Cuckoo's Calling (Galbraith) - Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions
Use our LitLovers Book Club Resources; they can help with discussions for any book:

• How to Discuss a Book (helpful discussion tips)
• Generic Discussion Questions—Fiction and Nonfiction
• Read-Think-Talk (a guided reading chart)

Also, consider these LitLovers talking points to start a discussion for The Cuckoo's Calling:

1. What do you think of Cormoran Strike What are his secrets...and what drives him in the dogged pursuit of the Truth?

2. What makes Lulu Landry's apparent suicide suspicious? Lulu's character is gradually revealed and the story progresses. What kind of person was she?

3. How does the author portray the culture—and the characters—of worlds of fashion world and the very rich?

4. Using a hard-bitten investigator assisted by an young, ambitious "Girl Friday" is a classic detective-story trope. What do you think of Robin Ellacott? What does her character bring to the story?

5. Good mystery writing leads readers astray with red-herrings. Who were you first suspicious of?

6. Does the fact that the book was penned by J.K. Rowling affect you view of it? "In speculating as to why J.K. Rowling might have written The Cuckoo's Calling under a pseudonym, the New York Times wrote, "Ms. Rowling may well have felt that the reaction, both critical and commercial [to Casual Vacancy, her first effort after Harry Potter], was distorted by her fame." Why do you think she felt compelled to use a pseudonym?  If you've read her Harry Potter books, do you detect any similarities, either in style or structure?

7. Were you surprised by the ending? Or did you see it coming? Why...or why not?

8. It appears that Strike may be part of an ongoing series. Will you be reading more of his escapades?

(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Thanks.)

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