If I can use one word to describe this book, it would be: BORING. I am a huge mystery reader, in fact, that’s pretty much all I read. I am the connoisseur of the mystery/thriller/crime genre. The biggest critique of “The Cuckoo’s Calling” is not the writing (oddly enough). The writing was fantastic; the character development was decent and the mystery could have been compelling. However, when I’m 3/4 through the book and *nothing* has happened except Strike interviews, the writing means little to nothing to me and the story in its entirety suffers.
The arc of a typical novel/story goes something like this:
Exposition: A comprehensive description/explanation
Rowling did a decent job in the beginning and then it just never ended. Strike, a down-and-out private investigator, and Robin, a temping administrative assistant and new to London, get their back stories, although for a mystery it goes a bit too in-depth for my standards. Then we get to the new client, John Bristow. His famous, adopted sister was killed 3 months previously from a fall from her balcony. The police ruled it a suicide, but Bristow is a firm believer that his sister, Lula Landry, was murdered. Sounds enticing right?
Rising Action
Here’s where it’s total snooze-ville. Strike begins interviewing the family, police, witnesses, and friends. This is 1/2 the book. I’m serious, the interviews. By the time I was in Part 4 I wanted to skip to the last chapter. Where is the climax, the ‘Ah-Ha Moment’ that we all wait for in mystery novels? Keep in mind the writing is really good. It’s detailed and incredibly character driven. The writing is so good that you forget what Strike is investigating in the first place because Rowling is so concerned with creating these scenes and characters that, in all honesty, play no big part in the murder or the “Ah-Ha Moment.’ The only useful witness is mysteriously murdered soon after Strike meets her. Ugh, ok Rowling get to the point, who killed Lula Landry (and the witness)?
Climax (SPOILER ALERT)
As I said, the story doesn’t actually come to a head until the middle/end of Part 4 there are 5 Parts in this novel). I remember narrowing it down to John Bristow (the adopted brother) and Tony Landry (the rich, mean uncle). It turns out that Lula Landry had quite the modeling career in her short life and she has a ton of money in a trust,also obvious was that the down and out friend who revealed nothing to Strike was being paid to keep her mouth shut while she blackmailed the real killer and who turned up dead in the Thames. So inevitably I deduced that whoever did this has money to spare, which is how I got to either Uncle Tony or adopted brother Bristow. Also, Strike found the much discussed but missing blue note paper which as it turns out is a will, key to the murder/suicide. Alright it’s finally getting exciting, keep in mind here that I am about 50 pages away from the ending of an approximately 400 paged book.
Falling Action (MORE SPOLIERS)
Like I said, the perpetrator is either Bristow, the man who hired Strike in the first place, or the wealthy Uncle Tony. However, given everything Rowling has given us, it doesn’t make sense that Bristow would kill his sister and then hire Strike months later to find the ‘real’ killer. I begin to think there must have been some hanky-panky between Lula and Uncle Tony, because let’s face it, he’s the only one with a motive (for money).
Bristow arrives to Strike’s office at dusk to discuss the case. Strike begins giving Bristow a blow-by-blow of the murder. Bristow becomes fidgety. All of this makes me think, “Wait, Bristow did it? That doesn’t even make sense.” Strike tells Bristow how he did it, which is news to me. In any good mystery, the author is supposed to leave hints to the reader so he/she can put it together themselves. Rowling gave no clues, rather happenstance situations which leaves the reader to ponder 3-4 possibilities that could have occurred and no clear clue. Throughout the book Strike doesn’t let on to what could have gone on. In fact, Strike appears just as clueless as the reader as to the identity of the murderer (or if there even was one) throughout the entire book (until the very end, that is).
Imagine my shock and awe when Bristow lashes out at Strike in his office and attempts to kill Strike. It turns out Bristow took a large amount of money from the family law practice and required Lula’s money to fill the negative balance before the partners found out. That’s an interesting twist Rowling, EXCEPT I didn’t hear about this until that very bloody meeting between Bristow and Strike. That’s a pretty good motive/clue Rowling; and to leave it until the end is an insult to my time. At this point I’m combing through my thoughts, the story, clues, characters, anything that would have hinted at Bristow as the culprit, and there’s nothing. I even read other people’s opinions on the book and they felt the same way.
Denouement: Resolution
Robin saves Strike just in time and Bristow is arrested. The entire meeting was recorded. Strike gets the notoriety and fame he has so graciously worked for and Robin gets a permanent position at Strike’s PI Firm. It turns out that Uncle Tony knew Bristow did it but in turn would have admitted to sleeping with the partner’s wife. Tony was also aware that Bristow had killed his adopted kid brother all those years ago too. Uncle Tony’s a despicable person and, I think, just as culpable as Bristow.
All in all, 360 pages of mediocre, long-winded writing and storytelling, with 40 pages of excitement. Seriously Rowling? I now have to read “The Silkworm,” the second installment in the Strike series for a book club meeting. I am not looking forward to it, based on the ferris wheel of a rideof “The Cuckoo’s Calling”.
Tall Female in Flats 