Vardhan Kondvikar

Excellent book (for those who can actually be bothered to read it) Wow, who knew you could support trans people without writing fake 1-star reviews? This is probably Rowling's best in the Strike series: long, but utterly engrossing. Sure, it could have been a quicker read, but I prefer slow-cooked meals to McDonald's, so I'm good. Given that the characters are trying to solve a 40- year- old case while juggling other cases, a messy divorce and the heartbreaking illness of an aunt, you can see why they take a while to crack it. After 40 years, you're bound to have blind alleys, dead or untraceable witnesses, people lying for reasons that have nothing to do with the case - and it's laid out plausibly here. As usual, the best thing about the books is the chemistry between the leads, their occasionally frustrating inability to say what they mean (Strike, that's on you), and their warmth. The case twists and turns past unreliable witnesses, even less reliable notes by the investigating police officer, sexism (in both unsurprising and surprising ways), and one stomach-churning loose end that remains loose, at least in this book. A very satisfying read, and one that makes you root ever more for these characters. It's impossible to ignore the controversy around the book, but (spoiler alert), a cross-dressing serial killer is not exactly what this book is about, despite click-bait headlines.