The Running Grave
Ratings69
Average rating4.5
Mind blown at how good it is. Not sure how to process the ending, but I have never been as stressed reading a book as this. Ties with Troubled Blood (TB) for my favorite Strike book (TB may be a smidge better).
Overall: 8.5-9/10
- World Building: 2/2 (incredibly believable; steadily ups the stakes)
- Characters: 2-2.5/3 (some characters questionable; most very believable)
- Writing: 2.5/3 (incredibly lucid but had to really focus on details in some parts)
- Fun: 2/2 (stressful & good)
holy freaking crap THE ENDING
aoisdjf ads;
i had to just sit on the couch in silence
there were two pages left and i didn't think anything crazy couldl happen in two pages but i was WRONG
there were some excellent scenes between our two favorite detective partners but that last scene really took the cake and i cant believe there's not another book out yet for me to find out what happens next
im really dead
overall a great mystery novel, the cult was pretty scary but honestly easy to not get caught up in, i'll have to re-read again to figure out all the hints
dang
4,5* “Stromend Graf” is het zevende deel in de Strike-serie en naar mijn mening het meest interessante. Rowling is een schrijfster die op ongekende wijze een verhaal kan ontvouwen dat boeiend blijft tot het einde. De wereld die zij schetst is ontzettend realistisch en komt echt tot leven. Je waant je als het ware in de levens van de hoofdpersonen.
Maar het boek is veel te lang; het had ook in 850 pagina's of minder gekund. De vele karakters die geïntroduceerd worden maken het verhaal onnodig ingewikkeld. Soms vergeet je karakters omdat ze hoofdstukken geleden benoemd zijn en later weer terugkomen. Dit maakt het lastig wanneer je het boek even weglegt, maar zorgt er wel voor dat het verhaal ongekend dynamisch is. Als trouwe Strike-lezer vond ik het soms nog lastig om de personages te linken aan de personages uit de andere boeken.
Desondanks is het verhaal zelf interessant en ongelofelijk spannend. Strike en Robin infiltreren een kerkelijke sekte en bij het lezen voel je dat dit perfect is opgebouwd. Jammer genoeg lijkt de relatie en dynamiek tussen Strike en Robin in herhaling te vallen, pas aan het allerlaatste einde lijkt deze dan eindelijk een andere weg in te slaan. En dit einde leest fijn weg, waar daadwerkelijk alle lijntjes bij elkaar komen en op elke vraag een antwoord komt. Dat maakt het het verhaal meer dan waard.
Zou je dit boek moeten lezen? Ja, het is beter dan deel 6 (hoewel ik dat ook een ontzettend goed verhaal vond), en als je toch al niet verkocht bent aan de Strike-serie, dan zal dit boek daar ook niets aan veranderen. Houd je van boeken met veel detail, conversaties en diep speurderswerk, dan is dit 100% jouw boek.
Oh, jawadde, ze doet het toch maar weer zeg!
Het was al heel lang geleden dat ik speciaal op ben gebleven om een boek uit te lezen. Ik kon het gewoon niet wegleggen.
Ja, dit is een gigantisch boek en één van de kritieken die ik het meest lees over deze serie is dat de boeken ingekort moeten worden, maar daar ben ik het dus helemaal niet mee eens. Ik vind het fantastisch om het ganse onderzoek van naaldje tot draadje te volgen. Het bouwt de spanning op, terwijl het voor mij ook enorm meeslepend en bijna dwangmatig leesbaar is.
“ ‘You,' said Wace quietly, his voice now more hoarse and cracked than ever, ‘are remarkable.'And in spite of herself, Robin felt an irrational pride in Wace's approval.”
Dit was voor mij waarschijnlijk al het beste Strike boek tot nu toe.
Deze keer onderzoeken Strike en Robin een religieuze sekte en hierbij gaat Robin undercover. Ja, mannekes, hiermee is de toon direct gezet en ik zat bijna gans het boek op het puntje van mijn stoel waarbij het continue dreigende gevaar voelbaar aanwezig was.
Enorm beklijvend, ongemakkelijk met momenten en fascinerend. Als rationeel denkende mens vind ik het onbegrijpelijk hoe mensen voor zo'n sektes kunnen vallen, maar de manier waarop het hier wordt overgebracht creëerde een soort van begrip dat extreem oncomfortabel en beangstigend is.
“So here stood Cormoran Strike, slimmer, fitter, clearer of lung, alone in his attic, poking broccoli angrily with a wooden spoon, thinking about not thinking about Robin Ellacott.”
Naast dit hoofdverhaal wordt het boek perfect gebalanceerd met andere zaken waar het detectivebureau aan werkt en persoonlijke interacties. Strike en Robins relatie, a.k.a. de langzaamste slowburn die ooit langzaam brandde, kent wat plotwendingen en dat laatste hoofdstuk deed me grommen van frustratie. Boek 8 kan maar beter snel komen!
*4.5 stars. This series is so expertly crafted with deeply drawn characters and immersive stand alone plots. This was another excellent offering.
The last chapter solidified the 5 stars for me. I'm a huge fan of people speaking up and saying how they feel. In the words of Mark Sloan “if you love someone you tell them, even if you're scared that it's not the right thing, even if you're scared that it'll cause problems, even if your scared that it'll burn your life to the ground, you say it loud and then you go from there...”.
Strike and Robin's biggest problem has been their miscommunication so I'm really happy the final chapter finally happened. Can't wait for the next book, whenever that comes out.
It was nice to have Prudence and Strike have a relationship. Wish there was more Vanessa, Robin needs more friends that aren't Ilsa. Nick was missing-in-action.
I finished reading this novel about five minutes ago. I'm sitting at my desk to write this review but I don't know how. I want to sing its praises because the latest instalment of the Cormoran Strike novels is by far the best one in the series.This time, Strike and Robin deal with a religious cult, its charismatic leader and everything surrounding these. I will not mention any more plot details because it's probably best to go into this novel without too much knowledge or ideas...I will say, though, “[b:The Running Grave 139399948 The Running Grave (Cormoran Strike, #7) Robert Galbraith https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1689796008l/139399948.SY75.jpg 115965274]” is without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most suspenseful novels I've ever read. Not in a cheap, flashy, and/or sensationalist way, but subtly and almost elegantly. The feeling of a permanent latent danger is omnipresent and mercilessly tugs at the nerves of the reader.I felt like biting my nails (which I don't do) and it triggered the worst of my nervous habits and yet I felt like devouring this novel. I was reluctant to put it down and there were times I actually considered calling in sick (which I didn't) to be able to keep reading. I read it feverishly and while I usually highlight passages and take notes, I quickly found myself unable and unwilling to do so because it would have broken my immersion.This novel is so readable and the subject matter so horrifyingly believable (cf. Scientology and similarly despicable cults) that reading “Grave” felt like entering the world of Strike and Robin. This was enhanced by the level of empathy especially Robin shows during crucial situations in the investigation.I just wish we had gotten to know more about a certain confrontation between Robin and two principal members of the cult...Strike, too, grows as a person during the course of the investigation. Especially when dealing with a major change and its aftermath.Despite its length (more than 1200 pages on my Kindle), “Grave” never felt long but found a near-perfect balance between the usual personal issues between Robin and Strike, secondary cases and the main mystery. And that ending...Rowling created a masterpiece of a detective novel and a marvellous piece of literary art.Rowling is also still very much openly transphobic and, thus, I encourage you not to buy her books but rather get them in a library so that at the very least she won't profit anymore than she already has.If you're one of those people who don't believe who and what she is, here's an excellent article (permanently updated) that collects Rowling's disgusting statements and actions:https://www.glamour.com/story/a-complete-breakdown-of-the-jk-rowling-transgender-comments-controversyRoman Polanski, Woody Allen, Bill Cosby, Joanne K. Rowling - they are different kinds of monsters and yet monsters they all are. I recoil whenever I'm confronted with their depravity. And, yet, I cannot break from their art. I can keep calling them out, though.And yet, despite this, “The Running Grave” easily garners five stars out of five and a place among my favourite books.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam
She did it again! Wow. Who... why... I don't even know. This is now in the running with my favorite of the series. I'll need to go back and read Career of Evil to be sure. Holy crap!
The Running Grave is by far the best book in the Cormoran Strike series to date.
The seventh book in the series sees Strike and Robin investigate the Universal Humanitarian Church, with a view to extracting one of its members, at the request of said member's family. Robin faces her biggest challenge to date, as she goes undercover and joins the UHC.
Although the story is told from the POV's of Robin and Strike, there are many secondary characters, ranging from Strike's subcontractors to members past and present of the UHC.
The will they/won't they scenario continues. I'm giving nothing away.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Running Grave. It is a gripping, tense and engaging read. Coming in at over 900 pages, it is the longest of the Strike books, but where this series is concerned there's no such thing as too long, in my humble opinion.