Lethal White, by Robert Galbraith – A perfect Summer Mystery

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Am I the only one thinking that summer matches so well with thrillers and mysteries? I wanted to read Lethal White for so long, ever since it's been published a few months ago, but I resisted from reading it straight away, because I wanted to save it for the summer months. And so on these hot July days, a cold drink in hand and the sun giving my skin a bit of colour, I enjoyed the most recent adventure of detective Cormoran Strike.

It's not a mystery anymore that Robert Galbraith is J.K. Rowling's pseudonym used to sign her thrillers. Her series on Cormoran Strike is so very different from the Harry Potter books that we all loved, but exactly as great. Seriosuly, that woman might be writing and publishing her groceries shopping list, and I would buy it. read it and love it.

Lethal White is the fourth novel having as a main character Cormoran, and brings back all the characters we already met in the previous books: Robin, Cormoran's assistant, Matthew, her fiance', Charlotte, Cormoran's ex girlfriend, and a few more.

This time Cormoran has to do with a mystery involving a minister in London, Mr Chiswell. Somebody's threatening him and tries to extort him money, but although Chiswell hires Strike to solve the case, he doesn't want to explain clearly some little details that might help the detective understand better what is going on. Chiswell family doesn't make things easier either; his daughters, his bastard son and his newest wife seem to be willing to help, but at the same time, reluctant to unveil some past events.

Very soon the mystery gets even more complicated, as Chiswell is killed. Izzy, one of the minister's daughters, hires Strike again so that he can solve the murder, and he will need to dig into the family past history to finally understand who killed, how and why. All that in a London buzzing with enthusiasms for the upcoming Olympics, secrets and jealousies in the House of Commons, and people wanting to bring Chiswell down at all costs.

I think this is the most complex among all Strike's adventures, and possibly the one I enjoyed the more so far. Once again, Rowling's writing is absolutely brilliant, her plot and twists built in such a skilful way that one can't resist from turning page after page, eager to know more and unveil the mystery with Strike and Robin. Very suggested reading, and TV show as well! If you haven't already, try to find Strike's TV Show adaptation to the three books already published (Lethal White will follow very soon), it's really good! Love the actors they chose to play the main characters, and the episodes... well, they follow Rowling's books to the word, so they're simply perfection.

M.