THE CUCKOO'S CALLING by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling)

This novel is not as magical or as imaginative as a Harry Potter novel, but then what book is?  Cormoran Strike's private detective business is floundering, and he has debts he can't repay, when supermodel Lula Landry's brother John hires him to investigate Lula's death.  The police have ruled her death a suicide, but John is firmly convinced that Lula did not kill herself.  Strike's able assistant is Robin (not to be confused with Batman's assistant), a temp whose fiancé encourages her to find stable employment somewhere else, but she's Watson to Strike's Sherlock Holmes. During the course of his investigation, Strike questions Lula's scumbag boyfriend, her handsome driver, her biological mother, her adoptive mother, her pal from rehab, her neighbors, the building security guard, and her assorted other friends and relatives.  They're mostly a sorry lot with something to hide and questionable alibis.  I love a good whodunit, and this was a fun, breezy read.  However, when Strike flushes out the murderer and recounts the entire sequence of events, I thought that the whole scenario was a little absurd.  Plus, Strike has proved himself to be pretty crafty and wise, with regard to the case, if not to his personal life, but I thought it reckless of him to describe to the murderer how the murder was carried out.  In other words, if you're expecting something gritty and realistic, you'll be disappointed, but if your fiction tastes run more toward the cozy mystery, this could be right down your alley.  Ms. Rowling certainly leaves the door open for more adventures of this dynamic duo and a possible romantic liaison between Strike and Robin.  I'm already hooked.