The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

The Cuckoo's Calling (Cormoran Strike, #1)

by Robert Galbraith

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.

Reviewed by Nessa Luna on

3 of 5 stars

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I don’t often read crime novels, just because they don’t interest me a lot, but I wanted to give this one a try because it was written by J.K. Rowling, and she’s just one of my favourite writers.

I kinda liked this book, and I actually thought it was thrilling, I really wanted to get to the last couple of pages, so I could see if Lula indeed had been murdered, and who would have done it. I can say I was surprised when I read the end, and I think I actually went:



And though I like Rowling’s writing, I was again annoyed by the fact that she likes to write out accents. Especially the accent of one of a woman that Strike interviewed was really annoying to read, and I actually found myself skipping the sentences she said a couple of times. I also found it a bit weird that with every part in the book (it had four or five parts in total I think) the chapter numbers started all over again. I mean, why not just continue the chapter numbers, but that’s just one of my little pet peeves.

Like I said, I liked the book, and out of all the characters I liked Robin, and her excitement about solving this case, the most. I really hope we’ll be seeing more of her in the following book(s), and I am sure I will continue to read this series, though my opinion on crime novels still hasn’t changed!

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 11 August, 2013: Finished reading
  • 11 August, 2013: Reviewed