The Cuckoo's Calling (A Cormoran Strike Novel, 1)

Let's get the issue of Rowling out of the way before I get into the actual book review. First of which is to say that I'm not going to discuss Rowling beyond saying that the fact that she doesn't know when to shut her mouth shows that having lots of money can affect the way that anyone views themselves and the world. She's at that stage where she believes that she, because she is who she is, is right and doesn't need to listen to other people, so she has continued to dig her hole bigger and bigger rather than just shutting up and keeping her opinions to herself. That she didn't shut up shows an amount of entitlement which is disappointing.The other thing I want to say is that I started reading this book... well, so long ago that I don't remember when it was. I picked it up during some free promotion thing just to check it out and have been reading it in bits and pieces ever since. It's on my Kindle, and I don't really read from my Kindle all that often. I don't carry it places with me like I do physical books, so I lag a lot with books on there unless they are really engrossing. Which tells you that this book was not. Seriously, I've been working on it for over a year, maybe closer to two.What this book has taught me is that I need to read some Agatha Christie, something I've been meaning to do for a long time and have never gotten around to. Maybe I don't like detective novels? I don't know. I like Butcher's Dresden books, but they're hardly detective novels after the first few. Beyond those, I can't recall any mystery novels I've ever really liked, including this one.Which is not to say that I didn't like it, I just didn't much care for it. Rowling doesn't make it possible for the reader to really solve the mystery as they're reading, which seems to me to be the point of detective novels, because she doesn't reveal crucial information until the actual reveal at the end of the novel, and the reveal was one of the most contrived things I've ever read. And this is an ABSOLUTE SPOILER, so turn away now if you don't want to know who the killer is...I'm waiting...Still waiting, because I'm absolutely serious that I'm going to spoil the ending of this book. And let me just toss out there that I never spoil a book that I think you ought to read. If I spoil it, it's because I don't think it's really worth your trouble.Having said that, the book itself was just fine. By that, I mean it's readable. Mostly engaging, though not engaging enough to prompt me to read it more quickly. It's... typical. Down on his luck private eye getting a high paying, juicy case which might just get him out of debt. Your basic story about an underachiever finally getting a break and getting to show the world who he really is. Honestly, after Harry Potter, I expected something less... cliché.So the book goes along with our detective -- the son of a famous rock star, seriously? -- gathering up evidence about a case that is several months cold. And closed. But he's hired by the brother of the murdered woman because the brother believes it was a murder though the police ruled it a suicide. And this is the hitch and what I'm sure Rowling thought would make it a clever story: the brother is the murderer. So Strike is hired by the murderer to discover who the murderer is. The motivation for this is never explained adequately since the murderer had already gotten away with the crime.What the novel mostly does, as most mystery shows do (I don't know about mystery novels, as I said, but I have watched a lot of detective shows) is to show that everyone had a motive for killing the victim. Rowling walks us through the suspects over and over again almost always strengthening the case for why each person might have wanted Lulu dead. In fact, the only person not shown to have a motive, not until the very end of the book, basically not until just before the reveal, is the actual murderer. Of course, the motive is money, but we don't get to find out the murderer's money issues until Strike is sitting alone in a room with the murderer revealing all the things the murderer already knows.The reveal was clumsy and contrived. The fact that Bristow (the murderer) sits through Strike's walkthrough of the entire crime is, frankly, unbelievable. The fact that Bristow then attacks Strike is even more unbelievable considering that Strike is a bear of a man and ex-boxer while Bristow is your very stereotypical account type, even though he's a lawyer, not an account, a "gag" that is run into the ground over the course of the book.I want to say that Rowling's strength as a writer is her characters but, as I'm thinking of this now, she has no real strength in that, either. Her character's tend toward the stereotype, including pretty much all of the characters in Harry Potter. In Harry Potter, we're able to overlook that, though, because the world is so new and interesting, but this world, the world of C. B. Strike, is not new or interesting so the fact that all of the characters are two dimensional really stands out. The most real character in the book is Strike's temporary secretary, Robin, and she's really just a pale reflection of Hermione Granger.Also, the title of this book is stupid. It's just tossed in somewhere over the halfway mark of the book that "Cuckoo" is a nickname of the murdered woman that only one character in the book ever called her. It's a throwaway excuse to have "Cuckoo" in the title. Without that very vague reason, the title of the book is meaningless.So, yeah, I suppose I am actually disappointed with this book and don't really understand all the praise for it. Again, maybe I just don't really like detective novels; I don't know. This book doesn't inspire me to try more, though.

A riveting murder mystery featuring a compelling detective with a crumbling lifestyle and a clever sidekick with a lot of heart. I was totally engrossed from beginning to end. A stellar achievement."A lie would have no sense unless the truth felt as dangerous."How far will people go for greed and envy? How intricate a web is weaved to cover up lies, to deceive and to come out the victor? This riveting murder mystery by J.K. Rowling, writing under the pseudonym of Robert Galbraith, seeks to uncover whether the suicide of famous and flawed model Lula Landry (or Cuckoo, as a friend called her) was indeed that, or rather, a cleverly plotted murder daftly overlooked by authorities. I'd desired to read something different than the contemporary romance genre for awhile, and just recently, when I found my battered, overly worn copy of And Then They Were None by Agatha Christie, I determinedly set out to find a mystery novel to shake me out of my romantic reverie. Admittedly, when I discovered that J.K. Rowling, author of one of my all-time favorite series (Harry Potter) wrote a classic mystery novel, well I one-clicked and started reading. And wow... it's an absolutely stellar, enrapturing read.I couldn't help but seek out the tell-tale imprint of J.K. Rowling in the story and certainly there are some recognizable elements. First off, the story is masterfully structured, her writing precise and vivid, creating a rich and clear depiction of the world, people and circumstances. As with Harry Potter novels, the sensory precision of her words made me feel as if I were actually there, in the cold and shadowed streets of London. I could almost picture the shrouding mist and innately mysterious street in which Harry Potter grew up with the Weasleys. Our protagonist is a military veteran that has lost part of his leg, and is for all practicality an orphan having lost his mother and ignored by his famous father. In a very J.K. Rowling fashion, his name is unique and memorable (I loved researching the names she chose in the Harry Potter series)... Cormoran Strike. Strike, as he calls himself, has had a difficult life and is now barely making it as a private detective with the threat of surmounting debt and diminishing clients."Strike's conscience, once firm and inelastic, had been weakened by repeated blows of fate."When he receives an unexpected visit from the brother of his childhood best friend to investigate the suicide of his sister, Lula Landry, Strike gets on the case. Assisted by the clever and resourceful temporary assistant, Robin, they begin an investigation that immerses them in the glittering, well-monied circles of London and takes them through a barrage of awkward conversations and not-quite-right-aligned stories from Lula's eccentric group of friends and family. J.K. Rowling weaves in some impactful social commentary as a means to enhance the story and enmesh us even deeper into the mystery."What we mourn is the physical image flickering across a multitude of red-tops and celeb mags; an image that sold us clothes and handbags and a notion of celebrity that, in her demise, proved to be empty and transient as a soap bubble. What we actually miss, were we honest enough to admit it, are the entertaining antics of that paper-thin good-time girl, whose strip-cartoon existence of drug abuse, riotous living, fancy clothes and dangerous on-off boyfriend we can no longer enjoy."Lula was a beautiful model of mixed race, adopted by the wealthy and white Bristow family. She never felt like she quite fit in, despite the crushing over protectiveness of her mother, so she sought her biological parents to find a much-needed connection to her identity. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder and surrounded by other models, designers and drug users, everyone seemed to accept her death as a suicide."They wrote that she was unbalanced, unstable, unsuited to the superstardom her wildness and her beauty had snared; that she had moved among an immoral moneyed class that had corrupted her; that the decadence of her new life had unhinged an already fragile personality."But as Strike continues his investigation, so much more is uncovered and I was completely entrenched in the story, attempting to piece together the clues in this classic "who done it" story."Laymen, in Strike's experience, were obsessed with motive; opportunity topped the professional's list."Every time I thought I had it all figured out, something would happen that had me doubting my rationale and in the end, my first guess was actually correct, but the journey took me on a series of twists and turns that had me biting my nails along the way, questioning everything and everyone. I thought the novel was brilliantly written, well-paced and highly addictive. I loved it and I devoured it and I highly recommend this book. To me, J.K. Rowling has further proven her versatility and genius as a writer and this book is yet another stellar accomplishment. I hope there are more adventures to come for Cormoran Strike!"The dead could only speak through the mouths of those left behind, and through the signs they left scattered behind them."

I loved all the detailed character and place descriptions! It was easy to imagine being right there with the characters. By the time I was about 1/4 in, I couldn’t put it down! Can’t wait to begin the next book!

Galbraith is an absolute master of the genre. She's the best that I have ever read and I never expect to read anyone better. I just read this book for the 3rd time and I'm going to continue with the series until I have reread all 6 books again, even number 6 at 1200 pages. Like a great many others I'm looking forward to the next installment in the series. I am hoping that I can get her to sign a book for me.

First off I wish she would have just published under real name. That being said I was really drawn into the characters. I did hit a lull part where I was a little less excited to read and my pace slowed. The last 150 pages or so I could not put down. I got so twisted up trying to figure out the end that I didn’t know which way was up. I think that says a lot bc I hate when I can see the end coming.

Very good character development, an entertaining whodunnit. Most of all I appreciate the intelligent vocabulary and more or less believable scenarios around this mystery.

All the glitz and glam of Super-Model Lula Landry's world came to a twisted end with her untimely demise. The police believed it was simply suicide, but her half-brother wants justice (and maybe a little of something else) - and enlists Cormoran Strike who has little money (but lots of grit) to find out what really happened. He sets off on a suspenseful investigation through London while confronting his own inner demons, knowing he may find something far from pleasant at its conclusion!The characters are perfect! The wonderfully portrayed Strike is brilliant, a war hero with an artificial leg which he tries not to mention through most of the book, aside from the complaint about the aches and pains, he is rough and rugged and not the smooth detective type we have come to expect from a lot of novels. His new, temporary assistant Robin is a fantastic female role model, clever, with something lurking in the background which has been holding her back since she dropped out of university, she begins to realise this is her dream job, and even more so she’s exceptionally good at it. Right through to the stuffy brother-in-law and the other minor characters.Galbraith writes these perfectly flawed and real characters which were my favourite part of the book. There is also an underlying and quite subtle air of romance between Strike and Robin too which is exciting to watch build and I hope will continue through the rest of the series, sooner rather than later please!The plot holds together well and leads us through various thought paths of what may or may not have happened along with why it may have happened, all tied up in a perfect bow at the end. My initial guess, quite close to the beginning was correct but there were a few points that I thought it was someone else.The only criticism is that it felt a little slow and long due to the amount of information. It has an air of the old-school detective series in an old London with gas-lit lamps though is a modern-day setting. There are no cliff-hangers as we have come to expect from recent detective novels and a distinct lack of twists, turns and red herrings to throw you off but that doesn’t actually make for a bad book, in fact, I thought The Cuckoo’s Calling felt slow and steady, it takes you along for the ride and holds your interest well.The writing style is pure and entertaining, and there is a lot of intuitive knowledge of people, probably gained from a lot of people watching, and this adds well to the story. Alongside this, everything is well described so that the people, places and things felt real and authentic.Overall, I’d recommend this to lovers of detective or mystery books, it was lovely to read in front of the warm fire and it felt like the perfect winter read.

Where did I find it: This is the third book of the series.What I liked: the relationship between Robin and Cormaran. Having seen the TV programme, their relationship didn’t show well in the first two books. It was perfect in this one. I also loved the way every character had a story. Career of Evil is a clever crime thriller, and there is a double twist at the end that really surprised me.What I didn’t like: that the book is expensive at over £5 and it’s not available in Kindle Unlimited, or as an ebook at the local library. So I can only buy one a month. Now I have to wait for the next one, and having enjoyed it so much, I want to get back to the characters quickly. In the book itself, I hated the constant use of the c word. Personally I find it offensive and distasteful, so it was difficult with it being so overused.Overall: a top notch, cleverly written, crime thriller. The attention to detail and descriptions are incredible. The storyline itself is one of the best, and I enjoyed this book even more than the others, and they were excellent. Crime thriller readers will love this exciting, edge of the seat story.

I was lucky enough to grab this book when it was on a special deal, and after having read the other reviews decided to give it a go. I'm very pleased I did, it was brilliant. An extremely well written novel with carefully developed characters that are interesting and real. I loved the way that Strike gradually pieced together what had actually happened and solved the mystery. The whole thing was very cleverly put together and kept me turning the pages in order to find out what was going to happen next.It was refreshing to read a novel which was written properly and in such detail. Sadly so many modern books these days lack the real grammar structure and complexity. I am really looking forward to the next in the series as I can't wait to find out how Strike will tackle his next case.

Ok so we know it's written by JK Rowling, and without that knowledge it might not have been so visible in the huge number of books published. Cormorant Strike is, seemingly, an unlikely successful detective, and his often timid secretary, Robin, is rather a pale figure, but it's well worth a read, and the characters look set for further development in future outings in print, hopefully.

Good story, though it does go on a but.