From homeless acquaintances to superstar model coworkers and clothing designers, we're meeting characters, suspects and witnesses from all walks of life. It would seem every character has something to hide or that they'd rather not say regardless of how helpful it would be in the investigation of their former friend or family member's death. Most interesting of all are the people who are afraid of being reprimanded for crimes or scandal unrelated to the suicide/murder but whose true details and admissions stand in the way of Strike's successful investigation. What will it take to get them past their barricades and speaking the truth so necessary for justice?
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| Author J.K. Rowling |
Throughout the novel it's up to the reader (and Strike) to take everyone's account, decide what's true and what's false and how exactly everyone's story plays together. In a most delicate case seeming most like suicide, we're along for a ride of mystery, excitement and scandal. If you're like me, you won't have an easy time of putting the book down as things come together. During the final hundred pages or so, I felt as if I were flying with an ever-increasing momentum towards a stunning conclusion.
You can check out The Cuckoo's Calling from your local library. You can also purchase it on Amazon for your Kindle, as a hardcover or audiobook. Don't forget to follow J.K. Rowling on Twitter (@jk_rowling)!
I wasn't very thrilled about The Casual Vacancy, JKR's entree into adult fiction. In fact, it wasn't my thing at all. I couldn't even finish it.
ReplyDeleteBut with The Cuckoo's Calling JKR's done it again. She's brought back the warmth I always associated with Hogwarts in this solid muggle detective story! The writing is BRILLIANT- with lines I found myself highlighting and smiling at. I love the quirkiness in her descriptions and how well fleshed out the characters were. Their accents, their airs, the mannerisms- all so beautifully captured, just like she did in Potter!
The main character is this stand-up guy whose back story reminded me a lot of Dr. Watson from Sherlock Holmes! His secretary, Robin, made a great partner-in-crime-solving(?)! I do hope we see more and more of her. YES, there is more. This is only the first book in a series and I'm already waiting for the next book! It's also a pretty good mystery. I couldn't solve this whodunnit till the very end of the book when I was surprised to find out who the murderer was.
I guess the bottomline is this:
The Cuckoo's Calling, plot-wise, is NOTHING like Harry Potter. It's an adult detective novel, for godssake. BUT it comes closest to being as warm, as amazing, as engrossing and as much of a treat as a Potter novel! The characters leap out of the page! Even better, since it's an adult novel, the characters don't hold back at all! The mystery is tightly knit, hard to solve! Descriptions of food- even if it's Pot Noodle and sticky toffee pudding rather than pumpkin juice, chocolate frogs and treacle tart- will make your mouth water. When you near the end, you will feel yourself slowing down, not because you're bored but because you don't want it to end.
An all too familiar feeling, isn't it?