Strike: The Cuckoo's Calling (Part 3)

Strike is a British crime series starring Tom Burke and Holliday Grainger. This is based on the books by Robert Galbraith, who is also known as JK Rowling. The Cuckoo's Calling encompasses the first three episodes of the show, this part being the final installment. This centers the death of Lula Landry that was initially ruled out as suicide, but Strike was hired by her adoptive brother because he thinks someone murdered his sister. I've noticed in my previous posts that there are some details that I didn't mention happening, but I would point to that as a reference, so I will just be incorporating those additional details here.

Robin Ellacott is no longer a glorified secretary! She and Cormoran Strike had made plans to meet up in Vashti in the morning. Vashti is a clothing shop that Landry had gone into on the day of her death, and the duo was retracing her steps in hopes of finding out more about Landry. When Strike didn't show up in the time, Robin got to do some sleuthing of her own, uncovering that Landry was supposed to meet someone that night. This led to the talk about the discovery found from the tapes, where there were two people wearing hoods walking around the area in separate times, one before and one after Landry's death. There was a logo on one of the jackets, which led them to Guy Some's office. 

Guy confirms that the jacket and gloves were from his unreleased collection. Those were part of the gifts sent to Deeby Mac, who was supposed to stay in the flat below Landry's, but checked into a hotel instead. He also mentions that Landry has been researching about her father, and has frequented a library to search. Robin follows up on the library lead, and Strike goes back to visit Lady Bristow in hopes that she would clarify her previous statement - that Landry was frightened of someone. Strike and Robin also reenact the crime scene in order to get a better picture of the events, putting together what they have uncovered so far. 

The library search pops out a name, who has a son serving the army. Strike visits Jonah Agyeman, and it is revealed that he is her half-brother and he was the one walking in the video before Landry's death. He eventually leaves, not meeting Landry, and also mentions that in her persistence in meeting him, she has also promised to give him all her money. Hidden somewhere in Landry's possessions is a will naming her half-brother her inheritor, and it was deduced that Onifade was killed because she knew of the will and was blackmailing the killer. Strike sets out to find the evidence that will strengthen his case against the killer. 

It is revealed that it was John Bristow who murders Lula Landry. Due to his jealousy (Lula being the favorite of his mother) and greed, he snaps and pushes Landry off the balcony. He had also hired Strike to investigate in order to pin the murder on Agyeman. The two eventually gets into a brawl in the office, and Robin walks in just at the right moment to stop the fight and help Strike out. At the end of the episode, Robin voices out that she wants to keep working for Strike, and he keeps her on his team. 

Just a couple of pieces missing from my narrative: I've mentioned that Robin was interested in staying with her current job, something that her fiance disproves off. She went to a job interview the previous episode, but ends up rejecting the job offer, causing the couple to have a riff. While I think that the scenes with the fiance are buffer scenes, Matt's antagonizing ways becomes an integral part to Robin's narrative, although if I remember correctly, it won't come to play until the third book. 

I usually take my mystery novels at face value (I'm never the one who tries to solve the mystery), but the reason why John Bristow hires Strike was idiotic. The man could have gotten away with it just by killing the two women, and not having involved anyone else in. He got a daft detective who was in charge of the case and has dismissed Landry's demise as suicide because of her mental health issues. If the will was with another lawyer, it would have already surfaced by then (it has been three months since Landry died) and everyone would have known about Jonah Agyeman's inheritance. Since it didn't resurface, it can be assumed that no lawyer would put the will into act, and with Agyeman not saying anything for months, Bristow could already be assured that he didn't have it. So why go through all the trouble of involving someone else? 

This three-part adaptation was uneven. The first episode starts off suspenseful, the second one giving a lot of information (along with clues that are considered to be red herring). This ender already gave focus on who the audience should be looking for, so the reveal was anti-climactic. The shared history between John and Strike is supposed to make the reveal have more impact. John had thought of Strike for the investigator because he was friends with Charlie, John's brother. Charlie died when they were young, and his death was the reason his parents wanted to adopt Landry. Strike also surmised that it was John who had killed Charlie due to his jealousy. 

I would continue on with the series simply because I enjoyed reading the books. It's not as intense as other crime-related shows, nor does it look as polished, but is entertaining. Tom Burke is good as Cormoran Strike, and I am glad that Holliday Grainger is doing more than just appearing in the office and talking to Kerr Logan (who plays Matt the fiance) in their home.  

READ PART ONE HERE

READ PART TWO HERE