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 whodunit with a great narrator

The characters in this story are very nicely drawn. Things move along at a good pace, unlike so many works in this genre which tend to drag in the middle. The story is fairly conventional and the ending is just a bit too neat. Still in all, well worth the listen and highly entertaining. Hope Mr. Galbraith is working on a sequel.

Slow start but a great character

The performance was great. I thought the book started off really slow, some of the characters could of been better developed. However, as the book progressed the story became captivating and although mildly predictable, the ending did throw some surprises which I was grateful for. I would definitely recommend!!!

Amazing read!

First, the performance was truly terrific. Second, I adore the flawed Strike and really look forward to getting to know him better in future novels. Third, the story was a really great one. Those who say that this is out of Rowling’s league haven’t paid attention to the stories she weaves and the seeds she plants.

It’s just a fun read. Give it a go!

Wonderful mystery

As expected, Rowlings has a gift to create a vivid world of characters and personalities. Listened straight through for two days and wasn't disappointed.

Loved this!

New author and protagonist for me. I've already put the next one in my Wish List. Even though the similarity of the character's names confused me at times, I was confident that it would be tied together nicely, and I was not disappointed.

Awesome Book!

Loved it!! Ending surprised me which is awesome! I can usually guess how books will end.

Detective Fiction At It's Best

Would you consider the audio edition of The Cuckoo's Calling to be better than the print version?

I think that because this is such a consummate mystery with many clues that it would be just as good to read this as to listen to. Perhaps in some ways better.

What other book might you compare The Cuckoo's Calling to and why?

I would compare it to anything by PD James and the Ruth Rendell Inspector Wexford series. In fact, it reminds me a lot of Ruth Rendell. It's also reminiscent of Elizabeth George.

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

Cormoran Strike

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The denouement when Cormoran Strike faces the killer.

Any additional comments?

This book is a superb read. A ripping good yarn. It joins my top ten. It's hard to find gritty detective genre fiction. Cormoran Strike fits nicely. A troubled, broken hero, a suffering heart, money troubles, living on the edge. What an excellent new addition to follow all those other marginalized gumshoes. It's a great read. I wish I was starting it all over again. What a great pleasure. Top marks.

Surprisingly good

If you could sum up The Cuckoo's Calling in three words, what would they be?

Loved it; Robert Galbraith aka JKR surprises in her ability to write a crime novel.

What other book might you compare The Cuckoo's Calling to and why?

Not sure

Which scene was your favorite?

The ending wasn't spectacular or unexpected. It was, however, well-delivered.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Not sure a tag line would be appropriate for such a film

Fabulous story; fabulous narrator

The characters in this book really came to life. I don't know if it was Galbraith's (really J.K. Rowling's) terrific dialogue, or Glenister's facility with different accents and voices, but the characters were so distinct and believable!

I also liked the plot quite a bit. I'm a sucker for a good mystery, a down-and-out gumshoe who makes good, and anything British. So, this novel was the perfect listen for me, as it had all three.

What a debut for a new genre

The Cuckoo's Calling is one of the best detective books that I have read in several years. The writing is clever; the main characters are likeable, complex and yet flawed. The chemistry between the primary characters is outstanding – the story itself is funny, suspenseful and interesting. Rowling shows that she can master a completely different genre from the Harry Potter series. This is the first listen that I have for Robert Glenister but I must say his narration was first rate. There were a fairly large number of characters in the book and Mr Glenister was able to give each a distinct vocalization. It just all came together nicely to make a great book that I would strongly recommend, well worth the credit. Hopefully this is the beginning of a series and future offerings will bring back the main characters and also the narrator.