For our inaugural Beaut.ie Book Club we'll be gabbing all about The Cuckoo’s Calling by J.K. Rowling (as Robert Galbraith). If you've read it, join in! If you haven't, ask questions! If you want to take the conversation to Twitter, join us there with the hashtag #BeautieBookClub.
When it came to my attention last year that J.K. Rowling had in fact released a detective novel under a pseudonym, I was both excited and intrigued! As a big fan of the Potter books, I was curious to see how she’d tackle a new series with an adult protagonist instead of the young teen hero that was Harry. I read her other novel, A Casual Vacancy, when it came out in 2012 and found it to be well written but ultimately a bit too bleak and depressing for my tastes. So I was eager to see if The Cuckoo’s Calling would be any more enjoyable. I do love a good old murder mystery and have read my fair share of Agatha Christie books over the years. In fact, it occurred to me that the Harry Potter books are all excellent whodunnits in their own way, so Rowling has had plenty of experience with this genre already.
- What I liked about it:
The two main characters, both of whom I found to be very likeable and well drawn. Cormoran Strike is an unlikely hero, but one that I came to admire quickly. Strike seems to be recovering from various traumas in his life - the tragic death of his mother at a young age, his estrangement from his famous father, losing a limb in the war in Afghanistan and learning to adjust to life as amputee, and last but not least, breaking up with his volatile fiancée. Despite all of this misfortune, he has a sort of willful determination to soldier on (pardon the pun!) and also to solve the mystery at hand. He is also a skilled investigator and seems be able to see through people’s murky testimonies instantly, a handy talent when you’re investigating a murder!
I also found the character of Robin to be quite well written. She is new to the thrilling world of private detecting and like us, she finds both Strike and the murder case fascinating. While Strike is a classic lone wolf who prefers to keep to himself, Robin is a bit more down to earth. She is bright and inquisitive. Like Robin, we quickly learn that there is more to Strike’s stoicism than meets the eye. Yet she is tactful enough not to pry and thereby earns his trust slowly but surely. They make a good investigative team.
- What I didn’t like:
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Even though I thought the plot started off well enough, with the suspicious death of supermodel Lula Landry, I found the ending to be a bit too predictable. Strike and Robin investigate Lula’s life and tragic death, discovering a messy personal and professional life filled with plenty of possibly murder suspects. Like Strike, Lula struggled to find anyone she could truly trust - a big problem when you’ve got a 10 million pound fortune and everyone wants a piece of you! Rowling's skill lies in crafting complicated characters with great backstories. Characters that you usually come to sympathise with quickly - flaws and all.
But the big twist towards the end was slightly unsatisfactory to me. SPOILER WARNING: All along I had been trying to figure out the killer’s identity and had wondered a few times if John Bristow might be the real murderer - but I dismissed this idea as it seemed too far fetched and obvious! When we find out that he indeed is the real killer and a madman at that - I was underwhelmed. Maybe if you hadn’t already guessed this yourself, you might be pleasantly surprised - but I was not!
I also found the sheer number of other characters to be difficult to keep track of, but that’s often the case with these sorts of murder mysteries, so I won’t hold that against Rowling. I’ve yet to start reading the second novel, The Silkworm, and there’s a third one due out in October to look forward to.
I have to say I enjoyed this book a lot more than I did The Casual Vacancy. It was more of classic page turner, much like the Potter books, which I appreciated. Rowling’s knack for writing interesting characters keeps you hooked and wanting more.
So what did you think of the book? I’m dying to hear how you got on! Did you guess who the killer was? Or did you not see it coming and love the twist? And what did you make of Strike himself? Is he a classic detective in the making or a bit of a cliché? Has Rowling got another winner of a book series on her hands? Let’s chat about it in the comments!!
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And let us know what books you’d like us to pick in the future. We’ll be back next month to talk about Caitlin Moran’s semi-autobiographical novel How To Build A Girl.
