On This Page
Description
In the epic fifth installment in this “compulsively readable” (People) series, Galbraith’s “irresistible hero and heroine” (USA Today) take on the decades-old cold case of a missing doctor, one which may be their grisliest yet.Private Detective Cormoran Strike is visiting his family in Cornwall when he is approached by a woman asking for help finding her mother, Margot Bamborough—who went missing in mysterious circumstances in 1974.
Strike has never tackled a cold case show more before, let alone one forty years old. But despite the slim chance of success, he is intrigued and takes it on; adding to the long list of cases that he and his partner in the agency, Robin Ellacott, are currently working on. And Robin herself is also juggling a messy divorce and unwanted male attention, as well as battling her own feelings about Strike.
As Strike and Robin investigate Margot’s disappearance, they come up against a fiendishly complex case with leads that include tarot cards, a psychopathic serial killer and witnesses who cannot all be trusted. And they learn that even cases decades old can prove to be deadly . . . show less
Tags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
This book is fantastic. It's going to stand as my favorite in the Cormoran Strike series. I adore JK for her memories and research of the 1970s. She put her finger on the pulse of being a woman during the days post-liberation, but before law, attitude, medicine and science caught up. She lays bare how women were treated by both men and by other women of the day. What could be done to/for them and the extreme measures that they were forced to take for safety.
She clearly did extensive research on serial killers from the era and wrapped a lot of her writing around horrible truths from the era.
I absolutely loved her send-up of Roosh V. That guy is such an asshole.
Also, I am in love with Pat. Oldies represent! Strike needs to quit smoking.
I show more am disgusted with the people who are fussing over a 'stereotyping' of a transgender person. It's not. At all. In fact, it's the opposite. The person in question clearly isn't transgender and that's made quite clear. I am not going to detail it because it would contain spoilers, but the people who are complaining are clearly people who haven't read the book. show less
She clearly did extensive research on serial killers from the era and wrapped a lot of her writing around horrible truths from the era.
I absolutely loved her send-up of Roosh V. That guy is such an asshole.
Also, I am in love with Pat. Oldies represent! Strike needs to quit smoking.
I show more am disgusted with the people who are fussing over a 'stereotyping' of a transgender person. It's not. At all. In fact, it's the opposite. The person in question clearly isn't transgender and that's made quite clear. I am not going to detail it because it would contain spoilers, but the people who are complaining are clearly people who haven't read the book. show less
There was a lot to unpack and this one and it’s definitely my favorite of the series so far. I can’t believe how long this book was, but I never lost interest the whole time. I found myself wanting to read it as much as possible. The case moved slowly but each new witness they interviewed added a fascinating layer. Both Cormoran and Robin worked through some major personal issues, giving us even more insight into their characters.
Cormoran's beloved Aunt Joan, who raised him for much of his childhood, is battling cancer. At the same time, his rock star absent father is looking to reconnect. Robin is living with a new roommate and dealing with divorce proceedings. I love seeing Robin gain confidence and trust her instincts about show more finding witnesses and following hunches. The scenes were Cormoran and Robin worked together, meeting over coffee and interviewing someone were my favorites. They learn from each other and always spur the other one to make more connections.
SPOILERS AHEAD
That ending! Both how the cold case was solved and the interactions between the partners. I love the the romance side of things didn't take over the book. Their friendship is what really grew. The we have his connection with the Anna Karenina line and the perfume at the end and there's so much space for more!
I loved that for the final murder reveal stepped away from the men hurting women narrative. In the end, the story is about brilliant women. One was smart enough to discover a serial killer and another who was the killer herself. That was so much more interesting ending than either of the two violent men who were the other suspects.
SPOILERS OVER
I felt like this one was perfectly plotted. It built slowly, but inevitably to a satisfying ending. I'm so impressed with how this series has gotten better with each book. show less
Cormoran's beloved Aunt Joan, who raised him for much of his childhood, is battling cancer. At the same time, his rock star absent father is looking to reconnect. Robin is living with a new roommate and dealing with divorce proceedings. I love seeing Robin gain confidence and trust her instincts about show more finding witnesses and following hunches. The scenes were Cormoran and Robin worked together, meeting over coffee and interviewing someone were my favorites. They learn from each other and always spur the other one to make more connections.
SPOILERS AHEAD
That ending! Both how the cold case was solved and the interactions between the partners. I love the the romance side of things didn't take over the book. Their friendship is what really grew. The we have his connection with the Anna Karenina line and the perfume at the end and there's so much space for more!
I loved that for the final murder reveal stepped away from the men hurting women narrative. In the end, the story is about brilliant women. One was smart enough to discover a serial killer and another who was the killer herself. That was so much more interesting ending than either of the two violent men who were the other suspects.
SPOILERS OVER
I felt like this one was perfectly plotted. It built slowly, but inevitably to a satisfying ending. I'm so impressed with how this series has gotten better with each book. show less
As always, quite long, ponderous with confusing myriad details, and still, I enjoy these books, just not buying them. I find them on sale shelves at the library or in Little Library boxes. I don't really want to support J.K. Rowling due to her homophobic comments and views, but I do enjoy Cormoran and Robin. Admittedly, I am always scanning while reading and wondering if Rowling is disparaging some of the characters she writes about, rather than just giving them personality traits. That said, I like this better than The Ink-Black Heart. The characters are fully developed, and the mystery is deeply buried by the years that have passed, the untrustworthy nature of the people they interview and the shady people who first investigated the show more murder/disappearance of Margot Bamborough. There are lots of side trips into the lives of Strike and Robin, also, and the question of will they, wont they, always looms. In the home stretch now, I'm still not sure "who dun it."
Troubled Blood focuses a great deal of attention to Strike's family issues, through his eyes. It also addresses the issues of feminism, gender identity, the dangers women face from assault, and contrasts the 70's when the crime took place with today's prevailing issues.
This book is followed by The Ink-Black Heart from 2022, The Running Grave from 2023, The Hallmarked Man from 2025 and currently Sleep Tight, Evangeline from 2026. show less
Troubled Blood focuses a great deal of attention to Strike's family issues, through his eyes. It also addresses the issues of feminism, gender identity, the dangers women face from assault, and contrasts the 70's when the crime took place with today's prevailing issues.
This book is followed by The Ink-Black Heart from 2022, The Running Grave from 2023, The Hallmarked Man from 2025 and currently Sleep Tight, Evangeline from 2026. show less
Troubled Blood - Galbraith/Rowling
Audio performance by Robert Glenister
5 stars
These books just keep getting better. And longer. This one clocked in at 944 pages or 32 listening hours. I had the text and the audio. It was definitely worth it. This is the fifth Cormoran Strike book in the series that started with The Cuckoo’s Calling. It might be possible to read this one independently of the previous books, but I wouldn’t recommend it. The mystery is intricately plotted and very twisty, but that wouldn’t be enough to keep me interested for almost 1000 pages. The character development is outstanding. Cormoran Strike, Robin Ellicott, and all the rest of the huge cast are complicated personalities. Their lives are messy and very show more interesting. Robin is dealing with a contentious divorce. Strike has a family member dying of cancer. The agency is doing so well that work is non-stop. It was easy to keep the pages turning.
This book takes place over a full year while Cormoran and Robin try to solve a cold missing persons case. The missing woman, Margot Bamborough was a young mother and a practicing physician. One day in 1974, she walked out of her office and was never seen again. The agency is hired by her daughter to reopen the case. Many, many complications including the fact that the first investigating officer was removed from the case when it became clear that he was having a psychotic breakdown. The primary suspect is also psychotic, a convicted serial killer serving a life sentence for the torture and murder of seven women.
There were so many interesting social and psychological issues permeating this book. Early on, the victim's best friend, Oonagh, points out the vast differences in attitudes and opportunities for women that occurred over 40 years, “ What you maybe don’t realize is a woman couldn’t get a mortgage in dose days without a man co-signing the forms. Same with credit cards.”. It’s no accident that Robin is dealing with workplace sexual harassment from a sub-contractor who cannot accept her professional expertise. There seemed to be a scale of increasing misogyny in this book, starting with verbal innuendo in the workplace and increasing through various suspects to include physical abuse, rape, and murder.
Not that men are the only suspects. Another major theme of the investigation is the human tendency of judging people by looks or occupation. Robin puts Strike to sleep with her “ fascinating application of social identity theory to detective practice.” Or, as their new office manager says, “Funny fing, looks,” she said. “You make assumptions.” “I s’pose,” said Strike.
There was little violence involving the contemporary characters in this book. There were horrific descriptions of past crimes involving the serial killer. Domestic and child abuse are also featured. Avoid this book if that troubles you. show less
Audio performance by Robert Glenister
5 stars
These books just keep getting better. And longer. This one clocked in at 944 pages or 32 listening hours. I had the text and the audio. It was definitely worth it. This is the fifth Cormoran Strike book in the series that started with The Cuckoo’s Calling. It might be possible to read this one independently of the previous books, but I wouldn’t recommend it. The mystery is intricately plotted and very twisty, but that wouldn’t be enough to keep me interested for almost 1000 pages. The character development is outstanding. Cormoran Strike, Robin Ellicott, and all the rest of the huge cast are complicated personalities. Their lives are messy and very show more interesting. Robin is dealing with a contentious divorce. Strike has a family member dying of cancer. The agency is doing so well that work is non-stop. It was easy to keep the pages turning.
This book takes place over a full year while Cormoran and Robin try to solve a cold missing persons case. The missing woman, Margot Bamborough was a young mother and a practicing physician. One day in 1974, she walked out of her office and was never seen again. The agency is hired by her daughter to reopen the case. Many, many complications including the fact that the first investigating officer was removed from the case when it became clear that he was having a psychotic breakdown. The primary suspect is also psychotic, a convicted serial killer serving a life sentence for the torture and murder of seven women.
There were so many interesting social and psychological issues permeating this book. Early on, the victim's best friend, Oonagh, points out the vast differences in attitudes and opportunities for women that occurred over 40 years, “ What you maybe don’t realize is a woman couldn’t get a mortgage in dose days without a man co-signing the forms. Same with credit cards.”. It’s no accident that Robin is dealing with workplace sexual harassment from a sub-contractor who cannot accept her professional expertise. There seemed to be a scale of increasing misogyny in this book, starting with verbal innuendo in the workplace and increasing through various suspects to include physical abuse, rape, and murder.
Not that men are the only suspects. Another major theme of the investigation is the human tendency of judging people by looks or occupation. Robin puts Strike to sleep with her “ fascinating application of social identity theory to detective practice.” Or, as their new office manager says, “Funny fing, looks,” she said. “You make assumptions.” “I s’pose,” said Strike.
There was little violence involving the contemporary characters in this book. There were horrific descriptions of past crimes involving the serial killer. Domestic and child abuse are also featured. Avoid this book if that troubles you. show less
I have loved all the Cormoran Strike books up to now, and I knew I would love this one, but I was a little daunted when I realized it was 900+ pages. I wondered how Galbraith (Rowling) could keep a detective book interesting throughout. Well I needn't have worried. This book is a corker. It kept me going right through, and the twist at the end, I did not see coming. In this book we see Cormoran and his lovely partner Robin going flat out with their detective agency. They have even hired contract investigators to help with the work. Then they are asked by a daughter to try to find out what happened to her mother over 40 years ago. The young doctor was last seen leaving her surgery and was going to meet a friend at a pub close to her show more office. It was pouring rain when she left, and she was never seen again, The police bungled the search for her badly, and she had not been found when her daughter Anna hired Cormoran and Robin to find her. They have never taken on a cold case before, let alone one that was as stone-cold as this one, but both are intrigued and decide to take it on Pouring through old evidence files, old police notes and police notebooks and writings, and trying to find the remaining living witnesses, they try to piece together what happened to Margot. I loved seeing how this incredible team work together to solve puzzles, and their processes and interviewing skills are outlined clearly in the book. Not only that, but we get a closer look at Strike's and Robin's private lives. Robin is going through a messy divorce, and Strike is torn between London and Cornwall where his aunt who raised him is dying of cancer. There is never a dull moment in this book, and I was sad to close the covers at the end. I even had one or two sleepless nights because I was obsessed with this book. I loved Cormoran Strike and Robin before I read this, but now they have been elevated to my favourite detectives and this series is my favourite series. I can't wait to read more to see how their partnership and friendship develop after this gruelling case. show less
The thing about this novel is how real it feels. Some of this is because it is. If you don’t live nearby it’s worth hopping on google street view and following Margot’s last journey as Robin and Strike retrace it. But it’s not just real details like that. It’s the build up of incidental detail not relevant to the plot, the believable psychology of the characters and the flawless dialogue. There were a couple of points where it felt so real it actually destroyed my suspension of disbelief. Take the scene where our heroes interview Irene and Janice. We’ve all met Irene. That’s exactly how she talks. And it’s at times like that that we see the ranged joining and parting lines of our lives. The easy downward gradient leads show more to the twinge of guilt, the trial, life imprisonment. The harder track is not to murder her, not to squeeze the life from her reddening neck for just one minute of silence. show less
First off, obligatory disclaimer that I do not endorse JK Rowling and her transphobic views. I am eliminating the author from this book series (as I have with Alexi, Diaz, Carroll, and others) and appreciating the story for the story. Personally I think this is my favorite in the series. Which says a lot as this dense book is over NINE HUNDRED PAGES! I've been all in on Cormoran Strike since the first book in the series and I love him even more now. I love that Robin is his full fledged partner and I love that beneath their mutual respect is simmering slow burn attraction (kiss already!). For the first time ever they decide to take on a cold case about a woman who disappeared more than thirty years prior and what they have to go on show more isn't much. Everyone assumes the Essex Butcher murdered her along with others but there has never been any proof. When Strike and Robin finally get their hands on the police notes they're horrified by the state of the case. It was mishandled from the beginning and the officer in charge back in the day suffered a neurotic break in the middle of it - attributing suspects to black magic and astrology. On top of that Strike's aunt, the woman who raised him, is slowly dying and Robin's ex-husband is determined to draw out the divorce proceedings. They have their hands full. So many layers and twists and turns - I didn't see the end coming. Fantastic detective novel!! show less
Members
- Recently Added By
Published Reviews
ThingScore 75
A scrupulous plotter and master of misdirection, Galbraith keeps the pages turning but, while much of the book is terrific fun, is hardly a hair-raising ride. The languid pace and elderliness of the mystery (and indeed most of the suspects) give the enterprise the cosy air of a Sunday night TV drama. When the denouement finally comes, it is not quite satisfying enough to justify the page show more count.
Strike and Ellacott, however, remain one of crime's most engaging duos. I am already eager for the next instalment. I just hope my aching arms can take it. show less
Strike and Ellacott, however, remain one of crime's most engaging duos. I am already eager for the next instalment. I just hope my aching arms can take it. show less
added by Cynfelyn
Lists
Recommend the 20 best books you've read in the last five years
2,168 works; 606 members
Top Five Books of 2020
982 works; 350 members
Books Read in 2020
4,379 works; 124 members
Books that are a victim of Cancel Culture
46 works; 3 members
Books Read in 2021
5,361 works; 114 members
Books Read in 2022
5,168 works; 114 members
unread and uncatalogued
48 works; 1 member
Books Read in 2024
4,623 works; 126 members
Author Information
13 Works 34,054 Members
Some Editions
Awards and Honors
Awards
Series
Work Relationships
Is contained in
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Troubled Blood
- Original title
- Troubled Blood
- Original publication date
- 2020-09-15 (UK) (UK); 2020-09-29 (US) (US)
- People/Characters
- Cormoran Strike; Robin Ellacott; Saul Morris; Margot Bamborough; Dave Polworth; Sam Barclay (show all 8); Joan Strike; Ted Strike
- Important places
- London, England, UK; St Mawes, Cornwall, England, UK
- Epigraph
- There they her sought, and euery where inquired,
Where they might tydings get of her estate;
Yet found they none. But by what haplesse fate,
Or hard misfortune she was thence conuayd,
And stolne away from her b... (show all)eloued mate,
Were long to tell ...
Edmund Spenser
The Faerie Queene
For, if it were not so, there would be something disappearing into nothing, which is mathematically absurd.
Aleister Crowley
The Book of Thoth - Dedication
- To Barbara Murray,
social worker, WEA worker, teacher,
wife, mother, grandmother,
demon bridge player
and
world's best mother-in-law - First words
- 'You're a Cornishman, born and bred,' said Dave Polworth irritably.
- Quotations*
- Ce qui nous définit, ce ne sont pas nos erreurs, c’est comment nous les surmontons.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)The corners of his mouth twitched, but as Robin didn't see him smiling, he felt no compulsion to explain.
- Publisher's editor
- David Shelley
- Blurbers
- James, Peter
- Original language
- English UK
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 2,617
- Popularity
- 7,212
- Reviews
- 111
- Rating
- (4.15)
- Languages
- 17 — Catalan, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Slovenian, Spanish, Turkish, Portuguese (Portugal)
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 59
- ASINs
- 15