Title: The Running Grave
AuthorRobert Galbraith
Published by: Sphere
Publication date: Septh 26th 2023
Genre: Crime
Pages: 945
Format: Hardback
Source: Private Collection

Blurb/Synopsis

In the seventh installment in the Strike series, Cormoran and Robin must rescue a man ensnared in the trap of a dangerous cult.

Private Detective Cormoran Strike is contacted by a worried father whose son, Will, has gone to join a religious cult in the depths of the Norfolk countryside.

Review

Continuing the Cormoran Strike series, The Running Grave is the seventh crime/mystery tale involving Private Detective Cormoran Strike and his business partner Robin Ellacot.

This time, the duo are investigating the UHC, a new-wave religion that offers humanitarian aid. Seemingly innocent on the outside, until Strike and Ellacot are called to investigate the disappearance of Will by his concerned family.

Not going to go into a huge wealth of detail in this review, but any book that is almost 1000 pages long that can be read in such a short amount of time (10 days) is surely doing something right. Of course, I am already invested in Strike and Robin as characters having read the previous books; that really helps. I am eager to see them solving another case and fixing the walking disaster that are their lives!

This book didn\’t disappoint in all respects. We get to see them take on a new, tricker case than their previous ones. Their relationship/s take further steps together and apart. Both great things, considering these books must be the slowest-burn romances in the history of fiction and have some of the most complicated mystery cases I\’ve ever read. I love them for both aspects.

Robin goes deep undercover in this book and there is a real, seedy, uncomfortable aspect to reading these elements of the book. There\’s a real sense of danger for the character and her \’getting caught.\’ It\’s suspenseful and, my gosh, my heart was in my throat at times. Honestly, to many late night sessions were given to this book!!

What I like about this series is the amount of \’Red-Herrings\’ and \’Second Guessing\’ you do as a reader. You\’re given all these clues and think you\’ve got it all figured out. Then something new happens to quash your thoughts. So then you get it all figured out again. Only. Nope. You haven\’t! Then. THEN. In the last 20 pages of the book, you\’re given the truth and it\’s still utterly shocking! And if that wasn\’t a belter, the author throws something in right at the end of the book that makes you eager as heck for the next one!

Well played!