Nearly a 5-star book. I've read so many mysteries this year that have come up short - either unsatisfying complications with the plot or poor character development - that I was pleased to enjoy both elements of The Cuckoo's Calling. It's a bit hard-boiled, but not nostalgic; the good guys are good but not cloying or two-dimensional, and that bad guys are not obvious. The mystery itself has a logical foundation and the solution isn't telegraphed from the first chapter.