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Meet Cormoran's First Strike..

His first 'Mystery' which haunt me from the early beginning,
even the epigraph.

Why were you born when the snow was falling?
You should have come to the cuckoo’s calling,

It starts When snow was falling..and a 'Cuckoo' fell...
A famous model star fall off the balcony to her tragic death..the paparazzi gather around her body just as they did when she was alive..

Her neighbor assert that she heard her arguing and shouting with a man "The Killer" right before seeing her fall.
The police declare that's a lie, the DNA proves there was no stranger there..All the evidences and investigation declare she was alone.
The result is what the police saw was clear from the beginning..Suicide.

'Celebrities always go cuckoo..depression would drive them for that' Some say.
'She was exciting about her new big contract and upcoming trip..she was far from suicide act' Others say.

You'll find thorough the investigations and evidences that no trace of a killer in the scene..
so ...it's Suicide
Case Closed.

And then our Story begins

3 Months later

Robin ,A beautiful blonde young lady living her Best Romantic days after getting engaged to her boyfriend ,Went to work as a Temp secretary for some office, she "surprised" to find out the business of the office is her long lost childish ambition of work..
It was an office of A.. Private Detective..

Cormoran Strike ,An ex-Military, Private detective Living his Worst days of his life, just separated from his fiance, His office just got one client..with all his debts; He just stuck with a new temp secretary he can't even afford paying her for her only week...unless he saved by a wealthy client..

John Bristow ,An unexpected new "wealthy" client to Strike's office, as a favor for old friendship between Strike and the latter's brother .. He came for the detective to dig up a very famous case that he didn't agree with its results...A case of his dead -adopted- sister...A Famous Model...Lula Landry

Yes..Lula Landry "Cuckoo" is the famous Model we've witnessed her tragic death at the first scene...

Why were you born when the snow was falling?
You should have come to the cuckoo’s calling,
Or when grapes are green in the cluster,
Or, at least, when lithe swallows muster
For their far off flying
From summer dying.

Why did you die when the lambs were cropping?
You should have died at the apples�� dropping,
When the grasshopper comes to trouble,
And the wheat-fields are sodden stubble,
And all winds go sighing
For sweet things dying.

As I've said, the story will haunt you from the very early beginning, its first scene..even from this 19th Century Poem.
Although I've never been into poems & poetry, But this haunting one -may be cause I've heard it also on youtube- makes me really into the mode of "The Cuckoo's Calling".

Also I have to say that Rowling has a great epigraphs choices, like in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" with 2 epigraphs that fit with the final story of Harry"

Also It haunt me for a 'Déjà vu' for an accident that happened 12 years ago almost like the beginning of this novel,also in London..
A death of A Sweetheart,A Cinderella of Egyptian Cinema...that her case's investigations was almost identical to the case of Cuckoo..from the first scene..


I love also the glimpse for famous tragic death of celebrity which "pushed" by paparazzi or even cases closed "wrongly" as suicide.




There's also that great tribute for the soldiers who are trying to readjust with civilian life after leaving the military one for a reason or another.

Some may say it's a bit slow in the first half, but I really respect, even adore that detailed characters and events..it makes me get to know more about Strike and the lovely Robin as I'm with them in the Private Detective office.. and their cool 'professional' relation.

I've actually got into the case of Lula, investigated with Strike the evidences and tried to interview everyone who was near from Lula the day of her death..And I've even got a GREAT experience decipher the "Body Language" while investigating some characters.

And by the half of the novel -As I've written most of this review, right now- I've really wondered ; Is it really a suicide..or a Murder?

****
The Setting ; London
**
I used to say in Dan Brown's Novels reviews That it's better to use Illustrated edition or keep searching in Google Image search for the places he describe brilliantly in his novels. The same is here..

J.K. Rowling talent in creating a beautifully Magical world in Harry Potter, or realistic fictional Pagford in The Casual Vacancy proved to be still great in describing the magic of real places as London.

You'll really love to see the statue of Eros; Piccadilly Circus while Robin starts a new step in her romantic life..

You'll walk up and down Denmark Street and 12 Bar Café with its Music Instruments and where The Detective office Locates.


You'll be in real famous Pubs and Bars in London with its Victorian faces.


And these pubs' windows view of the 1920s building decorated with statues by Jacob Epstein

And on the top of all , The elegant Victorian houses at the most wealthy neighborhood and streets like Bellamy Road and Mayfair.



The bottom line is ,you're invited to a lovely journey into the heart of London at the moment you start the novel.

****
The Characters
**
One more time, like all her work, The author writes the characters -even the secondary ones- in very detailed way, you discover more about them and their past by each new chapter, which really makes you as if you actually Living with them..and in this case,you're trying to solve a hidden mystery in a case with the Detective...

**** Cormoran Strike ****

Make a lot of thinking who would play him, -specially it wasn't clear his age at till book two- Alan Rickman is too old, may be Robert Downey Jr. but he's not English -although it didn't stop him being Holmes - and finally Hugh Jackman :)who I stuck with, some suggested Hagrid "without the costumes of course"

Ex-Military still love discipline of the military life; Can't live with it anymore though ..and not because of his injury.
Private Detective with big debts...just a client or two in the best days..and not even investigate the crazy death threatens he got regularly.
Adore his ex-fiancee Charlotte..but can't live with her lies..
Illegitimate son for a famous star..Hates it'd be his "fame".

A very complicated character that you'll love to know him better page after page.. Wanting to know more about him and may you'd end up like me ..Waiting more books for him.

**** Robin Ellacott ****


A New Hermione-type. Super smart,clever, got the spirit of initiative. And this time,Super beautiful. As if Jo this time assert that women are smart even those super pretty ones.
I love how she got a childish dream of her being a Detective herself. and I got so attached with her complicated "romance and nonsense free" relation with Strike and I was praying she'd stay till the end and to see her again in the next books of the series.

**** Lula Landry "Cuckoo" ****

Emma Stone was the first face come in mind when I saw the US edition's cover,I know that at the novel she doesn't look like her at all

“With all the gallons of newsprint and hours of televised talk that have been poured forth on the subject of Lula Landry’s death, rarely has the question been asked: why do we care?

Why Do We Care?
Well, you'll know page by page.

You'll get into the real Lula or "Cuckoo" as she and her best pals calls her, by the testimony of her brother,the news and articles written about her that you know from Robin's internet search ,and the tales and testimonies of those who were near her, one by one by how close to her they were as the story goes.

But you'll get better look into her by reading with Strike her personal emails ,clear look as if you looking into her soul,or ghost.

I promise that,before the half of the novel as in my case, you'll really love to know more about that lovely ,complicated character of Lula...And you'll really Care..and wonder.
How Did Lula Landry really Die?

***
The Propaganda
***
Fame sometimes is a double-edged sword..The Casual Vacancy's 500+ was rated 'one star' in few hours after its release JUST because it's not Harry-ish ; or some didn't like Harry Potter or Rowling herself.

I guess that's why the decision of publishing under Pseudonym..And honestly,as the writer, I wished it'd last longer "Even I may never hear about it unless it get good publicity or hit the news of up-coming movie based on it, And I'm sure I'll still LOVE it even if I didn't know it's Rowling's.
And if you saw the ŷ������ main page of the book at 14th.July 2013 you'll find all of the reviews very positive and even 4.1+ rating and it didn't start getting a '1 Star' but after the announcement of the real author.

Anyway I'm sure Rowling get GREAT researching Robert-Galbraith bio. as seen on "About the Author" in the 1st Printing of the book -which get sold out after few minutes of the announcement and auctioned with hundredth of dollars and I was lucky to get one of these 1st prints for this small captions about the author that wasn't at any other later printings.

ROBERT GALBRAITH spent several years with the Royal Military Police before being attached to the SIB (Special Investigative Branch), the plainclothes branch of the RMP. He left the military in 2003 and has been working since then in the civilian security industry. The idea for Cormoran Strike grew directly out of his own experiences and those of his military friends who returned to the civilian world. “Robert Galbraith�� is a pseudonym.

You'd feel Robert's really like Strike himself..
It's clearly that J.K. Rowling did a lot of research about the Ex-Militarily officers and their lives. You'll touch that at many points in the novel.

***
Finally
**
Haunting Case..Check
Catching introduction for the main characters .. Check
Smart Investigations .. Check
Real Exercise on reading the Body Language .. Check
Marvelous setting ,very realistic; still magical.. Check

I fall in love with the mystery of this novel, the characters and every thing , I've read it slowly to keep it in my hand for as long as I can. "took me 4 weeks reading almost as the same duration of the plot" And I'd really recommend it strongly to any crime thriller readers..

I love this praise

The Cuckoo's Calling reminds me why I fell in love with crime fiction in the first place (Val McDermid)

But in my case ..The Cuckoo's Calling is why I "newly" fell in love with crime fiction.
I loved investigatings and the detective work,with all the observation and reading the body language.
I loved the characters ,Robin is wonderful ,Lula even we don't have any "live" scene for her even no flashbacks but I truly attached to her case ,Liked her so much,she became a name for me and also.. Cormoran Strike Became a Name.

Mohammed Arabey
Reading from 2nd Oct. 2013
To 29th Oct. 2013

Start writting the review: 18th Oct. 2013

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<<<<<<<<<< 14 / 7 / 2013 The First Review >>>>>>>>>>
The first impression about the news of the book "My birthday surprise" and I'd love to thank everyone like it or comment and I hope you'd like the final review..thanks for your support.


Yesterday ,after Midnight it was 14th July.....
My 30th Birthday :( :( :(

But this News MADE My Day...And My YEAR


J.K Rowling??What?
This Book is J.K. Rowling's!!!!!
No more wait day after day for the plot of her new book, the cover, release dates etc..
No more "negative" reviews just for her name only after just hours of the release of the books As what happened withThe Casual Vacancy

That was what made me really Super HAPPPYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
"And of course you know how anyone would react when He's 30

I've Ordered it at the same day from Amazon
And Truly can't wait
THANK YOU Queen Jo.,Queen of wizard and witches, Queen of Magic

Mohammed Arabey
14th July 2013