The Cuckoo's Calling

Writing under the pseudonym, Robert Galbraith, J.K. Rowling moves away from her internationally known fame for fantasy writing and into the depths of murder mysteries. I must admit, I have not read a single thing from the famous author, but I felt this particular book was lacking in certain aspects.

Comoran Strike is a private investigator who has been down on his luck when it comes to business. When the brother of his deceased childhood friend walks through his door and offers him a job, Strike is pleased by the money but not necessarily the mission-- to look into the death of this new client's adopted sister: stunning supermodel Lula Landry. Her undoing had been ruled a suicide and there was little evidence to suggest any other conclusion. But with any decent novel, nothing is what it seems-- even Strike. 

He's crafty in humble ways and smart, despite his seemingly unattractive looks. He is a solitary character who never shares much with those around him, unless he is caught inebriated. As a reader, you expect his relationship with his new, daring secretary to take a turn, but alas this is a feeling never resolved. My only guess for this is that there may be future "Strike" novels in which more character development occurs. 

Overall, a good read. You won't be able to foresee the ending, which is wonderful for us "guessers." I found myself not being able to put it down not because of the suspense but because every road to "murder" seemed a dead end, and I just had to find out... Was it simply just a suicide? 

You'll want to find out, too.
Rating: 3/5

Silent Wife

Jodi Brett and Todd Gilbert seemingly have the perfect relationship. Jodi is well educated, well dressed, well spoken and always keeps a level head. Todd, despite his lack of schooling has built a successful business for himself. He can be rough around the edges and unkempt. Jodi takes care of him in the typical housewife way and Todd handles the majority of their finances. Although he had asked her numerous times for her hand in marriage, Jodi always refused, seemingly due to her father's infidelity and failed relationship with her mother. She never felt the need to "make it official", as she was confident that Todd was hers and hers only. She could not have been more wrong. Natasha is a curvy, twenty-something who has bewitched Todd's eye. After she reveals a forever-changing detail to Todd, his life becomes a source of turmoil. He bounces back between the passionate spark he has with the demanding Natasha and the stability he has grown to love from the patient Jodi. Scared to lose her beautiful home and possessions to a naive, disrespectful girl, Jodi does something unthinkable. Does she get away with it? You'll have to read for yourself.

All in all, I believe A.S.A. Harrison, who died shortly before publication, wrote a beautifully worded novel with exuberant vocabulary. I was, in some ways, put off by the ending. The final questions are not quite resolved but the book was good nonetheless. (For those who'd rather see the movie, there's a rumor Nicole Kidman's film production company may recreate "The Silent Wife." Kidman, of course, playing Ms. Jodi Brett.)

Rating: 3.9/5

Alex

“Alex”, written by French author Pierre Lemaitre, is a thriller not written for the weak stomached. The storyline takes off quickly. Alex Prévost is kidnapped off the street. Her captor beats her, strips her of her clothes and forces her into a wooden crate hung in the air with the intention of “watching her die.” Commandant Camille Verhoeven has very little to work with in his investigation of the missing girl. No one knows who Alex is, where she lives or works—She’s a mystery in itself. Verhoeven makes the mistake of thinking she is an innocent but in looking for Alex, a shockingly unexpected story begins to unravel. In a story of murder, revenge and evilly twisted characters, Alex takes so many twists and turns the reader will constantly question, “Just who is she?” As the pieces of the puzzle finally come together, detectives realize the whole picture is no longer a matter of truth but of justice.

 Rating: 5/5