best one yet.

5 books in, and I have to ask a serious question: Do people in England really call Coarse, Curly Hair, "pube-like" at every opportunity? Or is that unique to RG/JKR? Surely there's another way to describe it?

5 Stars