There aren't a lot of books where I recommend them just based on characters, but out of all the Cormoran Strike mysteries, I prefer The Silkworm. The second installment in this series begins with a missing person's case, but turns very quickly into a number of sub-mysteries, including a forged manuscript, extramarital affairs, and a brutal murder based on an unpublished manuscript.
What does the TV adaptation include of The Silkworm?
As with the prior adaptation, we get the story spread out over multiple episodes. Cormoran Strike is visited in his office by a woman whose famous author husband has gone missing. Leonora Quine tolerates his occasional disappearances and capricious nature, but her daughter is missing her daddy, and Leonora is worried about the members of her family.
Things become more complicated when it turns out that Owen Quine had a falling out with his literary agent, and his latest manuscript was a slanderous allegory that targeted most of the people in his life. Everyone mentioned in the book has a reason to be angry and that makes it difficult when Owen is found, murdered in the same way that his protagonist is taken out by the other characters in the book.
Meanwhile, Robin Ellacott is now a full-time part of the detective agency, but still not used to her fullest potential. Her fiance, Matt, resents how she does a lot of the legwork for the detective, but isn't given the respect or salary that she deserves. A major bone of contention is therefore the fact that Strike hasn't expended any effort in training Robin to help with more of the detective work. Strike no longer has his financial problems, but we get to see some of the family that he hasn't estranged himself from.
What else might we enjoy from the book?
Half of the fun to do with the cast of characters is the "literary circle." We have the award-winning novelist who writes Jacobean-style tragedies, the florid storyteller who thinks he deserves to be taken more seriously, and the indie author who won't stop making references to the hunky heroes of her self-published fantasy novels. The different dynamics and motivations in this group make the ending more unpredictable and more enjoyable.
One great loss in the adaptation is that they eliminate the character of Pippa. There are doubts about the authenticity of Quine's last manuscript, and an element of reasonable doubt is created by the distinction between the author who was inspired by people he knew and the vicious scribe who mocked those same people in the final draft. Pippa is a trans writer who had a friendship with Quine and saw acceptance and sympathy from him. Her exclusion robs the author character of some of his humanity.
A significant emotional through-plot of both versions of this story is the relationship between Leonora and Orlando, her mentally challenged adult daughter. Orlando is earnest and honest in her attempts to connect with the people involved in finding her daddy's killer, and there is great empathy in the writing of her habits and needs.
Both versions of the book are enjoyable, so enjoy the outstanding casting of the show or think hard about identity in the depths of the novel.