I was in the market for a good mystery. Something with a private detective. I found “The Cuckoo’s Calling” by Robert Galbraith. However, I didn’t find it because of the plot line. I found it because who Robert Galbraith really is. He is a she, and she is J.K. Rowling, the famed author of the Harry Potter series.
That’s why I sought out “The Cuckoo’s Calling.” Just to see what it was all about, especially after the author’s true identity hit the news. As a writer myself, I thought it would be interesting to see how a famous author essentially recreated herself. Then, when I found it was a detective novel, I was stoked.
As I began reading, I was interested in the story, but I couldn’t get into it. The first part of the book drug. I couldn’t get into a rhythm with the story. It was slow, and I honestly stopped and started reading it several times over the course of many months.
Then, one day in June, I picked it up and to give it another go, and I was pulled in. I became enthralled with Cormoran Strike, who is the main character and war veteran turned detective. His thought process and method of gathering clues to solve the crime at hand, which in this case is the suspicious death of a young supermodel.
Galbraith (Rowling wanted this to be by him, so why not at least honor that in this review, right?) crafted memorable and real characters. They all had dimension, and they came alive as I ventured deeper into their world.
As I neared the end of the book, I found myself chewing through the pages, trying to solve the mystery before Strike did (sadly, I didn’t succeed). I stayed up and late and got up early to continue reading just to find out who committed the crime. Or was the supermodels death a suicide as everyone claimed?
If I had written this review at a different time, I wouldn’t have been able to recommend it, but now I do. Read this book. It’s fun and intriguing. If you do pick it up and find yourself struggling as I did in the beginnings, keep pushing through. It will be well worth it.
Now, maybe I need to check out Galbraith’s “The Silkworm” or his upcoming “Career of Evil,” which will be released in October 2015.
