At the end of Career of Evil, I was a little disappointed to feel that the “solution” relied upon a piece of information the reader probably didn’t know (unless they happen to be very familiar with the flora and fauna of Cornwall). Of course, the real magic of Lethal White is that it combines compelling interpersonal drama with a carefully crafted mystery.

Sure, it’s all a bit soapy… but I love it anyway. Not that I’m complaining – the Hallows epilogue might leave me lukewarm, but I am completely here for however much Galbraith chooses to let on about Robin and Strike. Honestly, I was rather reminded of the epilogue of Deathly Hallows, in the sense that Rowling – er, Galbraith – can’t keep herself from letting us in on everything she knows about her characters. In fact, ample time devoted to the state of both Robin’s and Strike’s respective love lives explains the novel’s hefty length. But Strike is in attendance at the ceremony, albeit somewhat begrudgingly, and there are plenty of reasons for Robin/Strike shippers to keep the hope alive. Yes, readers, brace yourselves: They do get married. Luckily, Galbraith doesn’t make us wait any longer than the opening pages of Lethal White to find out what happens next: The book begins at Robin and Matthew’s wedding. Even if you have no particular investment in Robin and Strike as a couple, I don’t think anyone was thrilled to think about Robin marrying a guy so carefully crafted for us to hate.

That’s what made the three-year wait between the release of Career of Evil and that of Lethal White so excruciating – we weren’t just waiting to see what caper Robin and Strike were off on next, we were left on the cusp of Robin’s wedding to the loathsome Matthew.

Readers may have come to the Cormoran Strike novels looking for good mystery stories, but many of them stayed for the romantic tension between the series’ eponymous detective and Robin Ellacott, his assistant-turned-partner. If you would rather not know anything about the book before reading, stop here! If you’re looking for a completely spoiler-free review of Lethal White, check out hpboy13’s review right here. NOTE: This review will not spoil the ending of Lethal White, but it will discuss some events and plot developments.

Lethal white cormoran strike