Author Spotlight: Robert Galbraith

The sad part about the novels by Robert Galbraith is that there are only three of them. The good part is that they are really very good! This series is for lovers of British crime, with a bit of grit to them, but not too much in the way of murder and mayhem (so not like Midsommer Murders where everyone dies).

Cormoran Strike is a PI working in London and a bit rough around the edges, he's a terrific hero. War veteran with a difficult past and childhood, he's got enough to keep you interested without putting you off. And his sidekick, Robin is a beautifully flawed female character that offsets the violence of the book (let's be honest, it's still a murder mystery!).

Be warned - you do need to read these in order. Start with Cuckoo's Calling, then Silkworm and Career of Evil is the third book. But they have been recently turned into a BBC tv series too, I've not seen it yet but for those of you waiting for the next book this might tide you over in the meantime.

Now don't let the fact that Robert Galbraith is just a pen name for J.K. Rowling put you off. They're nothing like Harry Potter but just a good English crime story. And I wish she'd stop getting distracted by the Harry Potter Universe movies and get on with Book 4...

If you have read all the Robert Galbraith and liked them you probably will also love:

Kate Atkinson – Jackson Brodie books only (English)

Ian Rankin (Scottish)

Tana French (Irish)

Jane Harper (Australian)

And if you've read all these authors, just ask Kate and she'll recommend you someone else.