The cuckoo's calling.

[Neleh403]

Since this book has been voted September book of the month I have started to read it. AKA J K Rowling I can't wait to see how it compares to The Harry Potter series. I'm hoping it doesn't. Obviously JK Rowling wants to be credited for her writing skills and not for who she is hence the pseudonym.

[Starmy]

Look forward to hearing your review!

[Fran]

The Cuckoo's Calling is a detective story with all the twists and turns the reader expects from the genre. The hero is, of course, the PI Cormoran Strike (what a name!) who, in conformity with the genre, is fighting his own demons and has a colourful and unconventional personal life. Called on by John Bristow, to investigate the death of his beautiful but troubled supermodel sister, Cormoran takes on the task of proving that her death is murder and not the suicide everyone, including the police, have concluded it to be. Among the host of characters we are presented with there are some thoroughly unpleasant ones including the conceited and pigheaded police detective, a host of wealthy, arrogant and spoiled models, designers, film producers & trophy spouses. Cormoran Strike, with his prosthetic leg, manipulative former girlfriend, estranged film star father and honourable military record, is IMO a super creation: funny & endearing, inspired & brilliant but also fragile. Equally entertaining is his temporary secretary. Robin is new to London & just recently engaged to the rather staid Matthew, she is a supremly efficient secretary but still somewhat innocent and with a latent awe of private detective work.
There are some great lines in this book such as a dress being described as "poison green" and a mouth clamped round a cigarette reminds Strike of "a cat's anus"! But considering the author is actually J K Rowling the line I liked best has to be towards the end of the book when Strike is wrapping up his case and confronts the murdered with his version of events and the murdered says "You ought to give up detecting and try fantasy writing".
I enjoyed this book immensly and the ending is wrapped up nicely and, for me anyway, totally surprising.
I would give it a 4.5/5* and I hope there will be more adventures for Cormoran Strike & Robin

[Cody Mathews]

Interested to see if these types of books come back into the mainstream again......maybe be a future Sherlock Holmes series.

[Zannie]

It would be good Bookworm. I have just started to read this and look forward to reading what everyone thought of it.

[Neleh403]

I am about half way through and have to say I'm really enjoying it. Just need to get JK Rowling out of my head especially when swear words occur, I can hear myself saying Harry Potter wouldn't say that!!

[Fran]

I am about half way through and have to say I'm really enjoying it. Just need to get JK Rowling out of my head especially when swear words occur, I can hear myself saying Harry Potter wouldn't say that!!

I imagine it must come as a be a bit of shock to HP fans

[Momo77]

Oh, I can't wait to get a copy of this book. Must be very different than HP series. Looking forward to a good read.

[Fran]

Oh, I can't wait to get a copy of this book. Must be very different than HP series. Looking forward to a good read.

Couldn't be more different

[pattilyn]

I soo loved this book. I enjoyed Harry Potter because it was so plot driven and I had my fingers crossed that this would not disappoint. JKR does not let us down. I couldn't put this down. Hopefully this is just the beginning of a fantastic new series.

[Scolonak]

I had a hard time reading the book and wasn't that interested in it. But, I kept on reading and by the end I did want to know what was going to happen, especially to Robin and Comaran. She did a good job with character descriptions as I could visualize what the characters look like and their personalities as well. I would rate the book a 3.

[d3i6amo7nds]

I can't say I enjoyed this and found it quite boring in parts. I just felt that the author didn't give us any reason to care how Cuckoo had met her end or who was to blame.
I guessed the culprit early on but there were enough red herrings to make me constantly doubt my choice.
I thought the characters were well drawn, but perhaps more could have been made of Matthew and Charlotte.
To me the most interesting part was the developing relationship between Strike and Robin!
Not really my thing - too many lengthy descriptions and not enough action.
I 'd give it three stars out of five.

[smbucklin]

Interesting, even with the swear words I felt that it was very similar to a kid's book in tone--I never felt that things would get too dangerous/violent/out-of-hand.

[lucyrebecca123]

Sounds like one for the list

[arachneana]

The Cuckoo's Calling is a detective story with all the twists and turns the reader expects from the genre. The hero is, of course, the PI Cormoran Strike (what a name!) who, in conformity with the genre, is fighting his own demons and has a colourful and unconventional personal life. Called on by John Bristow, to investigate the death of his beautiful but troubled supermodel sister, Cormoran takes on the task of proving that her death is murder and not the suicide everyone, including the police, have concluded it to be. Among the host of characters we are presented with there are some thoroughly unpleasant ones including the conceited and pigheaded police detective, a host of wealthy, arrogant and spoiled models, designers, film producers & trophy spouses. Cormoran Strike, with his prosthetic leg, manipulative former girlfriend, estranged film star father and honourable military record, is IMO a super creation: funny & endearing, inspired & brilliant but also fragile. Equally entertaining is his temporary secretary. Robin is new to London & just recently engaged to the rather staid Matthew, she is a supremly efficient secretary but still somewhat innocent and with a latent awe of private detective work.
There are some great lines in this book such as a dress being described as "poison green" and a mouth clamped round a cigarette reminds Strike of "a cat's anus"! But considering the author is actually J K Rowling the line I liked best has to be towards the end of the book when Strike is wrapping up his case and confronts the murdered with his version of events and the murdered says "You ought to give up detecting and try fantasy writing".
I enjoyed this book immensly and the ending is wrapped up nicely and, for me anyway, totally surprising.
I would give it a 4.5/5* and I hope there will be more adventures for Cormoran Strike & Robin

Lol, somehow a "poison green" dress is familiar but I don't know about a "cat's anus", sounds original. I'm still having second thoughts about reading it.Well, I would have to get it first.