Cormorant Strike is a struggling
Private Investigator. He lost a leg just below the knee when
he hit a land mine in Afghanistan. Now his business is down
to one client. In addition, he’d just walked out on
his girlfriend, ending their off-and-on engagement for the
last time. Now, he’s moving into his office. Since he
was living with Charlotte, his now ex, he is homeless.
This particular morning, Charlotte dropped by the office and
they’d argued. It ended with Charlotte storming out
just as the temporary secretary, he’d hired, walked
in. He’d reached around Charlotte, grabbed the temp
and yanked her inside. Unfortunately, the only part of her
body he could get ahold of was her breast. He figured she’d
leave immediately, but she didn’t. Instead, she ushered
in his new client. She seemed not to notice the beating he’d
taken from the client who didn’t like the answers Strike
gave him.
John Bristow paid a retainer and asked Strike to find out
who killed his sister, supermodel Lula Landry. Though the
police called it suicide, Bristow can’t accept that
she jumped from a balcony ten floors up. He is certain she
was pushed, though there was no evidence to support his theory.
This story is a hard-boiled-private-eye-lover’s dream.
It has all the elements. The protagonist is a wounded war
veteran who was a boxing champ in the army, but is woefully
out of shape. He has a prosthetic leg. There is the client,
who wants the truth about his sister’s suicide. There
are the dead bodies of those friends and acquaintances that
start turning up when Strike starts probing. There are things
that don’t make sense for a suicide that turn Strike
every way but loose.
This story has only one flaw and most novels of this type
have it. It has way too much profanity! The f-word was used
more times in this book than any I’ve ever read or listened
to. In spite of that, it’s worth reading. So, pick up
a copy of The Cuckoo’s Callingand get ready
for a surprise ending. Look out for all the books by this
author.
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