Much like the endings to her recent crime novel, J.K. Rowling’s case has been cracked. "The Cuckoo's Calling," a crime novel published in early 2013, was originally under the pseudonym “Robert Galbraith”, while Rowling herself hid behind the scenes as it delivered a modest debut. It is apparent Rowling was not concerned with the monetary outcome of the novel, the Harry Potter series has provided her with a, er, illustrious lifestyle, but the question remains: how did the truth get out?
"The Cuckoo's Calling" follows PI Comoran Strike who can’t seem to catch a break. The brother of a famous supermodel who goes by the name “Cuckoo” to her friends hires Strike. Her suicide a couple months earlier is deemed suspicious, and Strike and his secretary Robin investigate in a chaotic puzzle that involves Britain’s wealthiest and most famous.
There are many rumors as to how the novel’s true authorship was leaked, but the first to reveal it was The Sunday Times on July 14, 2013. Linguistics expert Patrick Juola ran analyses of "The Cuckoo's Calling" and other Rowling writing samples, and deduced that the Harry Potter series author wrote the novel. However, it was also reported that the wife of a lawyer who worked with Rowling leaked the authorship to the Sunday Times.
Even with the confusion surrounding the novel, "The Cuckoo's Calling" has jumped to #1 on the bestseller charts. Even before Rowling was tied to the novel, it received raving reviews from critics. Rowling has expressed her desire to continue writing under the pseudonym, and continue "The Cuckoo's Calling" storyline to expand into another series.
