Quick Review: The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling)

The Cuckoo's Calling was my first  experience with a crime fiction novel and was much more fun to read than I'd originally thought! The story begins with the untimely death of supermodel Lula Landry. Detective Cormoran Strike is hired by John Bristow, Landry's brother, after the police and press deem her death as suicide. Throughout the book you meet a large cast of well-developed characters and are kept guessing the entire time about which of them is actually the killer. Galbraith (Rowling) is an extremely detailed storyteller, allowing the reader to feel like they see, hear, and smell the scene being depicted. The first third of the book moved a little bit slowly as I tried to sort out the different characters, plot line, and setting. Once I became settled in the story, though, it was hard to put down and anytime I wasn't reading I wished I was!

A dynamic, thrilling read with a twist of an ending which I won't be sharing, of course! I'd highly recommend The Cuckoo's Calling if you're looking for a well-constructed plot line, characters who are developed to the point of being real people, not just serving as "good" or "bad", and especially if you want to try on crime fiction for size.


The Cuckoo's Calling was on my To Be Read in 2014 book list. Check it out for reviews of other books I've read this year as well as what's up next!