If I had known from the start that this book was by J.K. Rowling under a pseudonym I probably would have avoided it as I had A Casual Vacancy. I have been reluctant to read anything by her that is not Harry Potter as not to ruin the magic of it especially since for the most part what I've heard has been mediocre at best. 
 However when I started this book I had no idea that the author's name was a pseudonym. I started reading and unknowingly was sucked into a wordy world of drawn out boredom. The book had potential. It could have been good but it was just about a hundred pages too long. For lack of a better way to say it, there were just too many words. I didn't need to hear about every cigarette that Cormoran and everyone else smoked or every literal step Cormoran took. 
 The mystery itself was good. It was a suspicious suicide that Cormoran was hired to investigate by the victims brother. To be honest I kept thinking I knew who did it and was wrong right up until the end. The twist was good but was like pulling teeth or slow torture to get there. 
 I liked the two main characters. Cormoran was your typical flawed detective though not as bad as most. Robin his temporary assistant was a bright spot among the blandness of it all and made the book not so tedious. I wish there was more of her. Most of the suspects and people that Cormoran interviewed were flat and boring except for one or two. I just wanted them all to get on with it. 
 I'll probably continue with the series but if the next book is as slow as this one was I don't know if I will be able to bear it.