I really wanted to make this book last longer but it’s already almost 1000 pages (or 34 hours of listening) so I had to let it end.

The Running Grave 
by Robert Galbraith
Read by Robert Glenister – 34 hours 14m
Rating; A+ / thriller 
(# 7 in the Cormoran Strike series) 

Instead of music lyrics or poetry this time Galbraith uses the I Ching for epigraphs.  I think most of them mean something in relation to the narrative of that chapter, for instance, “6 in the 4th place means the finest clothes turn to rags all day long. Be careful.”  

chttps://strikefans.com/the-book-of-changes-in-the-running-grave-part-one/

Check out the above site for LOTS of info about The Running Grave and all the Cormoran Strike books. It’s a fabulous collection for the series which includes synopses, location maps, and character lists – including one of recurring characters and one for characters specific to an each book.  There are only some graphics missing. but not the page they would link to.  (I haven’t had time to thoroughly check this out but I’ll be getting to it.)

The Running Grave took more time to read than the equally long The Ink Black Heart (#6 in the series).  I think The Running Grave may be darker and more intense as well as having a few more characters and a somewhat more complex plot .(That would keep a reader busy!)  It keeps going deeper into new and darker levels.). So I didn’t get really involved with the book until about Chapter 32.

The story starts in 2016 with an inquiry made by Sir Colin Edensor, the father of Will Edensor, a possibly autistic young man whom Sir Colin believes is being held captive by the Universal Humanitarian Church, which is a cult, in his opinion. It’s been this way for four years, but now that Will’s Mother is dead, Colin really wants to know how Will is.

 Strike and Robin take the case and set out to do some investigating and undercover work and thus begins the unraveling. Around page 200 (20%?)  or so the plot and tension thicken as reader comprehension begins to click in.   As is becoming usual for me – as I neared the end I slowed down because I really don’t want the story to end.

 This addition to the series is as good as any of the prior novels of the series. It’s Galbraith at her peak, but it’s sordid and somewhat gritty. I look forward to the next one but it will probably be a couple years – she’s got to be due for a long serious break. Then she can get on with the next 3 originally planned Strike novels: