THE CUCKOO'S CALLING

Wounded war veteran and private investigator Cormoran Strike is in a mess both physically and psychologically.  However when the brother of a model who fell to her death from a balcony in Mayfair approaches him it looks as if he’s been thrown a lifeline.

Down to one client, broken up with his girlfriend and using his office as his home.  Yet, as he investigates what everybody believes to be a suicide matters go from bad to worse.  The more he investigates the closer to danger he gets. As his investigation uncovers eccentricity, deception and jealousy amongst the group of intriguing and disparate characters Strike finds himself surrounded in a peculiar environment where anything can happen and anything does.

The Cuckoo’s Calling is a stylishly written traditional crime novel set in not only the rarified streets of Mayfair but also amidst the hustle and bustle of Soho and the pubs found in the alley’s of the East End.  Cormoran Strike may not be your usual private detective (his background is unusual) but he is certainly someone that you want to spend time with. Galbraith’s characterisation is splendid and pops off the page and his sense of place is rich and intense.

This is a good debut novel with an excellent protagonist in Strike. However, if there is one thing that put a dampener on this debut novel is the fact that there is a tad too much repetition of information, which spoils this otherwise excellent story.  Despite this I look forward to reading more about Cormoran Strike. He is fascinating to say the least.