History Literature / CareerOfEvil

* EveryoneHasStandards: Pretty much everyone ranging from policeman Wardle to career criminal Shanker is horrified out about the severed leg sent to Robin.

When Robin Ellacott receives a strange parcel containing a woman's severed leg, it's time for her boss, private detective Cormoran Strike, to investigate. As there are are several persons from his past capable of such an act, Strike and Robin must race against the clock to find out the truth before somebody else dies.

* BigDamnHeroes: Shanker does this twice. First, he charges in to save Robin when Noel Brockbank has her in his clutches and is breathing murder. Then at the end he bursts into Laing's apartment to save Strike's life right as Laing is about to stab Strike with a carving knife.

* {{Revenge}}: The killer's motivation for going after Cormoran Strike. [[spoiler:He blames Strike for the death of his son.]]

* SmokingGunControl: Strike has the SerialKiller narrowed down to four suspects (one of whom he writes off quite quickly). The killer's inner monologues reveal that he was raised by a man who called himself his father but really wasn't, and that the killer has a son who was taken away from him. It seems like this information might narrow it down come the hero' background checks, but then it's revealed that it doesn't. All three men ha d a biological son who was taken away from them by his mother or another relative after they were arrested for their crimes. All three men were raised by men besides their actual father (as a result of MamaBabyPapasMaybe, FamilyRelationshipSwitcheroo and a stepfather). Then, later, it looks as if the field of suspects is down to two due to more monologues from the unnamed killer revealing he has a live-in girlfriend who he secretly despises. Only two of the suspects hare been shown to have girlfriends, while the third lives alone. It later turns out that third one [[TwoAliasesOneCharacter has a second alias he takes up at times, under which he does have a girlfriend.]]

* DisposableSexWorker: The killer, who sometimes preys on prostitutes, believes this strongly.

* DisposableFiancee: Matthew is set up as this for the first two books of the series, and [[spoiler:Robin promptly dumps him upon discovering that he cheated on her with Sarah Shadlock]]. Then subverted. [[spoiler:She forgives him and they get married, though it reeks of emotional manipulation on his part and she’s unaware that he deleted some apology voicemails Strike left for her.]]

--> "Prostitutes didn't fucking ount, they were nothing, no one cared."

* {{Homage}}: Creator/JKRowling revealed in a Creator/{{BBC}} interview in November 2015 that she is a fan of Music/BlueOysterCult. "Robert Galbraith"'s novel ''Career Of Evil'' is heavily inspired by a BOC song of the same title and she admitted to loading the book with a lot of [[ShoutOut ShoutOuts]] to other lyrics and songs by this band. She is also a fan of the work of Music/PattiSmith, who co-wrote this song.

* LiteraryAllusionTitle: The novel shares a name with a song by Music/BlueOysterCult.

* TitledAfterTheSong: It's titled after a song from Music/BlueOysterCult's ''Music/SecretTreaties'', which also inspired aspects of the plot. Rowling has admitted to being a huge BÖC fan and this is far from the only ShoutOut to the group in her novels.

%%* BigDamnHeroes: Shanker does this twice.

* SwitchingPOV: While the first two Strike novels alternate between the POV of Robin and Strike, this one throws in some very unsettling POV chapters from the bad guy, a deranged serial killer.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Transabled Tempest uses a wheelchair even though she doesn't need one. [[spoiler:Donald Laing doesn't need his crutches either.]]

'''''Career of Evil''''' is the third crime novel in the [[Literature/CormoranStrikeNovels Cormoran Strike series]] by [[Creator/JKRowling Robert Galbraith]].

This is now (February 2018) a Creator/{{BBC}} drama series on TV — and yes, it does use the Music/BlueOysterCult song to kick off the show.

When Robin Ellacott receives a strange parcel containing a woman's severed leg, it's time for her boss, private detective Cormoran Strike, to investigate. As there are are several persons from his past capable of such act, Strike and Robin must race against the clock to find out the truth before somebody else dies.

The book was published [[http://www.ew.com/article/2015/06/11/jk-rowlings-next-robert-galbraith-novel-career-evil-gets-cover-and-release-date on October 20th, 2015]], with [[http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/oct/09/career-of-evil-robert-galbraith-jk-rowling-cormoran-strike-first-chapter-extract the first chapter]]being made available on October 9th, 2015.

This is now (February 2018) a Creator/{{BBC}} drama series on TV - and yes, it does use the Music/BlueOysterCult song to kick off the show.

* BerserkButton: Strike doesn't take it well when when his disability is belittled. He is personally insulted by Tempest's flippancy on the matter, wanting to be disabled, using a wheelchair despite being able-bodied, staying off work with a faked back injury and repeatedly turning down psychiatric help.

* DarkAndTroubledPast: Cormoran’s career in the military police was so... ''colourful'' that upon receiving a severed human leg in the post he can think of '''four''' suspects right off the bat.
-->'''Robin:''' "You know ''four men'' who'd send you a severed leg? ''Four?"''
* DisposableFiancee: Matthew is set up as this for the first two books of the series, and [[spoiler: Robin promptly dumps him upon discovering that he cheated on her with Sarah Shadlock]]. Then subverted. [[spoiler: She forgives him and they get married, though it reeks of emotional manipulation on his part and she’s unaware that he deleted some apology voicemails Strike left for her.]]
* DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale: Charlotte, Cormoran's ex, is mentioned to have physically attacked him on more that one occasion, leaving him with scratches and black eyes. It's certainly not played for humour or excused, but it's not labelled as abuse either.

* ParentsAsPeople: Strike clearly loved his mother deeply, but doesn't deny that she was unstable, had drug problems and exposed him and his sister to all sorts of bad situations. He mentions that he consciously chooses to set aside the uglier memories and focus on the times that she was a loving and proud mother.

* {{Revenge}}: The killer's motivation for going after Cormoran Strike. [[spoiler:He blames Strike for the death of his son]].

* SpeakNowOrForeverHoldYourPeace: Explicitly defied by Strike, who assures Shanker that he has no intention of stopping [[spoiler:Robin's wedding. He only wants to be there for it. Of course, he ends up knocking over a big ornamental flower display and attracting everyone's attention at exactly the wrong moment, so Robin ends up beaming at him when she says "I do," instead of her new husband.]]

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: [[spoiler:Stephanie]]'s fate is left unresolved, as [[spoiler:Whittaker]] turns out not to be the killer so they both disappear from the story.

* BerserkButton: Strike doesn't take it when when his disability is belittled. He is personally insulted by Tempest's flippancy on the matter, wanting to be disabled, using a wheelchair despite being able-bodied, staying off work with a faked back injury and repeatedly turning down psychiatric help.

* DisposableFiancee: Matthew is set up as this for the first two books of the series, and [[spoiler:Robin promptly dumps him upon discovering that he cheated on her.]] Then subverted. [[spoiler:She forgives him, and they get married.]]

* EurekaMoment: Strike has one when he realizes the detail that he missed that allows him to crack the case.

* StayInTheKitchen: Very downplayed with Matthew, who doesn't exactly want Robin barefoot and pregnant, but strongly disapproves of the (admittedly dangerous and low-paid) detective work that Robin does. He doesn't understand why she loves it so much, nor how good at it she is.

* {{Homage}}: Creator/JKRowling revealed in a Creator/{{BBC}} interview in November 2015 that she is a fan of the Music/BlueOysterCult. "Robert Galbraith"'s novel ''Career Of Evil'' is heavily inspired by a BOC song of the same title and she admitted to loading the book with a lot of [[ShoutOut ShoutOuts]] to other lyrics and songs by this band. She is also a fan of the work of Music/PattiSmith, who co-wrote this song.

* BigDamnHeroes: Shanker does this twice.

* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler: Whittaker. Brockbank and Laing are arrested for child molestation and serial murder respectively by the end of the book, but the violently abusive pimp, crack dealer, and possible murderer is apparently free to continue his activities.]]

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: [[spoiler:Stephanie]]'s fate is left unresolved, as [[spoiler:Whittaker]] turns out not to be the killer so they both disappear from the story.

* DisposableFiancee: Matthew is set up as this for the first two books of the series, and [[spoiler: Robin promptly dumps him upon discovering that he cheated on her.]] Then subverted. [[spoiler: She forgives him, and they get married.]]

* GirlFriday: The trope gets discussed. Various people refer to Robin as an assistant or secretary, which bothers her to the point that she insists on Strike making her a full partner. When Strike eventually [[spoiler: fires her and puts out an ad for an assistant to replace her]], she worries that this is all she ever was.

* RapeAsBackstory: [[spoiler: Robin.]] It makes her very disinclined to turn a blind eye when she suspects sexual abuse is taking place.
* {{Revenge}}: The killer's motivation for going after Cormoran Strike. [[spoiler: He blames Strike for the death of his son]].

* SpeakNowOrForeverHoldYourPeace: Explicitly defied by Strike, who assures Shanker that he has no intention of stopping [[spoiler: Robin's wedding. He only wants to be there for it. Of course, he ends up knocking over a big ornamental flower display and attracting everyone's attention at exactly the wrong moment, so Robin ends up beaming at him when she says "I do," instead of her new husband.]]

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: [[spoiler: Stephanie]]'s fate is left unresolved, as [[spoiler:Whittaker]] turns out not to be the killer so they both disappear from the story.

* ActuallyPrettyFunny: Despite Strike's tendency towards BlackComedy being a source of friction between him and Robin, Robin is the one to joke that Strike managed to resist punching a woman in a wheelchair while in a fancy restaurant.

* LiteraryAllusionTitle: The novel shares a name with a song by BlueOysterCult.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: [[spoiler: Stephanie]]'s fate is left unresolved, as [[spoiler:Whittaker]] turns out not to be the killer so they both disappear from the story.