The Cuckoo's Calling (Cormoran Strike, #1) in The Perks Of Being A Book Addict

May 31, 2015 Trisha rated it liked it

"The dead could only speak through the mouths of those left behind, and through the signs they left scattered behind them."

I absolutely loved this one. I was thoroughly hooked from the first few chapters. Even with a huge cast, which this author seems to really love, it was easy for me to follow and keep track of.

And I never had any idea who done it. All the pieces seemed to take forever to be put into place for me. An absolute favorite and a series I will definitely keep reading.

I loved Robin a ...more

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Aug 08, 2013 Michael rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2013, pbrc-tower-challenge, mystery, tower-team-challenge-b

Several times while reading The Cuckoo's Calling,I kept wondering if and when the novel might have come up on my radar had it not been for the coverage that the Robert Galbraith is a pen name for best-selling author J.K. Rowling.

I probably wouldn't have sampled it as quickly, but I do think I'd have tried the novel eventually. I also think I would have enjoyed it just as much as I did here. A good mystery is a good mystery, no matter who's telling the story.

And for my money, The Cuckoo's Callin Several times while reading The Cuckoo's Calling,I kept wondering if and when the novel might have come up on my radar had it not been for the coverage that the Robert Galbraith is a pen name for best-selling author J.K. Rowling.

I probably wouldn't have sampled it as quickly, but I do think I'd have tried the novel eventually. I also think I would have enjoyed it just as much as I did here. A good mystery is a good mystery, no matter who's telling the story.

And for my money, The Cuckoo's Calling is a good mystery.

Down on his luck private investigator Cormoran Strike is having a good run of bad luck. He's down to a single client, he can't pay his bills and his girlfriend has kicked him out of their apartment, possibly for good this time. Enter into his life a new temporary secretary in Robyn, who Strike doesn't have the money to pay, much less the business to justify employing her in a regular position. But Strike's ship may have come in when the well-to-do client John Bristow enters the office and convinces Strike to take the case of the apparent suicide of his model sister, Lula Landry. Strike is won over by Bristow's conviction and the sheer amount of money that Bristow can pay to look further into the case.

If you're a fan of British mysteries like those written by Elizabeth George, you're probably going to enjoy The Cuckoo's Calling. The story brings in a variety of suspects, red herrings and interesting investigative avenues before the culprit is finally revealed. In addition, the novel also delves a bit into the characters of Strike and Robyn, who is attracted to the private eye lifestyle that Strike inhabits. The novel is clearly setting these two up as an intriguing team of detectives with Strike as the old-school detective and Robyn's mastery of all things Google and the ability to put together pieces that Strike has overlooked or heading down avenues that Strike has not thought of yet.

It's interesting to see Rowling try new things as a writer. This one is clearly not intended for readers who grew up on Harry Potter. And while a series of novels set in this universe probably won't fly off shelves like the adventures of the boy wizard did, I can't help but think a few more entries in this series couldn't or wouldn't be as satisfying and entertaining to read. I certainly know I'd be interested in reading more of the exploits of Strike and Robyn. ...more

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Jan 14, 2018 Stormi (StormReads) rated it liked it

I found this to be a pretty decent crime novel but I also felt it was a tad bit to long and drawn out.

Cormoran Strike is a Private Investigator who only has one leg after stepping on a landmine in Afghanistan. He is verily scraping by and has a temp secretary that he can't afford. Then a man comes and ask for his help, John Bristow wants him to find out who killed his sister because he doesn't believe it was suicide. His sister, the legendary supermodel Lula Landry, known to her friends as the I found this to be a pretty decent crime novel but I also felt it was a tad bit to long and drawn out.

Cormoran Strike is a Private Investigator who only has one leg after stepping on a landmine in Afghanistan. He is verily scraping by and has a temp secretary that he can't afford. Then a man comes and ask for his help, John Bristow wants him to find out who killed his sister because he doesn't believe it was suicide. His sister, the legendary supermodel Lula Landry, known to her friends as the Cuckoo, jumped to her death. The police are pretty sure it was a suicide and case is closed.

Cormoran doesn't want to take the case but he is in need of some cash she he tells him he will look into it and starts talking to those who knew Lula, and those in the apartment building. Cormoran is plunged into the seedy world of multimillionaires, models, rock star boyfriends and a lot of other things. The more he talks to people about Lula it seems that everyone thought she was just fine and not depressed or anything. Nobody would have really thought she would commit suicide. There was a witness who seen her fall and is pretty sure she was pushed but nobody believes her and Cormoran has to really dig into her comments and things to piece things together.

I really kind of like Cormoran, he is kind of gritty and really sort of your typical PI type. He has his issues but don't we all. I also liked Robin, the temp secretary. He really wants to keep her but doesn't have the money but I am sure he will find a way.

I thought it had a good mystery and there was a lot things going on with everyone from those she worked with to her own family. I had figured it out way before Cormoran did but it was still a good mystery. My only real problem with it is that I felt like it could have been cut down by about 55 pages. I mean it was 455 and to me that is way long for a crime novel and I got to the point where I was drifting and was like oh just figure it out all ready. :) I did like it though and I will be checking out the next one as soon as I get a chance. ...more

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Nov 24, 2015 Melissa rated it really liked it

It took me awhile to really get into this book, but I couldn't put it down for the last hundred or so pages. I already downloaded the second in the series and will start reading tonight. ...more

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