How to weigh the investment
I have made in the ongoing relationship that is still not a “relationship” between Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott against the increasingly lengthy tomes that, while well written and intriguing, still need the hand of a ruthless editor to bring them in under a thousand pages? It’s a toughie. I refer to the latest by “Robert Galbraith,” aka J. K. Rowling, The Ink Black Heart, #6 in this series, each book anticipated with both excitement and dread.

On the positive side, I love the effortless way she paints a picture of the inner workings of each character, lets us in on what each is thinking, and then shows us how they choose to respond on the outside regardless of their inner conclusions. The understanding of the misunderstandings inherent in human relations is masterful, and never on better display than in the interplay between Cormoran and Robin. This skill carries over to the rest of the characters that inhabit this somewhat sordid world observed by London’s private detectives, and it’s hard not to get caught up in the drama Rowling, er, Galbraith provides.

This particular book assays some formidable subjects. The seamy side of social media is on full display as people in chat rooms and on Twitter grab rumor and turn it into accusations and abuse. Some sincerely believe what they have read and are addressing it, while others are just meanly happy for the drama or are using it to manipulate situations for their own purposes. It’s also a political book, showcasing as it does the use extremists make of naive folk online, and the determined denigration of women by incels and just about everyone else.

The negative side is, well, the page count. The book is more than a thousand pages and, while I am not opposed to a lengthy story, there is something to be said for not turning over every single rock on the beach. This book could have been about 25-30 percent shorter and still been just as (or perhaps more) effective. I also simultaneously applaud the ingenuity of including the chatroom interchanges to thoroughly explore the largely anonymous characters in the game, any one of whom could be a murderer, while also bemoaning how repetitive and lengthy is that back-and-forth documentation. Sheesh!

The basic plot: Two people, Edie and Josh, have created a popular online cartoon, The Ink Black Heart. Two other anonymous parties came along afterwards and made a game (Drek’s Game) to accompany that cartoon, which features all the characters from the cartoon and also hosts chat rooms. There has been hostility between one of the creators of the game (and from his minions who play and enjoy it) and the people who made the original cartoon ever since the female creator, Edie Ledwell, expressed dislike for the game. The trolls have been out in full force, and the level of abuse is toxic. Edie is desperate to find out the identity of the creator, Anomie, who is out to get her, especially because now that the cartoon has gained interest from Netflix and will be made into a film, new rumors and abuse are flying. Edie approaches Robin to try to hire the agency to discover her nemesis, but Cormoran, Robin, and their subcontractors are already overwhelmed with work and Robin turns her away. A few days later, Edie turns up stabbed to death in Highgate Cemetery, the setting where the cartoon takes place. Through another client, Robin and Cormoran are drawn into the investigation to uncover Anomie’s identity, but considering the number of suspects with both motive and affiliation to the dead creators, it will be a long, tedious, and ultimately dangerous search.

Both the suspense and the level of frustration are doubled in this book because not only are they trying to unmask a villain, but—before they are able to do so—they must also unmask all the anonymous online personae.

And speaking of levels of frustration, the growing consciousness between Robin and Cormoran that there is something more to their partnership than friendship and work is definitely still present and ongoing, but I felt like it stalled out significantly in this book. I am beginning to fear that Rowling will drag this out for as long as Elly Griffiths has milked the connection between Ruth Galloway and DCI Harry Nelson in her series, and if Rowling and Griffiths don’t get on with it, their fans are going to start dropping off.

This book won’t cause me to do so, but I would love to say to Rowling, empower both your editor and your romance next time!