This was a pretty solid detective story. Nothing too extraordinary or fancy about it, yet it still worked. The author has created a flawed, yet credible detective that helps drive the narrative along, both with his personal story and with his investigation. Cormoran Strike is no Sherlock Holmes, but he's a cool and interesting detective in his own right and really helps drive the story. I'm certain we'll see more Cormoran Strike novels in the future.
It's no Harry Potter, but Rowling has shown she has what it takes to tell compelling stories even without the childhood wonder of magic.

For my full review: strakul.blogspot.com/2013/10/book-review-cuckoos-calling-by-robert.html