The Cuckoo’s calling by Robert Galbraith
Genre: Mystery, Crime
Cormoran Strike. London-based Private Investigator. Clever, sharp and relentless, but also an amputee war veteran with a troubled past, broken love life and financial woes so bad that he is set on a path to penury at the start of the story. His lucky break came when he is asked by a wealthy lawyer John Bristow to investigate the death of his famous supermodel sister Lula Landry. While the rest of the law enforcement world has stuck by the conclusion that her death was suicide, Bristow ls unconvinced, which leads him to seek out Strike, whom his late older brother had been friends with.
As Strike investigates the mystery, with the aid of his quick-witted temporary secretary Robin Ellacott, he meets a cast of intriguing suspects from the glamourous and complicated world that is showbiz. Their eccentric lifestyles form an interesting contrast to the shabbiness Strike lives amidst in his dilapidated office. The story gives desired peeks into the entertainment industry and the lives of the affluent fraught with scandals, while creating highly realistic scenarios that are easily imaginable.
Those who crave action will be disappointed. Much of the story takes place months after the crime, and is unravelled largely through interviews with the suspects. Nevertheless, the writer has given all the characters distinct accents and mannerisms in speaking, which makes their accounts come alive. On a cautionary note, expletives are frequently spewed by some characters.
Weaving through the detective work are sporadic accounts of Strike’s back story, and although this adds more depth to the character and becomes surprisingly relevant to the ending, it gets distracting and confusing at times.
Overall, this book is an entertaining read, relatively well-paced with memorable characters. Twists and turns are part and parcel of the plot, which is of course a boon for any crime and mystery novel.
Mom & Me & Mom by Maya Angelou
Genre: Autobiography
Legendary author Maya Angelou discusses in her latest autobiography, her relationship with her mother, who left the three-year-old Maya in the care of her grandmother when her own marriage crumbled. Mother and daughter’s reconciliation a decade later is an icy cold one, with Maya simply calling her mother “Lady”.
Despite being only about 200 pages long, the book is a testimony of a long journey towards acceptance and unconditional love. It is one filled with tribulations as the women struggle with the problems and challenges that result from the choices they made.
Growing up in an unsavoury environment herself, Maya’s mother was a gambler who spent time in jail, and even owned a gambling operation. Not a particu- larly good role model, some of her parenting attempts would make any self-respecting parents shake their heads. Nevertheless, her faults make her human, and her attempts to pick up the pieces would appeal to the empathy of readers who have harboured similar experiences of conflicts with their young ones. After all, parents are humans. They too make mistakes, a point that many are quick to forget, and quick to reproach. But, for all her imperfections, she clearly loves her daughter. Her farewell words to Maya when the girl leaves home is to adapt to her environment, never to veer into the path of wrong, and to be free to come home.
Likewise, Maya too, reveals many mistaken choices in life and how she deals with them, reminding us again that as humans, we sometimes find ourselves doing what needs to be done at the moment to get by. Regardless of the hardship, Maya clings to her dreams and follows them where they lead her. She attributes this to the love, support and guidance from her mother, whom she grows to appreciate over time from her personal experiences and interaction with her. The resolution is a happy one as both women grow to become loving, caring and admirable mothers.
Maya’s writing has always been captivating, passionate and poetic, and the trend continues in this intriguing story. She reaches out to readers with compassionate and inspiring words, resulting in emotional prose that brings smiles and tears to readers. Even if you are not a mother or a daughter, this book hits home for those who can relate to complicated relationships and dark days in their lives, which is probably just about any one.
– These book reviews first appeared in a lifestyle magazine
