The Cuckoo's Calling

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Gailbraith (aka J.K. Rowling)

Synopsis

Cormoran Strike is a private investigator barely making ends meet and is now living in his office after a final breakup with his ex-fiancée. Enter John Bristowe, a childhood friend who asks Cormoran to look into the death of his supermodel sister, Lula Landry, from a few months back. The police ruled it as a suicide, but there are hints that it was not. Following the case, Cormoran is plunged into the world of supermodels, rockstars, and the fabulously wealthy as he seeks to expose the dark underbelly of that glittering world. 

Review
If you're looking for Harry Potter, don't bother with this book.

However, for what it was (a crime/detective novel), it was good. Not great, but good. The characters had some depth, though at times it ran on cliché (rough but brilliant detective in a dingy office with a female secretary, etc). I felt like the main character maybe had too many crazy defining traits (troubled childhood, lost a leg in Afghanistan, crazy ex-fiancée, etc.), while the other characters seemed to be a little flat and stereotypical. However, their interactions and relationships with the main character were believable. 

The plot kept you guessing until the end, though partly because the clues given were too vague or essential chunks were concealed by the main character until the final reveal.

The writing was fabulous. J.K. Rowling has definitely shown her talent at prose. There were several deliciously good lines. And you could tell that it was the same person who had written Harry Potter. I can't pinpoint exactly what it was, but the writing had the same feel, though slightly more mature. And the vocabulary!!! Perhaps once or twice while reading a book do I come across a word I don't recognize, but with this one I had a whole list of new words to look up.

The main thing I didn't like (and I've found this a growing trend in popular literature) is the amount of strong language used, especially the "f-word".  For Rowling's characters, who are a bit rough around the edges, it is in line with their personalities and circumstances, and I can understand foul language being used a few times to showcase this, but I felt like it was every other word on the page at times. It was overused, and also felt cliché, like Rowling was trying to prove she could be gritty.

So, overall, if you like crime/detective novels, have a bit of time to read (vacation perhaps), and don't mind extensive swearing, then I would say this is a good read.

Rating

I give this book 3.5 stars


Details
Genre: Mystery, Thriller.
Sex: Some graphic sex terms are used, and characters having sex is discussed.
Violence: It's a murder mystery, so there is some violence and gore.
Language: So much effing language.