The Cuckoo's Calling

I know it's popular at the moment to examine this book with a highly critical eye and no small degree of pique since the revelation that the author is none other than JK Rowling was made. I have to admit, I hadn’t even heard about the author or the novel till the story broke and it was learning the identity of the author that encouraged me to buy it. I loved The Casual Vacancy (in all its awful beauty) and was keen to know what Rowling would and could do with one of my favourite genres, crime. Regardless off all the brouhaha, this is a marvellous entry into the genre by an accomplished and gifted storyteller.Introducing readers to the war veteran and hero, the marvellously named, Cormoran Strike, now a private detective living in London, this first book in what's intended to be a series, reveals him to be tall, damaged physically and emotionally (his fiancé has thrown him out and broken his heart numerous times after a long and highly dysfunctional relationship, and he lost part of his leg in a violent attack in Iraq), clever, kind and, despite his erstwhile fiancé, able to inspire great loyalty (my first witness, his new PA Robyn). People have a tendency to either trust Strike and pour out confidences or trust that he will render them some kind of harm if they don’t.When lawyer, John, hires him to investigate the suicide of his sister, the beautiful and uber famous supermodel, Lula, Strike reluctantly accepts. The police have closed the case and all the media attention the initial and brutal death attracted has died. It appears to be open and shut and Strike cannot help but feel as if he’s just humouring a grieving relative, and that’s where ethically at least, he struggles. But as Strike starts to re-examine the evidence, it appears that John might be correct in his assumption that Lula, who had everything to live for, was murdered.As the body count grows, Strike understands that it’s not just a crime of passion he’s investigating, but a deranged serial killer.Written very much in the manner of traditional detective fiction, such as Raymond Carver (just one example), Galbraith/Rowling also plays with the crime genre and traditional noir narratives. While her detective, like the noir novels of old, walks the streets and describes what he sees in forensic detail, he also limps, is in pain and walking is a huge effort that inflicts physical damage. This changes the nature of the detective-flaneur who, while doing his job, roaming the streets, observing, talking, questioning, listening, inhabits a body that is at cross-purposes with itself. Everything Strike views is coloured by the lens of his pain and this creates layers and depth in character and narrative as well as exposing Strike’s vulnerabilities and strengths.Crossing many boundaries, Strike moves between the Underground and places above ground, seguing from the apartments and homes of the well-to-do and even peerage to the underclass in homeless shelters, squats and pubs. He deals with celebrities and ordinary people, rich and poor, officials and those who are often invisible, cleaners etc. as well as men and women of all cultures and ages, dreams and aspirations. He is a liminal figure who walks in and out of people’s lives, ultimately challenging and changing them. Living out of his office, scenes are often cast in half-light, at his desk or during the night. Dialogue is snappy, smart and engaging. As the story unfolds, Strike becomes a character with many dimensions, as do the lesser ones in the story. You can see them, breathe in their second hand cigarette smoke (so many of them chain smoke adding another gauzy filter to the scenes) and smell, sometimes unfortunately, the odour they exude. The devil is in the detail and, as the climax draws closer, we understand that while we lack Strike’s observational skills, the author has placed all the clues before us as well. Guessing the murderer isn’t easy, but neither is it hard, and it’s testimony to Galbraith/Rowling that knowing who doesn’t lessen the impact or the way the final threads are woven.An outstanding crime novel that introduces a strong and memorable character to the oeuvre.

There’s not much to research about Robert Galbraith, author of “The Cuckoo’s Calling,” because he’s nowhere to be found. In fact, he doesn’t exist. He’s the invention of J.K. Rowling who created the male pseudonym to “take my writing persona as far away as possible from me,” whatever that means. And what’s in a name? Galbraith may be a spirit, but his robe is of good lineage. The writing is excellent and reflects Rowling’s genius for storytelling.London private investigator Cormoran Strike has suffered through many personal challenges, not the least of which was losing a leg in Afghanistan and, most recently, spends his time with a glass of booze in his office/sleeping quarters, smoking cigarettes and getting fat. His volatile girlfriend has dumped him, he has no clients, and has a temporary secretary foisted on him with no means of paying her salary. The same day the temp comes to work, a long lost friend with strong financial underpinnings calls on him to look into the death of said caller’s sister who apparently bailed out of her high rise apartment window, meeting an untimely death on the pavement below. Suicide says the authorities. Not so, says the brother.The story of Strike’s investigation, aided by his eager new secretary, Robin, makes for good reading with complex details, knotty twists and turns, bizarre suspects, and a killer in plain sight, although the reader doesn’t know it. We get to ramble around in all sorts of London environments from damp gloominess to glittery high society. The dialogue is high quality and softens what could be the hard edge of struggling through an overlong book. Strike smokes constantly to stay awake as he reads through reams of police reports, perhaps making the reader also wish for a puff or two. But the author painstakingly weaves the story back and forth through one innocuous circumstance after another, keeping the reader in his or her seat, if not on the edge of it. There is an intoxicating aspect to all the detail, but it is a tedious read..Critics are mixed in their reviews. It seems some cannot separate Rowling from her Harry Potter image. That’s a shame because the only parallels I found were good writing, inventive plotting, fascinating characters, and relentless detail. Crime fiction and fantasy are very different in both their interest and appeal. I am not a fantasy fan but love crime and mystery. I didn’t find any disconcerting crossovers: I thought Rowling moved very well among her sleuthy characters, capturing the boredom, little victories, and unrelenting puzzle-solving that inhabit their world.I recommend this book. Although it is relentless, I found it to be a very good crime fiction novel. As expected, because of the appealing nature of Strike and Robin, Rowling has written two more in the series and I’m going to read them. I don’t mind reading a lengthy book if it’s well written. Also, as expected, after Rowling was outed as the writer Robert Galbraith, the sales rose dramatically and, apparently, Rowling has no intention of discarding her alto ego. Good on her.Schuyler T WallaceAuthor of TIN LIZARD TALES

Le premier tome des aventures de Cormoran Strike et Robin Ellacot. Une enquête palpitante, du suspense jusqu'au bout et des personnages très prometteurs. Et la plume de l'auteur..e...

Il primo libro della serie Cormoran Strike. Con questo ha iniziato una delle serie detectivesche più affascinante. L’autrice ha una gran capacità di creare una storia coinvolgente che ti tiene attaccato al libro fino alla fine.

Buen empiece a la serie de Strike

Leitura gostosa, empolgante e surpreendente.