I thought this book was fine. It was mysterious and had so many characters and side stories so it was hard to figure out who did it. Plus, it flushed out the main characters more, especially Robin and her relationship with Strike. It was a little grotesque with the crime, but trying to untangle all the threads to get to the solution was a fun challenge. It is not my favorite mystery series but I like it enough that I will read them all!

The story centers on author Owen Quine who has gone missing. His wife, who is struggling to care for their special needs daughter hires Strike to find him. And find him he does, dead, in a grotesque and macabre manner. Strike who sees the police only focusing on his client, enlists Robin’s help to determine who really killed the much despised author. And the suspects are many when it comes out that he has written a scorched earth novel that purports to out many of his publisher house’s greatest sins.