The cuckoo’s calling by Robert Galbraith Book Review

Robert Galbraith was heralded as some kind of genius when he first released the first book in the Strike Series, ‘The Cuckoo’s Calling’ a debut novel that is so enthralling that it shoots to the top of the bestsellers lists…all seems amazing until, after some sleuthing, it is found that he isn’t, in fact, a debut author but J.K Rawling in disguise! Well. There’s a turn-up for the books. She decided to continue to write under this pseudonym to distinguish them from her other writing and there is now a series of six, increasingly long books!

Click me to go to my Review

Synopsis

When a troubled model falls to her death from a snow-covered Mayfair balcony, it is assumed that she has committed suicide. However, her brother has his doubts, and calls in private investigator Cormoran Strike to look into the case. 

Strike is a war veteran – wounded both physically and psychologically – and his life is in disarray. The case gives him a financial lifeline, but it comes at a personal cost: the more he delves into the young model’s complex world, the darker things get – and the closer he gets to terrible danger . . . 

A gripping, elegant mystery steeped in the atmosphere of London – from the hushed streets of Mayfair to the backstreet pubs of the East End to the bustle of Soho – The Cuckoo’s Calling is a remarkable book. Introducing Cormoran Strike, this is the acclaimed first crime novel by J.K. Rowling, writing under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. 

About The Author

Robert Galbraith’s Cormoran Strike series is classic contemporary crime fiction from a master story-teller, rich in plot, characterisation and detail. Galbraith’s debut into crime fiction garnered acclaim amongst critics and crime fans alike. The first three novels The Cuckoo’s Calling (2013), The Silkworm (2014) and Career of Evil (2015) all topped the national and international bestseller lists and have been adapted for television, produced by Brontë Film and Television. The fourth in the series, Lethal White (2018), is out now.

Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym of J.K. Rowling, bestselling author of the Harry Potter series and The Casual Vacancy, a novel for adults. After Harry Potter, the author chose crime fiction for her next books, a genre she has always loved as a reader. She wanted to write a contemporary whodunit, with a credible back story.

J.K. Rowling’s original intention for writing as Robert Galbraith was for the books to be judged on their own merit, and to establish Galbraith as a well-regarded name in crime in its own right.

Now Robert Galbraith’s true identity is widely known, J.K. Rowling continues to write the crime series under the Galbraith pseudonym to keep the distinction from her other writing and so people will know what to expect from a Cormoran Strike novel.

My Review

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.  

Rated