Cuckoo'S Calling, The (Book 1 Of Cormoran Strike)

Description: When a troubled model falls to her death from a snow-covered Mayfair balcony, it is assumed that she has committed suicide. However, her brother has his doubts, and calls in private investigator Cormoran Strike to look into the case. Strike is a war veteran - wounded both physically and psychologically - and his life is in disarray. The case gives him a financial lifeline, but it comes at a personal cost: the more he delves into the young model's complex world, the darker things get - and the closer he gets to terrible danger ...A gripping, elegant mystery steeped in the atmosphere of London - from the hushed streets of Mayfair to the backstreet pubs of the East End to the bustle of Soho - The Cuckoo's Calling is a remarkable book. Introducing Cormoran Strike, this is the acclaimed first crime novel by J.K. Rowling, writing under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.

Review: The Cuckoo's Calling reminds me why I fell in love with crime fiction in the first place Val McDermid One of the most unique and compelling detectives I've come across in years Mark Billingham One of the best crime novels I have ever read Alex Gray Everytime I put this book down, I looked forward to reading more. Galbraith writes at a gentle pace, the pages rich with description and with characters that leap out of them. I loved it. He is a major new talent Peter James Just once in a while a private detective emerges who captures the public imagination in a flash. And here is one who might well do that ... There is no sign that this is Galbraith's first novel, only that he has a delightful touch for evoking London and capturing a new hero. An auspicious debut Daily Mail In a rare feat, Galbraith combines a complex and compelling sleuth and an equally well-formed and unlikely assistant with a baffling crime in his stellar debut ... Readers will hope to see a lot more of this memorable sleuthing team Publishers Weekly, starred review Laden with plenty of twists and distractions, this debut ensures that readers will be puzzled and totally engrossed for quite a spell Library Journal A scintillating debut novel ... Galbraith delivers sparkling dialogue and a convincing portrayal of the emptiness of wealth and glamour The Times, Saturday Review Utterly compelling ... a team made in heaven and I can't wait for the next in the series Saga Magazine The detective and his temp-agency assistant are both full and original characters and their debut case is a good, solid mystery Morning Star The plot could have come from an Agatha Christie novel and yet The Cuckoo's Calling is absolutely of today, colourfully written and great fun Bookoxygen.com Galbraith demonstrates superb flair as a mystery writer Birmingham Post This debut is instantly absorbing, featuring a detective facing crumbling circumstances with resolve instead of cliched self-destruction and a lovable sidekick with contagious enthusiasm for detection ... Kate Atkinson's fans will appreciate his reliance on deduction and observation along with Galbraith's skilled storytelling Booklist The most engaging British detective to emerge so far this year ... An astonishingly mature debut from Galbraith, it marks the start of a fine crime career Daily Mail online Her crime debut beguilingly shows that she can renounce magic and yet be magical Sunday Times Robert Galbraith has written a highly entertaining book...Even better, he has introduced an appealing protagonist in Strike, who's sure to be the star of many sequels to come...Its narrative moves forward with propulsive suspense New York Times The master is back. In The Cuckoo's Calling, a detective novel that Rowling published under the pseudonym of Robert Galbraith, she returns to the strengths that made Harry Potter - the beautiful sense of pacing, the deep but illusionless love for her characters - without sacrificing the expanded range of The Casual Vacancy. In doing so, she's written one of the books of the year Charles Finch, USA Today Rowling moves through the polished world of fashion designers and rock stars with the same aplomb as she did when writing about wizards and witches Vogue Rowling switches genres seamlessly...A gritty, absorbing tale Ellen Shapiro, People Cleverly plotted...Rowling serves up a sushi platter of red herring, sprinkling clues along the way, before Strike draws a confession out of the killer in a climax straight out of Agatha Christie Entertainment Weekly I wasn't disappointed. Whether she's writing about Dementors or detectives, Rowling is a pro Daily Beast The novel is the work of a master storyteller Daily Telegraph Cracking detective novel Observer

Author Biography: Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym for J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series and The Casual Vacancy.