BWW Reviews: THE CUCKOO'S CALLING - A Crime Novel with False Pretenses

You probably would have never heard of this book or this author until it came out earlier in the year that THE CUCKOO'S CALLING author, Robert Galbraith, is really the pseudonym for J.K. Rowling. For whatever motivation of using the pseudonym, sales of the crime novel were mediocre until the leak of the true author's identity. THE CUCKOO'S CALLING surged to number one on Amazon as Rowling fans clamored for new material.

There are no wizards or mythical creatures in this mystery novel. Set in the urban sprawl of London, we meet private detective Cormoran Strike. Strike is down on his luck after breaking up with his fiancee, having a lack of clients, and an increased amount of debtors. His break comes when John Bristow, brother of his adopted sister Lula Landry, contracts Strike to investigate Lula's death. Lula Landry was a young professional model rescued from her unsavory background by her adoptive family. Lula died from a fall from her apartment balcony three months prior to the the start of the novel. Though the police and press ruled her death as a suicide, her brother was not so sure and hires Strike to investigate further.

There are no chase scenes or gun battles, just some hardy detective work and dozens of interviews with Lula's family, friends, and connections. This is a very tamed point-by-point plot driven summary. The variety of characters allows readers to pick their favorite suspect and attempt to follow the motive and hints. It is clear that many people in Lula's life suffered from envy. Lula struggled with her own demons like drug addiction and part of her missing identity from before she was adopted. There is also a strong detest for paparazzi and salacious media, which may be an allegory toward Rowling's celebrity life.

THE CUCKOO'S CALLING seems to be the first part of a series that Galbraith intends to write featuring Cormoran Strike. There have definitely been more charismatic detectives in history, but Strike will hold his own as a detective for our generation of readers. Cormoran Strike is an interesting character whose private life seems interweaved with the main plot of the story for little benefit. He is clearly recovering from a breakup analyzing his former relationship very much like a woman would. At the same time he is very analytical, patient, and dedicated to his craft.

Strike's temporary assistant Robin is a perfect Dr. Watson (Harry Potter entendre intended) in the investigative duo. She is young, smart, and shows dogged determination for obtaining interviews. There is some awkward sexual tension between Robin and Strike that rears its head every so often. Robin is successfully engaged, but does not let her relationship issues affect her quality of work. It will be interesting to see if she appears in any future books of this series as she is one of the more likeable and relatable characters.

There is a complicated web of clues that leads to the ultimate truth behind Lula's death. Some more obvious than others. There are times when the logical jump needs forces the clue to be blatantly obvious; however, these pieces did not come until the third and fourth section. It is important to be patient, as it is necessary for each character and his or her backstory to be revealed before the true detective work begins.

If this were a debut novel from an unknown author, a reader may think that this is a decent crime mystery with an elaborate web of breadcrumbs leading to a big payoff. Given the experience of J.K. Rowling, it falls short of expectation. At times, the need increase the word count leads to long descriptions to set a scene. Though the ending gives readers a big payoff, it takes some time to reach that conclusion. THE CUCKOO'S CALLING is a recommended read for mystery lovers and J.K. Rowling fans, but again, do not expect any magic.

Cover by: Robert Daly - Getty Images

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