I was in two minds about even reading this, given the ongoing furore surrounding the author (well the author behind the pseudonym, anyway). But ultimately I wanted to know what happened with Strike and Robin, and I figured it was worth giving it a go. I was really disappointed with this one, if I’m honest. The crime being investigated was based around online trolls and battles between right and left wing politics (can’t imagine where the idea came from!), and there were so many online conversations and Twitter threads, it felt disjointed and hard to follow.

It’s a good mystery at the heart, with a few twists and turns along the way. I wasn’t so bothered by the astrological stuff, rolling my eyes occasionally just as Strike himself did. But I liked the case very gradually revealing itself over the course of the year. And it was interesting to see the new dynamic in the agency itself as Robin adjusts to a management role as well as the normal investigative work.

It’s a long one, this, and the mystery is sprawling. I quite liked it up until the murder halfway through, all that House of Commons and blackmail stuff was kind of interesting. Once it turned into a murder investigation, though, I started to lose the plot a bit. There are so many people, so many elements to it, it’s hard to keep track of who everyone is and what they are doing. I also think the mystery at the heart of it, once it’s all revealed, is so convoluted, I still can’t really get my head round it.

It’s certainly a step change from the previous two. This time, we see inside the head of the villain and it’s not pretty viewing. There are some pretty disturbing scenes, if we’re being honest. But what everyone is here for, I assume, is the burgeoning relationship between Strike and Robin, and to unwind the mystery. Let’s talk about the latter first: it’s interesting that we have three leads to go on and for a change, they are completely separate. Rather than everyone who knew a model, or anyone who worked with a writer, these are three very separate people. That’s interesting and different.

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