The Cuckoo's Calling (Cormoran Strike, #1)
Author: Robert Galbraith
Rating: â 4/5
Date Read: 2013/10/10
Pages: 456
Now this is the kind of J.K. Rowling book Iâm used to!
Alright, so if you read my review of The Casual Vacancy, you know I thought it was a hot mess. I felt as if Rowling had examined all her strengths as a writer (pacing, absorbing plots, realistic yet flawed characters), and then played to none of them. Maybe she put too much pressure on herself to do something brilliant, I donât know. It just didnât work for me, and, given the conversation about it at my book club, most people felt the same way.
The Cuckooâs Calling, on the other hand, completely works. It would be disingenuous to say that this is not your typical mystery novel, because in many ways it exemplifies the mystery novel. It would be better to say that this is your typical mystery novel done very, very well. There are twists and turns, but itâs not full of ridiculously unbelievable cliffhangers a la [a:Dan Brown|630|Dan Brown|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1206553442p2/630.jpg]. The characters are multi-faceted, even the ones who only play bit parts. And the set-up is pretty cool: a model falls to her death, and though the police determine that she committed suicide, her brother isnât convinced. I wonât say more, because the less you know, the better.
If you were worried about reading Rowlingâs adult fiction after being disappointed by [b:The Casual Vacancy|13497818|The Casual Vacancy|J.K. Rowling|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1358266832s/13497818.jpg|19926990], I urge you to give this one a shot. Meanwhile, Iâll be sitting here anxiously awaiting the next Cormoran Strike book.
