“Career of Evil” Extract Released
Following the first two novels of the Cormoran Strike series, The Cuckoo’s Calling and The Silkworm, J.K. Rowling’s third Strike novel is tremendously anticipated by fans. This novel, Career of Evil, will be released under Rowling’s pseudonym, Robert Galbraith, on October 20. There’s been much excitement surrounding the novel, especially in the UK, where a competition is taking place giving fans a chance to win a signed copy.
To enhance this buzz, Rowling has released exclusive extracts of the novel to the Guardian and Time, including the entire first chapter. The dark and frightening nature of the novel is perfectly captured in both extracts and leaves us mad with want for more, as most Rowling chapters do.
The first chapter begins with a vivid description of blood and gore. Rowling creates a disturbing scene by capturing our attention with the sadistic-spirited character who indulges in the after-effects of violent murder, which is his idea of intimacy. The book begins:
He had not managed to scrub off all her blood. A dark line like a parenthesis lay under the middle fingernail of his left hand. He set to digging it out, although he quite liked the idea of seeing it there: a momento of the previous day’s pleasure.
The chapter leaves us with a cliffhanger. We know the character’s motifs and see his discreet planning and sinister ideas. If anything, the novel takes a huge leap away from Diagon Alley and grounds itself in something much darker and more ominous.
We’re definitely ready for the exciting, adrenaline-filled experience this novel will give us. You can find out more about the novel here.
If you’ve read the previous two novels, check out our discussion on the Cormoran Strike series. Here, we compare and contrast the first two Cormoran Strike novels to Harry Potter and make predictions comparing the release of Career of Evil to that of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Please note that there are spoilers for both The Cuckoo’s Calling and The Silkworm before listening!
Will you be purchasing this book? We’d love for you to let us know in the comments!
