The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith

 

Strike and Robin are given another challenging case.  Edie Ledwell and her partner Josh created an online cartoon, An Ink Black Heart, that has become a major success.  There is talk about Netflix turning it into a series and some fans are upset that the cartoon is becoming commercialized.  One group, who have created an online game to go along with the cartoon, are particularly outrages.  Edie has come to Robin because she is being stalked online by a group of fans from the game, especially the leader, Anomie.  

Before Robin and Strike can get started on the case, Edie and Josh are tasered and then knifed in Highgate Cemetery where the cartoon is set.  Edie is killed and Josh is paralyzed.  The police are handling that case but the agency is hired to identify Anomie and put a stop to him.  

The agency is overloaded but they take the case.  Strike has also taken the case of finding out something on Jago Ross, the man who married his long time lover Charlotte so that the couple's divorce won't drag him into publicity he doesn't want.  There is a case of a son stealing from his parents and the usual infidelity cases.  All in all, the agency is stretched and the Anomie case turns into a long slough, difficult to make headway on as most of the action is online.  Robin goes undercover and becomes a player in the game and they make some progress.  Then more people are killed and Strike and Robin learn that the game has become a meeting place for some right-wing militants.  Can they solve the case?

This is the sixth book in the Strike series and it is a long one.  Robin and Strike are still trying to deny their attraction to each other and each is using other partners to hide the truth from themselves.  There are plenty of suspects; the militants, the members of an art cooperative, various members of the anime world and those hoping to make their fortune from the cartoon or game.  This case seems more dangerous than past ones and fans will be glad to settle back into this world that Galbraith has created.  This book is recommended for mystery readers.