Book 25 Troubled Blood

 

Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling) fulfilled the category “Longest Book on my TBR list” for the PopSugar 2021 Reading Challenge. Honestly, I have House of Leaves (700+ pages) on my list along with The Witching Hour (1000+ pages). But I read Troubled Blood, and as it was long enough, I opted to rant about it.

I have enjoyed the Cormoran Strike mysteries, despite their author displaying a short-sightedness about Trans issues. The mysteries are gritty and complex, with interesting characters and unrequited love. Awesome.

Troubled Blood, though, had some issues.

I’ve heard rumors that some authors stop using developmental editors when they become famous/rich enough. That means no one checks their stories for redundant passages, empty plot lines, or long-drawn-out sequences that do not forward plot. A mystery/suspense novel should always move forward. In these books, character development takes a backseat to the action. Especially in the fifth book of a series.

Troubled Blood is a cold case story. Detectives, Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott, have one year to find out who killed Margot Bamborough forty years ago, a daunting task to say the least. The 944-page novel takes twelve months to solve the case. I’ve read the author’s children’s books where the story covers the school year. Those stories also became too long at about book five. Troubled Blood could’ve been half the length if the author asked for a developmental edit.

It’s not to say I didn’t like the novel. I did. The mystery was interesting, though drawn out. The characters are still compelling, though these detectives need to stop dancing around their feelings for each other. I also want Cormoran to stop being a drunk ass and take charge of his life. The book threw many personal issues at Cormoran, stopping him from moving forward with his job and with Robin. His aunt passes (which takes forever, sorry if I’m callous), and his father wants to reconnect. Robin still wallows in the “I’m not good enough” garbage for yet another book.

I don’t know if it was the cold case that stopped me from loving the book. It lacked the intrigue and gore of the other novels in the series. I’m a huge horror fan and loved that our beloved Harry Potter author was breaking out the blood and guts. Troubled Blood (despite its title) lacked the bloody mess of the other four books. Also, there was a huge cast of characters for the mystery. The entire staff of a doctor’s office was involved. With so many names and so many pages in between their appearances, it was difficult to keep them straight. Also—Spoiler—if Cormoran hadn’t conveniently forgotten something, the mystery would’ve been solved in weeks, not months.

Anyway…

If you loved the other Cormoran Strike books, be aware that this one moves more slowly, with less action and less horrific details.

I give Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith Three Red Herrings.