I’m leaving early tomorrow for the annual Harry Potter Conference this Friday at Chestnut Hill College just north of Philadelphia (I hope to see you east coasters there!). Before I leave, I wanted to write up some annoying thoughts that I wish I could dump into a Pensieve for more relaxed observation. When I get back home from Penn’s Woods, I will deliver on the promise to discuss the critical memory that eludes Cormoran Strike in The Silkworm and which I think is as important to the finale, in all likelihood, as the “gleam of something like triumph in Dumbledore’s eyes” at the end of Goblet of Fire. Stay tuned.

I’m getting a lot of feedback on my thoughts after a close reading of the Career of Evil excerpts. My speculation that the mysterious friend mentioned in both Cuckoo and Silkworm is the stepfather who was convicted of Leda Strike’s murder, that he will play a role in Career something like Sirius Black’s in Prisoner of Azkaban, and that the bad guy is not a Muslim terrorist or Afghan War veteran but Jago Ross as a postmodern Jack the Ripper has caused a parliament of owls to descend into my inbox, most of it of the “We’ll see!” variety. Not many want to join me out on the limb.

What is remarkable, though, is that there has been so little response to these predictions. Remarkable but very much in keeping with my experience at Harry Potter conferences the last two years. When I talk about the artistry and meaning of the Hogwarts Saga, I see big crowds, great interest, real enthusiasm. When I speak about Jo Rowling’s new seven book series, the Cormoran Strike novels, the crowds are much smaller and the prevalent attitude is a mix of curiosity and something like confusion. “Wait — there’s a new series from my favorite author? Why isn’t anyone besides John talking about that?” (Not knowing, it seems, that Karen Kebarle is also on the case….)

Which raises the question: “Why so little enthusiasm in the Harry Potter fandom for the Cormoran Strike mysteries?” Here are five reasons from the top of my head; please let me know what you think in the comment boxes below.

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Yesterday, I posted my first thoughts on the two prepublication excerpts from Career of Evil posted on The Guardian and TIME websites last week.

I woke up this morning with the revelation that, if two premises are true about how the third book works, we have a very, very good idea of who the killer is — ten days before we have the novel. Your hints? It’s about the baby Charlotte claims she was carrying, the stepfather convicted of murdering Leda Strike, Jack the Ripper, and Prisoner of Azkaban.

If you want to share in some wild speculation, all of it grounded in what we know from Cuckoo’s Calling and The Silkworm, head on over to CormoransArmy.com to read all about it. Those of you who have signed up have already received the url in an email.

You won’t want to miss this throwback to predictions made before the last three Harry Potter novels, especially if you were too young or not yet in the fandom at that time. This is Rowling Reading fun of the best kind. I’m beside myself with anticipation to read what you think!

On 9 October, the publishers of J. K. Rowling’s Cormoran Strike mysteries took a play from the Harry Potter Mania playbook and posted two excerpts, a prologue and first chapter, from Career of Evil, the third installment in her open-ended seven part series.

Links to the excerpts and my first magical seven thoughts on what is revealed, confirmed, and suggested in misleading fashion in these fascinating preview pieces — to include a woman’s dismembered leg and a Rugby Club called the Saracens — can be found at CormoransArmy.com, my new member’s only weblog devoted to discussion of the Doom Bar Detective’s adventures. Membership is on the house, of course, and if you signed up for the free pdf on Strike I offered in July, you’ve already received a notice of the site’s Grand Opening.

I look forward to seeing you all there for cogitation and speculation about Jo Rowling’s latest!