Silkworm; Tony Hogan Bought Me an Ice Cream Float Before He Stole My Ma

Robert Galbraith's latest Cormoran Strike novel, "The Silkworm", was very good. Cormoran is still reaping the benefits of his success in solving the Lula Landry case, and decides to be a bit reckless and take a case that doesn't pay because it's interesting. Owen Quine, a writer of marginal success, has gone missing. His wife doesn't want to involve the police because Owen has taken off before, only to be found with a girlfriend. Strike goes digging and discovers Owen has written a very nasty book, barely bothering to disguise the people he's slandering. The book is completely unpublishable, and his publishing house has put a lid on it for fear of being sued, which of course means everyone and their brother has read it. When Strike does find Owen's body, he's horrified to learn that he died in the same manner as he described in his last manuscript. The police arrest his wife, but Strike is convinced she didn't do it.

Kerry Hudson's debut novel, "Tony Hogan Bought Me an Ice-Cream Float Before He Stole My Ma" was heartbreaking in its unflinching portrayal of poverty in Scotland. Janie is born to a single mom barely out of her teens. With no one to take her in, Ma goes on government assistance and stays there all of Janie's childhood. She hooks up with bad guys, including the infamous titular Tony Hogan, and has another daughter, Tiny. Janie is used to being poor, never having enough food, clothes, being made fun of at school. It was very sad, how the circle of poverty just never lets up. As soon as the girls are old enough to have sex they get pregnant and it all starts over again. I have hope for Janie, though. It ended on an upbeat note.