Career of Evil

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of sexual violence and rape.

Career of Evil is the third installment in Robert Galbraith’s Cormoran Strike series, building on its predecessors, The Cuckoo’s Calling and The Silkworm. The protagonist, private detective Cormoran Strike, is a former investigator with the British Army whose leg was partially amputated after an explosion in Afghanistan. A complex character, Strike is burdened by horrific memories of warfare and his chaotic upbringing as the illegitimate son of rock star Jonny Rokeby and Rokeby’s devoted fan Leda Strike.

Strike’s assistant Robin Ellacott begins the series as a temporary secretary when the detective agency has financial difficulties. She quickly proves indispensable, gaining more responsibility as the series progresses. Career of Evil alludes to high-profile cases Strike and Robin have solved earlier in the series, including the murders of model Lula Landry (The Cuckoo’s Calling) and author Owen Quine (The Silkworm). At the beginning of Career of Evil, the detective agency is flourishing due to these successes.

Several recurring characters add continuity, and their connections to the protagonists are expanded. Robin’s fiancé,