The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith

The Blurb On The Back:

When a troubled model falls to her death from a Mayfair balcony, it is assumed that she has committed suicide. However, her brother has his doubts and calls in private detective Cormoran Strike to investigate.

Strike is a war veteran – wounded both physically and psychologically – and his private life is in disarray. The case gives him a financial lifeline but it comes at a personal cost: the more he delves into the young model’s world, the darker things become and the closer he gets to terrible danger …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

As everyone knows by now, Robert Galbraith is the pseudonym of J. K. Rowling and this is her first crime novel. Judging the novel on its own terms, I thought that this is a strong debut with Rowling taking the traditional elements of the genre and making them her own. Strike is an interesting character with a background that promises much – notably the rock star father who’s disavowed him, a mother who died in tragic circumstances and an ex girlfriend skilled in mind games who he finds it difficult to stay away from. I also liked Robin – competent, new to London, she’s got the detecting bug but is engaged to a man who wants her to get a better job. The novel’s strongest on its themes of celebrity and money with Rowling using her own particular insights to interesting effect – I especially enjoyed a lunch that Strike has in a posh restaurant with two bored but moneyed sisters, which oozes in snobbery, power plays and insecurity and also Strike’s interview of a bitchy fashion designer who’s worked his way to the top. However, the novel falls down in its revelation of the killer, which I found a little melodramatic and I didn’t buy the killer’s motivation at all. That’s a big shame because I was enjoying the novel up until this point – Rowling may not be a great technical writer (there’s a lot of head hopping and she over-writes descriptions at times) but she knows how to tell a story and I definitely want to read more of this series.

Diamonds by Ian Smillie

The Blurb On The Back:

Diamonds are a multi-billion-dollar business involving some of the world’s largest mining companies, a million and a half artisanal diggers, more than a million cutters and polishers, and a huge retail jewelry sector. But behind the sparkle of the diamond lies a murkier story, in which rebel armies in Angola, Sierra Leone, and the Congo turned to diamonds to finance their wars. Completely unregulated, so-called ‘blood diamonds’ became the perfect tool for money laundering, tax evasion, drug-running, and weapons-trafficking.

Diamonds brings together for the first time all aspects of the diamond industry. In it, Ian Smillie, former UN Security Council investigator and leading figure in the blood diamonds campaign, offers a comprehensive analysis of the history and structure of today’s diamond trade, the struggle for effective regulation, and the challenges ahead. There is, he argues, greater diversification and competition than ever before, but, thanks to changed attitudes and greater transparency, this coveted and prestigious gem now represents a fragile but renewed opportunity for development in some of the world’s poorest nations. This part of the diamond story has rarely been told.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

As a former investigator to the UN Security Council and having been involved in setting up the Kimberley Process, Ian Smillie is well qualified to write this excellent summary of the diamond industry – from its murky roots to its murkier current form and the failure of attempts to regulate it. The book deals with the geology and history of diamonds, how the diamond industry works, blood diamonds, activism, regulation, power and politics, development and a sweep up conclusion chapter. The strongest chapters are those on blood diamonds, activism and regulation with Smillie using his insider knowledge to give insights onto how the Kimberley Process came into being and why the regulation is failing (including a coherent explanation of how blood diamonds are traded and why it’s so difficult to control them). I admired the fact that he acknowledges the failure of the Kimberley Process despite his involvement with it and his even-handed analysis is a major strength of the book. There’s a comprehensive index and notes, but I was slightly disappointed in the Further Reading section, which I’d hoped would have been more extensive (although I liked Smillie’s notes on each suggested book). As a short book it cannot give an in-depth look at the whole industry but is nonetheless an excellent starting point and gives the reader a good platform to do further research if they’re interested. All in all, it’s a must-read primer for anyone with an interest on the topic.

DIAMONDS was released in the United Kingdom on 28th February 2014. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the ARC of this book.