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The Silkworm (A Cormoran Strike Novel, 2) Hardcover – June 19, 2014

by Robert Galbraith (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 71,570 ratings
Editors' pick Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
See all formats and editions
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When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife calls in private detective Cormoran Strike. At first, Mrs. Quine just thinks her husband has gone off by himself for a few days-as he has done before-and she wants Strike to find him and bring him home.

But as Strike investigates, it becomes clear that there is more to Quine's disappearance than his wife realizes. The novelist has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were to be published, it would ruin lives-meaning that there are a lot of people who might want him silenced.

When Quine is found brutally murdered under bizarre circumstances, it becomes a race against time to understand the motivation of a ruthless killer, a killer unlike any Strike has encountered before... A compulsively readable crime novel with twists at every turn, THE SILKWORM is the second in the highly acclaimed series featuring Cormoran Strike and his determined young assistant, Robin Ellacott.
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  1. Book 2 of 7
    Cormoran Strike
  2. Print length
    455 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Mulholland Books
  5. Publication date
    June 19, 2014
  6. Dimensions
    6.5 x 1.73 x 9.5 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    9780316206877
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0316206877
  9. Lexile measure
    970L
  10. See all details
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  1. Women, in his experience, often expected you to understand that it was a measure of how much they loved you that they tried their damnedest to change you.
    Highlighted by 1,326 Kindle readers
  2. She emanated that aura of grandeur that replaces sexual allure in the successful older woman.
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  3. But he knew no other way; it was part of a short but inflexible personal code of ethics that he had carried with him all his adult life: do the job and do it well.
    Highlighted by 782 Kindle readers
  4. “We don’t love each other; we love the idea we have of each other. Very few humans understand this or can bear to contemplate it. They have blind faith in their own powers of creation. All love, ultimately, is self-love.”
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  2. The Running Grave

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  3. Career of Evil (Cormoran Strike Book 3)
    Lethal White (Cormoran Strike Book 4)
    Troubled Blood (A Cormoran Strike Novel Book 5)
    The Ink Black Heart (A Cormoran Strike Novel)

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From the Publisher

Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith

Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith

Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith

Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Strike shares a trait with many great fictional detectives: He is darn good company...The Silkworm is a very well-written, wonderfully entertaining take on the traditional British crime novel...Robert Galbraith may proudly join the ranks of English, Scottish and Irish crime writers such as Tana French, Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, John Connolly, Kate Atkinson and Peter Robinson."―Harlan Coben, The New York Times Book Review

"Cormoran Strike is back, and so is his resourceful sidekick, Robin Ellacott, a gumshoe team that's on its way to becoming as celebrated for its mystery-solving skills as Nick and Nora Charles of "Thin Man" fame, and Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander (a.k.a. the girl with the dragon tattoo)."―Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

"The plot zings along...Swift and satisfying"―Carolyn Kellogg, The Los Angeles Times

"'The last line of The Silkworm, which will lift the hearts of readers who have come to love its deeply sympathetic characters, offers the prospect of more of that joy both for her and for us."―Charles Finch, USA Today (3.5/4 stars)

"A compulsively entertaining yarn."―Thom Geier, Entertainment Weekly

"Robert Galbraith... has written a second absorbing whodunit starring detective Corcmoran Strike to follow last year's stealth hit, The Cuckoo's Calling.... Astutely observed, well-paced... The Silkworm thoroughly engages as a crime novel."―Sue Corbett, People

The Silkworm is fast-paced and entertaining... Strike is heroic without intending to be and has a great back story. He's the illegitimate son of a rock star whose half-siblings grew up in privilege... And he's brooding, but not annoyingly so. Strike has all kinds of potential. It'd be a crime not to keep up with him."―Sherryl Connelly, Daily News

"Why is "likable" the first word that comes to mind upon finishing The Silkworm? Surely, that has something to do with Rowling's palpable pleasure in her newly chosen genre (the jig may be up with her Robert Galbraith pseudonym, but the bloom is still on her homicidal rose) and even more to do with her detective hero, who, at the risk of offending, is the second husband of every author's dreams."―Louis Bayard, The Washington Post

"The story is enthralling, not only for its twists and turns, but for the fun of the teamwork.... [It's] a cast of characters who you'll want to meet again and again."―Ashley Ross, Time

"[The Silkworm is a] swift-paced, suspenseful mystery....Robert Galbraith has announced himself a fresh voice in mystery fiction: part hard-boiled, part satiric, part poignant, and part romantic."―Tom Nolan, The Wall Street Journal

"Bring on the next one, please....Galbraith writes with wit and affection for detective-novel tradition (it's impossible not to see her central duo as a modern-day Nick and Nora, minus the marriage), and races us through a twisty plot so smoothly that you won't notice as the hours tick by."―Moira MacDonald, The Seattle Times

"Having just the better part of a day and a night making my way through the 455 pages of The Silkworm ... I must say, I don't mind at all... The murder mystery at the heart of The Silkworm is a genuine mystery with an altogether satisfying resolution." ―Malcolm Jones, The Daily Beast

"[Galbraith] weaves a pleasurably wicked literary murder mystery with all its attendant aspects of publishing politics, from the peevish to the pompous, into Strike's personal and professional lives....Only two books in, and Galbraith's characters already feel like familiar-and welcome-friends."―Daneet Steffens, The Boston Globe

About the Author

Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym for J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potterseries and The Casual Vacancy.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0316206873
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mulholland Books; First Edition (June 19, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 455 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780316206877
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316206877
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 970L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.56 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1.73 x 9.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 71,570 ratings

About the author

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Robert Galbraith

Robert Galbraith

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Robert Galbraith’s Cormoran Strike series is classic contemporary crime fiction from a master story-teller, rich in plot, characterisation and detail. Galbraith’s debut into crime fiction garnered acclaim amongst critics and crime fans alike. The first three novels The Cuckoo’s Calling (2013), The Silkworm (2014) and Career of Evil (2015) all topped the national and international bestseller lists and have been adapted for television, produced by Brontë Film and Television. The fourth in the series, Lethal White (2018), is out now.

Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym of J.K. Rowling, bestselling author of the Harry Potter series and The Casual Vacancy, a novel for adults. After Harry Potter, the author chose crime fiction for her next books, a genre she has always loved as a reader. She wanted to write a contemporary whodunit, with a credible back story.

J.K. Rowling’s original intention for writing as Robert Galbraith was for the books to be judged on their own merit, and to establish Galbraith as a well-regarded name in crime in its own right.

Now Robert Galbraith’s true identity is widely known, J.K. Rowling continues to write the crime series under the Galbraith pseudonym to keep the distinction from her other writing and so people will know what to expect from a Cormoran Strike novel.

https://robert-galbraith.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CormoranStrikeNovelsOfficial

Twitter: @RGalbraith

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
71,570 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the plot intricate and enjoyable. They describe the book as a fantastic, fun read with well-developed characters. Readers praise the writing quality as well-written and wonderful. They also mention the humor is subtle and efficient. Overall, customers say the series is excellent and a great second addition.

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PlotReadabilityCharacter developmentWriting qualityEntertainment valueSeries qualityPaceGruesomeness
1,882 customers mention "Plot"1,382 positive500 negative

Customers find the plot well-developed, suspenseful, and enjoyable. They say it's a classic detective tale with twists and turns. Readers also mention the author is deft at writing murder mysteries and rich in amusing interactions between Strike and various friends and relatives.

"...I can’t wait to read the next one!! Gripping, suspenceful, clever and endearing." Read more

"...full of absurd touches, red herrings, colorful characters, and elaborate plot ideas, not the least of which is the central hook – the absolutely..." Read more

"...The plots are complicated but realistic in that Rowling uses Cormoran's perspective to reveal clues to murders, withholding information causing the..." Read more

"...The book proves to have a tedious and gruesome plot full of allegorical names and gory details of a kind I always find it rather tempting to speed-..." Read more

1,295 customers mention "Readability"1,287 positive8 negative

Customers find the book fantastic, imaginative, and fun. They appreciate the interesting and well-developed characters. Readers also say the journey is well worth the trip. Additionally, they describe the characters as flawed, angst-ridden, funny, and acerbic.

".../ trainee Robin Ellacott is easy and obvious, but Rowling makes it work incredibly well, bringing both characters to rich life and letting their..." Read more

"...The arrival is something of a let-down but the journey is well worth the trip...." Read more

"...It is quite simply delicious fun to read.Part of what makes it such fun is the setting of this novel...." Read more

"...Wonderfully paced, filled with fabulously drawn characters who are flawed, angst-ridden, funny, acerbic and also naive, The Silkworm is a terrific..." Read more

986 customers mention "Character development"874 positive112 negative

Customers find the characters well-developed and interesting. They also mention the book is long with many characters and details. Readers appreciate the detailed and humorous interviews with various characters.

"...obvious, but Rowling makes it work incredibly well, bringing both characters to rich life and letting their friendship and mutual respect speak..." Read more

"...in Rowling's own name, is a British village story with great character development and interaction that involves elements of mystery...." Read more

"...Wonderfully paced, filled with fabulously drawn characters who are flawed, angst-ridden, funny, acerbic and also naive, The Silkworm is a terrific..." Read more

"...Even better than the plot, to me, is the character development. I've read and reread this one and pick up something new each time. LOVE!" Read more

764 customers mention "Writing quality"595 positive169 negative

Customers find the writing quality of the book well-written and wonderful. They appreciate the author's ability to build believable, unique characters. Readers also mention the book is dialogue-driven, plausible, and complex.

"...in the context of novel writing and publishing, it is interesting to hear Rowlings voice as she criticizes electronic self-publishing that may make..." Read more

"...Found this book very hard to put down - clever, eminently readable, and for a genre that's well trod, highly original as well." Read more

"...story as such; but at the same time I do recognise that it is cleverly constructed and gave me a lot to think about...." Read more

"...That is the caveat for my feeling that the book is cumbersome in spots which interferes with the tempo and pace of joining with the characters and..." Read more

271 customers mention "Entertainment value"253 positive18 negative

Customers find the book entertaining, engaging, and hard to put down. They say the humor is subtle and efficient. Readers also mention the characters are unique and endearing.

"...I can’t wait to read the next one!! Gripping, suspenceful, clever and endearing." Read more

"...Rowling's gift for dialogue is tremendous, too. She certainly knows her way around profanity...." Read more

"...filled with fabulously drawn characters who are flawed, angst-ridden, funny, acerbic and also naive, The Silkworm is a terrific sequel to Cuckoo's..." Read more

"...But the characters are unique and immediately endearing...." Read more

146 customers mention "Series quality"146 positive0 negative

Customers find the series excellent and well-written. They say the book is a wonderful continuation and interesting follow-up to the first one. Readers also mention the last four chapters are great.

"...', the main characters are the best thing about 'The Silkworm' - fascinating and cute...." Read more

"...Overall, this was a great second addition to the series. I loved the first book and I loved this one...." Read more

"...Of the dozens of new books I've read so far this year, this is the best." Read more

"...They are such an intriguing pair, and just when the reader thinks that the inevitable will happen and the two will wind up in a romantic relationship..." Read more

232 customers mention "Pace"127 positive105 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pace of the book. Some mention it's well-paced and entertaining, while others say it's slow going at times.

"...There's a lot going on, the pacing is excellent, the twists and turns are exciting. Rowling's gift for dialogue is tremendous, too...." Read more

"...The second is that Rowling/Galbraith finishes too quickly -- it feels like you just blink -- or turn the page -- and the climax is over...." Read more

"...Wonderfully paced, filled with fabulously drawn characters who are flawed, angst-ridden, funny, acerbic and also naive, The Silkworm is a terrific..." Read more

"...I did find the plot of this book very slow and tedious. It dragged for me, and in the end, I was just glad it was over." Read more

175 customers mention "Gruesomeness"28 positive147 negative

Customers find the book very gory, gross, and disturbing. They also mention it has graphic death scenes and details.

"...to have a tedious and gruesome plot full of allegorical names and gory details of a kind I always find it rather tempting to speed-read rather than..." Read more

"...That being said, this one was definitely gruesome...." Read more

"...The writers, editors and agents in this book are unpleasant to the point of caricature...." Read more

"...True, parts were disgustingly gross, violent, and disturbing (which is why I gave the book only 4 stars), but we were prepared for it..." Read more

Looks used, dirty in spots
2 out of 5 stars
Looks used, dirty in spots
Just started reading my book and it seems used. There's smudges and food(?) possibly, something gross on this page. Doesn't seem to be a new book. Wasnt advertised as used.
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Top reviews from the United States

Laurie Ann Knoespel
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent
Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2024
Verified Purchase
I’m in love with these characters and their lives. I can’t wait to read the next one!! Gripping, suspenceful, clever and endearing.
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Josh Mauthe
4.0 out of 5 stars The plot is decent, but the character work is rich and enjoyable, and the storytelling is addictive
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2018
Verified Purchase
It’s somewhat surprising that publishers have allowed The Silkworm to continue to be listed under the name Robert Galbraith instead of J.K. Rowling – after all, this is an industry where female writers are often asked to abbreviate their names so that sales don’t get affected, so I can’t imagine that leaving Rowling’s name off is appealing to them. And yet, in a lot of ways, it’s completely appropriate – the Galbraith books don’t feel like the public assumptions of what J.K. Rowling writes. They’re private detective books with a little dose of hard-boiled mixed in – they’re occasionally violent (even graphically so, in the case of The Silkworm), suspenseful, and full of shady characters.

Even so, much like that more famous other series she wrote, the joy here isn’t always so much the plot as it is the rich characterization and general gift for storytelling. In creating the jaded war veteran Cormoran Strike and his Girl Friday Robin Ellacott, Rowling’s come up with two outstanding characters that have a way of pulling you along even as the plotting occasionally gets bewildering in the way so many mysteries do. After all, The Silkworm is full of absurd touches, red herrings, colorful characters, and elaborate plot ideas, not the least of which is the central hook – the absolutely brutal and graphic killing of a notorious author that seems to have been inspired by his unpublished manuscript, which mocked and ridiculed pretty much everyone in his life and in the publishing industry.

The result is a pretty solid detective novel that scratches all the right itches for the genre – tense interviews with reluctant witnesses and suspects, power plays, bluffs to draw out the villains, covert surveillance, lots of red herrings, and secrets galore. If you know the genre, you know what you’re getting, and it’s no small thing to say that Rowling generally does it incredibly well. The Silkworm feels silly at times, especially when you try to put it all together – and that’s especially true with the answers of who did it and why – but none of that keeps it from being an incredibly entertaining and gripping read, nor does it stop it from being a really great piece of detective fiction (one that feels different enough from Rowling’s other writings to merit the pseudonym).

But the real treat here is the character work, which gives The Silkworm the investment you need in a good detective story. The contrast between cynical, world-weary, literally walking wounded Cormoran Strike and his hopeful, eager, earnest secretary / assistant / trainee Robin Ellacott is easy and obvious, but Rowling makes it work incredibly well, bringing both characters to rich life and letting their friendship and mutual respect speak volumes. It’s a great central dynamic to the book, and the way Rowling plays with it – and the tensions between them – and uses them to supplement her labyrinthine (but engaging) mystery is what makes The Silkworm so satisfying. That Rowling got so pigeonholed that she felt like she couldn’t write the Cormoran Strike books under her own name is a bit sad; that she’s writing them, though, and that there are more to come? That’s very welcome news indeed, because if they’re all this fun and captivating, well, I won’t be complaining.
39 people found this helpful
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Gary Severance
5.0 out of 5 stars Put It In Writing
Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2014
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The Silkworm is the second novel in the British detective series featuring Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott by Robert Galbraith. After critical acclaim for volume 1, J. K. Rowling acknowledged that she is the writer behind the Galbraith nom de plume. Rowling explained that she wanted the freedom to publish novels without being judged against her history of international success writing the Harry Potter books. This judgment was harsh, in my opinion, when Rowling published her Potter breakaway novel, The Casual Vacancy. That was an excellent stand-alone novel and I wondered what direction her writing would take. I hoped some of the criticism would not cause her to abandon writing fiction for adult readers.

Well, it did not. The Casual Vacancy, published in Rowling's own name, is a British village story with great character development and interaction that involves elements of mystery. The Cuckoo's Calling and The Silkworm are excellent beginnings of a detective/mystery series in the British tradition of Robert Barnard (http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/sep/25/robert-barnard) and Simon Brett (http://www.simonbrett.com/books/), two of my favorites. The plots are complicated but realistic in that Rowling uses Cormoran's perspective to reveal clues to murders, withholding information causing the reader to puzzle over the guilt of several suspects. Cormoran is a large, gruff, disabled British Army veteran of the current war in Afghanistan. He was a military detective, Special Investigation Division, and he now uses the systematic investigative skills he learned in the military in his private detective work. Cormoran has an interesting and challenging personal history that influences his current social relationships and work life. One fairly stable relationship is with Robin who has become a partner (at her insistence). She does not want to remain a secretary in his office. The pair make a good team, but it is a complicated situation; there is only one undisputed boss.

In The Silkworm, a well-known British writer is missing, and his widow seeks out the detective to find him even though the woman cannot pay him. Cormoran finds the author's mutilated body in a London mansion, and he and Robin make room in the office caseload to solve the crime. The "Bombyx Mori" (the Latin term for Silkworm) is the name of a novel written by the murdered author. It is a metaphor for a private cocoon of obsessive resentment, guilt, envy, and retribution enclosing the perpetrator of the murder. The novel starts with a recap of Cormoran and Robin's activities including the prior case described in The Cuckoo's Calling, so readers can begin the series at volume two with enough information to understand the general detective situation. Because the action takes place in the context of novel writing and publishing, it is interesting to hear Rowlings voice as she criticizes electronic self-publishing that may make anyone feel like a readable author.

I was happy to read that Rowling plans to write "many" more novels in the Cormoran Strike series, and she is half way through volume three with an idea for volume four(http://time.com/3013543/jk-rowling-cormoran-strike-novels/). What makes this series so good is the wonderful writing style of J. K. Rowling and her ability to encourage readers to identify with and like the key people in her mystery stories. I am hooked for sure.
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Jeannette Wood
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 13, 2024
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Couldn’t put it down
So many twist and turns
Can’t wait for next book
Ordering it as soon as possible
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Denise B.
5.0 out of 5 stars Briliante caso
Reviewed in Spain on April 9, 2024
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Grand escritora, que es muy able llevandote por los diferentes ambientes del camino de Strike. Siempre con un final sorprendiente.
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MME M-CATHERINE WEIL
5.0 out of 5 stars Très bonne intrigue
Reviewed in France on November 11, 2021
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Les personnages sont habilement décrits . L’inspecteur Cormoran et son assistante Robin sont bien sympathiques. Le livre vous tient en haleine jusqu’à la fin.
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AyameEthanGS
5.0 out of 5 stars Una buena historia de detective
Reviewed in Mexico on November 22, 2019
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Llegó en perfecto estado, lo compré porqué mi esposo le gusto mucho el primer libro (the cuckos calling). Dice que es una buena historia de misterio.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book
Reviewed in Brazil on August 23, 2017
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JK Rowling never fails to impress with her clever writing. The book is extremely compelling, the plot is original and the characters feel like real people (the story on a whole feels like it could actually happen - unfortunately- since the author doesn't fail to describe human emotions and actions on a very believable level). Great read!
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