The
Cuckoo’s Calling
by
Robert Galbraith
(aka
J.K. Rowling)
I started this book on CD in my car driving back and
forth to work then ended up buying it on my kindle that weekend to finish. That ought to tell you something.
The main story line is not all that unique in the
world of mysteries. A veteran of the most recent war, Cormoran Strike, has
become a private detective and is hired by the brother of a former friend to
investigate the suspicious death of his sister, a supermodel living in the
glitzy world of high fashion who plunged from her balcony one winter night. The
police have ruled it suicide but the brother is positive it is not.
Cormoran Strike is at once a traditional gumshoe, a
veteran of war trying to make his way on limited finances, and also rather
modern. He lost his leg in the army and he is, somewhat unusual for a private
detective, not self-destructive.
What sets this book apart is the writing. It was
noted when The Cuckoo’s Calling first
came out that the story was so well crafted that it hardly seemed like a first
novel. As we eventually found out, it wasn’t. The writing is masterful and that
is part of what makes this novel so enjoyable.
The scene is set immediately with broad strokes in the
first paragraph.
“.
. . the watchers filled the waiting time by snapping the white canvas tent in
the middle of the road, the entrance to the tall red-brick apartment block
behind it, and the balcony on the top floor from which the body had fallen.”
At other times, the author seems to zoom in on what
Strike is doing in detail, cataloguing each move, so that it takes paragraphs
to search a few handbags. This is done very deliberately.
It is a quiet book with a gumshoe tracking down
leads methodically. The strengths are in the characterization and the smooth
writing that draws you on through the story.
It’s not a cozy mystery but it’s not a pulse pounding thriller
either. It’s a solid mystery in a rather
traditional style with a modern setting.
She wraps things up so neatly too. We aren’t even
left wondering about Strike’s leg, we know he is finally getting the help that
he needs.
I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery and look forward
to the next one.
