I liked the first Strike book, loved the second, and was back to "like" for the third. It seems a bit unfair to grade these books on that though because of the sheer pleasure of Galbraith/Rowling's writing. His/her confident narrative is delightful, especially given the slog of so many books recently read. 
 That said, I'm going to grade this one on a strict goodreads scale. 
 So why just "I liked it"? That's because this is the volume where Strike is kind of an idiot. The Robin relationship that grew so beautifully in #2 took a big step back, and it felt forced and unrealistic. Robin's newly revealed backstory didn't feel undeserved but it played out so conventionally and dully that I found myself rolling my eyes. I especially didn't like the whacks-over-the-head with social issues. 
 There were a few Robin fist-pump moments and a bunch more "oh lord, not again" ones. Strike, in this volume, had almost no inner life and felt a bit cardboard-y. There was another attempt at setting him up, another girlfriend, another nephew birthday party. Yawn. 
 The humor was also a bit underplayed. 
 The mystery parts are generally the least interesting bits of these books but this one was just fine, and the clever ending was a nice touch. The big reveal felt like a big reveal, and things I could have (but didn't) notice made me want to re-read, which is what a good mystery does. 
 I hope the next book is a little more upbeat, and I hope they bring back more of Strike's extensive family.