J.K Rowling has impressed me yet again.

Her latest book, “The Silkworm,” was released over the summer. The book is a sequel to her 2013 novel, “The Cuckoo’s Calling,” which was released under Rowling’s pen name, Robert Galbraith.

“The Silkworm” follows protagonist Cormoran Strike (who is usually referred to by his surname only), after the events of the previous book. Strike is still working as a private investigator, and has gained fame after solving a murder in “The Cuckoo’s Calling.” His clients include people who just want to know how he solved the murder of the previous story, and he appears annoyed with his current situation.  

At the start of the novel, Leonora Quine, whose husband, Owen, has been missing for several weeks, approaches Strike. Quine hires Strike to investigate her husband’s disappearance. Strike and Quine both suspect that Owen’s disappearance has something to do with the leaking of his latest manuscript, “Bombyx Mori,” which features fictional versions of people in Owen’s life, who are portrayed in his book in a negative light.

Strike begins his investigation into Quine’s disappearance, starting with interrogations of the people who are featured in Quine’s book.

Eventually, Strike stumbles upon Owen Quine’s dead body and finds that he was brutally murdered in the same way the protagonist of “Bombyx Mori” was killed. While the police investigate the murder, Strike starts an investigation of his own, thinking the police’s suspicions to be wrong.

Rowling’s trademark writing style helps keep the reader guessing as Strike completes his investigation. A series of suspects crop up, each seeming just as likely to have murdered Owen Quine.

As with the previous book, the murderer is not revealed until the final act of the book, where Strike casually confronts the killer once he’s figured everything out.

In addition to seeing growth with Strike, another highlight of the book is the character development of Strike’s secretary, Robin. Previously, Robin was seen merely as Strike’s assistant.

In “Silkworm” however, Robin’s fiancé Matthew is finally introduced to not only readers, but also to Strike. In addition, Strike begins to help Robin achieve her dream of being a detective by starting to train her and let her participate in his investigation. It was great to see Robin get some major character development during the story; I hope to see more of it in future Strike novels.

All in all, Rowling succeeded in writing this book. It is definitely a page-turner just like all of her previous works.

If you’re a lover of crime novels, “The Silkworm” is the book for you. It will keep you guessing throughout, and only when the killer is finally unmasked will you be able to stop reading.

Rowling has said she plans to release more books about Strike in the years to come. She’s gone as far to say that she might write more books about Strike than she did about Harry Potter.

Hopefully she stays true to her word. The story of Strike is a compelling one and one that deserves a full series.