The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith, aka J.K. Rowlings

[Critiq]

J.K. Rowlings' Second Adult Book is released under her pseudonym, Robert Galbraith

Not every best-seller makes an author a household name. But, when you've created a fantasy epic that brought millions of children and adults to the pages of books for a fiction rapture, that criteria has been met. From the first Harry Potter book to hit the stores, she was not only assured of a devoted, world-wide following, but she made publishing history. You could hardly go to a bus or train station without seeing somebody with their nose in a Potter tome.

But, that hysteria is over. J.K. Rowlings has even published her first adult mystery novel ( "The Casual Vacancy") and seen it become an instant commercial (if not critical) success. But, were the torrid sales due to the writing or simply to the author's name value? J.K. wanted to know! So, she resorted to that time-honored tradition of publishing under a pseudonym in order to get a sense of whether her work could sell on its own merits and quality. And ,so, as we all know by now, "The Cuckoo's Calling" comes out as though written by a debuting writer, Robert Galbraith. Unfortunately, the secret got Twitterized, and J.K./Galbraith was denied the chance to get her question answered in the marketplace. If this was a bad thing, I want some of that! Sales instantly skyrocketed and, as of August 10th, it reached L.A. Times Best Seller status in 1st place and is likely to stay there for awhile.

So be it. And, now, the question her fans are asking, can she write modern commercial fiction as well as a magical world of wizards? Should they lay down the bucks for her adult books as spontaneously as they did for Potter & Co.? And, what would her concept and choices be?

First off, "Cuckoo... " isn't not just a mystery, but a whodunit. You know, Agathie Christie, P.D. James, Inspector Clouseau, et al -- The kind of crime plot that invites the reader to solve the crime as the central figure, the detective, interviews all known suspects and, clue by clue, connects the crime(s) to the only person who could have done it.

Cormoran Strike, her protagonist, is a methodical investigator and the illegitimate son of a well-known rock star, a relationship he would as soon everyone forget. He's also an alcoholic struggling to stay sober and clean up his debts; a vet with a prosthetic leg bedding down on a cot in his office; and a man who is mentally distracted if not tortured by the loss of his long-time lover Charlotte. Not a Harry Bosch, say; but maybe a Dave Robicheaux. A man with a messy past and current issues -- but also a stickler for justice, a methodical sleuth, and a decent man to whom we can relate, strongly. Why else am I jonesing for the next book in a Cormoran Strike series?

The case starts after his temp, Robin, shows up at his office door immediately after Charlotte has flown out. Seconds later, Robin is run into by a mountain of a man -- Strike -- running after his "girl." After making the best amends he can to his new temp, John Bristow, a man in a finely tailored suit enters with a tragic story about his adopted sister's death a few months ago. The police and the press have ruled it a suicide, given that Lula Landry, the famed supermodel with the "spectacular face" and cafe' au lait skin had presumably fallen from the balcony of her ritzy condo. The problem, Bristow explains, is that he thinks it was a murder, that the police failed to run down all the clues and alibis, and he needs a PI to prove it. And, for the struggling P.I., he has a well-heeled client at last.

A few of the things that Rowlings' got is an ear for dialogue, eye for description, and taste for character. Her sub-plot is a joyful anticipation of whether Strike will be able to make Robin, the temp, a perm. Her value to the investigation and the running of the office is way beyond anyone's expectation--including her own. Strike's load of debt, however, as well as other employment offers she's been getting, gives him little chance of making it happen.

Rowlings enjoys her work and indicates it by the fun she has with people she creates to represent the scale of London society. The writer's glee with the collisions and cross-currents she creates is evident throughout the piece. Her scenes are finely constructed and the dialogue pitch-perfect in terms of revealing each person's cultural position, education, and lack thereof. If she has a fault, it's allowing scenes to go uncommonly long in some instances, which could be considered by some as a lack of restraint. Some have panned the book's "plodding pace." But, there's so much going on I have an issue with that evaluation.

What this author demonstrates is that literary talent, as in most art forms, applies to whatever subject, themes or historical time an author at the top of her form might choose for drama. Compare it to any good actor. Ian McKellan goes from low-budget classics to majestic sci-fy and no one questions his range. The talents Rowlings demonstrated with Potter are skills she can bring to any context in which she chooses to work. If you're a fan of hers, you'll want to read everything she writes. If you're the kind of fan of "Harry Potter," that insists only on more of the same kind of material that enchanted you back then, this finely crafted modern whodunit might not be as pleasing. But, in any case and under any pseudonym, Rowling's literary wand has nothing but great reading potential for the not-too-distant future.

[Zannie]

Thank you for your review. I was looking for one on here. I love Agatha Christie novels so am now looking forward to reading THE CUCKOO'S CALLING.