The Cuckoo's Calling

I don't read a lot of crime novels. I've picked up the occasional mystery, and I did get into the Girl With a Dragon Tattoo books (also known as the Millenium Trilogy, but apparently no one else knows that) when they were popular. I usually find them enjoyable, but they aren't the bread and butter of my reading. But when I found out JK Rowling had penned a book (soon to be series) in this genre, I had to check it out. Not urgently, obviously, but it's been floating on my to-read list, and I finally found a paperback copy.

Not being an expert in the genre, I guess I can't really talk about how it stacks up against other crime and mystery novels. But I found it very enjoyable. The mystery was well-paced, and the clues scattered throughout. There were plenty of reasonable suspects, which kept me on my toes. And I came very close to figuring it out, but hadn't quite put all of the pieces together before Strike's big monologue reveal. (I may have if I hadn't accidentally added an hour to my commute by getting on the wrong train, resulting in me finishing the book a day before I'd planned to.)

The detective, Cormoran Strike, is a pretty great protagonist. He's got his problems, he's got an interesting background. He's also incredibly methodical, which I appreciate and don't always see. His army background made him diligent and thorough, which are great traits for a detective. He's not necessarily smarter than everyone around him (like Sherlock), but it's believable that he would put together pieces that everyone else overlooked.

His secretary, Robin, is an absolute delight, and I hope to see a lot more of her in future books. She's romantic, while still being ruthlessly efficient. She's got tact to spare, isn't shy about taking the initiative, and is super smart to boot. Every time the book swung around to her point of view I was happy to spend a bit more time in her head.

The point of view does change somewhat randomly. At first it seems like it will be a chapter thing, but then it happens a page into a new chapter, and I got thrown. Once I knew what to expect, it became a lot easier to navigate. And Rowling's language is, as always, pretty flowery and occasionally over the top. It's a distinctive style that I think people are more comfortable with in children's fantasy than serious adult books, but it's never bothered me.

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