The Cuckoo's Calling

By: Robert Galbraith

Narrated by: Robert Glenister

Length: 15 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

Published under a pseudonym, J. K. Rowling’s brilliant debut mystery introduces Detective Cormoran Strike as he investigates a supermodel's suicide in “one of the best books of the year” (USA Today).

After losing his leg to a land mine in Afghanistan, Cormoran Strike is barely scraping by as a private investigator. Strike is down to one client, creditors are calling, and after a breakup with his longtime girlfriend, he’s living in his office.

Then John Bristow walks through his door with a shocking story: His sister, the legendary supermodel Lula Landry - known to her friends as the Cuckoo - famously fell to her death a few months earlier. The police ruled it a suicide, but John refuses to believe that. The case plunges Strike into the world of multimillionaire beauties, rock-star boyfriends, and desperate designers, and it introduces him to every variety of pleasure, enticement, seduction, and delusion known to man.

You may think you know detectives, but you've never met one quite like Strike. You may think you know about the wealthy and famous, but you've never seen them under an investigation like this.

Fast-paced and sharply drawn, this dazzling detective novel inspired Strike, the BBC crime drama series that has captivated millions of viewers worldwide.

©2013 Robert Galbraith (P)2013 Hachette Audio

Excellent story! Excellent narration!!

I really enjoyed this book. Everything was spot-on and it kept me guessing until the end. I look forward to more adult books from the author ;-)

I hope it is a series!

It would be a shame if this book is not the First of a series. It grabbed me from the first chapter, and would not turn loose. If you have a credit and can't figure out what to try, buy this book. You will not be disappointed.

Reading it would have been better

Should have bought the book. Too easy to get characters mixed up when just hearing their names.

took some time, loved it.

I wasn't totally sold till halfway through, then great to the end. don't know what it was early, but after I got into the characters and the story I loved it. can't wait to continue the CS story.

Good story, bad language

What did you like best about The Cuckoo's Calling? What did you like least?

I love mysteries, and this was no exception. Like with any good story, I was a little sad when I reached the end.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character was Cormoran Strike, but I loved Robin as well.

Which character – as performed by Robert Glenister – was your favorite?

Cormoran Strike

Do you think The Cuckoo's Calling needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Yes, a whole series would be great.

Any additional comments?

The only thing I struggled with while reading this was the language. I can get past a little swearing, but the offensive language in this book is over the top for me. It was very distracting. As I said, I loved the story, and I think a series could do well, but if the language continues I won't be reading any more. Which makes me sad.

From Fantasy to Murder Mystery

I picked this up because I was curious to know how good J.K. Rowling was at writing a detective story. I didn't know if I would have made the connection if I didn't know that Robert Galbraith was her pen name, but she used words and phrases that I thought belonged to a fantasy novel rather than a detective story in the first few chapters. They felt a little out of place, but the words did not appear in the second half of the book where the language became consistent to what I would expect in a detective novel.

The plot was interesting although it seemed a little slow at first. There were a lot of interviews and very little action for over half of the book. But the author did keep me guessing as to who the killer was until the revelation. I got very excited to know who had done it at the end, which is part of what I enjoy most about murder mystery novels. I would probably listen to another Cormoran Strike novel - the character does have potential.

Excellent story AND narration - a rare combination

I honestly don't understand why so many people disliked this book. No, it isn't Harry Potter. No, it isn't a thrill-a-minute crime caper. But it is thoughtful, well-written, and possessed of a great denouement. I've rounded up a 3.5 to 4 stars for this novel.

I really like Cormoran Strike. I like that he's flawed. I like that he's fat and poor and ill-dressed. I like that he's heartbroken. I like that he's nobody's image of a handsome, mysterious private detective.

I love that he's honorable and persistent and smart. I love that he's flawed and damaged, but still manages to do the right thing (most of the time). I love that he wants to be friends with his uber-attractive secretary, not bang her like a screen door in a tornado. In this day and age, that's a rare quality in real men, much less fictional ones. Fiction has veered so far into romance territory that it's hard to find a book wherein the main characters don't end up together.

The mystery part of this mystery is exceedingly well-plotted. I didn't have a clue whodunit until the very end, when the killer shows up at Strike's office. Even then, I couldn't believe it. So well done.

This one does get kind of plodding from time to time, but make sure that you've a quiet place to read, and you'll be fine. The language by itself is enough to keep one's attention, even if the plot isn't hitting you in the face every ten seconds.

I think the critics (who wanted more Harry Potter and if that's your expectation, you're sure to be disappointed) didn't even give this one a chance.

TL;DR: Slow and steady wins the race with The Cuckoo's Calling, but it's definitely worth the time, and I'm definitely picking up the next in the series.

Where's the Good Guy?

It is very hard to like a book when all the characters (except for Robin, a small part) are antagonists. The narrator is very good, but his voice makes one envision a short, stocky 60-year-old, and even though he is not the main character you can't help but see Strike as a short, stocky 60-year-old. He is supposed to be much younger, and rather good looking, but it is hard to see him that way. I love a good mystery, but don't care for the lengthy explanation at the end by the main character of how he figured it all out.

If you like English Thriller,this book is for you

This book caught my eye on those Audible Marketing e-mails , I was glad i listened to it . Do understand this is a book that is narrated from a British Author & Read buy one . So some times it was hard to understand the lingo ? But overall it was very good book with strong characters and good plot. I do recommended it and it was interesting . I think it was bit longer than it should have been .

Another Hit for the Author

Completely enjoyable. Robert, aka J.K., has done it again. I'm praying for a series of these books. I've told a lot of folks to read this book! The author kept me tuned in. At times I was expecting to know who the killer was before it was revealed but the author kept the tide turning.