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BotM 2016 - [April] The Cuckoo's Calling, by Robert Galbraith - Part 3 (Spoilers)
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I am surprised at how quick a read this has been considering how long it is. Now I have to get this posted so I can finish reading!The Killer:
Tony Landry is still my top suspect, but far from the only one. Many of the things we’ve learned in this section strengthened my suspicion of Tony. I am intrigued by Anne Katrin’s suggestion of Alison, possibly as Tony’s agent.
In this section there is more evidence that Lula has found her biological family, and I think that is significant. It has also been suggested that the Bristows and the Landrys are not a rich as we have been led to believe. If they have been profiting from her success, a new family member/heir could be a motive.
Robin/Matthew:
This relationship will be over before the book ends. Matthew has been snide, jealous, and unsupportive throughout. Aside from the proposal, he’s been an utter ass. Robin is going to bail on this engagement.
Robin/Strike:
Robin isn’t going to take the HR job. This is her dream job and she’s good at it. I think that once they solve this case, that exposure combined with Strike’s notoriety for having a famous father will bring in more business and he will ask her to stay. I just hope they don’t become involved in a romantic relationship. I like them as a purely professional partnership.
Questions:
Questions, questions, so many questions! I couldn’t stop at just one. Please feel free to answer any, all, or none of these. :)
1. Why were the pictures deleted from Lula’s laptop? What are Robin and Strike missing? Who deleted them?
2. Who was Tansy arguing with on the call overheard by Lechsinka? What’s she been lying about?
3. I know that it comes from the poem at the beginning of the book, but do you think there is any other significance in the title of the book? I’m intrigued by the fact that Cuckoo is Guy Some’s nickname for Lula. Is the title a clue to something?
4. And finally, who the heck did they just pull out of the Thames?!? My money is on Rochelle. Any other guesses?
I'm still having trouble to get into this story. Part 4, chapter 9 was actually the first time that I thought "now this is getting interesting". I can't quiet put my finger on what's putting me off. It's not the writing.I really hope I like the ending and she explains everything satisfactory. Maybe I have my "Oh wow, this is great! I have to read it again with this knowledge"-moment then. It would just really annoy me if anything stayed vague or illogical or the solution would be something that has never been referred to before.
The Killer
Nothing much furthered my suspicions of the discussion in part 2 (Tony, maybe using Alison) but I didn't read anything that pointed in another direction either.
Beth wrote: In this section there is more evidence that Lula has found her biological family, and I think that is significant. It has also been suggested that the Bristows and the Landrys are not a rich as we have been led to believe. If they have been profiting from her success, a new family member/heir could be a motive.
I also think she found her family and that this is significant. I believe when she was talking about her brother she ment another brother than Bristow. Then the blue paper she wrote was most probably a will.
But how would this point to Tony? He would not inherit anything anyway. Wouldn't her mother inherit everything and when she passes Bristow? Or is law of succession different in Great Britain?
Robin/Strike
Beth wrote: Robin isn’t going to take the HR job. [...] I just hope they don’t become involved in a romantic relationship. I like them as a purely professional partnership.
I totally agree! I would hate it if they ended up together! That just wouldn't feel natural.
Beth wrote: 1. Why were the pictures deleted from Lula’s laptop? What are Robin and Strike missing? Who deleted them?
They were just party pictures and the laptop was with Lula's mother, right? Maybe she isn't as sick as she makes out and was stalking Lula and got caught in the background?
Beth wrote: 2. Who was Tansy arguing with on the call overheard by Lechsinka? What’s she been lying about?
After the mail Duffield saw on Bestiguis' phone it was probably her husband. She didn't want to lie anymore about where she really was when Lula fell.
Beth wrote: 3. I know that it comes from the poem at the beginning of the book, but do you think there is any other significance in the title of the book? I’m intrigued by the fact that Cuckoo is Guy Some’s nickname for Lula. Is the title a clue to something?
I hope there is significance in the title of the book and also in the poem and in the quote before each chapter.
I don't hope the title is just a reference to Lula being the kid that does not fit - then the book should rather be called "The ugly duckling". At least I think that is why Somé calls her Coocko - or is it just because he thinks she is a little crazy? I think somebody mentions this. But would that mean that she was crazy and in the end really committed suicide?
But the Coocko is famous for something else then being crazy: It is famous for laying it's egg in the nest of other birds and the little Coocko hatches first and kills the real kids so the unknowing parents only feed the Coocko. That wouldn't fit Lula because she ist dead. The only one left is Bristow. That would make him the Coocko's kid. But if that is the significance of the title then somebody would have made sure Bristow was adopted by a rich family so he got the inheritance and wanted the others out of the way and killed Lula so Bristow inherited everything when their mother died? Then could Tansy's secret be that she had a kid that was adopted and she does not want to lie about this anymore? Somebody says about her and her sister that they would do almost anything for money.
But if we stay with the Coocko analogy, then Bristow would be the one who killed Lula, because not the grown Coocko kills the other little birds but the baby Coocko kills its adopted siblings. But then he would also be responsible for Charlie's dead.
But that would not make sense since he was younger than Charlie and Charlie was only ten-years-old when he died. Also he would not have hired Strike and risked to reopen a closed investigation. So I believe I am taking this analogy too far.
So maybe the true meaning of the title only makes sense in context of the poem which sadly I don't know anything about.
Wow, Beth your question really opened up a whole new line of speculation for me. Now I am actually exited to read on! Thanks for that!
Beth wrote: 4. And finally, who the heck did they just pull out of the Thames?!? My money is on Rochelle. Any other guesses?
I thought Rochelle immediately. But it also could be Tansy since she seems to know something significant, too.
My questions:
1. Why do you think Lula's mother was so clingy?
2. Do you think Charlotte will find out Strike slept with a super model instead of coming after her and if yes, how will she react?
3. If Strike hates his father so much, why did he borrow money from him?
I am honestly stumped at this point in the book, so much information! At this point I think it is a conspiracy and that a lot of people are involved in Lula's death. The Killer
I have a feeling it has something to do with Kieran, Rochelle, Fred Bestigui and Duffield because they were all linked in some way. Duffield worked for Freddie who wanted Lula to star in one of his movies. Kieran also wanted to be in one of Bestiguis movies. Rochelle was around Lula a lot so maybe she overheard something about Lula from the three of them and so is being bribed by money or designer stuff. Maybe Freddie lured Lula back to her penthouse that night by insuinating that Deeby Mac was waiting for her. Isn't it weird that Deeby decided to randomly stay in a club all night that Kieran dropped him to?
Anne Katrin wrote: I also think she found her family and that this is significant. I believe when she was talking about her brother she ment another brother than Bristow. Then the blue paper she wrote was most probably a will.
I think this as well! I definitely think that Lula found her birth father and his family. Not sure why she would give the blue paper to Rochelle in the 15 min meeting at the boutique though?
Beth wrote: 1. Why were the pictures deleted from Lula’s laptop? What are Robin and Strike missing? Who deleted them?
This question is really perplexing to me, the laptop was at her mothers house well only people who have access to her house could have tampered with it. Certainly gives a whole new light to why Duffield wanted to randomly go see Mrs Bristow.... But it could equally be Tony Landry.
Anyone else shocked that Strike slept with Ciara? I just wasn't expecting it. Great revenge on that cow Charlotte though.
Anna Katrin wrote: 3. If Strike hates his father so much, why did he borrow money from him?
I honestly think Strike was in a pretty desperate place and needed start up money. He probably rationalised that his father could at least do something for him as he was worse than useless when Strike was a child. It's disgusting his father even wants him to pay that money back!
Although a lot was revealed in this part of the book, I found it the most boring, except for Part 4, Chapter 9. Guy Some's and Evan Duffield's interviews were a pain to get through, and I have developed a special dislike for Guy.When Cormoran was drunk and disheveled, that was the first time that a Harry Potter-like thought entered my mind and I imagined Cormoran looking like Hagrid:
This isn't how I normally picture him though. It was only at that moment.
Katy wrote: "...Anyone else shocked that Strike slept with Ciara? I just wasn't expecting it. Great revenge on that cow Charlotte though...."
I was so shocked that that happened! Woah. It was so weird for me. But I was also extremely relieved because now I can stop entertaining the possibility that maybe Robin and Cormoran will end up together romantically, which I don't like. I want them to be more like Sherlock and Watson, one complementing the other professionally and platonically.
Katy wrote:"...Isn't it weird that Deeby decided to randomly stay in a club all night that Kieran dropped him to?..."
Now that you mention it, it is extremely weird! Especially since we know that he's supposed to have a big crush on Lula. He should have wanted to go to the flat right away to maybe see her. But he didn't... Was he hiding?
My question: Why do you think there were big drops of water on the floor after Lula fell?
I've really enjoyed the book starting with this section. So much more information has come out that I don't now know who the killer could possibly be. I liked the Guy Some interview with Strike; so snarky but very funny. He seemed to love Lula but was too controlling.I had more sympathy for Evan Duffield when Strike interviewed him.
Some questions I have:
Why does the repairman at Lula's apartment keep coming up? Who is he?
Where was Tansy Bestigui really when she heard a confrontation between Lula and a male on the night she died?
Just realized I didn't answer a question.I was not at all surprised that Strike slept with Ciara. It seemed inevitable to me. The whole evening led,that way.
I have no idea who killed her! My suspicions still lie with Tony Landry and Alison. But I find Evan's reason for visiting Lula's adoptive mother very suspicous. I think he deleted the photos off her laptop. Also it is too much of a coincidence that Evan and Lula got back together and had a committment ceremony a week before she died. Ana A.:Why do you think there were big drops of water on the floor after Lula fell?
This seemed like a major clue, but they didn't reveal why!!!! There was no evidence that there was a leak at the crime scene. Wilson said there were no wet footprints. I have no idea how the floor could have gotten wet. Someone must have spilled something. A drink? Oooo or water from a vase???!!!!!
Kathy: Why does the repairman at Lula's apartment keep coming up? Who is he?
I think he was a fake repairman. Since there were no signs of a break-in, he must have been working with the killer in order to help gain access to the apartments. He has to be someone Wilson never met. That rules out a lot of our characters. Maybe whoever Tansy was meeting with?
Why did Landry sign into the conference just to leave and go all the back home to see his sister?
Mod
I love the info Anne above said about the Cuckoo. Fascinating! I thought it was part of the bird theme with Robin and Cormoran.
And I'm so happy he slept with Ciara, good for him! I literally applauded at the book when they got out of the car at the club with the paparazzi, going "ha! Let Charlotte see that in the tabloids!"
I know who got pulled out the water. I took the 75% seriously (ok, was curious who it was) and the chapter ended at 74% so I read to 75%. I'll say I was relieved cause a part of me was worried it was Ciara.
Well, this part just ended on a cliff hanger - great break for a review. Until now no one else has died since Lula. I am thinking it is Rochelle, too - she never answered her phone and messages got full, and Strike was worried for her safety.Someone said that the real important will is Lady Bristow's, it was also mentioned that she will part her money between John and her brother, Tony. If this is the case, then it is significant that Lula died before her without a will - it seemed her money would have gone to her money and her brother. In which case, when Lady Bristow dies, she will leave Lula's money to Tony and John.
It is implied that the law firm is in a pickle over Conway Oates, and perhaps embezzled money or being sued for a lot of money. Tony and the firm might have huge debts which a big inheritance could help.
I crossed off Guy Some from my suspect list. Evan somewhat still suspicious. I mostly suspect those though whom Strike has not interviewespd yet: Freddie Bestigue is being blackmailed by his wife over... what? Tony and Alison are working together for something. Maybe Alison is Tony's spy on John? And the elusive Deeby Macc. I would not be surprised if he has slipped out of that bar without being noticed for a couple hours to meet Lula. We also have not yet met Lula's mother, who probably has important information.
Why did Landry sign into the conference and leave?
I think maybe they found out that Lady Bristow was going to die and wanted to confer about her will.
Okay, so first of all: OH MY GOSH! OH MY GOSH! OH MY GOSH!I need to get this review over with so I can find out who was in the water!!!
The Killer I have to say, I still agree with my initial prediction from the first discussion topic:
the neighbor (Freddie Bestigui) and the driver (Kieran Kolovas-Jones) were in on it. Maybe Bestigui promised Kieran he could get an acting job if he helped him. So Kieran gave the body guard food poisoning (he was friendlier with that body guard, so he had the other one switch shifts with him), then he brought Deeby to that particular club which he knew would be busy/occupy him for a while. Then he called Bestigui to let him know Deeby was at the club, then called the paparazzi, giving Bestigui plenty of opportunity to kill Lula! HAH!
I definitely think so, especially since Kolovas-Jones acted strange and was really surprised to see Strike when he was driving Ciara. He kept glancing back at them..maybe he was trying to see how far along Strike got in his investigation? AH!
The Water. I think the water was either a broken bottle of perfume, or maybe from the pool. The pool was the only door that was left unlocked.
Where was Tansy? I think she was in the pool! Maybe she went to go back to her room, and didn't see her husband in there, so she went upstairs to see where he had gotten to. That's where she heard the fight..just outside her door! Although Strike said that there was something different about the outside of the building..I think they said the sign changed? So I can't imagine what that has to do with it.
Lulu's birth family! So her brother is in Afghanistan, aka the security guard's nephew!!! That must be why she was so nice to him, and why she always asked about him. Maybe that's why she moved to that building? My guess is that she left everything to the security guard! (Although for a while I thought maybe Guy Some was her brother).
My question: what do you think Strike saw in the pictures that he told Robin to take a second look at again?
Okay, excuse my while I find out who the killer is! AHHH!
I think the water came from the vase. It's been mentioned prominently several times. What if it had already broken or had already tipped over before the cop bumped into the table in the dark? Maybe someone who knew the front door security code was hiding in Deeby's flat and got water on the landing. Tansy, maybe? Tony?I'm pretty sure that Strike already knows the dead body is Rochelle.
Was that Deeby's cufflink at Evan's place? Maybe Evan was hiding in Deeby's flat. He could have arranged for Kieran to keep Deeby out of the way... maybe even pick him up after his own driver left him.
My question: Any guesses about the identity of the two guys running away on the security footage?
Evan and Ciara were in my list of suspects, but after Strike interviewed them, I cannot think in that way. The seemed honest to me. I liked them, which I cannot say about Rochelle or Tony or Tansy. We haven't meet Bestigui yet, but I already don't like him :) My main suspect for the killer is Bestigui, maybe in complicity with Kieran or Tony.
Any guesses about the identity of the two guys running away on the security footage? When for the first time I heard about that Lula had two brothers from her birth mother, inmediately I thought these could be the persons running away... just a hunch :)
My questions:
1. Who was the person Strike recognized in Agyeman picture ? Why do you think he was so surprised?
2. Who do you think deleted the pictures in Lula's laptot?
3. Where do you think Tansy was when she saw Lula fall?
4. Why was Alison looking for Tony at the hotel?
Well I read through this section and kept going so I feel like I'm just going to spoil people if I say anything, but this section was CRAZY and definitely made me change my mind on who the killer is multiple times.I've said this in the other parts, but I get the vibe that Robin and Matthew will break up, which annoys me. I think it'll just lead to a Strike/Robin romance which is stereotypical of popular fiction.
The sleeping with a supermodel bit really surprised me considering how depressed Strike seemed to be before that. Maybe he needed it to get out of his slump.
As for the questions, I know the answer to #3 already because I read through, but I'll say the answer surprised me!!
1) I think maybe it is somebody he knows from his army days that he's going to contact now??
2) I think it was Tony/Alison because they can easily get at it, but I can't think of any logical reason why--it's just their vibe.
4) Now that I can't figure out at all--there must have been some HUGE piece of info that Alison felt Tony needed--maybe about Lula's birth family??
My question is: Do you think Tony's firm is having some sort of money issues? Evan said they were money-grabby yet they're all filthy rich already. Is it just greed or is there some significant need for Lula's money??
Although I like this book as a whole, I had a hard time getting into it at first. I didn't really connect with either Strike or Robin very much, even though I liked both of them. This section really turned it around for me, especially the last 2 or 3 chapters, where we start getting so many different perspectives on the case. To be honest, I've been having a lot of trouble keeping track of all the characters/details, but here are some of my ideas:
- Deeby Macc is Lula's brother, but I'm not sure if he knows that. Lula was very excited to meet him because she was so interested in finding out more about her real family.
- Tony is definitely suspicious, but I don't think he's the killer. Characters as unlikeable as he is rarely are. I think he was involved in something else very shady. Maybe fraud or something like that.
- I can't remember if it was the driver or the security guard, but much earlier in the book one of them gave testimony that was unusually detailed and even Strike commented that it would be perfect for a courtroom or something like that. I think it's pretty suspicious given how muddled everyone else's accounts have been. Maybe that person's story was very well-rehearsed (the driver is an actor, after all).
- For some reason, I'm a little suspicious of Guy Some but I don't really think he has any motive to kill her. Although it was mentioned that one of the African names they were investigating was Some's real name (I can't remember why they were investigating a name other than Agyeman).
- I think the water on the floor was water from the pool, or possibly from the vase. It wasn't a footprint though, so I think water dripping off a person who had left the pool (one of the Bestiguis, probably) would make the most sense.
- I have no idea why the pictures were deleted from the laptop. They didn't seem to have any relevance to anything. Tony and Evan both would have had access to the laptop, but so would Lula's mom and Bristow. Any of them could have done it.
- I think Rochelle is the person found in the river. They've been saying for a while now that she had stopped picking up her phone and her voicemail is full.
- Someone asked above about the repairmen who keep getting mentioned. I think they are probably the same people as the runners, but I'm not sure who they might be.
- I think the person Strike recognized in the picture was someone he had known in Afghanistan. Maybe someone in his own regiment.
My question is: Do you think it's significant that Deeby Macc has been mentioned multiple times throughout the story, but has never actually shown up?
I'm still not interested in the story and the writing is too much crude for me, but it's not a painful book and it's nice once in a while to read something different from my tastes. I spoiled myself with the body because in the french copy, chapter 10 starts at 79% so I read posts here before realizing I missed some pages :pKiller
The book is still missing clues or hints, regarding the "murder". I don't think it really evolved since the first 25%, even if we know better some characters. As I dislike everyone in the book, it's difficult to form an objective opinion. Tony is still at the head of my top.
The brother
I suppose there is something about the will and the brother thing, as each time it's "she spoke of her brother", neither "she spoke of James". It can work for him but I shouldn't be surprised if she met one of her biological brothers and wanted to give him money or go to see him in another country or stop her work (which is probably a nightmare for most of the scavengers). I join Silvia's opinion regarding the 2 guys who ran away.
Calls to Tony
Related to the will? Maybe she spoke to her mother about the will and the mother called Tony, so he became berserk and Lula tried to speak to him?
Water
She went swimming and changed in her flat rather than next the pool because someone appeared. It's why she didn't wear the same clothes.
Do you think it's significant that Deeby Macc has been mentioned multiple times throughout the story, but has never actually shown up?
He's probably related to the story, but I don't know where to put him. Maybe one of her brothers and he decided to tell her he thought they were related because he learnt who his biological mother was or something like this?
My question: What about the way the building looked? What do you think Robin will discover while studying the pictures?
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
Section of book: 51-75% (Roughly Part 3 Chapter 10-Part 4 Chapter 9)
This point of the book has a ton of characters, a ton of clues, and just a whole lot going on! In the spirit of keeping the discussion rich between the members, this portion is going to be completely open.
If you need something to guide you then feel free to talk about who you think the killer is or about any of the relationships in the book (Robin/Strike, Robin/Matthew, Strike/Charlotte, Tansie/Freddie, etc.)
Continuing with the theme of the piggyback discussion, please end your post with a question for those who come after you :)