Troubled Blood is certainly a wordy novel and indeed it could be argued that a careful editing of the book might have reduced it to a more manageable and reader friendly experience. However Troubled Blood is a great example of what the author excels at; a multi character driven reading experience encompassing what is best described as a complex plot. I am a great admirer of character driven stories and enjoy nothing better than delving into the lives of both main and secondary players. I believe this adds greatly to the reading experience and allows the author numerous opportunities to confuse, excite and often delight budding amateur sleuths.Cormoran Strike has been instructed to revisit the historic case of Margot Bamborough who vanished some 40 years ago without trace, the whereabouts of her body never discovered. Suspicion has always rested with Dennis Creed, a serial killer active at the time but now incarcerated within the hallowed and imposing Victorian mental institution known as Broadmoor. I found the 927 page count the perfect platform for the author to explore the many and varied characters she introduces, possibly in an attempt to create a smoke screen, discussing and shielding the eventual identity of the real killer.
Added to this is the relationship (or not) between Strike and his estranged rockstar dad Jonny Rokeby, the relationship (or not) between Strike and his ex wife Charlotte, the relationship (or not) between Strike and his business partner Robin Ellacott. In addition to the main plot the detective agency has grown to accommodate an expanding case load and the two partners have a difficult task of managing effectively and solving all such briefs.This is a book that needs to be read with a sense of urgency, putting to the back of his/her mind the ultimate goal, the unmasking of a killer. Rather the sheer enjoyment of Troubled Blood is the unpredictability of what will happen next, what delights and multiple characters appearing and disappearing with equal regularity. The fifth book in the Strike series again proves what a master storyteller Robert Galbraith is, her painstaking meticulous approach a delight from start to finish.
