Cuckoo by Callie Kazumi

 

Claire's world is turned upside down when she decides to drop off lunch for her fiance at his office. She discovers he hasn't worked there for months. So where does he go each day? And why is he suddenly ignoring her phone calls and messages?

From the opening pages of  Cuckoo by Callie Kazumi you get a disconcerting feeling. We join Claire as she completes her diary detailing her one-year anniversary of meeting Noah, her fiance. The evening was spent together cooking, followed by chocolates and prosecco. Everything came across as too perfect, however, when you're as loved-up as Claire and Noah you are bound to have a slightly skewed view of the world.

Things begin to take a strange turn when Claire decides to drop off a special lunch for Noah during her lunch break. Along with her work colleague, Sukhi, they go to Noah's office but the receptionist has no knowledge of Noah. After some investigation, Claire is informed that Noah left for a new job months earlier. Claire is shocked to hear this as Noah hadn't told her. When she tries to phone him the calls go unanswered, there are no replies to text messages. Claire is distraught, she doesn't know what's happening.

The whole scenario, from discussing her relationship with Sukhi, through to discovering Noah no longer works where she thought he did continues the unsettled feeling I got from the opening pages. Once again the relationship between Claire and Noah comes across as too perfect and Claire's personality is too chirpy. I began to question what was true, wondering if Claire was delusional.

We follow a distraught Claire, aided by Sukhi, as she begins to trawl social media trying to find answers. Interspersed with the quest for answers are more diary entries from Claire. We learn about the day she met Noah, followed by sporadic days of their relationship, all of which continue to fuel the disquieting feeling I had, everything was too intense.

I couldn't put the book down, I desperately wanted to know what was happening. I needed answers regarding Noah's behaviour. I had to know what was real and what was imagined. As Claire's behaviour became more erratic you got a sense of danger lurking. I felt a little voyeuristic and grubby, that strange sensation when you know something isn't right but you just can't look away.

Claire is a strange character, she is constantly putting herself down, wondering why the incredibly handsome Noah would choose to be with someone as ordinary as her. You do feel sympathy towards Claire as you learn about her childhood with a mother who was emotionally and physically abusive, it is clear that she craves the love and attention she never got as a child. However, as her behaviour becomes more extreme and irrational you begin to wonder what the climax of the story will be.

Cuckoo by Callie Kazumi will be published on 13th March 2025 in paperback and audio format. The ebook will be available from 10th February 2025. My thanks to NetGalley and Century Publishing for a review copy.

Author Details

Callie Kazumi is a British-Japanese writer who started work on her first book after being gifted Stephen King's On Writing by her father. She lives in London with her husband and their Bichon Frisé, Betsy. Cuckoo is her debut novel.