1. What do you think of Cormoran Strike? What are his secrets...and what drives him in the dogged pursuit of the Truth?
2. How does the author portray the culture—and the characters—of worlds of fashion world and the very rich?
3. 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?
4. Good mystery writing leads readers astray with red-herrings. Who were you first suspicious of?
5. 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?
2. How does the author portray the culture—and the characters—of worlds of fashion world and the very rich?
3. 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?
4. Good mystery writing leads readers astray with red-herrings. Who were you first suspicious of?
5. 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?