Book Summary – Career of Evil – Cormoran Strike – Book 3

Book summary by chapter of Career of Evil. Includes spoilers from the delivery of the severed leg to the end of the book. Violence didn’t roar—it arrived in a box, mislabeled: Robin. In the slow spiral of predator and prey, every clue drags old wounds back into the light and resurrects enemies Strike had buried. Donald Laing, the killer, orchestrates revenge with surgical cruelty until the face of horror is unmasked. Robin survives, but the price is a joyless wedding, as Cormoran watches the love he never dared to speak walk away.

Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott on an outdoor stairwell of a decaying building, surrounded by cracks and urban decay at sunset – Chapter-by-chapter Summary - Career of Evil

Introduction – Career of Evil

When Robin Ellacott receives a severed leg in the mail, the threat feels anything but random—it’s personal, deliberate, and rooted in Cormoran Strike’s past. Career of Evil, the third installment in Robert Galbraith’s series, doesn’t burst in—it creeps, unsettling everything its characters thought was safe.

With the police chasing the wrong leads, Strike narrows his focus to three dangerous figures from his military years, each with reason to seek revenge. Robin, determined to prove herself beyond her assistant role, enters a case steeped in trauma, manipulation, and the growing cost of trust.

Each chapter tightens the noose, not only around the killer but around the fragile bond between them, and to understand how that bond began to take shape, start here: Reading order of the Cormoran Strike series ➤

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Reading Order ➤

Chapter Navigation

• Chapter 1 Summary – Career of Evil – The Killer Watches Robin from the Shadows

• Chapter 10 Summary – Career of Evil – Strike Remembers Whittaker and Relives Painful Past

• Chapter 20 Summary – Career of Evil – Robin Reveals Her Past and Confesses Matthew’s Betrayal

• Chapter 30 Summary – Career of Evil – Family Secrets and Forbidden Forums

• Chapter 40 Summary – Career of Evil – Boundaries Broken Between Strike and Robin

• Chapter 50 Summary – Career of Evil – Strike’s Call and Whittaker’s Alibi

• Chapter 60 Summary – Career of Evil – The Trap at the Club and Laing’s Flight

Chapter 1 Summary – Career of Evil – The Killer Watches Robin from the Shadows

The killer licks the blood under his fingernail as he recalls with satisfaction the recent crime. He still carries traces of his victim with him and contemplates, from a street in Ealing, the house where Robin Ellacott lives, whom he has been spying on. He calls her “the Secretary” and watches her with a mixture of desire and disdain. He sees Robin leave with Matthew and decides to follow them without being detected. He analyzes their gestures, their distance, her auburn hair, and the engagement ring on her hand. Aboard a bus, he relives with fury memories of his past, including symbols that torment him and thoughts of revenge against Cormoran Strike, whom he blames for the loss of his son. With a macabre plan in mind, he moves away from the place feeling invincible, certain that no one suspects what he has done or what he will do. Something special awaits him at home in the fridge.

Chapter 2 Summary – Career of Evil – Robin Receives a Sinister Package at the Office

Robin Ellacott, on her way to the agency, reflects on her deteriorated relationship with Matthew, marked by jealousy and insecurities, especially around her boss, Cormoran Strike. After a heated argument triggered by the malicious comments of Sarah Shadlock, Robin arrives at work upset. There she receives a package in her name, expecting disposable cameras for the wedding. The messenger is dressed in black, with a helmet and dark visor. Upon ascending to the office and opening the box, she finds something that leaves her paralyzed: an amputated woman’s leg. The horror is immediate. Disoriented, she alerts Strike, who reacts quickly and calls the police. The leg is real, and its presence implies a disturbing message. The package was first addressed to “Cameron Strike” and then modified to “Robin Ellacott.” The scene reveals a personal threat, and Robin, still shocked, begins to understand that she has been dragged into a dark nightmare without explanation.

Chapter 3 Summary – Career of Evil – The Police Investigate the Amputated Leg

Strike and Robin cope with the impact of the package received, while the detective suspects that the leg was sent as a deliberate message. The police arrive at the office, led by Inspector Wardle and Sergeant Ekwensi. Robin describes the messenger: tall, wearing a black leather jacket and a red Honda motorcycle. Strike, inspecting the leg, notes key details: it is that of a Caucasian woman, it has an old scar, and it was cleanly amputated. They also find a note with a quote from a Blue Öyster Cult song, which awakens memories in Strike related to his mother and his past. The detective mentions possible suspects, including Terence “Digger” Malley, although he doubts that he is the perpetrator. Wardle recalls the case of the mutilated penis sent to an informant, which suggests similar precedents. The threat seems personal. The change of recipient on the package increases the tension: the sender knows Robin and chose her for an unsettling reason.

Chapter 4 Summary – Career of Evil – Three Enemies from the Past Resurface as Suspects

While shaving, Strike dismisses Malley as the main suspect and focuses on three men with real motives to hate him. In a pub, he reveals to Robin that two are violent ex-soldiers: Donald Laing and Noel Brockbank. Both were exposed by him during his time in the Military Police. Laing was convicted thanks to his testimony and released in 2007, while Brockbank was not imprisoned but was marked by his accusations. The third suspect is Jeff Whittaker, his mother’s ex-husband, accused and acquitted of her death. Robin is shocked to hear his name. Additionally, she discovers that the song quoted in the note was one of Strike’s mother’s favorites, and that the detective was named in honor of the group Blue Öyster Cult. The fact that the package was ultimately addressed to Robin worries them both, but she insists on continuing to work, despite the growing fear surrounding her.

Chapter 5 Summary – Career of Evil – Strike Tracks Clues While Danger Lurks

After leaving Robin, Strike returns to the office and reflects on the threat. It is not the leg that unsettles him, but the precision of the shipment: cleanly packaged, modified address, encoded message. He begins to investigate his suspects. He calls Graham Hardacre and another acquaintance without success. On the computer he searches for traces of Donald Laing and Noel Brockbank. He finds limited clues: ex‑partners, old addresses, but nothing conclusive. He also explores profiles of women named Brittany Brockbank, recalling with growing anxiety the possibility that the amputated leg belongs to someone innocent, even someone he knew. The connection with his mother’s tattoo torments him, fearing that an intimate photo has fallen into the wrong hands. Meanwhile, he considers how this scandal will affect his business. His growing fame could turn against him if he is associated with morbid crimes. Only one certainty haunts him: whoever is behind this knows him too well.

Chapter 6 Summary – Career of Evil – Robin Suspects and Discovers Disturbing Letters

Robin returns home tense after receiving the leg and cautiously observes the subway passengers, comparing them to the messenger who delivered the package. In the Waitrose supermarket she feels watched and her imagination assaults her with the idea of an obsessed assailant bent on cutting off her legs. She decides to call Strike and reminds him that the agency received strange letters: one from a woman who wanted to amputate a leg and another signed with initials, focused on the detective’s lost leg and the desire to compensate him. Robin believes these letters may be linked to the macabre shipment. Later, upon arriving home, Matthew tries to console her after noticing her fear. That night, unable to sleep, Robin researches online and finds information about Jeff Whittaker, Strike’s former stepfather, whose criminal history includes assaults, drug trafficking, and a corpse hidden for weeks.

Chapter 7 Summary – Career of Evil – The Killer Pursues Robin and Plans His Revenge

The killer reflects on his urge to watch Robin again after sending the amputated leg. He recognizes that acting this way is risky, but he cannot resist the opportunity to observe her reaction after opening the package. His freedom is limited by the woman he lives with, whom he despises and calls the Thing, and on whom he depends financially. He takes advantage of her absence to follow Robin to the station and discovers that she has changed her routine, just as he had anticipated. He describes his ability to go unnoticed, altering his appearance with reversible clothing, glasses, a cap, and constant changes. He notices that Robin follows a young dancer, whom he then follows in turn, convinced that Robin will become the perfect way to destroy Strike. He fantasizes about a slow and devastating punishment. He considers his plan perfect, convinced that no one suspects him or the past crimes that went unpunished.

Chapter 8 Summary – Career of Evil – A Lost Case While Platinum Is Once Again Watched

The news of the leg generates a media scandal and Dominic Culpepper demands exclusives from Strike, who rejects the offer and loses that source of income. Meanwhile, Robin watches Platinum from a pub opposite the Spearmint Rhino. Strike arrives after tailing an unfaithful client called Furious Don to the airport, and comments that several jobs have been canceled due to the macabre shipment. Together they analyze Platinum’s behavior, whose boyfriend, nicknamed Déjà Vu, obsessed with verifying her fidelity, pays for photos of the girl entering and leaving the club. Raven, another dancer, acts as an informant from inside the venue. Strike, concerned for Robin’s safety, gifts her a new alarm. Before leaving to meet Shanker, a criminal contact, he warns Robin of a man in a camouflage jacket who has been watching them from a nearby restaurant for some time, reinforcing the fear that there is a close threat.

Chapter 9 Summary – Career of Evil – The Killer Flees After Noticing Strike’s Gaze

The killer contemplates Strike from the same street, proud of having confronted him without being recognized, and enjoys imagining the revenge he will inflict. He believes that the detective maintains a relationship with Robin, which increases his desire to harm them both. His satisfaction is interrupted when Strike, from the pub, seems to look directly at him, causing a surge of adrenaline. Fearing exposure, he takes advantage of the passage of several buses to escape and changes his appearance by turning his jacket inside out where he hides knives. He cannot wield weapons in the street without a careful plan and avoids detection. Although he feels anxiety about leaving, he also experiences euphoria at the thought that he is closer to his goal. He believes that Strike will never suspect him and thinks that the public admires a false hero who will be destroyed without leaving evidence to betray him.

Chapter 10 Summary – Career of Evil – Strike Remembers Whittaker and Relives Painful Past

After losing sight of the man in the jacket, Strike tries to convince himself that his nervousness is exaggerated, but suspicion haunts him as he receives a call from Hardacre, who promises to look for military information about Laing and Brockbank. Later, stood up by Shanker, Strike decides to walk through Whitechapel and ends up in front of the old house where his mother, Leda, died. Memories overwhelm him: he relives his adolescence in a squatted residence, the dominant presence of Whittaker, the abuse, the violence, the smell of drugs, and the constant intimidation. He recalls the trial for his mother’s death, Whittaker’s emotional manipulation, and his acquittal thanks to a convincing performance. Strike remembers the threatening gesture Whittaker directed at him in court, promising future punishment. Although he tries to deny that the current killer is him, the memories reignite the idea that the past may have returned in a cruel and calculated way.

Chapter 11 Summary – Career of Evil – An Invisible Threat Pursues Robin Ellacott

In the days following the arrival of the leg, Strike and Robin take turns watching Platinum, but the detective avoids coinciding with her: he now considers her a vulnerable target. He shelters at Nick and Ilsa’s house, where he feels uncomfortable with domestic life and his friends’ compassion. The press has exploited his disability, affecting his professional reputation and causing case cancellations. During dinner, Strike admits the fear he tries to hide: Robin, because she is a woman and because of her closeness to him, is his weak point. Ilsa, awkwardly hinting at an emotional bond between them, provokes an uncomfortable conversation about romance and about Elin, Strike’s girlfriend. The tension disappears when Hardacre calls, offering illegal access to ex‑military files. Strike decides to go to Edinburgh to gather information about Laing, even if it means canceling personal commitments.

Chapter 12 Summary – Career of Evil – A Bloodthirsty Mobster Joins the List of Suspects

Strike continues watching Platinum until she is safely inside her club and then meets Wardle in a bar, where the policeman is waiting for his wife. The atmosphere is tense, but they manage to exchange information. Wardle reveals that the amputated leg belonged to a missing young woman named Kara Wolfson. The autopsy indicates she was murdered after a surgical amputation. The connection to the agency seems intentional. Strike again mentions Jeff Whittaker, Donald Laing, and Noel Brockbank as potential suspects. Wardle, however, points to Terence “Digger” Malley, a dangerous mobster known for similar mutilations. Despite his crimes, Strike doubts Malley is responsible, since he has never sent him personal threats. After the conversation, Strike returns to work with Robin and finds new assignments canceled. Despite everything, his determination grows. Reviewing the data with Robin, they conclude that whoever is behind this knows them both intimately.

Chapter 13 Summary – Career of Evil – Robin Questions a Victim’s Sister

Robin travels alone to Walthamstow to visit Alyssa Vincent, sister of Kara Wolfson, whose leg was mailed. Upon arriving at her house, she meets a distrustful woman who only agrees to talk after identifying her as a private investigator. Alyssa explains that Kara lived a difficult life, was involved with drugs, and disappeared months earlier, though no one did much to look for her. The police took no interest in the case until the leg appeared. Alyssa expresses grief and anger, and notes that Kara often associated with violent men. Robin asks about tattoos, but Alyssa does not recall her sister having any on her thigh. The conversation ends with frustration, but Robin suspects that Kara was chosen by the killer not only because of her vulnerability, but also as a personal message to Strike. Upon leaving, Robin feels watched, increasing her sense of danger.

Chapter 14 Summary – Career of Evil – Strike Investigates Laing’s Past in Edinburgh

Cormoran travels to Edinburgh to gather information about Donald Laing. There he meets Sergeant Barclay, a former military colleague who confirms that Laing was discharged after violent behavior. He also directs him to the prison chaplain where Laing was held. Strike visits the reverend’s church, where he recalls Laing as manipulative and deeply resentful of authority. Strike then goes to the military archive, where he obtains an old address connected to Laing’s mother. Along the way, he reflects on his own childhood and the impact of his mother. Although the clues are scarce, the trip helps him outline the suspect’s mind. Meanwhile, he stays in contact with Robin, who continues working in London. They share brief updates, but the danger surrounding them feels increasingly close. Strike knows he cannot lower his guard: the enemy is planning every move.

Chapter 15 Summary – Career of Evil – Robin Identifies Brockbank as a New Threat

Robin is assigned to locate Noel Brockbank and manages to find a lead in Clapham. She investigates a poor neighborhood, where she discovers that the man lives with a woman named Holly and several small girls. Pretending to be an assistant from a charitable foundation, she gains entry to the house. Brockbank, alcoholic and distrustful, shows clear signs of violence and paranoia. Robin feigns interest in helping the girls while observing the environment and confirming the man’s physical details: scars, foul temper, and an injured leg. She also perceives the fear in Holly, who avoids eye contact and seems trapped in an abusive relationship. Robin leaves without being discovered, though shaken by what she saw. Later, she informs Strike, who becomes furious that she exposed herself without protection. Although he acknowledges the value of her discovery, he demands she never act alone again. The case is becoming increasingly dangerous.

Chapter 16 Summary – Career of Evil – Laing’s Dark Past Resurfaces in Melrose

Cormoran travels to Melrose to investigate Donald Laing, finding symbolic traces such as yellow rose tattoos and local legends that evoke his ties to the town. Visiting Laing’s former home, he discovers that his mother lives on Dingleton Road. After a difficult walk, he arrives at a house decorated with Disney figurines, where the elderly Mrs. Laing, suffering from dementia, shuts the door on him with hostility. A neighbor, a friend of Rhona Bunyan’s family, recognizes him and contacts Rhona’s mother. Strike and Margaret Bunyan agree to meet at the Ship Inn, where she reveals harrowing details about Laing’s abuse, Rhona’s trauma, the baby’s death, and the threats the abuser made from prison. Laing was expelled from town by his own brothers after a violent altercation. Margaret gives Strike old photographs, and he concludes that Laing is a tenacious and dangerously obsessed enemy.

Chapter 17 Summary – Career of Evil – The Stalker Watches Robin on Denmark Street

The killer narrates from his own perspective as he obsessively watches Robin. After manipulating his partner, “the Thing,” into sleeping, he secretly goes out to follow Robin to her workplace. He observes her hair and identifies her from afar, noticing signs of crying on her face. Unseen, he follows her to Denmark Street and revels in his anonymity as he plans future attacks. He believes her emotional vulnerability will make her easier to approach, recalling how he used that same strategy with previous victims. When she enters the office, he hides nearby to spy on her, obsessed with her routine. The man believes she is romantically involved with Strike and fantasizes about destroying her. This chapter reveals his disturbed mind, his contempt for women, and his satisfaction in remaining hidden, feeding his sense of power. The scene makes it clear that Robin is being closely watched, unaware of the real danger around her.

Chapter 18 Summary – Career of Evil – Robin Faces the End of Her Relationship and Shanker’s Return

Robin arrives devastated at the agency after her breakup with Matthew and hides her travel bag under the desk. Despite her emotional pain, she tries to keep up her routine, though Strike notices her pallor and swollen eyes. While Robin works, Shanker bursts in, an old acquaintance of Strike whose presence frightens her because she had not been warned. Shanker, with his peculiar style, brings key information about Whittaker, Strike’s stepfather, locating him in Catford living with a young prostitute. After Shanker leaves, Strike remembers how Leda, his mother, took him in after finding him injured, and how her death deeply marked them both. Robin, meanwhile, leaves to watch Platinum. Strike tries to reach her unsuccessfully, concerned for her wellbeing. Emotional and professional tension rises as the shadow of the past—Whittaker, Leda, and the recent crimes—looms over the protagonists at a moment of great vulnerability.

Chapter 19 Summary – Career of Evil – The Killer Follows Robin Through London After Nightfall

The killer follows Robin to the Garrick at the London School of Economics, watching her from a distance. He notes her swollen face from crying and the absence of her ring, deducing she is emotionally fragile. He believes it will be easy to approach her and that her vulnerability facilitates the attack. He recalls his first murder in morbid detail, remembering how he killed a prostitute and kept her pendant as a trophy. In his twisted mind, each victim represents an achievement. When Robin leaves, he follows her on the Tube without being detected, taking advantage of the crowds. Near the Spearmint Rhino, he waits hidden while she watches Platinum. The tension intensifies as he observes Robin alone and distracted. The killer senses the perfect opportunity to act, but waits in a dark doorway, calculating his next move. This chapter shows the imminent danger and the closeness of the attacker, while Robin remains unaware of his presence.

Chapter 20 Summary – Career of Evil – Robin Reveals Her Past and Confesses Matthew’s Betrayal

Robin wanders through London not knowing where to spend the night, ignoring calls from Strike and desperate messages from Matthew. She enters the Tottenham pub, where she remembers moments shared with Strike. Two glasses of wine leave her drunk enough to show vulnerability. Strike arrives, drives away a man trying to approach her, and is shocked to see her so affected. Robin confesses that she is no longer engaged: Matthew cheated on her with Sarah Shadlock, a mutual friend. The revelation leads to an intimate conversation, in which Robin also confesses something much deeper: she was raped during university. Deeply affected, Strike listens with empathy and avoids judgment. After telling her story, Robin insists she will not be defined by that trauma. Strike refuses to leave her alone and accompanies her to a safe hotel. When he leaves, he unsuccessfully chases a suspicious man. The danger remains close, though Robin does not know it.

Chapter 21 Summary – Career of Evil – Robin Relives Her Trauma as the Case Escalates

Robin wakes up at the luxurious Hazlitt’s Hotel with a hangover and distress, remembering that she confessed to Strike the rape she suffered at university. The memory of the attacker wearing a gorilla mask returns strongly, along with the trial that nearly destroyed her emotionally. She reflects on how that event derailed her life: she dropped out of university, lost confidence in her body and her dreams of becoming a criminal investigator. Although her desire had existed since childhood, everyone interpreted it as a symptom of her trauma. Ironically, an agency mistakenly sent her to Strike’s office, and there she began forging her true path. She wrestles with the fear of losing her job after telling Strike the truth, but he calls to include her in the new investigation: the rest of the corpse has been found. Robin feels relief knowing she still has his trust. Later, she receives a long message from Matthew, and replies coldly: “I’m fine.”

Chapter 22 Summary – Career of Evil – The Fake Letters Put Strike in the Police’s Crosshairs

Strike and Robin appear at Scotland Yard, where Wardle shows them two fake letters found alongside the dismembered body of a woman in Shepherd’s Bush. Signed as “Cameron Strike,” the messages pretend that the detective planned to help the victim amputate her leg. Robin confirms she never replied on Strike’s behalf and recalls a previous letter that arrived in February. The still-unidentified corpse shows stab wounds and signs of freezing. Robin, still shaken, insists on viewing the photos despite Wardle’s warning. The image of the severed head nauseates her, but she bravely composes herself. The body was split between the bathtub and the fridge. A “1D” tattoo on the left wrist might be key. The victim could be Oxana Voloshina, though her identity is not yet confirmed. Robin feels proud when she hears Strike call her “his partner” in front of others.

Chapter 23 Summary – Career of Evil – Robin and Strike Travel North as the Past Returns

The next day, Strike leaves Elin’s house early, after their first argument. Although they had sex that night, he reflects on his inability to feel as he once did, comparing his present to the self-destructive intensity of his relationship with Charlotte. Robin, meanwhile, escapes a dramatic plea from Matthew, who shouts “I love you” from the street. Now without a ring, without a commitment, and seething with restrained anger, she picks up Strike at West Ealing station. During the trip in her old Land Rover, they joke about horses and Elin but avoid delving into anything personal. Robin receives another message from Matthew full of reproaches and jealousy, which infuriates her further. During a stop, she demands that Strike finally tell her the truth about Brockbank. After some evasions, the detective recounts the story of child abuse against Brittany, a twelve-year-old girl. Brockbank went unpunished.

Chapter 24 Summary – Career of Evil – Robin and Strike Locate Brockbank’s Sister

Robin and Strike arrive in Barrow-in-Furness, an isolated and decaying city. After lunch, they locate the house where they believe Brockbank lives, but no one is home. Robin suggests Holly may have changed her identity, but Strike is doubtful. An attempt to photograph a potential suspect ends with Robin detained by police monitoring nearby nuclear facilities. Strike intervenes and apologizes with humor. Later, a neighbor tells them Holly runs a bakery in Vickerstown. At the shop, Robin notes that Holly shares Brockbank’s features and has a stern demeanor. Robin insists on being the one to talk to her to avoid suspicion, while Strike firmly objects for safety. Robin, determined, presents a plan she has devised to approach Holly without risk. Despite the tension, both know they are getting closer to the killer, and any mistake could be very costly.

Chapter 25 Summary – Career of Evil – Robin Tricks Holly to Locate Brockbank

Robin and Strike put their plan in motion to find Noel Brockbank’s whereabouts. Strike discreetly follows Holly to the Crow’s Nest pub, while Robin, dressed formally and using the false name “Venetia Hall,” enters posing as a lawyer. She draws Holly’s attention by promising military compensation for her brother. Over beers, Robin skillfully maneuvers and gains her trust. Holly reveals that Noel lived with her after being discharged from the army, suffered attacks, destroyed the house, and that she blames him for her emotional trauma. With alcohol and anger, she confesses something deeper: both were abused by their stepfather in childhood, and Noel also abused her. Holly also admits that Noel continued harassing minors, being fired from several jobs for touching young girls. Pressured, she gives Robin an old phone and an address in Market Harborough, unaware of how much she has revealed.

Chapter 26 Summary – Career of Evil – Strike and Robin Confront the Danger of Brockbank

After Robin’s successful ruse, they eat in the Land Rover outside the Olympic Takeaway. Strike praises her cleverness, but the information reveals an even graver picture of Brockbank. They calculate that he is still abusing girls and that his supposed medical disability is an excuse to avoid prosecution. Strike fears he may have found Brittany, and Robin is horrified by the possibility. During the conversation, Robin takes a call from her mother, who has learned about the breakup with Matthew and offers to visit her in London. The talk turns emotional, and Robin explodes, remembering that Matthew cheated on her with Sarah Shadlock for months. When drunk men approach her, Strike steps in and scares them off. Afterwards, he decides they must continue the search in Market Harborough, where Brockbank last worked. Robin reflects on the killer’s obsession with Strike’s amputated leg and concludes that the message aims to publicly humiliate him.

Chapter 27 Summary – Career of Evil – Strike Infiltrates a Brothel for Information

Robin and Strike spend the night at a Travelodge, in separate rooms, tense after the emotional revelations of the day. The next morning, they travel to Market Harborough. There, Strike visits a massage parlor called Ambience, disguised as a client. He enters the room of a worker named Kelsey Platt, who recognizes Brockbank’s name as the father of a girl living with a woman named Alyssa. She describes Alyssa as a controlling mother and Noel as a violent man who uses a cane. Meanwhile, Robin investigates outside, noting license plates and details about the suspect’s residence. Both conclude that Brockbank is hiding under the name Steve Douthwaite. That night, after dinner, they retreat to the hotel again. Robin continues receiving hostile messages from Matthew, while Strike silently reflects on his growing affection for her. Despite the fatigue, they are getting closer to the killer’s identity.

Chapter 28 Summary – Career of Evil – The Killer Plans a Brutal Attack on Robin

From his point of view, the killer watches and plots. He believes Robin and Strike are distracted by other suspects, so he decides to strike mercilessly. He recalls details from his childhood and time in the army, reliving traumas and humiliations that fuel his hatred. In his mind, Robin represents everything he wants to destroy: intelligence, independence, and loyalty to Strike. He fantasizes about kidnapping her, mutilating her, and forcing Strike to witness her suffering. He roams parts of London while visualizing possible locations for the attack. He admits he’s made mistakes before, but trusts that his final plan will be perfect. His contempt for women mixes with a sick admiration for Robin. He carries his tools and knives, ready to act. He thinks about the letter he will send afterward, precisely written to frame Strike. Meanwhile, Robin walks through the city unaware that she is about to be hunted.

Chapter 29 Summary – Career of Evil – Robin Is Brutally Attacked by the Killer

Robin is surveilling Platinum when she notices a man in a camouflage jacket approaching from behind. In seconds, the attacker pushes her against a wall, drags her into an alley, and beats her brutally. Robin struggles, trying to activate her alarm, but he snatches the device and stabs her. The scene is quick, bloody, and silent. The attacker flees, leaving Robin seriously injured and bleeding on the ground. Moments later, a woman named Rhonda finds her body and calls emergency services. At the hospital, as she undergoes surgery, doctors discover the wound came dangerously close to vital organs. Strike arrives devastated, furious with himself for allowing her to remain on the case. The police question hospital staff, while Strike tries to calm a panicked Matthew. News of the attack spreads quickly. To everyone, it is clear that Robin was the victim of a premeditated hunt.

Chapter 29 Summary – Career of Evil – Robin’s Reunion with the Past

Alone in the flat she shares with Matthew, Robin dives into Kelsey Platt’s online presence. She discovers a forum where Kelsey, under the username NobodytoTurnTo, expresses a desire to amputate her legs. Intrigued and determined, Robin pretends to be a girl with similar inclinations, but the contact ends when she doesn’t send a photo. Meanwhile, her mother insists on visiting for Easter, unaware that Robin is immersed in a dangerous investigation. She cuts the conversation short when she realizes the user she’s chatting with also lives in London. On Sunday, she finds that Matthew hasn’t returned as expected and is overcome with nostalgia when seeing objects and photos from their past relationship. She cries in silence, surrounded by memories, feeling the emotional distance grow. She knows their breakup is final, but she still can’t let go of the memories flooding her home—like a past that refuses to leave.

Chapter 30 Summary – Career of Evil – Family Secrets and Forbidden Forums

Cormoran Strike, caught between family tensions and the weight of the case, refuses to attend his nephew’s birthday, prompting a rebuke from his sister Lucy. After hanging up, he tries to distract himself with the newspaper, but news about Kelsey Platt unsettles him. Wardle calls to reveal that the young woman participated in an amputation forum and had asked about him, believing he had voluntarily amputated his leg. Disturbed, Strike begins reconstructing a mental image of Kelsey: a sixteen-year-old girl, immature and fantasizing, trapped between family rejection and self-destructive urges. He reflects on whether Brockbank, the rapist he’s pursuing, could have been her killer, though the victim’s age doesn’t fully match his profile. He decides they must continue the investigation on their own. Finally, he thinks about Robin, tempted to call her, while she, alone at home, discovers something crucial that she saves to tell him in person.

Chapter 31 Summary – Career of Evil – The Photo of Laing and Matthew’s Flowers

Robin arrives at the office eager to tell Strike about an important discovery, but Wardle’s visit comes first. The inspector shows them evidence from the forum where Kelsey participated, and Robin reveals she had already found it. Surprised by her skill, Wardle jokes about hiring her. While they talk, Robin receives a huge bouquet of roses sent by Matthew, which feels uncomfortable and out of place. After Wardle leaves, Robin finally shows Strike a charity‑fundraising page featuring a current photo of Donald Laing. In the image, Laing looks different—heavier, with the rose tattoo pierced by a dagger. In the background, Strike recognizes the facade of the Strata building in Elephant and Castle, deducing his possible location. As Robin heads out on a new assignment, Strike gives her Brockbank’s number to continue the investigation. Proud, Robin accepts the challenge under her false identity: Venetia Hall.

Chapter 32 Summary – Career of Evil – The Disturbing Call with Brockbank

Robin, calling from a restaurant near her surveillance post, manages to reach Noel Brockbank by phone, though a small girl answers first. Later, a woman with a London accent questions her suspiciously, but Robin convinces her with her invented lawyer persona. Although they promise to call back, Robin remains unsettled by the presence of a child. On her way home, depressed by the inevitable reunion with Matthew, Brockbank finally calls. Robin presents her fabricated legal story, but he interrupts her with threatening silence. While watching Don Furibundo, she struggles to stay composed, though the atmosphere becomes increasingly hostile. Hearing background noise, Brockbank asks whether he knows her, then ends the call with a chilling whisper: “Do I know you from somewhere, little girl?” Robin is left paralyzed with fear. Despite the partial success, the latent threat grows, and the danger feels more real than ever.

Chapter 33 Summary – Career of Evil – The Finger in the Card and the Whittaker Discovery

The next morning, shaken by the call with Brockbank, Robin faces Strike’s seeming indifference, as he doesn’t fully grasp the threat she perceived. Distressed, they briefly argue about their inability to act if a child is indeed with Brockbank. Just as Robin regains her composure, Shanker arrives at the office with shocking news: he has located Whittaker living in Catford. Lifted by their progress, Strike pulls out a brochure for the Strata building and confirms that Laing lives there, recognizing the background of the photo on the charity page. As they discuss these findings, Robin opens an envelope addressed to her and is horrified to discover a human finger attached inside a card. The phrase “She’s As Beautiful As a Foot” confirms that the killer has made her a target. Strike reacts quickly, gives Robin money, and sends her away with Shanker for protection. Fear settles in definitively.

Chapter 34 Summary – Career of Evil – Kelsey’s Sister and the Secret Room

That night, Strike eats dinner alone in his attic flat, reflecting on the card with Kelsey’s finger sent to Robin. He decides she must take a few days off and arranges to meet the victim’s sister. The next day, he travels to Finchley and arrives at the home of Hazel Platt, where restrained emotion and pain fill the air. Hazel’s husband, Ray, a retired firefighter, also suffers from the loss. During the visit, Hazel tells him that Kelsey lied constantly, even inventing a boyfriend named Niall. Strike deduces this may have been part of a teenage fantasy. When he goes upstairs to use the bathroom, he slips into Kelsey’s room. Among her belongings, he finds pills, a ticket marked with the number 18, and a meticulously ordered bedroom that contrasts sharply with Kelsey’s emotional chaos. Before leaving, he comforts Hazel as she breaks down, reaffirming that something darker had been haunting the girl.

Chapter 35 Summary – Career of Evil – The Killer’s Failure in Shacklewell

Frustrated by living with his partner—whom he contemptuously calls “the Thing”—the killer fantasizes about murdering her, though he knows he needs her to maintain his cover. His obsession with Robin consumes him, and he plans to stalk her at the London School of Economics, but festivities and police patrols block his movements. Irritated at being unable to approach her, he prowls the streets searching for a random victim. After wandering through Shacklewell, he finds a prostitute and follows her into a dark spot intending to kill her. Although he manages to stab her repeatedly, the woman screams and someone approaches. Forced to flee in panic, he jumps a wall, injures his knees, and escapes on a bus, knives hidden and two of the victim’s fingers in his pocket. As the bus moves, he strokes the severed finger, feeling euphoria and satisfaction wash over him.

Chapter 36 Summary – Career of Evil – Robin’s Return and Contained Fury

Strike, exhausted and overwhelmed by the media chaos surrounding the royal wedding, tries to stay alert while watching Brockbank and searching for Laing and Whittaker. After several unsuccessful nights of surveillance, his mood deteriorates. A dissatisfied client, nicknamed Déjà Vu, interrupts his morning with complaints about an unexpected breakup. During the visit, Robin appears with her mother, Linda, increasing the tension. Later, mother and daughter part ways at King’s Cross. Linda gives Robin money and encourages her to decide whether she will stay with Matthew or choose another path. Back home, Robin faces Matthew’s silence while making calls to clubs where Brockbank might be. Inside, anger builds: she feels underestimated by Strike, relegated to smaller tasks. Determined not to give up, she vows to find Brockbank—and also to keep secretly investigating the forum lead, resolved to prove her worth without her boss’s permission.

Chapter 37 Summary – Career of Evil – Robin Defies Everyone While Monitoring the Forum

During the royal wedding, Robin stays home, ignoring Matthew and focusing on investigating massage parlors and clubs where Brockbank might appear. As she gathers phone numbers and reviews from obscure corners of the internet, she recalls her experience as Strike’s digital investigator—without him knowing that she still keeps contact with a forum user who once spoke with Kelsey. Matthew’s emotional surveillance and the echoes of their broken relationship overwhelm her, but she persists. When Jason, the young man with BIID, sends her a message, Robin replies firmly, even sending a photo to prove she is not a journalist. Although the atmosphere at home is tense, she remains determined. Matthew’s tears do not sway her. Robin commits to continuing her mission. As she watches the royal ceremony on television, she remembers her own engagement and reflects on the path her life has taken—caught between duty, anger, and fear.

Chapter 38 Summary – Career of Evil – Blood in the Darkness and Fingers in the Pocket

Driven by the need to kill, the murderer goes out at dusk with his knives concealed, looking for a victim. The streets celebrate the royal wedding, but he sees only worthless bodies. After discarding several options, he finds a lone prostitute in Shacklewell and convinces her to go with him into a dark alley. There, while she attempts to please him, he kicks her and stabs her savagely. The woman’s resistance enrages him, but before he can finish her, a male voice interrupts. He flees instantly, clothes stained, knives bloody inside his jacket, and two severed fingers in his pocket. He hides, climbs a wall, and escapes through the streets before boarding a bus. Breathing hard, he stares at his reflection in the window while playing with the mutilated fingers like trophies. As panic fades, a sadistic euphoria overtakes him, convinced of his invincible power.

Chapter 39 Summary – Career of Evil – Robin Asserts Herself and Reclaims Her Place in the Agency

News of Osama bin Laden’s death dominates headlines, but Strike is exhausted and frustrated by the lack of progress in his surveillance. His relationship with Elin deteriorates and his patience wears thin. Returning to the office, he is surprised to find Robin working, prepared with a list of contacts. The sapphire on her hand confirms her reconciliation with Matthew. They argue: Robin demands respect as a partner, not a weak employee. After a tense exchange, Strike agrees to let her return to work. She reveals that she has contacted Jason, a young man who spoke with Kelsey on the forum and lied to the police about knowing her. Robin convinces him to talk to them, using her real identity to gain his trust. Though skeptical, Strike recognizes the value of the lead. He assigns her surveillance on Laing and indirectly praises her with key responsibilities. Robin regains her place as an equal.

Chapter 40 Summary – Career of Evil – Boundaries Broken Between Strike and Robin

Strike reflects on Robin’s history within the agency, remembering how she arrived as a temporary secretary after nearly pushing him down the stairs, and how she earned her place by proving real talent for the job. He thinks about the admiration she has for his work, the trust they’ve built, and the emotional closeness that emerged after his relationship with Charlotte ended. He recalls their shared moments, the physical support after her stabbing, and the competence she showed during interrogations and false identities. Though he feels affection for her, he insists on keeping distance, convinced it would be a mistake to cross the professional boundary. He considers her stable background, her supportive family, and her engagement to Matthew, and compares that past security with the brave woman capable of confronting criminals. With internal anger, he admits wanting more, but decides to restore boundaries and accept her upcoming wedding—even if he believes it is a grave mistake.

Chapter 41 Summary – Career of Evil – The Shacklewell Prostitute and the Encounter with Whittaker

While Robin and Strike work separately on different surveillance assignments, Wardle reports that a prostitute was stabbed in Shacklewell and lost two fingers, confirming the killer is still active. Strike tries to maintain contact with Whittaker and ends up following him indirectly through Stephanie, the young woman he lives with. Discovering that she obtains medication and enters a pub, Strike watches cautiously but is surprised when a nearby van opens to reveal four crack smokers. Among them is Whittaker, now bulkier and with an arrogant look. The reunion turns tense as Whittaker assaults Stephanie, strangling and humiliating her. Strike intervenes with a punch, causing the girl to fall and hit her head. Despite the chance to escape, Stephanie returns to Whittaker, who violently kisses her before leaving. Enraged, Strike manages to memorize the vehicle’s license plate.

Chapter 42 Summary – Career of Evil – Strike’s Frustration and the Strip Club Lead

After the altercation with Whittaker, Strike reflects on the limited information obtained. He doubts that the ex‑stepfather is the killer, as the encounter didn’t reveal anything conclusive. He explains the situation to Wardle, who questions his objectivity and dismisses the drug use report from the van. Robin calls next and listens to the story, approving the punch Strike gave the abuser. They reflect on the dependency abused women feel toward their aggressors. The conversation shifts to Laing, and Robin argues that the flat under surveillance at Wollaston Close seems empty. Strike insists on waiting before dropping the lead. The agency is in a financial crisis due to the negative press linked to Kelsey’s murder, threatening their professional future. Urgently needing income, Strike decides to investigate a strip club in Shoreditch, where Robin believes she has located Noel Brockbank via a phone call.

Chapter 43 Summary – Career of Evil – Robin and Strike Confront Jason and Tempest

Robin and Strike meet on King’s Road before meeting with Jason and Tempest, who had known Kelsey. At the Gallery Mess restaurant, they learn that Kelsey lied about having a brother who knew Strike and about a supposed boyfriend named Niall, who picked her up on a motorbike after meeting Jason. Tempest speaks arrogantly, acts controlling, and boasts about leading a community of people seeking voluntary amputations. Strike notices that she’s not disabled and only uses the wheelchair as part of her transabled identity. Nervous, Jason confirms that Kelsey sought advice on amputating a leg and believed Strike could help her due to a fabricated story about his own amputation. Hearing how the girl twisted his biography to justify her obsession, Strike loses emotional control and leaves in anger, revealing that his amputation happened in a real explosion during military service.

Chapter 44 Summary – Career of Evil – The Killer Plans His Final Blow Against Robin

The killer reflects, convinced he should have killed the Shacklewell prostitute, believing no one would have mourned her. Though frustrated she survived, he proudly keeps her fingers as trophies. He scorns the identikit created from the victim’s account, sure it won’t identify him. Living with his partner, whom he despises and calls “the Thing,” he hides his violence behind a facade of calm and affection. He manipulates her with flowers, touches, and sleeping pills to keep her docile, while emotionally threatening to leave. He needs her until his plan is complete: to kill Robin, the secretary who works with Strike, convinced her death will cause a scandal that will destroy the detective. Beneath his mask of sweetness, he prepares to get a week off and finish the job with no witnesses. In his mind, he strips all humanity from women, seeing them only as tools for his murderous ambition.

Chapter 45 Summary – Career of Evil – Laing Returns and Robin Confronts Him at Wollaston Close

Strike meets Wardle at the Feathers pub, where the inspector shares two disturbing updates: they’ve located Donald Laing and have a new BIID forum suspect named Baxter, who owns a motorcycle and lacks an alibi for the attack dates. While Strike visits the Saracen strip club searching for Brockbank, Robin expresses frustration at being pulled from Laing’s surveillance. Nevertheless, she follows orders and focuses on finding Stephanie, Whittaker’s girlfriend. At the Saracen, Strike talks with dancers and learns Brockbank was attacked, fired, and now lives in Bow with Alyssa. Meanwhile, Robin is watching local nurseries when she accidentally collides with a large man who turns out to be Laing. Seeing her fall, he mocks her gently and offers his apartment to clean up. Shaking, Robin declines and calls Strike.

Chapter 46 Summary – Career of Evil – The Killer’s Lair and Robin’s Sickening Pursuit

In his hideout, the killer gazes at his trophies: severed fingers and a breast, stored in a fridge he considers an altar. Masturbating with them is part of his ritual—a blend of power, control, and sadism. He has lost track of Robin and, frustrated, reviews his failed attempts to follow her in London. His small sanctuary contains essentials: knives, a mattress, coffee, an iPod, and his favorite Blue Öyster Cult music, which accompanies every key moment of his planning. Though he failed to kill her in their last encounter, he clings to hope of finding her again. That night, he shaves and transforms with ritual calm, preparing for the next hunt. The band’s lyrics have become his spiritual guide. With a mix of hatred and ecstasy, he promises Robin will fall soon and that her body will earn a privileged spot among the human remains that make him feel invincible and superior.

Chapter 47 Summary – Career of Evil – Robin Identifies Laing and Connects Clues About Brockbank

On June 1st, Robin realizes her wedding to Matthew is near, but she feels emotionally disconnected. Despite her mother’s excitement and Matthew’s apparent happiness, her mind is on the case. Watching Whittaker’s flat, she recalls Zahara, the girl who answered Brockbank’s phone, and deduces she can locate her by searching nurseries. That morning, she unexpectedly spots Stephanie, Whittaker’s girlfriend, but fails to intercept her. Later, she sees her get into a van with a man she can’t identify. Robin then heads to Wollaston Close to continue surveillance, where she has an unexpected and tense encounter with Donald Laing. He mocks her fall, invites her upstairs, then walks away. Shaking and dirty, Robin watches him leave, confident she has found him, and calls Strike.

Chapter 48 Summary – Career of Evil – The Killer Murders Heather After Stalking Her Through London

Under a steady rain, the killer goes out hunting. Frustrated that Robin has vanished from sight, he roams London in a cap and his special jacket, knives hidden in the lining. Angry at being watched by “Pretty Boy,” he sets out to find a new victim. After hours of wandering, he spots a group of drunk girls, including one straggler named Heather who can barely stand. Her friends unknowingly leave her behind when they take a cab. He seizes the opportunity, approaches pretending concern, and drags her into an alley between a video shop and a store. When a group briefly appears, he silences her with a forced kiss and stabs her in the side. Heather dies before she can scream. In seconds, he mutilates her, takes new trophies, and covers her with trash bags. Then he flees, laughing, euphoric over the success of the kill.

Chapter 49 Summary – Career of Evil – Heather Is Found and the Police Launch a National Alert

London wakes in panic after the mutilated body of Heather Smart is discovered beneath trash bags. The press, which had ignored Kelsey’s case, now makes Heather a national symbol of horror: a young woman with a stable job, a boyfriend, and innocent plans. The media coverage exposes police failures and sparks social debate. Wardle meets Strike at the Feathers and shares details of the crime, including new connections to previous cases in Leeds and Milton Keynes. Police begin a deeper investigation into Brockbank, Laing, and Whittaker. Wardle reveals Brockbank attended a church in Brixton, where he volunteered with children. It’s also confirmed that Laing lives alone at Wollaston Close and shows signs of illness. Whittaker, meanwhile, claims to have been on tour with a band. Though none have confirmed ties to Kelsey, Strike suspects one of them is still the true killer.

Chapter 50 Summary – Career of Evil – Strike’s Call and Whittaker’s Alibi

In Masham, Robin tries to engage with her wedding preparations but feels completely disconnected. Her mother pressures her with trivial details, and her brother obsesses over news of Heather’s murder. Matthew, annoyed by unconfirmed vacation plans, hides his frustration. When Robin goes to a dress fitting, she receives a call from Strike, who informs her that Wardle’s brother has died and that Inspector Carver has taken over the case. The news alarms them, as Carver despises Strike and is blocking all information. Determined, Robin reveals she obtained Brockbank’s address by posing as Alyssa with a nursery. Strike, moved, praises her effort. After the call, Robin regains her spirits and, for the first time, feels the wedding dress isn’t so bad. Her determination to stay involved in the case begins to bloom with renewed strength.

Chapter 51 Summary – Career of Evil – Stephanie Confesses and Robin Confronts Whittaker

Robin returns to London determined to watch Stephanie, convinced she can get more information. After days of fruitless surveillance, she finally finds her—bruised, battered, and with one eye nearly swollen shut. Moved, Robin invites her to eat, pretending to be a kind stranger. The conversation reveals that Whittaker tours with a group called Death Cult and that, during a recent trip, he forced Stephanie to sleep with all the members. Disgusted but composed, Robin extracts key details: the concert took place on June 4th and Whittaker was with Stephanie the night Heather was murdered, giving him an alibi. In the middle of the confession, Whittaker appears, and Robin, terrified, confronts him with cold determination. After helping Stephanie get away, Robin calls Strike and tells him everything. Then, walking down the wrong street, she senses a shadow behind her. Before she can react, she is brutally attacked and her phone falls to the ground.

Chapter 52 Summary – Career of Evil – The Attack on Robin and Her Miraculous Escape

Strike, still in Bow, hears the assault through the phone and runs desperately, begging two young men for help and alerting the police with a borrowed mobile. He hears the rape alarm and Robin’s broken screams. At Lewisham Hospital, he finds her injured but conscious, with a deep gash along her arm and her face stained by spray. Robin explains that she managed to defend herself using skills from a self‑defense course: she used her alarm, struck her attacker, and escaped. The doctor confirms the wound narrowly missed her brachial artery and that she will need surgery. Matthew arrives in distress, while Strike confronts Carver, who blames him for the attack. Carver threatens consequences if they interfere again. Overwhelmed with guilt and rage, Strike leaves the hospital and experiences a sudden epiphany when he sees fallen flowers on the street. The connection between forgotten clues crystallizes into a key revelation.

Chapter 53 Summary – Career of Evil – Robin Fights to Keep Her Place in the Investigation

Despite the recent trauma, Robin insists on staying in London. Her mother and Matthew want to take her back to Masham, but she refuses. Nightmares plague her, mixing the new attack with the memory of her college assault, reigniting old fears. Strike calls only by phone and suggests leaving the case to the police. Although he sounds understanding, Robin feels excluded—especially when he says there is no point speaking in “we” anymore. Disappointed, she recalls her role as partner and how they never formalized the position. Feeling sidelined, she seeks to regain agency. She thinks of Zahara, the girl living with Brockbank, and refuses to ignore the danger. She decides to act alone. She knows she cannot save everyone, but she is determined to protect whoever she still can. She picks up her phone and contacts someone unexpected. She has begun to plan a risky operation without Strike.

Chapter 54 Summary – Career of Evil – Robin Exposes Brockbank with Shanker’s Help

Robin convinces Shanker to accompany her to Alyssa’s house to confront Brockbank. Pretending she has a medical appointment to mislead her family, she stands at the predator’s door with her heart pounding. She manages to enter and speaks with Alyssa, but the conversation erupts into violent confrontation when the woman mistakes her for another victim. Angel, the eldest daughter, tries to intervene. In the midst of the chaos, Brockbank appears. Robin challenges him, but he pins her down until Shanker storms in, armed with a knife. The situation escalates when Angel bursts into tears and confesses that Brockbank abused her. The aggressor flees and Shanker chases him. Injured and shaken, Robin comforts the family and waits for the carpenter to repair the door. As Angel curls up in her mother’s lap, Robin sees Alyssa’s grief and disbelief. She knows she hasn’t saved the world—but she has saved one girl.

Chapter 55 Summary – Career of Evil – Strike Discovers the Connection Between Laing and Ray Williams

After Robin’s attack, Strike hides in the office, devastated, rereading loose clues that refuse to align. He knows one of the three suspects is the killer, but he needs more. Calling the hospital to check on Robin, he learns she has already left. Reviewing old military files, a detail strikes him: Donald Laing was arrested for assaulting the husband of his lover, Ray Williams. Suddenly the missing piece clicks. Strike had met Ray days earlier—he is Kelsey Platt’s stepfather. Confirming that the suspect’s tattoo matches the man living in Wollaston Close, everything becomes clear. Donald Laing assumed Ray Williams’ identity and has been hiding in plain sight. The false persona allowed him to deceive authorities, and now Strike knows the killer is closer than they imagined.

Chapter 56 Summary – Career of Evil – Strike Confronts Laing in Wollaston Close

At dusk, Strike heads to Wollaston Close to confront Donald Laing. He knows he must act cautiously; he has no police backup. He calls Robin to warn her he’s approaching the killer and asks her to alert police if he does not report back. Robin insists on accompanying him, but Strike refuses. Upon arriving, he senses tension in the building and hears Blue Öyster Cult music coming from inside the flat. He knocks, and Laing opens the door with suspicion. The air thickens. Strike enters uninvited, feigning politeness while confronting him with details only the murderer would know. Laing provokes him and mocks his amputation. During the struggle, Strike discovers a fridge filled with human remains. The fight escalates until Strike manages to bring him down. Police arrive just in time.

Chapter 57 Summary – Career of Evil – Laing’s Capture and the Case’s Resolution

Donald Laing is arrested after police discover human remains in his flat. The scene is gruesome: fingers, mutilated flesh, and victims’ personal belongings. Exhausted and bruised from the fight, Strike answers Carver’s questions coolly. Though the inspector tries to undermine him, the evidence is undeniable. Laing screams that Strike ruined his life and blames him for everything. Later, Strike meets Robin in a nearby café. She arrives with her arm bandaged and a steady expression. Despite Matthew’s objections, Robin insists on hearing the full truth from Strike. He explains how he discovered the link between Laing, Ray Williams, and Kelsey Platt. Their conversation confirms Robin was instrumental at multiple stages of the investigation. Though neither says it aloud, both recognize the deep bond forged between them through danger, injury, and hard choices.

Chapter 58 Summary – Career of Evil – Robin Marries Matthew After an Unexpected Farewell

In Masham, Robin’s family anxiously awaits the start of the wedding. The church is decorated, the guests seated, and expectation fills the air. As Robin dresses, she thinks of everything that has happened—the investigation, the attack, her closeness with Strike, and her doubts about the future. Matthew, nervous, masks his insecurities. At the last moment, just before entering the church, Robin receives a message. Opening it, she sees that Strike has come. He stands at the back of the church, limping from his fight with Laing, silent. Their eyes meet, and time seems to stop. From the altar, Matthew watches, confused. The music begins and Robin steps forward. Though her mind screams, her body moves. Taking her father’s hand, she walks toward the altar, aware that something inside her has just broken irrevocably.

Chapter 59 Summary – Career of Evil – Strike Walks Away as Robin Says “I Do”

From the back of the church, Strike watches silently as Robin walks up the aisle. His body bears marks from the fight with Laing, but his face remains unreadable. Robin’s eyes search for him as she advances; though her steps are steady, her gaze reveals the turmoil inside her. Strike recalls their shared moments—stakeouts, brief laughter, shared pain. He knows he is too late, that he should perhaps have spoken earlier. But he does not interfere. The ceremony continues, the priest speaks, and Robin says “yes” in a muted voice. Standing among the last pews, Strike leaves before the ceremony ends. Outside, the breeze hits him as he walks away aimlessly. His figure disappears into the rural paths of Masham. In his mind, Blue Öyster Cult plays like a distant echo. Though the case is closed, something inside him has closed as well.

Chapter 60 Summary – Career of Evil – The Trap at the Club and Laing’s Flight

Donald Laing, hidden among the crowd of an underground nightclub, searches for Alyssa, the supposed employee of Strike. He believes he can kill her unnoticed, but something alarms him: he sees a scarred man watching the room. Sensing a trap, he acts casual, pushes through the emergency exit, and flees outside. Nervous, he tries to convince himself nothing points to him, but the club’s proximity to his home and the appearance of the man from the Tube unsettle him. Running through the car park, he looks toward his flat and notices something disturbing: the curtains are drawn, though he remembers leaving them open. Growing paranoid, Laing begins to doubt his control over the situation. He reflects on his false identity, his lies to social services, and his plan to kill another woman. As he walks into the darkness, he realizes his mistakes are piling up—and that Strike’s net is closing around him.

Chapter 61 Summary – Career of Evil – Strike Defeats Laing and Uncovers Key Evidence

Cormoran Strike enters Donald Laing’s flat, sweeping through the dark apartment with a flashlight and gloves. He discovers a closet adorned with memorabilia from the Shacklewell Ripper, alongside a photo of his own mother and bloodstained women’s underwear. There are also earrings and necklaces belonging to the victims. As he approaches the kitchen, Laing attacks him with a machete. Wounded in the ear, Strike fights back using his strength and prosthetic leg. The struggle is savage; Laing nearly strangles him, but the detective breaks free and wrestles to subdue him. Shanker’s arrival saves the moment—together they manage to restrain and handcuff the killer. Bleeding and exhausted, Strike opens the freezer and finds human remains from the victims. Defeated, Laing remains silent until, in his real voice, he hurls one final insult. Strike, smoking next to the fridge, prepares to call the police, fully aware that this has been a hunt as personal as it was dangerous.

Chapter 62 Summary – Career of Evil – Strike Arrives at Robin’s Wedding Just in Time

At the hospital, Strike gives his version to the police, omitting crucial details like Shanker and Alyssa’s involvement. He claims he continued monitoring Laing due to lack of official support. Wounded and exhausted, he refuses further aid and calls Shanker to drive him to Masham. The journey is long, but the detective is determined—he must make it to Robin’s wedding. Along the way, Wardle calls to confirm that Richard has confessed everything. Strike explains how sea holly in the staged photos exposed the alibi lie. Battered and weary, he reflects on all that has happened. Upon arriving in Masham, he changes clothes without caring about his appearance and walks into the church. Accidentally knocking over a floral arrangement, he interrupts the ceremony. All eyes turn to him. Robin, who hadn’t smiled once during the wedding, sees him from the altar. When she answers the vicar, she does so with strength, looking straight at him, her face lighting up for the first time.

Conclusion – Career of Evil

Donald Laing didn’t just aim to kill—he wanted to dismantle Strike’s resolve, break Robin’s confidence, and weaponize their past. Career of Evil pushes that threat to its limit, chapter by chapter.

The case is closed, but nothing feels resolved: Robin survives, but walks into a marriage marked by silence, and Strike remains a step behind his own emotions. Their connection fractures in the aftermath.

The killer falls, but the damage lingers, and what follows won’t offer comfort—it will demand more, as revealed in the next entry: Lethal White – Full Chapter Summary ➤

FAQs – Chapter by Chapter Summary – Career of Evil

Why does the killer send the severed leg addressed to Robin instead of Strike?

The choice to address the severed leg to Robin was intentional. The killer wanted to strike not only at Strike, but also at someone close to him. Changing the label to Robin's name turned the message into a deeply personal threat. It shows that the killer knows their vulnerabilities, can invade their space, and chooses Robin as a target for maximum emotional damage. It’s a calculated act meant to destabilize both Robin and Strike by dragging her into a nightmare crafted to hurt them both.

What is the meaning behind the Blue Öyster Cult references in Career of Evil?

The Blue Öyster Cult references are not just eerie quotes—they’re emotionally charged symbols. For Strike, the band connects directly to his late mother, who was a devoted fan and even named him after one of their songs. For the killer, quoting these lyrics adds a layer of psychological manipulation, embedding personal attacks within cultural references Strike can’t ignore. It’s a taunt, a breadcrumb trail of meaning that ties the crimes to the detective’s deepest traumas, exposing how intimately the killer knows him.

What truly motivates Donald Laing’s revenge against Strike and Robin?

Donald Laing is not just seeking payback for being imprisoned—his goal is to destroy Strike emotionally and publicly. His hatred runs deep, fueled by years of festering resentment. Robin becomes the perfect pawn: she’s close to Strike, competent, and vulnerable. Laing doesn’t just want to punish—he wants Strike to feel helpless, broken. Every step of his plan is methodical, proving he views the crime not just as revenge, but as a way to rewrite power and humiliation in his favor.

How does Robin’s past trauma shape her role as an investigator?

Robin’s drive to become a criminal investigator predates the sexual assault she endured at university, but the trauma reshaped her life and how others perceived her ambitions. The aftermath—shame, judgment, and lost confidence—forced her to rebuild herself with grit. Each case she tackles isn’t just a job; it’s a personal battle to assert her strength and worth. In Career of Evil, her trauma gives her a unique sensitivity to victims and danger, but it never defines her. Her intelligence and courage shine through her pain.

How does Robin’s assault impact her relationship with Strike?

Robin’s brutal assault marks a turning point. Strike is overcome with guilt, while Robin, despite her injuries, reasserts her independence. The unspoken bond between them grows stronger—not through romantic confessions, but through trust, loyalty, and mutual respect. When Strike publicly calls her his partner, it validates Robin’s place not just in the agency, but in his life. Their connection deepens, hinting at emotions neither is ready to voice, yet both understand in the silences between them.