The Cuckoo's Calling

Cuckoo's Calling is the first mystery novel written by Robert Galbraith, or—as "he" is better known—J.K. Rowling. The fact that J.K. Rowling is so famous and popular can skew opinion of her books (which is why she tried to publish it under a pseudonym in the first place), but fear not: I was never a huge Harry Potter fan, and, while I did initially add Cuckoo's Calling to my pile because it was J.K. Rowling's mystery book, I had completely forgotten about that until literally the moment I started to write this review. So my opinion is completely unbiased!

The book is pretty good, but doesn't feel like the work of an experienced mystery writer (probably because it isn't). Our detective is Cormoran Strike, a down-on-his-luck private detective who lost part of his leg in the military and is the illegitimate son of a famous rock star. At the beginning of the story he is approached by a man named John Bristow to investigate the death of his sister Lula Landry.

Lula was a world-famous supermodel who fell to her death from her apartment balcony three months ago. She had had a history of mental illness, so the police and press had decided her death was a suicide. But John, as well as some of Lula's other friends and family, refuse to believe that she killed herself. Building security searched Lula's apartment immediately after she fell and the paparazzi were swarming outside her building all night—so could somebody really have entered and left the apartment unseen to commit the crime?

Cuckoo's Calling fits the mold of a modern mystery, but has the plotting of a classic whodunnit hidden underneath. The backdrop isn't a cozy English country house, but the fashion and entertainment industries filled with glamour, nightclubs, and drugs. There isn't a closed set of suspects, so Cormoran instead needs to question every person involved in Lula's life.

It's hard to tell what the story is leading up to, since it doesn't seem to have the same focus as traditional detective fiction. But Cormoran isn't quite as stingy as the golden age detectives, so before the denouement we get to hear a few deductions and discover that "Galbraith" actually has been preparing more to this case than initially meets the eye.

While Cuckoo's Calling is miles better than mysteries that simply lead you around for 200 pages and then say "That's the killer because I said so," the payoff is a mixed bag. The decisive element, in my opinion, that prevents the solution from feeling arbitrary is that there are concrete contradictions and physical pieces of evidence for us to latch onto. But while there is very good cluing for some parts of the solution, there are others where the thread between the clue and the conclusion is so tenuous and conjectural that the fact that Cormoran was able to make the logical jump was immersion-breaking.

The story is well-plotted for the most part, but it might actually be too intricate. The movements of the witnesses on the day of the death are not limited to one building, or even one city. There are so many people moving around so many places without a strong sense of setting for any one location. The contradictions are there, but it's quite difficult to keep track of all the testimony and notice the discrepancies.

The characters are distinct and well-defined, but none of them (including Cormoran) feel particularly noteworthy. Cormoran's backstory (as the son of a rock star) consistently stays peripherally relevant to the investigation, as a number of characters know his father, but this never becomes intrusive. It also helps explain why Cormoran doesn't become starstruck when meeting the celebrities involved in the case.

While I haven't mentioned her yet, there's actually a second protagonist that Cormoran shares the spotlight with: his new temporary secretary, Robin. She's an intelligent, capable woman working temporary jobs until she can land something more stable. Robin is a bit enamored with the idea of a private detective, and it's fun sharing the point of view with someone who's excited with the prospect of digging into and solving crimes. Even though I didn't think any specific character was particularly great, the relationship of respect and camaraderie that develops between Cormoran and Robin is natural and gratifying.

Overall, Cuckoo's Calling is a fine mystery, and one that doesn't fall into the trappings of most modern "mystery" books. The book is written by J.K. Rowling, and I'd expect basically anything written by her to be at least decent. I think she has talent in the genre, but also some weaknesses. Cuckoo's Calling is the first in a series, so I hope that Rowling is able to refine her skills in the future entries.