The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion
Group Read Discussions
>
Jan/Feb 2014 Group Read - The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
date
newest »
newest »
I just finished it and posted my review in updates. Strike is a well-imagined and great character. It's hard to come up with a detective "type" that hasn't been done before and J.K. Rowling has a winner in him. I didn't mention this in my review, but the amount of smoking, by almost everyone, bothered me (but maybe only because I try and fail to quit so often). Everything else from dialogue to story was great, though.
Max wrote: "Hi everyone,I've read this book a few months ago: an enjoyable, adeptly written novel by a talented professional writer. Characterization is superb, dialogue crisp and real-life, and the care for..."
I'm so happy people are talking about the difference between American and British crime novels. I loved The Cuckoo's Calling precisely because it reminded me so much of a Christie, specifically the ending was very reminiscent of a Hercule Poirot.
If there is such a category as Social Mystery, I'd like to know all about it. Firstly because I'd like to buy up all the books in the category and secondly because my next novel (Social Death) might fit in it.
One of the issues I have with the Mystery and Thriller genre is that finding readers for your book often depends on fitting into one sub-genre perfectly. Cozy. Detective. International, etc. The Cuckoo's Calling doesn't really fall into one, if you ask me, and that is possibly why it didn't find a huge readership when it was first launched (before anyone knew it was Rowling's). It makes me so happy, as the author of a mystery that also straddles a few sub-genres, that The Cuckoo's Calling is now a huge hit.
Thank you to all those who posted suggestions of books that are similar to The Cuckoo's Calling. I'll add one more. Louise Millar's Accidents Happen. It is not a detective novel but it is British, and I enjoyed it very much.
I'm having a hard time getting through this read. I don't know the book has a good story line.
After being on the waiting list for almost two months, I was finally able to download this book from my library last night. Looking forward to reading and discussing!
Tatiana, that's a good comment about the book not fitting precisely into only one sub-genre. I also have a hard time classifying my books. But I know from the guidelines in Malice Domestic and the Agatha Awards that you can't use the FBI, CIA, MI, or other groups and the main character has to be the one to solve the crime. I think The Cuckoo's Calling fits there well enough. It's definitely not a cozy.
Lynsey wrote: "Having read only a small amount of Rowling (I didn't get past Harry potter 2) I was interested to see what her foray into crime was like. I LOVED Comoran strike! Her characterisation was unbelievab..."Lynsey, I was also looking forward to reading this because I didn't enjoy the HP series as much and so many people who did, didn't like this book. Like you, I was not disappointed!
Like many of you, I don't think Cormoran and Robin should develop a romantic relationship, but I am interested in seeing how Robin develops as a character.She doesn't seem very happy to me right now. Maybe working as Cormoran's secretary and helping him with cases will help her learn more about who she is and she can become more of her own person.
Looking forward to the next in the series!
I think she sounds very happy, especially at the beginning of the book after she got engaged! I would describe it as unfulfilled rather than unhappy but that's just my observation
Laura wrote: "I think she sounds very happy, especially at the beginning of the book after she got engaged! I would describe it as unfulfilled rather than unhappy but that's just my observation"Yes, unfulfilled is definitely a better word for it. She is happy with some parts of her life, but there are other parts where she still has to figure herself out.
Read The Cuckoo's Calling last year and truly enjoyed it. Like any first book in a series, the characters are introduced and experience an important arc by the book's end. However, the character development is not complete, nor is intended to be. It will be fun to follow these characters in the upcoming books in the series.
So great to see everyone enjoyed my favourite crime fiction novel ever(I've read Chrisite n Doyle by the way).Cormoran Srike. Brilliant name, Brilliant character!
Robin. Beautiful, sharp, mysterious!
Cormoran is my fav detective...enough said, eh? Considering I'm familiar with Hercule Poirot and Mr. (Superhuman) Holmes.
I love Cormoran because he is the most realistic detective ever. Love the way the novel begins, and we see how deep in trouble Cormoran is. And he makes mistakes, he's not a super-alien with unrealistic extravagant knowledge and intelligence. But still, he is a genius and I love the way he investigates and interrogates.
Waiting eagerly for book #2 ... 'THE SILKWORM'.
I just put 'The Silkworm' on hold at my library. I'm number 147 in line. Sigh. Wonder if I can hold off buying it until then. Probably not. I really liked the first book in the series.
Our library system ordered 90 copies of The Silkworm. I can't believe they ordered that many. They ordered 9 copies of Deborah Crombie's next book and had ordered 12 copies (standard print) of Ian Rankin's latest.I am number 17 out of 137 on the hold list so I should get it right away.
Even my waiting for The Silkworm continues for financial issues. Waiting for the next month to arrive...
I read it. The plot was better (less gimmicky) than the first book. However, the interesting interpersonal relationships which I thought were the best part of first book didn't really get going until the middle of the story.
Well, I must wait till the next month to find out!! I must say I loved the Robin-Cormoran chemistry in the first book, specially because Robin's engaged to a different man. It's really very interesting...I somehow feel that Matthew's not exactly the right guy for Robin.
The library ordered even more copies of the Silkworm than I thought: 94 regular copies, 14 large print and 11 copies on CD!
http://seeleyjames.com/2013/11/why-cu...