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The Cuckoo's Calling cover art

The Cuckoo's Calling

Written by: Robert Galbraith
Narrated by: Robert Glenister
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Publisher's Summary

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.

©2013 Robert Galbraith (P)2013 Hachette Audio

What listeners say about The Cuckoo's Calling

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Too much tell and not enough show ...

This is my second time reading The Cuckoo’s Calling, and I admit that I'd forgotten how average this book was.

First off, as other reviewers had mentioned, Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling) very much went with the tell, not show method; there is a lot of narrative throughout the novel without much action - which got somewhat boring as a reader. I feel like the editors could've made the story more effective and interesting by cutting out at least one hundred pages of pure chatter.

As for the characters, I loved Cormoran Strike; he was such a complex character that he truly fascinated me as a reader. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for Robin; who I personally found annoying and petty.

So, to say that this book was mediocre doesn't mean that I hated The Cuckoo's Calling; it is just that, unfortunately, I felt like the novel could've been much better.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

So Good!!!

Robert Glenister is a brilliant narrator! His voices are clear and distinct and such a joy to listen to.
The story is wonderfully written. Robert’s attention to detail is amazing and I can clearly imagine what is happening. An incredibly skilled author for sure.
Highly recommend

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

excellent....loved the audio

Characters grew on me and I enjoyed the plot. Now on to the next one

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Good story!

Enough hints to figure out who's the killer - but not so many as to spoil the ending. Reader was good.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

You’d be Cuckoo not to listen

The story is fantastic, the voice acting is better, and it is too easy to get pulled into this audiobook. The voices that seem to be a bit cheesy at first add to the characters and help differentiate them.

Almost like a fantastic writer picked a new alias... (J)ust (K)idding...

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great listening!

J K Rowling is a masterful storyteller. Great characters, great plot. J K should meet Lee Child for a cross over short!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

to much foul language

The story was great but definitely to much vulgar language. It would still be effective with less.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

This book will grab you, right from the start.

Excellent story, performed perfectly. Glenister has mastered so many accents, and the female voices are convincing without being farcical. I look forward to the next book.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent writing and narration

I loved this audiobook and the narrator is excellent. I expected no less from Robert Galbraith and was very happy to see that this writer can write any kind of genre. I never really guessed the outcome and was entranced the entire way through the narration. Very happy that the second book is narrated by the same person. A good narrator is key and this one is excellent.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Great book!

Very well written and read! Jk Rowling is an incredible writer and Robert Glenister is an amazing narrator! I enjoyed the whole series. Robert definitely narrators the book in such a way that transports you right into the story, reminds me very much of Jim Dale’s reading of the entire Harry Potter series.

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1 person found this helpful