I don't read much in the crime or mystery genres but JK Rowling's first outing as Robert Galbraith is making me reconsider that decision. The Cuckoo's Calling was tremendously fun to read but more nuanced than I'd expected and I thoroughly enjoyed dedicating my Saturday to getting through this book.
Cormoran Strike and Robin are very well constructed characters (the best of a good bunch of characters filling up the story) and their relationship is adorable and fun from the their first appearances all the way to the final page.
My sister has informed me that there's a second Cormoran Strike novel and I'm stoked because the biggest mystery of this first book wasn't what Strike was investigating but the detective himself. Seeing him slowly revealed and rounded out as the story progressed was intensely satisfying and a great deal of fun but now that I know more about him I want a chance to do some more admiring of the PI at work.
The story itself is fairly unremarkable so far as detective novels go; there are plenty of red herrings and a twist at the end but I guess those are only what I expected. What's great is the way that you're kept guessing constantly and examining the strange, busy, isolating life that the subject of the mystery lived; comparing notes with Cormoran and Robin as they try to reconcile conflicting reports and get to the bottom of the problem at hand is fun and tantalizing as it draws the reader in, skillfully encouraging you to form and then discard your own conclusions as the tale progresses.
So far its been three days and I've managed to keep myself from buying a copy of the next Galbraith novel, but I'm not sure how much longer I can hold out. I had a fantastic time with this book and am very excited to see more of this side of Rowling's writing.
Cheers,
- Alli
Galbraith, Robert. The Cuckoo's Calling. Mulholland Books. New York: New York. 2013.
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