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klaireparavel's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars Some of this book was so incredibly well done, particularly the Robin and Robin and Strike passages. Rowling/Galbraith really got into the meat of who they are as individuals, which helped set up who they are as coworkers. But some of it was very poorly done. The song lyrics were tiresome early on and the villain was near caricature-like. Still, the best book in the series.
jacuzinha's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Frustrating in many aspects (Robin, Robin and Strike, Matthew, trying to find out who the killer is) and too many topics I’d rather not find in escapism tbh
hank22's review
4.0
This was my surprising favorite out of the first three of this series. I say surprising, because it is SUH DARK. Not surprising due to the title, but it packs a punch of evil. However, I loved the character development of Cormoran and Robin in this book. It made me finally feel personally connected to them, and I couldn't wait to see how their friendship continued in the next book. I listened to the audiobook, and would highly recommend it. The narrator is top notch, and I absolutely loved his interpretation of characters and dialects.
slothreader's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
kminor86's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ellipsiscool's review against another edition
4.0
I love Cormoran and Robin. This is not a plot driven mystery. It's not lacking in any way, but it's definitely character driven. I honestly did not like "Career of Evil" as much as the first two books in the series. I wasn't as surprised at the ending reveal as I had been.
I did like the bits of back story we get about our detective and his brilliant, but entirely human partner. I also really enjoyed the Blue Oyster Cult tie-in. I'm not necessarily a fan of the "Cult," but I can really appreciate the use of the lyrics as a vehicle in the story and after reading this book I will certainly revisit the group.
I did like the bits of back story we get about our detective and his brilliant, but entirely human partner. I also really enjoyed the Blue Oyster Cult tie-in. I'm not necessarily a fan of the "Cult," but I can really appreciate the use of the lyrics as a vehicle in the story and after reading this book I will certainly revisit the group.
laerugo's review against another edition
5.0
this book hit me in a way i haven’t been hit in a long time, because this is the first book in the cormoran strike series in which strike’s role in the story is finally, equally balanced by his detective partner robin’s. she has equal weight and jkr spends just as much – possibly more – time in her head than strike’s, and this is important, because robin to me is the main character of this book, considering her background gives her a relationship with the killer that strike can't relate to. i'm gonna end up probably talking more about her character in this review because she's really the heart of this book and i hope the trend of her sharing the spotlight with strike continues.
jkr's prose remains, as always, top-notch, and her appreciation for detail and internal monologue continues to inspire and impress me, but what meant more to me than the other two books combined was that in 'career of evil,' she tackled a very sensitive subject matter with honesty and the type of respect that i don't trust to come from other (male) writers in mainstream media these days.
this is a very gendered story. i feel safe in saying it was probably – though not exclusively, but probably – written to find head-nods amongst female audiences. the killer is a grotesque, horrifically sexist, perverse monster of a man, but jkr dives into his head too. though the killer is beyond most people’s definition of a “normal guy,” and, to me, a bit stereotypical at times, he’s still real, because people like him do exist. while i stand by my initial thoughts that he feels often like a cardboard cutout of a villain more than an actual person, this feeling left me as the fear he stirs up in robin affects her personal life. she imagines rapists and assaulters in every strange man she runs into. she grows deeply, almost recklessly protective of the women and children she discovers are in contact with the suspects. strike, the male protagonist, does not. this is an important distinction, and jkr's pointed choice of writing it the way she does means a lot to me.
i am tired of this love triangle, tired of matthew so obviously being a poor choice of husband for robin as he insults and mocks her career goals, tired of strike's jealousy, yada yada. all of it mattered less to me in this book, 'cause robin (after three books) stood for something close to her and took a case into her own hands against strike's own agenda to do the right thing. robin isn't just a character mouthpiece or a female character quota jkr is ticking off her mental list; she's just as developed as strike, this was her book, and i can't wait to see where else she goes.
jkr's prose remains, as always, top-notch, and her appreciation for detail and internal monologue continues to inspire and impress me, but what meant more to me than the other two books combined was that in 'career of evil,' she tackled a very sensitive subject matter with honesty and the type of respect that i don't trust to come from other (male) writers in mainstream media these days.
this is a very gendered story. i feel safe in saying it was probably – though not exclusively, but probably – written to find head-nods amongst female audiences. the killer is a grotesque, horrifically sexist, perverse monster of a man, but jkr dives into his head too. though the killer is beyond most people’s definition of a “normal guy,” and, to me, a bit stereotypical at times, he’s still real, because people like him do exist. while i stand by my initial thoughts that he feels often like a cardboard cutout of a villain more than an actual person, this feeling left me as the fear he stirs up in robin affects her personal life. she imagines rapists and assaulters in every strange man she runs into. she grows deeply, almost recklessly protective of the women and children she discovers are in contact with the suspects. strike, the male protagonist, does not. this is an important distinction, and jkr's pointed choice of writing it the way she does means a lot to me.
i am tired of this love triangle, tired of matthew so obviously being a poor choice of husband for robin as he insults and mocks her career goals, tired of strike's jealousy, yada yada. all of it mattered less to me in this book, 'cause robin (after three books) stood for something close to her and took a case into her own hands against strike's own agenda to do the right thing. robin isn't just a character mouthpiece or a female character quota jkr is ticking off her mental list; she's just as developed as strike, this was her book, and i can't wait to see where else she goes.
mageekm193's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
blitskater's review against another edition
4.0
Dat was me een rollercoaster wel. Dit was het derde boek uit de Strike-serie en het is altijd hopen dat het net zo goed is (al dan niet beter) dan zijn voorgangers. Je wordt weer meegezogen in een meedogenloos verhaal van een seriemoordenaar welke Strike & Robin proberen te ontmaskeren. Ook in de verhaal botsen de privé levens van deze twee en lees je het zo uit.