Enthusiastic Book Rec: The Cuckoo's Calling
It's a great pleasure to heartily recommend The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (a.k.a. J.K. Rowling), mostly because it's been a long time since I've been so invested in a story and its characters, but also because it made me gasp aloud not once but twice, with two reveals that I did not see coming at all. This book is all the things that Rowling did well with the Harry Potter series, but a different story and setting, and, obviously, much more adult tone throughout. One of the things that Rowling does especially well is create characters who I sympathize with, and this book had it spades, from the gruff, wounded detective who is the hero of the story, to the homeless, drug-addicted friend of the dead woman who seethes with anger and resentment, but is ultimately portrayed as human, and not just a plot device. Another excellent element of this story is its plot, which moves along briskly enough, but slows down when necessary to give its characters and settings time to breathe, to come alive and make sense.
To be honest, this book was also a pleasure because it reminded me why I love the mystery genre. I'd gotten soured after reading a succession of books where women's bodies were in pieces, bits and limbs of victims everywhere, but with no soul. It's a misogynistic trend that bothers me, and I was a little wary of starting another story that featured a female victim. But The Cuckoo's Calling never glorified or overindulged in the violence that lead to the murder. Instead, there was a lot of discussion of who the murdered person was, and why her life mattered to people. That's a welcome change from the scores of serial killer books where bodies pile up namelessly.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a densely plotted and populated mystery that takes place in a modern, urban setting, with a flawed hero and resourceful sidekick. Hell, I recommend this book to just about anyone who enjoys a good mystery.
To be honest, this book was also a pleasure because it reminded me why I love the mystery genre. I'd gotten soured after reading a succession of books where women's bodies were in pieces, bits and limbs of victims everywhere, but with no soul. It's a misogynistic trend that bothers me, and I was a little wary of starting another story that featured a female victim. But The Cuckoo's Calling never glorified or overindulged in the violence that lead to the murder. Instead, there was a lot of discussion of who the murdered person was, and why her life mattered to people. That's a welcome change from the scores of serial killer books where bodies pile up namelessly.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a densely plotted and populated mystery that takes place in a modern, urban setting, with a flawed hero and resourceful sidekick. Hell, I recommend this book to just about anyone who enjoys a good mystery.