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Cormoran Strike #1A
쿠쿠스 콜링. 1
조앤 K. 롤링의 저력을 다시 한 번 확인할 수 있는 탐정 스릴러! 의문의 죽음을 맞은 슈퍼모델과 진실을 밝혀내려는 남자의 이야기를 담은 소설 『쿠쿠스 콜링』 제1권. 《해리포터》의 저자 조앤 K. 롤링이 로버트 갤브레이스라는 가명으로 펴낸 첫 소설로 그간의 성공을 등에 업지 않고 작품만으로 전 세계 언론으로부터 극찬을 받았다. 신인의 데뷔작이라고 하기에 완숙하고 세련된 완성도를 보여주었던 작품이기에 언젠가 유명 작가가 필명으로 출판한 작품으로 밝혀질지도 모른다는 의견이 있기도 했다. 영국에서 가장 잘나가는 톱모델인 룰라 랜드리가 자신의 집 발코니에서 떨어져 사망하고 경찰 수사는 자살로 종결된다. 사설 탐정 코모란 스트라이크를 찾은 그녀의 오빠는 여동생의 죽음에 대해 추가 조사를 해달라고 부탁한다. 파산 직전의 위기의 그는 울며 겨자 먹기로 의뢰를 수락하고 비서 로빈과 경찰이 간과한 증거와 증인들을 하나둘씩 파헤치며 사건을 조사해간다. 젊은 모델이 살아가던 화려한 세계를 파고들수록 고독, 욕망, 얽히고설킨 비밀들로 얼룩진 어두운 진실이 고개를 들고 끔찍한 위험이 점점 가까워오는데…….
336 pages, Paperback
Published December 2, 2013
70 people are currently reading
1898 people want to read
About the author
Robert Galbraith
31 books32.7k followersThis is a pseudonym for J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series and The Casual Vacancy, a novel for adults.
NOTE: There is more than one author with this name on Goodreads.
Rowling was born to Anne Rowling (née Volant) and Peter James Rowling, a Rolls-Royce aircraft engineer, on 31 July 1965 in Yate, Gloucestershire, England, 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Bristol. Her mother Anne was half-French and half-Scottish. Her parents first met on a train departing from King's Cross Station bound for Arbroath in 1964. They married on 14 March 1965. Her mother's maternal grandfather, Dugald Campbell, was born in Lamlash on the Isle of Arran. Her mother's paternal grandfather, Louis Volant, was awarded the Croix de Guerre for exceptional bravery in defending the village of Courcelles-le-Comte during the First World War.
Rowling's sister Dianne was born at their home when Rowling was 23 months old. The family moved to the nearby village Winterbourne when Rowling was four. She attended St Michael's Primary School, a school founded by abolitionist William Wilberforce and education reformer Hannah More. Her headmaster at St Michael's, Alfred Dunn, has been suggested as the inspiration for the Harry Potter headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
As a child, Rowling often wrote fantasy stories, which she would usually then read to her sister. She recalls that: "I can still remember me telling her a story in which she fell down a rabbit hole and was fed strawberries by the rabbit family inside it. Certainly the first story I ever wrote down (when I was five or six) was about a rabbit called Rabbit. He got the measles and was visited by his friends, including a giant bee called Miss Bee." At the age of nine, Rowling moved to Church Cottage in the Gloucestershire village of Tutshill, close to Chepstow, Wales. When she was a young teenager, her great aunt, who Rowling said "taught classics and approved of a thirst for knowledge, even of a questionable kind," gave her a very old copy of Jessica Mitford's autobiography, Hons and Rebels. Mitford became Rowling's heroine, and Rowling subsequently read all of her books.
Rowling has said of her teenage years, in an interview with The New Yorker, "I wasn’t particularly happy. I think it’s a dreadful time of life." She had a difficult homelife; her mother was ill and she had a difficult relationship with her father (she is no longer on speaking terms with him). She attended secondary school at Wyedean School and College, where her mother had worked as a technician in the science department. Rowling said of her adolescence, "Hermione [a bookish, know-it-all Harry Potter character] is loosely based on me. She's a caricature of me when I was eleven, which I'm not particularly proud of." Steve Eddy, who taught Rowling English when she first arrived, remembers her as "not exceptional" but "one of a group of girls who were bright, and quite good at English." Sean Harris, her best friend in the Upper Sixth owned a turquoise Ford Anglia, which she says inspired the one in her books.
NOTE: There is more than one author with this name on Goodreads.
Rowling was born to Anne Rowling (née Volant) and Peter James Rowling, a Rolls-Royce aircraft engineer, on 31 July 1965 in Yate, Gloucestershire, England, 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Bristol. Her mother Anne was half-French and half-Scottish. Her parents first met on a train departing from King's Cross Station bound for Arbroath in 1964. They married on 14 March 1965. Her mother's maternal grandfather, Dugald Campbell, was born in Lamlash on the Isle of Arran. Her mother's paternal grandfather, Louis Volant, was awarded the Croix de Guerre for exceptional bravery in defending the village of Courcelles-le-Comte during the First World War.
Rowling's sister Dianne was born at their home when Rowling was 23 months old. The family moved to the nearby village Winterbourne when Rowling was four. She attended St Michael's Primary School, a school founded by abolitionist William Wilberforce and education reformer Hannah More. Her headmaster at St Michael's, Alfred Dunn, has been suggested as the inspiration for the Harry Potter headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
As a child, Rowling often wrote fantasy stories, which she would usually then read to her sister. She recalls that: "I can still remember me telling her a story in which she fell down a rabbit hole and was fed strawberries by the rabbit family inside it. Certainly the first story I ever wrote down (when I was five or six) was about a rabbit called Rabbit. He got the measles and was visited by his friends, including a giant bee called Miss Bee." At the age of nine, Rowling moved to Church Cottage in the Gloucestershire village of Tutshill, close to Chepstow, Wales. When she was a young teenager, her great aunt, who Rowling said "taught classics and approved of a thirst for knowledge, even of a questionable kind," gave her a very old copy of Jessica Mitford's autobiography, Hons and Rebels. Mitford became Rowling's heroine, and Rowling subsequently read all of her books.
Rowling has said of her teenage years, in an interview with The New Yorker, "I wasn’t particularly happy. I think it’s a dreadful time of life." She had a difficult homelife; her mother was ill and she had a difficult relationship with her father (she is no longer on speaking terms with him). She attended secondary school at Wyedean School and College, where her mother had worked as a technician in the science department. Rowling said of her adolescence, "Hermione [a bookish, know-it-all Harry Potter character] is loosely based on me. She's a caricature of me when I was eleven, which I'm not particularly proud of." Steve Eddy, who taught Rowling English when she first arrived, remembers her as "not exceptional" but "one of a group of girls who were bright, and quite good at English." Sean Harris, her best friend in the Upper Sixth owned a turquoise Ford Anglia, which she says inspired the one in her books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
June 1, 2018
Upon hearing that J K Rowling was the author of this book, of course, I was excited to read it. Usually a fan of crime and detective fiction, I was almost certain that this would be a text I would enjoy.
For me, the plot was very typical of the crime fiction genre. There's a dead body, suspicious relatives and a detective that battles his own personal life as well as his work. However, I just wanted something more! There were no moments of surprise here, or anything that made this book stand out from other crime fiction. I felt like this was a plot I'd read many times before and the ending was quite predictable.
The Cuckoo's Calling was okay. It's a book that I didn't mind reading. Would I read it again? Probably not. The text is quite lengthy and sometimes I found myself fighting to get through it. If you're a fan of typical crime fiction then this book is probably for you. However, if you're searching for a book with twists and turns, and all kinds of 'what the hell' moments, then this book is not going to live up to those expectations.
I truly adore J K Rowling for the Harry Potter books, but The Cuckoo's Calling just didn't hit the mark.
For me, the plot was very typical of the crime fiction genre. There's a dead body, suspicious relatives and a detective that battles his own personal life as well as his work. However, I just wanted something more! There were no moments of surprise here, or anything that made this book stand out from other crime fiction. I felt like this was a plot I'd read many times before and the ending was quite predictable.
The Cuckoo's Calling was okay. It's a book that I didn't mind reading. Would I read it again? Probably not. The text is quite lengthy and sometimes I found myself fighting to get through it. If you're a fan of typical crime fiction then this book is probably for you. However, if you're searching for a book with twists and turns, and all kinds of 'what the hell' moments, then this book is not going to live up to those expectations.
I truly adore J K Rowling for the Harry Potter books, but The Cuckoo's Calling just didn't hit the mark.
September 7, 2017
Sangat keren
Cerita tentang seorang detektif yang menangani kasus yang awalnya diduga bunuh diri
Awal gw ragu baca ini karena gw lebih terbiasa dengan genre romance or teenlit gtu
Ternyata gw ga dikecewakan sama sekali
Plotnya jelas, cukup ringan bacanya, dan kasusnya ga disangka-sangka
Asik deh
Cerita tentang seorang detektif yang menangani kasus yang awalnya diduga bunuh diri
Awal gw ragu baca ini karena gw lebih terbiasa dengan genre romance or teenlit gtu
Ternyata gw ga dikecewakan sama sekali
Plotnya jelas, cukup ringan bacanya, dan kasusnya ga disangka-sangka
Asik deh
January 20, 2021
Half read and half audibled this book.
Great story telling.
Good to read and to listen to.
Great story telling.
Good to read and to listen to.
July 24, 2020
I had made a promise to myself: no more 5 stars, but I had to make an exception here. In may ways this is a classic detective story which takes place in contemporary London. The main character, a very imperfect Cormoran Strike, is compelling. Robin Ellacott who plays his erstwhile secretary/receptionist is a balancing influence on him. I groaned when I read the flap, which indicated that Strike is plunged into the designer world of London which I did not even know was a thing. However, the twists and turns were fascinating. The comparison between the apparent suicide of a supermodel and Strike's own past life rang true. I enjoyed following Strike use his own convoluted investigation techniques to solve the case. There was no way to guess who the perpetrator was until just before it is finally revealed. This is a complicated story. I found myself turning pages backwards to figure out who is who often. If you like mystery novels, you will like this.
I want to comment on the author, Robert Galbraith, a pseudonym. On the "About the Author" page Galbraith is described as a former Royal Military Police officer who subsequently went into civilian security and that Strike was based on his own experiences. That will probably seem a little odd to anyone who looks up Cuckoo's Calling in Wikipedia. It turns out Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym used by J K Rowling and I doubt that description applies to her at all.
I want to comment on the author, Robert Galbraith, a pseudonym. On the "About the Author" page Galbraith is described as a former Royal Military Police officer who subsequently went into civilian security and that Strike was based on his own experiences. That will probably seem a little odd to anyone who looks up Cuckoo's Calling in Wikipedia. It turns out Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym used by J K Rowling and I doubt that description applies to her at all.
March 28, 2023
Really enjoyable detective novel that amply demonstrates that JK can write something beyond Harry. The fourth star is awarded due to the lovable central characters in Cormoran and Robyn. I first saw on TV as part of the Strike series, loved the interplay between them and can now see just how well written and then cast the parts were.
January 2, 2018
A good, general all-round detective novel. My heart was stolen by the receptionist though (as in favorite character).
December 13, 2020
Довольно штампованный сюжет, да и убийца угадывается довольно легко. Но, поговаривают, дальше только лучше.
April 14, 2024
It has taken me 4 months to finish this book and I wanted to give up several times. But the book had been recommended to me by several people and also the reviews are quite good that I felt that I had to give it a go. For the longest part of the book there wasn't much happening. The only positive thing about the book is that I did not guess the killer. And I almost always do! It's a pity though cause I was looking forward to reading the whole series but now I'm not sure that I will. Maybe I'll give it another go and if the experience is similar I'll just stop reading earlier. It does feel like quite an accomplishement having finished the book but the journey was long!
December 10, 2023
This took soooo lonngggg to develop. I think I was half way through before something significant happened. Almost the entire book was conversations between detective Strike and one or two other people. I also think the “mystery” was entirely unsolvable based on what evidence readers were given - only Strike confronting the murderer and explaining step by step made it completely clear. I won’t be reading another one in the series.
November 7, 2018
This book is a book-club choice and i probably would not have picked it up to read. YaY, for book-clubs because I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
Cormoran Strike as a character was as clear to me as if i knew him personally. Robin the temp, was shiny and bright in personality and she added to the partnership. All the characters that are woven into the story are fabulous too.
Even though i absolutely enjoyed this book i have to admit i found some of the investigation a bit tedious, the repetitive questioning and also the constant detail with regards to his life. I know this is what being a detective is all about and also character building is necessary but it felt a bit much at times.
I liked the constant guessing as to who "dun it" All the twists and turns kept my interest. There is a bit of humour too which helps to take the edge off the seriousness of the investigation.
I would absolutely recommend this book and i would definitely read the next in the series.
Cormoran Strike as a character was as clear to me as if i knew him personally. Robin the temp, was shiny and bright in personality and she added to the partnership. All the characters that are woven into the story are fabulous too.
Even though i absolutely enjoyed this book i have to admit i found some of the investigation a bit tedious, the repetitive questioning and also the constant detail with regards to his life. I know this is what being a detective is all about and also character building is necessary but it felt a bit much at times.
I liked the constant guessing as to who "dun it" All the twists and turns kept my interest. There is a bit of humour too which helps to take the edge off the seriousness of the investigation.
I would absolutely recommend this book and i would definitely read the next in the series.
August 13, 2017
I re-read The Cuckoo's Calling because I wanted to read something I knew was good! I could almost remember the ins and outs of the plot, which for a detective novel was good because I got to rediscover how Strike and Robin solve the crime! There's so much to love about this book: the plot, the pacing, the characterisation, the setting, the way the web of mystery is woven and then starts to unravel... Galbraith's descriptions of London are rich and immersive - you get a distinct sense of the multilayered and diverse places that make up the city. They also use food and drink effectively to evoke particular feelings in particular settings (something I've noticed in their other work too!). The only reason it doesn't have 5 stars is Robin and Mark's relationship annoys me from the start. I might re-read the next two soon as I'm hoping there'll be a 4th one before too long.
January 4, 2018
The book flows well, it's easy to read and quite gripping. The characters aren't described too much but as it's the first book of a serie I guess the author gives a little hint to make sure you want to read the rest. The book is much more concentrated on the plot itself. I didn't get who the killer was and to me it was a surprising twist. I'll be definitely reading the other 2 books.
March 11, 2023
I don't know why Goodreads doesn't have the audiobook format available as an option. I listened to this in an audio version from my Libby Library app.
While I don't think this is any stand out British detective novel as far as plot goes, it is well written. I am somewhat torn between a 3 and 4 star rating. I gave it the benefit of the doubt.
While I don't think this is any stand out British detective novel as far as plot goes, it is well written. I am somewhat torn between a 3 and 4 star rating. I gave it the benefit of the doubt.
October 16, 2017
It was 450 pages of beating around the bush! Felt it was boring but still kept reading as I thought I had already spent a lot of time on it!
February 8, 2023
Hmmm, I feel very disappointed by this book. I’d heard lots of good things about it, and I expected good things knowing who the author was behind the mask. So, when the girls at book club said they were enjoying the TV series, I suggested we read the first in this series. So, really I only have myself to blame for having to preserver with this.
I found it incredibly dull and slow going. Not a lot happens along the way, and the investigation is very repetitive as Strike interviews everyone; he asks the same questions and gets the same answers. It doesn’t feel like it is going anywhere. I wanted little hooks and suspicions to make me think and guess, but there was none of that, as the protagonist keeps all of his thoughts and findings, if any, very close to his chest.
I aired my displeasure with my husband about halfway through, and he said he’s never known J.K. Rowling to disappoint and not pull it out of the bag at the end. So I decided he was right and stuck with it. Unfortunately, she did disappoint, and the ending was very generic and not all that clever. I wanted everything that Strike had found to come out in some clever and shocking way, but it didn’t. He simply sat down with who he thought was the killer and listed everything that had happened. This is just as bad as having an ending explained in a final letter. There is nothing special about it if it all just gets blurted out. Yes, the outcome was a little shocking, but there had been no way to guess this; as I have said, Strike didn’t let on any of his thoughts, so we, as readers, couldn’t have guessed anything. This was just a lazy ending.
I wasn’t too enamoured by the protagonist, Strike. I found he just wandered around with his own thoughts that even the reader wasn’t privy to. He wasted a lot of time just staring at things and wandering from A to B. When he is outside the clothes shop with Robin, he just stares across the street, saying nothing. He might have been doing that for a reason, such as looking for CCTV, but none of that was explained to us. He wanders around London at the beginning determining the distance from certain people’s homes to the crime scene. Along the way, he describes what he is seeing and feeling in terms of his leg, and I just felt like this was wasted page space and could have been condensed. I found myself skipping over parts like this as they were incredibly tedious and boring.
Robin wasn’t too bad. She had a lot of initiative and a spark; however, I found her petulant at times when Strike didn’t act how she expected him to. The way she sat in a huff with her boos was insubordinate and made me feel really uncomfortable. I found her fiancé to be overwritten. He wasn’t supportive of her; he seemed brutish and ignorant. I have no idea why she was even with him, but I felt like the author wanted this overbearing character, but she overdid it somewhat!
So, overall not very impressed, and I feel like I have just wasted six days of my reading time. The story’s premise was there, but I don’t think it was executed very well. It was far too long; not a lot happens, and when it does, it is unexciting. I am tempted to give the TV show a go to see if this moves at a faster pace and does the storyline justice, which is something the book didn’t do.
I found it incredibly dull and slow going. Not a lot happens along the way, and the investigation is very repetitive as Strike interviews everyone; he asks the same questions and gets the same answers. It doesn’t feel like it is going anywhere. I wanted little hooks and suspicions to make me think and guess, but there was none of that, as the protagonist keeps all of his thoughts and findings, if any, very close to his chest.
I aired my displeasure with my husband about halfway through, and he said he’s never known J.K. Rowling to disappoint and not pull it out of the bag at the end. So I decided he was right and stuck with it. Unfortunately, she did disappoint, and the ending was very generic and not all that clever. I wanted everything that Strike had found to come out in some clever and shocking way, but it didn’t. He simply sat down with who he thought was the killer and listed everything that had happened. This is just as bad as having an ending explained in a final letter. There is nothing special about it if it all just gets blurted out. Yes, the outcome was a little shocking, but there had been no way to guess this; as I have said, Strike didn’t let on any of his thoughts, so we, as readers, couldn’t have guessed anything. This was just a lazy ending.
I wasn’t too enamoured by the protagonist, Strike. I found he just wandered around with his own thoughts that even the reader wasn’t privy to. He wasted a lot of time just staring at things and wandering from A to B. When he is outside the clothes shop with Robin, he just stares across the street, saying nothing. He might have been doing that for a reason, such as looking for CCTV, but none of that was explained to us. He wanders around London at the beginning determining the distance from certain people’s homes to the crime scene. Along the way, he describes what he is seeing and feeling in terms of his leg, and I just felt like this was wasted page space and could have been condensed. I found myself skipping over parts like this as they were incredibly tedious and boring.
Robin wasn’t too bad. She had a lot of initiative and a spark; however, I found her petulant at times when Strike didn’t act how she expected him to. The way she sat in a huff with her boos was insubordinate and made me feel really uncomfortable. I found her fiancé to be overwritten. He wasn’t supportive of her; he seemed brutish and ignorant. I have no idea why she was even with him, but I felt like the author wanted this overbearing character, but she overdid it somewhat!
So, overall not very impressed, and I feel like I have just wasted six days of my reading time. The story’s premise was there, but I don’t think it was executed very well. It was far too long; not a lot happens, and when it does, it is unexciting. I am tempted to give the TV show a go to see if this moves at a faster pace and does the storyline justice, which is something the book didn’t do.
March 31, 2023
Written by JK Rowling. A model falls from her balcony. The police have assumed it's suicide. However, her brother goes to a private detective (Cormoran Strike), to proof it was murder.
I loved the TV series, so I already knew the ending. However, saying that, it was well written and still kept me wanting to turn the page.
I loved the TV series, so I already knew the ending. However, saying that, it was well written and still kept me wanting to turn the page.
November 9, 2022
My first time reading Rowling (I've only been to Harry Potter movies). I found the story and characters interesting. The writing was fine (many words for me to define) and the ending satisfying. I did not figure out who the killer was :) Will most likely read the four-book series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2024
Dnf
I have had this book for over 3 years and it just can't keep me engaged.
I continue to give it a chance on multiple occasions because of the ratings.
Maybe it's just not for me.
Didn't hate it
I have had this book for over 3 years and it just can't keep me engaged.
I continue to give it a chance on multiple occasions because of the ratings.
Maybe it's just not for me.
Didn't hate it
March 11, 2022
Denne er så søt. Altså selv om paparatsi mysterie ikke er min greie, så er bare karakterene så koselig. Jeg vill bare ha meres av dem
April 19, 2022
Well written - looking forward to reading another in the series.
May 18, 2022
I am so happy to have found Cormoran Strike. This is my new escapist read.
June 25, 2022
Started years ago but never finished. Then started again as an audiobook. Enjoyed it in the end.
September 5, 2022
Very goodUvery goodVery good
December 29, 2022
Great crime novel that keeps you guessing. Written beautifully. Can’t wait to read the whole series.
Read
December 31, 2022Amazing read, full of suspense and awesome story
January 20, 2023
Really enjoyed the investigation of the murder in this story, how the plot came together.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2023
Good original story, a bit obvious in places
March 12, 2023
Loved it. Buying the next in the series right now.
April 25, 2023
It was good for a first in the series. The sequel was great, moved quickly, had a lot of good dialogue, not too much romance, liked the way author got deeper into the characters bio.
June 1, 2023
Fabulous, wild story, impossible to put it down
Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews