Published under a pseudonym, J. K. Rowling's brilliant debut mystery introduces Detective Cormoran Strike as he investigates a supermodel's suicide in "one of the best books of the year" (USA Today), the first novel in the brilliant series that inspired the acclaimed HBO Max series C.B. Strike. After losing his leg to a land mine in Afghanistan, Cormoran Strike is barely scraping by as a private investigator. Strike is down to one client, creditors are calling, and after a breakup with his longtime girlfriend, he's living in his office. Then John Bristow walks through his door with a shocking story: His sister, the legendary supermodel Lula Landry -- known to her friends as the Cuckoo -- famously fell to her death a few months earlier. The police ruled it a suicide, but John refuses to believe that. The case plunges Strike into the world of multimillionaire beauties, rock-star boyfriends, and desperate designers, and it introduces him to every variety of pleasure, enticement, seduction, and delusion known to man. You may think you know detectives, but you've never met one quite like Strike. You may think you know about the wealthy and famous, but you've never seen them under an investigation like this.
Industry Reviews
"THE CUCKOO'S CALLING reminds me why I fell in love with crime fiction in the first place."--Val McDermid, bestselling author of The Vanishing Point "Robert Galbraith's debut is as hardbitten and hard-driving as its battered hero. CUCKOO'S CALLING scales the glittering heights of society even as it plumbs the dark depths of the human heart. A riveting read from an author to watch."--Mike Cooper, Shamus Award-winning author of Clawback "The private eye novel is not dead. It was merely waiting for Robert Galbraith to give it a firm squeeze, goosing it back to bold, new life. Hardboiled crime fans are going to go cuckoo for this one. I haven't had this much with a detective novel in years."--Duane Swierczynski, Shamus and Anthony Award-winning author of FUN & GAMES "Cormoran Strike is an amazing creation and I can't wait for his next outing. Strike is so instantly compelling that it's hard to believe this is a debut novel. I hope there are plenty more Cormoran Strike adventures to come. A beautifully written debut novel introducing one of the most unique and compelling detectives I've come across in years."--Mark Billingham, author of "The Demands" "A remarkably assured debut. Robert Galbraith's portrayal of celebrity-obsessed modern London is at once beautifully written and utterly engrossing, his characters so real you could eat dinner with them, his ever-coiling plot guaranteed to keep you up past your bedtime. I couldn't put it down."""--Owen Laukkanen, author of The Professionals "Combines a complex and compelling sleuth and an equally well-formed and unlikely assistant with a baffling crime...A stellar debut."-- Publishers Weekly, starred review "Plenty of twists...Totally engrossing...Galbraith's take on contemporary celebrity obsession makes for a grand beach read."-- Library Journal, starred review (Mystery Debut of the Month) "Instantly absorbing, featuring a detective facing crumbling circumstances with resolve instead of cliched self-destruction and a lovable sidekick with contagious enthusiasm for detection. Strike bears little resemblance to Jackson Brodie, but Kate Atkinson's fans will appreciate his reliance on deduction and observation along with Galbraith's skilled storytelling."-- Booklist "One of the books of the year."-- USA Today "I couldn't stop myself from thoroughly enjoying "The Cuckoo's Calling... "The book's real magic is in Rowling's distinctive descriptive prose."--Carole E. Barrowman, "Milwaukee Journal Sentinel" "One of the books of the year." "USA Today"" "It's really, really good - beautifully written with a terrific plot ... It's a terrific read, gripping, original and funny ... Please, please give us more of Robert Galbraith and Cormoran Strike. I can't wait for the next"--Richard & Judy, Daily Express "a strong and enticing read ... It's a gripping tale set in bustling London, and the author - whether called Galbraith or Rowling - shows superb flair as a mystery writer"
--Irish Examiner "An extravagant, alien, fascinating world for its characters to explore...great pleasures."--Slate "[Rowling's] literary gift is on display in this work. She crafts an entertaining story [and] comes up with an ending that I'll admit I was surprised by. . . . A fun read, with a main character you can care about and one you'll want to see again in other adventures."--Washington Post "Rowling switches genres seamlessly...a gritty, absorbing tale."--People (3.5/4 stars) "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. More important, Strike and his now-permanent assistant, Robin (playing Nora to his Nick, Salander to his Blomkvist), have become a team - a team whose further adventures the reader cannot help eagerly awaiting."--Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times "One of the books of the year."--USA Today
