The Cuckoo's Calling, by Robert Galbraith

Robert Galbraith. The Cuckoo's Calling. New York: Little, Brown, & Company, 2013. 456 pages. ISBN 9780316206853.

The Cuckoo's Calling is J.K. Rowling's first book under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. Having read all of the Harry Potter books, I was curious to see how I would like her adult books. I have to say that I loved this book. It's very well-written and has fascinating characters.

The book begins with a temp services employee starting her first day at a new job: a detective agency run by Cormoran Strike. The temp, Robin Ellacott, is thrilled to be working at a detective agency because it's always been her secret fantasy. However, Cormoran is not doing well financially; he's deeply in debt, newly single and homeless (having been kicked out of the apartment he shared with his ex-fiancee), and having a generally hard time coping with everything. On Robin's first day, however, they are asked to investigate what is an apparent suicide; the victim's brother believes that it was murder and has compiled a lot of information that he deposits with Cormoran. As they begin to investigate, there are many twists and turns to the plot. Working together, Cormoran and Robin find the murderer and forge a working relationship that will take them forward into new adventures.

I liked everything about this book. The characters are well-developed with great skills but also flaws that make the interesting and vulnerable. The plot is intriguing and kept me interested throughout; it's paced well and never gets slow. The who-dunnit factor kept me wondering until near the end when the author dropped some pretty big hints. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys mysteries or thrillers. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, The Silkworm, and I hope Rowling/Galbraith keeps on writing!