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The Cuckoo's Calling  By  cover art

The Cuckoo's Calling

By: Robert Galbraith
Narrated by: Robert Glenister
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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

Featured Article: The 20 Best Mystery Audiobooks to Entertain Your Inner Sleuth


Looking for the perfect audiobook to keep you engrossed and engaged during your next long drive, weekend chores, or a long work day? Look no further than this list of puzzling, mind-bending mysteries that will have you holding on to every word as the narrator pulls you in on the search for clues. We’ve narrowed this wide-spanning genre down to 20 of the best mystery audiobooks we’ve heard so you can get to listening and searching for answers.

Editor's Pick

Warning: will cause a fierce attachment to fictional characters and an inability to press pause
"The Cuckoo’s Calling is a masterfully written gritty detective story that hooks you and refuses to let go until its pulse-pounding conclusion. J. K. Rowling (writing under a pseudonym) shows off her literary range in this compelling thriller. The only good thing about finishing this one is the three more equally unpauseable Cormoran Strike thrillers that are ready to listen to and get lost in."
Catherine H., Audible Editor

What listeners say about The Cuckoo's Calling

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    22,277
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  • Overall
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it!

Don't pay any mind to the odd negative reviews. If you're a fan of a true mystery, and well developed characters, you'll really enjoy this book. The writing was excellent, the narrator was excellent, and I loved the "slowness" of this book, and the thoroughness in which Strike investigates, and that we, as the listeners are spared no detail! I loved that this was a true murder mystery & thriller, yet not something crude and disturbing like so many other murder mysteries out there, if that makes sense? (to elaborate, the author didn't feel the need to add some psychotic rapist and a bunch of torture and gore to keep readers at suspense, since plain old run-of-the-mill murder itself should be disturbing enough, Hey?) Highly recommend all around, and as a huge JK fan, I can't believe I hadn't discovered this series sooner! Very thrilled to start the next book!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

pretty good mystery

pretty good mystery.

a long read but still pretty good.

liked the main characters and the attempt to make them more dimensional.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Just Great!

It was great, and ended too soon! The narrator made the story come alive. Can't wait to listen to the next in series.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Addicted to reading about Cormoran and Robin

I am so on love with the characters . This first book in the series is as intriguing the second time I read it as the first. I love the relationship of Cormoran and Robin, and the intrigue, intelligence , complexity and cadence of the story telling are so good that I am addicted. I plan to listen to it again a third time soon but after I have read the second , third and fourth book again. first I have to attend to daily chores I have recently neglected during my second reading but my husband is not complaining because he loves the stories too. I am anxiously waiting for the fifth book to come out as well.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic!

A captivating story, exceptionally well written, detailed on the edge of too much ... but I loved it! Scene after scene I could just see it because of all these big and small details given to me
This is an unusually extended story - as an audio it gave me more hours of listening than I have ever experienced- I don’t remember how many chapters, but they were many! To some that might have been a problem when all that they are looking for is the finding of the guilty one. This story gave so much, much more!
I will look for this author and get the next book as soon as posible.
If you are looking fore more than just a criminal story with the crime and the finding of the guilty Onia you are looking for a real chance to follow the search al along and know more about the real life of those taking part of the plot
if you like a detailed description of where every scene is and about the personalities by detailed descriptions of their behavior, there tone when they speak and things like that - then I really really recommend this book to you

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Language!

I liked the story and the performance. I wanted to listen. But I had to bail about 1/3 of the way through. I just couldn't take the language. It got to the point that there was not a sentence without the F word.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Good plot

Good story and plot too much heavy swearing though fast paced not sure if I’ll continue the series

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

boring... just talking.

boring. just talking . you don't really care about any of the characters. at first it was okay, but it drags on and on... had to delete it. just so boring.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great Writing, Too Many F-bombs

This was an intriguing and well-told story. Strike is a genius and Robin is likeable. I can appreciate the desire for realistic dialogue, but 500+ F-bombs is just excessive. I'm a HS teacher, so I hear vulgarity constantly. I like to avoid it when I can.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • HL
  • 07-19-20

Well Done!

I’m not a mystery fan, but was curious given the reviews and the author. I really enjoyed this book. The writing was fantastic! I’m diving into the next book.

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