Joanne K. Rowling, writing under the pen name Robert Galbraith for the Cormoran Strike novels, has recently found herself in the spotlight over several hot-button issues. She’s no stranger to the internet’s relentless storm of public backlash, so it’s not entirely surprising that the fifth installment, The Ink Black Heart, dives into this territory. Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott find themselves investigating an online harassment case that soon takes a deadly turn, immersing them in the darkest corners of the internet.
Incidentally, Rowling may have also set her sights on breaking the Guinness World Record for the thickest crime novel of all time…
The Ink Black Heart Makes Its Way to Netflix
The title, The Ink Black Heart, seems fitting for an exceptionally twisted villain. But instead, it refers to a surreal, bizarre, yet somehow endearing animated series that quickly achieves cult status. One of its creators, Edie Ledwell, becomes the target of an internet troll. But Anomie, as it turns out, is no ordinary troll; they’re the creator of an online game based on a character from this cult YouTube series, and a master manipulator with a massive fanbase. Strike and Robin are certainly in for a challenging case…
Hey, The Internet Is No Game!
J. K. Rowling’s personal clashes with the trans community have undoubtedly been a bitter experience. The Ink Black Heart doesn’t just address online harassment; it uses the crime novel format to dig deep into the dangers and trials facing careless users on social media: a wild array of harassment and hate. It’s a world where not only common misogynists and neo-Nazis lurk but also pedophiles hunting for victims, and anyone struggling with personality disorders can expect their symptoms to only worsen.
Too much talk leads to nowhere
Anyone who has made it this far in Robert Galbraith/J. K. Rowling’s series isn’t surprised that The Ink Black Heart doesn’t skimp on pages. But no one could have been prepared for the multitude of minuscule-font pages to wade through, containing endless conversations between users of an online game. And these dialogues essentially just hang in the air since the investigative duo mostly doesn’t have access to them.
My dear Aunt Manci, in her refreshingly straightforward way, skipped all of these parts. To be fair, she has only the faintest, mostly mistaken ideas about the internet. (For example, she’s convinced that the entire internet is identical to a thing called Facebook.)
For those who do painstakingly slog through Drek’s game moderators’ conversations, hoping to glean even the slightest additional information, it only reinforces what they already knew: reading random user chats is an absolute waste of time. And unbearably boring, too.
A Case Stretched Thin
Even if you skip the filler, you’re still left with nearly eight hundred pages.
Now let’s subtract the ones covering Strike and Robin’s personal lives… Okay, there’s still enough text for a hefty book. But if you think about it with eyes half-closed, head tilted, what’s left is probably only just a bit more than a tolerable length.
Yet despite all this, for the first time in the series, you can genuinely feel that the book holds its own as a crime novel. Though The Ink Black Heart treads water for lengthy stretches (thanks to the issues noted above), the core story is ultimately a logically executed investigation. Unlike in previous installments, where the many interviews culminated in Strike’s sudden, lightning-bolt realization. And that’s it.
Moreover, although the book still largely revolves around Robin and Strike’s interviews, Rowling’s talent for creating vivid characters is undeniable. Egotistical actors; heartthrobs; damaged, lonely teenage girls; clumsy, money-hungry uncles; and vulnerable, unstable businesswomen. Etc. Some of them only appear in a single scene, yet each leaves an impression and remains memorable. J. K. Rowling is a great writer, hands down!
And that’s precisely why the Cormoran Strike series remains readable, despite its occasional shortcomings.
And, of course, there are the two private investigators themselves.
Robin and Cormoran – A Never-Ending Story
Beyond aiming for the Guinness record for the thickest crime novel, J. K. Rowling could also contend for another title: the longest-building romantic relationship.
In most TV crime series, the unspoken romantic tension between the protagonists is practically obligatory. It typically never really goes anywhere and mostly serves for entertaining banter. Not in the Cormoran Strike books!
Robin and her boss have liked each other since the very beginning. Despite countless obstacles and unacknowledged feelings, they’ve been inching closer to each other, step by step. At a snail’s pace!
For many readers, the greatest pleasure in the Galbraith stories likely lies in this relationship. Rowling keeps this thread stretched to the breaking point, takes it to the very edge, then steps back a pace, sidesteps twice, and cautiously inches forward again. It’s brilliantly done, like constantly dangling a carrot in front of you. And just when you think they’ll finally end up in each other’s arms, the ruthless Joanne Katherine Rowling finds another way to put it off.
But now, there’s no turning back—they surely HAVE to end up in each other’s arms… uh, or so I think…
Rating: 8/10
The Ink Black Heart (Cormoran Strike #6) by Robert Galbraith
1391 pages, Hardcover
Published in 2022 by Mulholland Books
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Reviews of previous volumes of the series:
4. Lethal White
5. Troubled Blood