Career of Evil

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of graphic violence, emotional abuse, sexual violence, rape, and child abuse.

Career of Evil’s depiction of investigations into crime explicitly focuses on men’s violence against women. The narrative is steeped in gendered brutality, exploring the many ways women are harmed by men both physically and psychologically. As well as exploring the psychology of predatory men and the lasting trauma inflicted on women, the author exposes the existence of sexism in all sectors of society.

The novel begins with a shocking episode of violence when a woman’s severed leg is sent to Robin. The dismembered limb vividly speaks of the suffering inflicted on its unknown owner. This grotesque act also serves as a direct psychological assault on Robin, aiming to instill fear and assert dominance. For Robin, the symbolic message evokes fear, rage, and a confrontation with her past trauma as a rape survivor. As the case unfolds, Robin suffers not only physical danger from the killer who stalks her but also increasing emotional strain, which manifests in nightmares. As a woman who has survived sexual assault, Robin feels an intimate personal connection to the case that makes her feel isolated in her empathy: “A woman had died in what were likely to have been terrible, brutal circumstances, and nobody seemed to care as much as Robin did” (101).