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I had read a lot of hype about Robert Galbraith's (aka J K Rowling's) first detective novel THE CUCKOO'S CALLING so I thought I would see what the hype was about. I was disappointed. This was one of the most ordinary private detective novels I have read for some time (and I read a lot of them).
The plot is somewhat hackneyed, with a former military investigator, Cormoran Strike, struggling to keep his one-person PI business away from the debt collectors. His personal life is also in tatters as his long term relationship has just ended, he has nowhere to stay and is living on a camp bed in his office.
One day he gets a new, and rich client, John Bristow, who wants him to investigate the death of his super-model sister Lula Landry who fell from a balcony of her luxury London apartment almost into a crowd of paparazzi. The police have thoroughly investigated the death and the Coroner has declared that it is suicide.
There follows a Strike's competent and detailed investigation of Lula's death involving interviewing the super-rich, super-rockers, super-designers and super-rude people. Almost accidentally he is assisted by Robin Ellacott, a personal assistant provided through a temporary employee agency, who proves to be a very keen and competent sleuth. There could be and should be some kind of emotional connection between Cormoran and Robin but this doesn't happen in this book but may in the future. Cormoran is set up as a bit of a tough guy who has served in Afghanistan but he is too shy/sensitive to tell Robin that he has a false leg from a bomb injury.
While there are a few twists and turns in the plot, it really didn't keep my attention and I worked out what was happening fairly early in the book. Because I finished it I gave it 2.5 stars but I am not rushing out to buy the sequel.
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