Hooked on Cuckoo

The Cuckoo's Calling is a detective novel, that is one reason I am interested. But the main appeal for me (and for millions other people) is that JK Rowling wrote this book. I've talked about her awesomeness so many many times in the past, but still, when I finally finished it, my admiration towards her grow even more. This is another proof that she can write anything; from whimsical, magical world of Harry Potter, to the brute, ugly world of Casual Vacancy, and to the twisted, mysterious world of Cormoran Strike in The Cuckoo's Calling.

True that she wrote it under a pseudonym, true that most people buy the book after she confessed she is Robert Galbraith. Well, they won't be disappointed, because her style and ideas is just as great as ever.

Enough about JK Rowling. The book. It is about a detective name Cormoran Strike who was hired to investigate the unlikely-suicidal death of supermodel Lula Landry. It was Landry's adoptive brother who wept and begged Strike to take the case, because he did not believe her lovely sister would jump to her death after some happy afternoon chit-chat and night-clubbing. In his office, Strike was accompanied with a temporary secretary, Robin, who proofed herself efficient and useful in many ways.

Throughout the book, we are allowed to follow Strike doing his actual investigation, questioning important witnesses (though they did not realize their testimonials were that important) around London (Brits!). There was this cocaine-addict lady who said she heard a man confronted Landry the night she died, and that she actually saw Landry fell through her balcony. No one believed her, naturally, because her flat is perfectly soundproof, and the balcony window was closed and clean from any fingerprints, and it was snowing heavily outside. And there was the security man on duty that night, who answered every question Strike asked with self-confidence. And there were Landry's friends, with whom she spent her last afternoon, and Landry's on-off boyfriend, who was a druggie, and a main suspect of her murderer because he had a row with her that night in a club.

Although most of what the witnesses said seemed  incomprehensible and standing on their own, we are given the insight into Strike's mind, how he put the pieces together to form a really unexpectable answer. It was amazing how Strike can detect lies, sort the important information outta a seemed-unimportant gossip, and persuade people to answer him. I always admire detectives (even want to be one someday), but this is actually the first time i get to know how they do their work, from step one, slowly, towards the answer.

Who is the killer? How they get away from Landry's top security flat? Even more, was there any killer at all? Read for yourself. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. You may find the book is so slow-paced in the beginning, but just hang on, because the more pages you flip, the more surprises you'll find. Plus, the London setting is the book's another appeal (for me, at least). I just can't get enough britishness. Brit people are fascinating.

I tried to guess the answer myself (like I usually do when reading detective novels) but I have to admit that I am no good as detective. Ha ha. Try yourself. I gotta work my way, then,  :)