It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed a book on Daily Mayo. Truthfully, I haven’t had much time to read, and when I have read books, nothing has wowed me.

However, I did manage to stop by the bookstore recently and pick up a copy of The Cuckoo’s Calling by JK Rowling. And now, I’m sharing my The Cuckoo’s Calling Review with you!

The story of why JK Rowling writes her mystery books under a pen name is fascinating to me. She chose to publish anonymously, from what I understand, to see if she was a good enough writer to get published under any name (she is, although she was rejected many times, just like most authors!).

What I’m not quite sure of is why she chose a man’s pen name. But that is a question for another day.

The Cuckoo’s Calling Review

I actually wasn’t going to pick up this book when I went to the bookstore. I was meaning to pick up The Casual Vacancy. But, the bookstore clerk was so enthusiastic about The Cuckoo’s Calling that I bought it instead.

The story is basically this: A high-profile woman committed suicide. Her brother thinks her death is more than likely murder. He asks the hero of the story, who is a private detective, to find out the truth.

The book reminded me of a classic mystery and detective novel. In fact, it read like a less-funny version of Drik Gently novels (but this book was not meant to be a comedy).

I won’t give away the ending in my Cuckoo’s Calling review, but I definitely was surprised by it. I loved the resolution. I hope every one of JK’s mystery books have such a twist ending.

Still, I thought the journey there was a little slow. I think the story could have been told in about 200 fewer pages, but recently, I’ve liked much shorter books. It’s just a time thing for me.

What I did love about the book was that it wasn’t overly sexist or gross. Some detective stories I have read make me want to vomit with how much emphasis they have on detective-assistant sexual relationships. The Cuckoo’s Calling had almost no romance. I like my steamy scenes to stay in my romance novels, not distract me from finding out who committed a crime (I’m incredibly bad at it, by the way).

If you have yet to read JK’s detective books, they are definitely worth a read! I will more than likely be picking up the rest of her crime books. These books seem to be the perfect intro-to-detective-novels for readers new to the crime genre.

Lit Lovers Link Party

Don’t miss last week’s post on DIY bookmarks.