by Ted Feit

The author, known for the Harry Potter series and writing this under a pseudonym, creates an interesting protagonist, Cormoran Strike, a down-at-the heels P.I. trying to stay alive. He is the illegitimate son of a rock star brought up by an unusual mother, who found a home in the British army until he lost a leg in Afghanistan. It yet remains to
be seen whether he can (or will) be more fully developed as a character in the future, since he really is two-dimensional in this novel

The plot revolves around the death of a supermodel who fell from the balcony of her luxurious penthouse. Her adoptive brother insists that she would not have jumped, and retains Strike to investigate. The police look into the case in detail and rule it conclusively a suicide. Strike interviews various persons, looks at the police file, and comes to a different conclusion.

The real mystery about this book is whether or not it was ever proofread. Or, in the alternative, if it was, did the proofreader wear his or her glasses. The novel is rife with errors. The story itself is a straightforward tale, carefully constructed and well written, although somewhat formulaic. Now that the cat is out of the bag, will Rowling write another in this genre? And will it be a step forward in the development of an interesting protagonist? We shall see.

Recommended.

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Ted & Gloria Feit live in Long Beach, New York, a few miles outside of New York City. For 26 years, Gloria was the manager of a medium-sized litigation firm in lower Manhattan. Her husband, Ted, is an attorney & former stock analyst, publicist & writer/editor for, over the years, several daily, weekly and monthly publications. Having always been avid mystery readers & since they’re now retired, they’re able to indulge their passion. Their reviews appear online as well as in three print publications in the UK & US.