The fourth Cormoran Strike novel, penned by JK Rowling under her Robert Galbraith pseudonym, was published this week.
It follows The Cuckoo’s Calling, The Silkworm and Career of Evil as part of what has become an incredibly popular series – and, more recently, also an enduring BBC drama.
The story picks up immediately after the end of Career of Evil, and sees Cormoran Strike reunited with Robin Ellacott for a new mystery.
While many reviews of the book have been incredibly positive, some have also been critical.
The Telegraph, for one, have said Rowling “loses her grip on Strike” in this “bloated” latest instalment, which they give a three-star response.
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Critic Jake Kerridge calls the piece “slightly disappointing”, a sentiment which The Guardian’s Jake Arnott seems to somewhat agree with.
“JK Rowling’s wonderfully complex detective confronts devious politicians and the perils of unwanted fame, but his fourth outing could have done with some editing,” he summarised.
The Times are much more enthusiastic, with critic Joan Smith calling the tome “outstanding”.
This novel, she writes, is “easily the most ambitious” of the series so far.
New York Times heaped on the praise but agreed that it is a little in need of a trim.
“At times you might feel as you did when reading the Harry Potter books, particularly later in the series, when they got longer and looser,” critic Sarah Lyall laments.
“You love the plot, and you love being in the company of the characters, and you admire the author’s voice and insights and ingenuity, and you relish the chance to relax into a book without feeling rushed or puzzled or shortchanged.
“At the same time, you long for the existence of a sharp garden implement. Not a machete, necessarily, but a pair of pruning shears.”
But Bustle’s Maddy Foley argued: “Despite Lethal White’s slower moments, Galbraith does have an excellent sense of the reader’s attention span.
“Whenever the plot threatens to slow to a dangerously plodding pace, Galbraith throws in a clue, opens up a door. And he draws you back in.”
A similarly positive Constance Grady for Vox called the book “addictive, murderous fun”, even if the “smugness” of the lead character can be “infuriating” if you’re not on his side in a given moment.
Lethal White is out now.