"The Cuckoo's Calling" by Robert Galbraith (a.k.a J.K. Rowling)

If you're looking for a beach read or something to keep you occupied on a long flight - this is it. A Cuckoo's Calling takes readers on a jaunt through London in the springtime as private detective, Cormoran Strike, and his efficient young secretary solve a high-profile crime case. Galbraith (or rather, J.K. Rowling) introduces us to a host of quirky characters. While none are quite as endearing as Harry, Ron, and Hermione, they do reel us into the plot. I recommend the audio book. Listening to the story narrated in a British accent makes it all the more entertaining.

The story opens with Robin, a young transplant from the English countryside, recently engaged and working at a series of temp jobs while looking for something more permanent. She is rather excited about her next placement. The agency has sent her to temp for a private detective! Detective work has secretly been her lifelong ambition. However, when she arrives at the office building she is nearly taken trampled by an angry female and a lumbering, overweight man in hot pursuit. The two are clearly at the end of a massive fight (or "row" as the British call it). It turns out that the male pursuer is her new boss. Contrary to first impressions, Strike turns out to be a decent character. After an awkward introduction he tries to get her settled in to his dingy office, which doubles as his home since he was recently kicked out of the aforesaid angry female's flat. Soon, a wealthy lawyer named John Bristow shows up at the office with his somewhat frumpy, and seemingly reluctant girlfriend. Bristow is seeking a private detective to investigate the death of his sister, the famed model, Lula Landry. Though Lula's death was a major event in the press, it had been confirmed a suicide, a conclusion that most, including Bristow's girlfriend, accepted as fact. John Bristow, however is not convinced. Strike is even somewhat skeptical about Bristow's interpretation of the death. As a pretty decent fellow, Strike is reluctant to take Bristow's money for a case he feels will reveal few new details. However, Strike's financial circumstances are rather grim and the need for cash ultimately prevails.

What follows is, at the outset, a somewhat disorganized investigation into the various and sundry characters who wafted in and out of Lula's life in her final days. Strike, an oafish middle-aged Afghan war veteran and Robin, a smart and savvy budding detective herself, make a superb and somewhat comical team. The inauspicious beginning to Robin's stint with Detective Strike foreshadows many more awkward moments. As the two skirt in and out of the lives of the rich and famous and those who cater to their every whim, they find a complex network of drama lurking at every turn. The investigations even takes them to a couple individuals from the lower rungs of London society. Thus we get a diverse cast of characters that adds color and spark to the novel. We soon learn that this eclectic mix of individuals is not quite as random as they may seem. The investigation takes us through a web of intrigue, full of all the twists and turns that make for an engaging detective novel.

The Cuckoo's Calling was a legitimately amusing story. It wasn't anything earth-shattering, probably not very memorable, and certainly not the greatest book J.K. Rowling's ever written (she's at a distinct disadvantage here). However, if we take it for what it is: a London detective novel - and not a-London-detective-novel-by-the-author-of-Harry-Potter then it will most assuredly serve its purpose as a thoroughly enjoyable read.