"Strike asked himself whether the strange suspicion that had him it its grip was anything more than a shadow moving in the depths of a muddy pool: a trick of the light, an illusory effect of the wind-ruffled surface....Could there be something lurking, disguised, buried in the mud, for which other nets had trawled in vain?"
-from the novel
Years ago I read all the Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling and loved them. I was actually quite sorry to see Harry graduate from Hogwarts, ending the series. A couple of months ago I read The Casual Vacancy by Rowling and was SO disappointed. (See the post.) Though the writing was still good, the story was weak and the characters unlikeable. When it came out that Robert Galbraith was a pen name for Rowling attached to her second post-Harry novel, I figured I should give it a try. A friend with whom I frequently discuss books, had read them both and said this one was much better. Indeed it was! In fact I really liked it. It gets a rating of 5.
The Cuckoo's Calling is a murder mystery with main character Cormoran Strike, a down-on-his-luck private detective. Robin is sent to him as a temporary worker and gets heavily involved in helping Strike to prove the death of a celebrity named Lula which had been ruled a suicide was actually murder. As Lula's story unfolded, her relationship with her boyfriend, Duffield, eerily reminded me of that of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown. The plot was compelling with quite a surprising ending.
I really enjoy Rowling's style evidenced by the quote above and such word pictures as a "kaleidoscope of horror." The British words and expressions are interesting, as well, for example flat (apartment), mobile (cell phone), car park (garage), crisps (chips), ciggies or fags (cigarettes), and paps (paparazzi).
The friend I mentioned previously and I agree that there is a good possibility we will see these characters again. I truly hope so.
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