SHORT REVIEW: A bit repetitive, but an overall fun adventure. Likable duo who haven't had time to become fully fleshed (save for Cormoran) but are headed in the right direction. A bit dialogue-heavy, but at least utilizes some more diverse sentence structure than the simple "he said, she said." Has Rowling's patented wit and humor, interspersed between subtle social commentary on class and race. An overall good read, though a tad bit long. 
 LONG REVIEW: I am not really one for the mystery genre. I have tried it so many times, with so many authors, and usually end up feeling dissatisfied. The plot is over-complicated, the plot is simple, the characters are cliche and flat, the protagonist is a SUPERhero who can do no wrong and always gets the love interest. However, I tend to like mysteries written by British authors, like Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, so I was willing to give "Galbraith's" series a try. 
 The main characters are private dick Cormoran Strike, ex-military police with 1.5 legs, who is apparently giant, a bit pouchy, and extremely hairy - "furry" is the word I believe Rowling used to describe his belly. I like the incongruous image of a non-Adonis as the detective - aren't they usually drop-dead sexy? - which lends a bit more credence to his position. He does, however, have an extremely beautiful and volatile fiance, with whom he separates in his opening scene. As such, he is a little muddled by her, having to convince himself to not go after her and continue their toxic relationship, and is continuously preoccupied by her throughout - not necessarily to the reader's detriment, as he pines to a realistic but not nauseating degree, and it does lead to an amusing drunken scene with Temporary Solutions, aka Robin, who assists him with secretarial and investigative work. Robin is neither over-the-top nor boring, but a good blend of clever and down-to-earth. She also has a knack for lying and improv (not including her horrid Aussie accent), to her and Cormoran's advantage. They have an odd meeting (involving some involuntary impropriety), definitely not a "meet-cute," (thank God) which leads to all kinds of juicy misunderstandings later on, which are quickly resolved as Cormoran comes to enjoy Robin's respect for personal boundaries and proficiency. However, that doesn't stop Robin from giving him the cold shoulder when he fails to engage or snaps at her. 
 All in all, the detective duo brings to mind an old married couple, which I think perfectly suitable for their dynamic. I appreciate that they aren't oblivious to one another as a sexual prospect, but that they aren't attracted to one another, either. I hope that the dynamic doesn't turn romantic since it's refreshing to see a male-female relationship that is friendly and professional. 
 The other characters are almost caricatures, in her same emphatic style, what with John Bristow being leporine with gigantic front teeth and Bestigui's bulldog-ish features. You can sense her relish every time she points out a haughty or undesirable character's relevant features. 
 The plot wasn't bad. I think most readers could narrow the possible suspects down to two by the final encounter (maybe three) or guess the right person if you've read enough mysteries. However, the confrontation is always satisfying, as was the little setup Cormoran arranged in advance. 
 Some other readers have commented on Rowling's writing style. I for one immensely enjoyed it and found that it did not detract from the overall plot and genre (seeing as more mysteries tend to utilize the fast-paced plot). I thought it appropriate and not stodgy, but also not entirely modern either. The dialogue was also well-constructed, for the most part, but is also where I took off one star for the repetitive nature of the conversations. She definitely kept me focused with all of the dialects and brogues being tossed around, especially as someone not proficient in British English. I didn't mind the template interview style of conversation, as it was realistic and necessary to advance the plot, but one problem with utilizing the "everybody sees/reports events differently" device is that the story tends to get extremely repetitive, to the point where I start to miss important details, what with having to hear about Tansy and what she heard, Derrick's movements in the apartment, and so on, so forth. And finally, I love her wry humor, which was present in "Harry Potter" and abundant in "The Cuckoo's Calling." In particular, her pointed remarks on Cormoran's (unattractive) hairiness and "pubey" hair, his undesirable living arrangement, the frugal and fraudulent way he maintains his hygiene, the way others react instinctively to his bulk, his drunken episode - "Have I told you how nice you are?" - and the sexual misunderstandings between him and Robin. 
 Finally, I appreciated that Rowling addressed the racial and social issues, one of which was Lula's acknowledgment of the difficulties of being raised mixed-race in a white family, and her white family's inability to fully understand that dilemma. I also liked that Rochelle was stumpy and unattractive, and that Guy had bulging eyes, because in other books, I've noticed that some less mature white authors are almost afraid to label their minority character(s) as unattractive - I will roll my eyes every time the sole brown character is described as having "beautiful [some coffee variant] skin." Like... you can't just write "[coffee variant] skin" without having to explicitly describe that shade as being beautiful? And yes, it is a bit cliche for the main victim(s) or suspect(s) to be filthy rich, but it balanced out nicely with Cormoran's destitution. 
 Overall, a fantastic read! Can't wait to devour book number two.