It was more like 3.5 stars, but I was always taught to round up in school. 
 I think I would have ultimately appreciated this book much more if I hadn't just recently read Girl on a Train, which stroked my ego when it comes to figuring out the culrpit before the end. I had that murderer pegged by about page 100, and was so disappointed to find I was actually right. I thought I was the master mystery-solver, the end-all-be-all of reader-detectives. I picked up Cuckoo's Calling after there was recent buzz about the first Cormoran Strike novel being turned into a BBC series. I was also really curious to see how Rowling writes for adults. But my bar was set pretty low. 
 I thought I was so smart. I read between the lines, I picked up the subtle clues, and I was pretty sure I had figured out the murderer early. I read the rest of the book silently begging J.K. to prove me wrong, but it didn't look good. It started looking really bad toward the end, when she all but set up my guess as at least an accomplice to the murder. But then, in true J.K. form, in came the big reveal, which had me simultaneously scratching my head and praising the Lord that Robert Galbraith was not just any mystery/thriller writer. I distinctly remember at one point saying to myself "Maybe it's this person? Nah, how would that even work?" But it did, and it was great. In many ways, a bit of Rowling came through in the pages - realistic and sometimes funny dialogue, a messy but lovable lead, and loads of red herrings. But by the end, I had to give her her due - when it comes to adult mystery writing, she is someone else entirely. She is Robert Galbraith. And I had to thank her for reminding me that mysteries are meant to be enjoyed - I was so caught up in trying to guess the killer, that I didn't allow myself to just let the story unfold. Too many contrived, predictable thrillers had all but turned me off to mystery writing - Galbraith has renewed my faith in the genre. 
 If you're looking for an action packed, over the top mystery/thriller, you won't find it in Cuckoo's Calling. Most of the story is made up of Strike's interviews with various suspects/witnesses and the musings of his own mind, along with some personal background on him and a few sections from the view of his eager assistant Robin (how many books will it take for their relationship to evolve beyond professional??). This book is more of a character study, with some moments of action in between. Don't view this as a negative though - the quality of the character development and dialogue adds a lot of fuel to the various twists and turns of the story. I will definitely be checking out The Silkworm.