I first heard of this series by Robert Galbraith aka J. K. Rowling, by a friend who posted on her instagram. I always admire her reading lists and so decided to take up this series, although mystery is not a genre I gravitate to.

If you are unfamiliar with this series, it follows a private detective, Cormoran Strike. Apart from his unique and catchy name (which is part of Strike’s interesting backstory), Cormoran is a completely likeable-unlikeable protagonist.

We are introduced to the burly, brusque, and unconventional private investigator in the first installment of the series: “The Cuckoo’s Calling”. Strike is struggling in his business: he has next to no clients and his bad financial state is compounded by his disability and poor health habits. Enter Robin Allacott; a young bright woman sent by a temp agency to assist Strike for a short time.

It happens that a desperate man comes to Strike with a case: to solve what he thinks is the murder of his famous younger sister. Strike is hesitant to accept this case on moral grounds–the man seems quite unstable and conspiratorial, as the police have already ruled the death of his sister a suicide. Yet, Strike needs the money. So, he agrees to take the case, plunging into the world of the rich and famous.

It has honestly been a bit since I last listened to this audiobook (I’ve been listening to the series through audiobook so far) and since this is a mystery, I am going to be scant in my thoughts, least I get something wrong or spoil something.

Once upon a time, in a far away land, I took a detective story course (I forget the exact name, it’s been so long). In that course we read a variety of sub genres under the umbrella of mystery from Wilkie Collins to Ian Rankin. The main detectives in these stories usually have unique personalities and prominent quirks that are made to stick with you. If the mystery does not interest you (which is rare) then the idiosyncratic or enigmatic detective will.

Strike made the biggest impression on me while I read this book. He’s a mess, not handsome, and has a gruff personality. But totally likeable though. When it comes to writing character the advice is to give them flaws. If everyone is a perfect snowflake all the time, then the readers will have a reason to hate your characters with a passion. Fortunately for Strike, he is riddled with flaws. That’s what makes him real and authentic. Instead of being this infallible big-brain, Strike contends with real life problems and has a tanker-full of trauma.

The second thing that captivated me was the interviews. Rowling has such an intriguing way of writing character descriptions, it is truly delightful. They read so real, interesting, and unique. I’ve been taking mental notes on how to describe someone to impress such a clear, mental picture in a reader’s brain.

I will say that I got kinda lost in the whole detective-ing process. I had zero clue as to what the solution was. I was so wrapped up in trying to keep up, that I lost track of Strike’s method and how he could be deducing the truth of the mystery.

The end took me by surprise, which was great. I was dead wrong in the theories I had come with while reading the book. Reveals in mysteries are the perfect way to display the detective’s smarts and cunning, holding the reader captive and in awe. That said, the reveal of “The Cuckoo’s Calling” was tense and had me in a choke-hold for sure.

In the end I gave “The Cuckoo’s Calling” 3.5/5 stars. There are some clever twists and a feeling of building anticipation that I literally could not stop listening to this audiobook. Strike made the book for me, as well as the visceral character and smell descriptions. *

*side note: I read somewhere that writers should always write the 5 senses but should focus or hone at least 2 senses in their writings. My theory is that Rowling is really good at writing scent descriptions. Several times in this novel, and in the later ones, she uses scent to describe someone and it is so unique and/or unusual, it adds to characterization.

As soon as I finished this book, I knew this was a series that I was going to love. I already have collected the hardcover of this book, and am pleased to have it as part of my collection to reread some day 🙂

What are your thoughts on Cormoran Strike, his likeable-unlikability, or on “The Cuckoo’s Calling” in general?

Thanks for being here, Pax 🙂