‘The buzz in the street was like the humming of flies. Photographers stood massed behind barriers patrolled by police, their long-snouted cameras poised, their breath rising like steam. Snow fell steadily onto hats and shoulders; gloved fingers wiped lenses clear. From time to time there came outbreaks of desultory clicking, as the watchers filled the waiting time by snapping the white canvas tent in the middle of the road, the entrance to the tall red-brick apartment block behind it, and the balcony on the top floor from which the body had fallen.’

When a troubled model falls to her death from the balcony of her London home, it is assumed that she committed suicide. But her brother is convinced otherwise, and hires private detective Cormoran Strike to investigate. Together with his temporary secretary, Robin, Strike delves into the dead model’s world – and discovers that even the politest of her friends had cause to want her dead.

The Cuckoo’s Calling was involved in an explosion of publicity when it was revealed that Robert Galbraith was the pen name for no other than Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling. The news was full of other writers protesting that the novel never would have been as popular as it was if the true identity of the author had been kept secret. Perhaps that’s true, but the knowledge that Rowling wrote this book shouldn’t detract from the facts: that this is an entertaining, compulsively readable crime novel that introduces a great set of characters.

I have a love/hate relationship with crime novels. Too often they can be clichéd and formulaic, with flat villains and the inevitable grizzly, troubled detective. But they can also be utterly gripping and memorable, if done right. There are moments in which The Cuckoo’s Calling strays into clichéd territory, but for the most part it was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

There are just enough details about Strike to take him away from the typical troubled detective; he isn’t brooding and handsome, but rather overweight and sprouting a mop of curly hair that earned him the nickname ‘pube-head’ at school. He is good at his job (though his client list is thinning) but his private relationships often suffer from his blunt, matter-of-fact manner.

Strike’s relationship with his secretary, Robin, was a joy to watch unfold. For whatever reason it is still quite rare to read a book in which the main relationship between a man and a woman isn’t romantic, so it was both funny and touching to watch Strike and Robin go from awkward co-workers to genuine friends.

Robin is a great character. Intelligent and motivated, resourceful and brave, she is nevertheless currently without direction. She has been working as a temporary secretary for too long and wants desperately to find a job she actually enjoys. A job working for a private detective seems just the thing but, alas, Strike cannot afford to keep paying her.

There were only two faults I had with this novel, and they really weren’t too much of a problem. The first was that I figured out the ending within the first couple of chapters (and I’m not bragging; this happens very rarely). The second was that, as the book went on, it became a little repetitive, with Strike locating interviewees and barraging them with questions in the hope of figuring out what really happened. But, as I said, these were minor faults.

I would highly recommend this book. The writing is clean and engaging, and each character is realistically drawn with a few deft strokes of Galbraith’s pen. The tension will keep you hooked and you’re sure to find yourself rooting for Strike.

I can’t wait to read the sequels – Silkworm and Career of Evil – and I hope we don’t have to wait too long to get more from Galbraith and Strike.

The Cuckoo’s Calling is published by Sphere.