Staff Reviews
This is the first book of a mystery series that follows the misadventures of Cormoran Strike, a former soldier now private investigator living in downtown London, and his new assistant/secretary Robin, a young girl working for a temp agency.
A famous supermodel named Lula Landry, known to her friends as the Cuckoo, jumps to her death. Being a celebrity, the police take the case very seriously and, after much investigation, conclude that her death was of her own volition.
Months later, her brother John Bristow, still refusing to believe that his sister would commit suicide, comes to Cormoran Strike for help. After losing his leg to a landmine in Afghanistan, Cormoran uses his expertise to become a private detective, but he is now down on his luck. His longstanding girlfriend just dumped him, he is down to one client, and he is not even sure how he’s going to be able to pay for his new secretary. Needing the money, he decides to take the case and look into the death of John’s sister, which leads him into the upper social circles of supermodels, designers, and rock stars.
Robert Galbraith, a pseudonym for J.K. Rowling (author of Harry Potter and Casual Vacancy), does a spectacular job with showing a celebrity-obsessed London, and creates exceptional character depth in this book! You’ll get a real sense of Cormoran’s desperation and loneliness, or Robin’s eagerness to help her boss and learn more about the exciting realm of being a private detective. A must-read mystery series!
— From
Devin
Description
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).
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.
Fast-paced and sharply drawn, this dazzling detective novel inspired Strike, the BBC crime drama series that has captivated millions of viewers worldwide.
About the Author
Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym for J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potterseries and The Casual Vacancy.
Praise For…
"One of the books of the year."
—
USA Today"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,
New York Times"Rowling switches genres seamlessly...a gritty, absorbing tale."
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People (3.5 out of 4 stars)"[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."
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Washington Post"An extravagant, alien, fascinating world for its characters to explore...great pleasures."
—
Slate.com
