The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith MYS Gal

So the literary story of the year is that J.K. Rowling wrote a mystery for adults under the pseudonym “Robert Galbraith”.  It's an old-fashioned, procedural mystery in which there is no magic, no Harry Potters, and (sadly) no pygmy puffs.   The Cuckoo’s Calling received positive reviews from critics but was not a commercial success.  

What happened next is a source of debate.  According to one story, Britain’s Sunday Times became suspicious of how a first-time author with a military background could write such a polished book.  They hired a linguistics expert to analyze the book and concluded that Rowling wrote the book.  Another story claims that a friend of the wife of Rowling's lawyer tweeted a Times reporter with the scoop.  Perhaps a little of both is true.  Either way, Rowling’s authorship was revealed and Cuckoo’s Calling soared to the top of the bestseller’s list.

Regardless of who the author was or how she was revealed (or the "denouement" as we mystery lovers like to call it), the real story is the book is very good.  In fact, it's more than good, it's pretty fantastic.

The plot follows a typical mystery scenario – supermodel Lula Landry plunges off a balcony to her death in what the police rule a suicide.  Lula’s brother, John Bristow, disagrees and hires a down-on-his-luck private investigator, Cormoran Strike, to discover who murdered her.  

Since losing his leg in the war in Afghanistan, Strike has left the military to start his own PI business.  Unfortunately, he has only one client, he’s living in his office after being kicked out of his girlfriend's apartment, and he has no idea how he’s going to pay his secretary, Robin.  Strike is pretty sure Lula’s death is a suicide but he’s desperate for the money so he agrees to take the case anyway.  And so begins an extraordinary investigation which takes him (and the ever resourceful Robin) into the colorful lives of the vulgar rich and famous.  The more they learn about Lula's last days from her family, friends, and groupies, the murkier the case becomes.

What sets The Cuckoo's Calling apart from being another run-of-the-mill mystery is Rowling's skilled storytelling and rich characterizations.  She has perfected the art of telling us just enough of a character's backstory to make him/her interesting while still holding back enough to keep us wondering.  Strike is one of the most intriguing characters created in recent years, and his relationship with Robin promises to be one of the best collaborations since Harry met Hermoine.