The Cuckoo's Calling is the first of a series of British private eye novels featuring the detective Strike. "Robert Galbraith" is the author. "Robert Galbraith" just happens to be the pseudonym of one J.K. Rowling, known as the creator of some "Harry Potter" thing, but that's neither here nor there.
What IS here is the question of whether Rowling can create a believable private eye character. And after my initial skepticism, I am happy to report that she can.
Regardless of the silliness of a name like "Strike," the private eye here is entirely credible. He is separated from his wife, dead broke and living in his office, and might be sleeping on the street at any time if his landlord shuts him down for not paying rent. No problemo, though, because he is very happy with the young lady sent to him by a job agency to keep his dreary office in order. He has no idea how he's going to pay her, but he is impressed with how she whips what is left of his business quickly into shape. Turns out this gal has a secret fascination with the private eye mythos, and being assigned even to a bum like Strike is a dream come true!
Miraculously, Strike gets a wealthy client just in time to possibly prevent his total collapse. This fellow wants him to prove that his fashion model sister did not commit suicide by taking a header off her building balcony. True to himself, Strike's first action after taking partial cash payment is............to head to the local pub.
Things go along very interestingly from there. I have never messed with "Harry Potter" anything and this is my first reading of Rowling. Here she has successfully blended the old-fashioned form of the private eye with her own more modern touches, and it turns out to be a success.
Strike in his ruinous condition as created here by Rowling convinces me that the legend of her starting out as a welfare mom is true. Gazillionaire or not, she shows here a lived knowledge of the downtrodden that will always remain with her, and rather than hide it as many would she openly shares it even at this later stage of her career. All the best to her for that even if I will never read anything with "Harry Potter" printed on it. Strike is now appearing in his sixth novel which was just published in August.
Of course I must mention the "controversy" over Rowling's questioning of the "trans" movement and of course I support her on that. The fact that many "trans" people later turn back to being their born selves, and state their regret at going "trans," is all the proof I need.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are subject to deletion if they are not germane. I have no problem with a bit of colourful language, but blasphemy or depraved profanity will not be allowed. Attacks on the Catholic Faith will not be tolerated. Comments will be deleted that are republican (Yanks! Note the lower case 'r'!), attacks on the legitimacy of Pope Francis as the Vicar of Christ (I know he's a material heretic and a Protector of Perverts, and I definitely want him gone yesterday! However, he is Pope, and I pray for him every day.), the legitimacy of the House of Windsor or of the claims of the Elder Line of the House of France, or attacks on the legitimacy of any of the currently ruling Houses of Europe.