The Silkworm is a British detective story in the Cormorant Strike series, written by Robert Galbraith which is the pen name for J.K. Rowling.   The first book of the series was The Cuckoo is Calling where we are introduced to a private detective, Cormorant Strike and his assistant Robin.   In this book Strike takes on another case, in which an author is killed in a dramatic and gruesome manner.    The police warn him away and arrest someone, but he does not agree and follows many very small leads.     It is a longer book with many interviews and lots of detail.    People’s secrets are revealed and the whole plot is expertly wound to an exciting ending.

The characters are all part of the publishing world – editors, writers, publicists, critics, and publishers, something that the author knows well.   She spins a tale of obsession, jealousy, resentments, fame, and ultimately revenge.    The silkworm is boiled to access its treasure, and some of the characters also pay the price for success.

Cormorant Strike and his assistant Robin are further developed in the second book of the series.   The role of women in the business world is explored, the price of fame is noted, and the public profile of authors is compared to their private lives.    We are also provided insights and understanding of the lives of the other  characters, as only a master storyteller can do.   This is a recommended book – 4.7 out of 5.0 stars4.7