I was immediately drawn into this book! The premise alone sucked me in but as soon as I started reading, I knew I was going to fly through it. A woman being GHOSTED and gaslit by her actual fiancé?! I absolutely needed to know more.

Poor Claire has had a troubled and traumatic past and so when she meets Noah, she can’t believe that she is deserving of his love. But when she tries to surprise Noah by dropping off lunch for him at his workplace, she is told by the receptionist that nobody by his name works there… and when Claire tries frantically to call and text him, he doesn’t reply.

This is such an excellent debut, Callie Kazumi has mastered engaging a reader from the first page right until the last. Consisting of flashbacks to Claire’s difficult past with her mother, diary entries from when she first met Noah, and a whole lot of craziness in between, it’s a book that is not easily put down.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

My first book by this author and it didn’t disappoint.

Claire decides to surprise her fiancé on their anniversary by turning up at his work to take home out for lunch. But she is the one who is surprised, he no longer works there, he isn’t answering her phones call or messages and she thinks he has disappeared. As she tries to find Noah her world is turned upside down she she finds out the truth about Noah.

when someone shows you who they are Claire. let them!
Claire is feeling giddy, shes on her way to her fiance for a surprise drop in of lunch on their anniversary. but erm excuse me what do you mean this man doesn't work here? what do you mean hes doesn't exist? nope. no Noah here....
then he isnt picking up her calls or texts.
shes been ghosted big style. this was not his life. she was not his life. but boy is he going to regret trying to get out of her life and messing with it!
this very quickly spirals into an obsession.
and to say there is more than ive been able to put without giving too much away is an understatement. and ooooh i want to talk about it and tell you but ooooooh do i also want to be kind and let you gasp and jump joyful at the exquisite moments that hit you if you come in fresh. so as its a good day ill let you get your joys. and boy do you get them.
this book is one of my faves in a while. took me too short a time to read as i could not put it down. its clever,so very clever. its all fits. it all works. its so delicious in its woven and seamless plot points.
loved it.

"Cuckoo" later changed title to "Claire's Darling", which was a little confusing. We follow a young woman, somewhat reclusive, who one day is suddenly ghosted by her fiancé, who claims they were never together and acts all hostile out of the blue. The current timeline is mixed with Claire’s memories of growing up with toxic and controlling mother, who gravely influenced her mind.
While the concept is interesting at the beginning, I quickly got a feeling that I already read this story before, as it was not unique. I could see through the twist halfway through and had trouble with rooting for the protagonist (she's the type of person that you'd like to shake and yell at, rather than cheer for). The constant inner monologue brought the pace down and made the book "putdownable" and I don't like, when my thrillers do that.

I recently finished Callie Kazumi's debut novel, Cuckoo, and I must say, I liked it very much. This psychological thriller is a masterclass in suspense, keeping me on the edge of my seat with its twists and turns right up until the very end. I'm confidently rating this a five-star read for its ingenious plot and deep dive into complex human psychology.
​Exploring the Deceptive Themes
The central theme of Cuckoo is the unreliable narrator and the terrifying depths of obsession. From the very beginning, the reader is plunged into Claire's world as her fiancé Noah mysteriously vanishes, revealing a life she never knew he had. The narrative expertly plays with your perception, constantly making you question Claire's perspective and what is truly happening. It's a chilling exploration of how deeply we can be deceived, not just by others, but potentially by our own minds.
Another significant theme is the impact of a troubled past on present behaviour. Claire's fragmented memories and diary entries hint at a difficult childhood, particularly her relationship with her mother. This background subtly, yet powerfully, informs her reactions and increasingly desperate actions in the present, adding layers of psychological complexity to the thriller aspect. It raises poignant questions about how formative experiences can shape our capacity for love, trust, and even delusion.
​Pros: What Kept Me Hooked
​Callie Kazumi's writing is incredibly immersive, building a tangible sense of unease and paranoia from the first page. The pace is relentless, propelling you through Claire's desperate search for answers, with each revelation deepening the mystery rather than resolving it.
The characterisation, particularly of Claire, is brilliant. She is complex, vulnerable, and at times, intensely frustrating, but always believable. Her journey into obsession is portrayed with such raw honesty that you can't help but be drawn into her fractured world, even as you doubt her sanity.
The plot is ingeniously crafted with a "killer twist" that genuinely surprised me. Just when I thought I had a handle on things, Kazumi deftly pulled the rug out from under me. It's a testament to her clever storytelling that even when hints are present, the full impact of the reveal is utterly shocking.
​Cons: A Minor Thought
​My only 'con' is less a criticism and more a characteristic of the genre. As with many psychological thrillers relying on an unreliable narrator and major twists, the re-readability might be slightly diminished once the big reveal is known. However, the initial journey is so thrilling that it certainly warrants the experience.
​My Rating: 5 Stars
Cuckoo by Callie Kazumi is an exceptional debut psychological thriller that I wholeheartedly recommend. It's dark, twisted, and profoundly addictive, offering a gripping exploration of obsession, secrets, and the unsettling nature of truth. If you love a book that messes with your mind and keeps you guessing until the very last page, this is definitely one for your reading list.
If my review has piqued your interest in Cuckoo, I genuinely encourage you to pick up a copy! It's a fantastic read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I loved this. Properly twisty, and a real psychological entanglement with a very unreliable narrator. The author takes you on this wonderful journey and at the very last minute pulls another twist that makes you want to start again and see if you can spot it coming this time!

What started out as a mystery about a missing boyfriend with a double life evolves into a psycho drama with an unreliable narrator. I’m not entirely sure what to make of it and I don’t fully understand the title, but I was not invested enough in the characters to read it again to work it out.

I did not see the end coming.

Claire Arundale is madly in love with her fiancé Noah Coors. It’s their anniversary and Claire wants to surprise him with lunch. Accompanied by her work friend, Sukhi, she goes to Noah’s office to give him his lunch only to find that he’d left months before and the receptionist has no idea where he’s now working.

Claire sets about trying to trace where Noah is working. Where he lives. Does he see anyone else? She becomes obsessed with discovering what has happened to the love of her life and why he’s disappeared from her life.

This is one of the most twisted books I’ve ever read. It’s the kind of book that one starts and then reads without stopping until the end. Only, the ending is such that leaves you still wide awake into the early hours of the morning, wondering………….!

Rony

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book from NetGalley to review.

CUCKOO is a domestic mystery with an unreliable narrator, so you know things are not as they seem! Claire and Noah are newly engaged after a whirlwind year together. But when Claire surprises Noah with lunch at his office, she learns that he hasn’t been employed there for months. He's not responding to her calls and messages, causing Claire to quickly unravel as she tries to uncover the truth.

The book has multiple timelines, from the present where Claire is in court, scenes from Claire's troubled childhood, and snippets of her diary entries when she first met Noah. The puzzle is laid out nicely to make you wonder: who is the victim and who is the perpetrator? I thought the book handled the emotional aspect well enough that even though you know Claire is acting erratically, you also want her to find Noah and get to the bottom of the mystery. Unfortunately, I've read other books with a similar premise, so I was able to guess the truth about Claire's situation and the ending was not unexpected. I wish the book had gone for a more interesting route, something out-of-the-box. In the end, it's a sorry tale about a woman living in a nightmare of her own making.

The book is dark, terrifying and unsettling. Claire and Noah were together but then a woman came between them and she stole her fiancé and her life from her. So, she wasn’t okay with it. Then the woman was found dead and Claire became the suspect. Author unveiled truth, past, shocking revelations and secrets very profoundly. The diary entries and the timelines revealed Claire’s bond with her mother, Noah, and her friend. The author reveals the truth at the end. The ending was so shocking and secrets were unsettling. Though I can’t say Claire was completely wrong, she felt everything in extreme and her extreme emotions and childhood shaped her. This was an unpredictable and twisty thriller.

Thanks to the Publisher

The synopsis for this book sounded really good but I really struggled to enjoy this book as it didn't really capture my attention and half the time I had to try and remind myself what the book was about. Sadly not the book for me but I thank the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read it.

Fiendishly clever domestic thriller
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When Claire turns up at her fiancée’s office to leave him some lunch, she’s shocked to find out that Noah’s not been working there for months. As she and her colleague/friend Sukhi dig into his life, things don’t seem to add up, and no matter which way Claire goes, she only finds dead ends and even more mysteries. What is really going on in Noah’s life, and why can’t Claire get any answers?

Ah, the unreliable narrator, what would we do without them? It won’t shock you that this is a book full of twists and turns, and shocks continue right to the very last page. Such a great thriller, that works so brilliantly as a book but may suffer if it ever gets a tv or film adaptation. I can’t give you any spoilers but they’re juicy!

Four and a half stars

It was excellent reading, as the plot just got worse and worse. Was Claire going mad with all these revelations, or was her fiancé a terrible egg? This will keep you glued. Could a two-timer be this bad? The twists and turns in this story had me wondering what to believe, and then the ending! You have to read this to believe it. Would this happen today? Let me know what you think. It is definitely in my top ten for this year.

After years of being told by her Mother and school bullies that she is nothing, Claire now has it all! A great job in PR, her own flat in London and a gorgeous fiancé. Then one day that starts off normal enough ends terribly and everything she knows comes crashing down.

This was a very addictive read, early on Claire's fiancé goes 'missing' and I just had to keep reading to find out what happened to him. As things start to be revealed, I worked out the way things were headed long before Claire and her friend Sukhi did but I still raced through the story so that I could see exactly how it would all play out. For anyone who loves thrillers or Netflix true crime you will not be surprised by the revelations along the way but I just couldn't draw myself away from the car crash that was Claire's life. I'm not sure I would class this book as a thriller it is more of a drama/mystery but it was easy to read and I would be interested to see what the author writes next.

I couldn't, and I mean COULDN'T put this down. I read it in less than a day, taking sneaky extra-long coffee breaks at work to get through cos I just HAD to know what happened. as many people have said in their reviews below, yeah, the story is a little predicatable at times, but the twists and turns don't disappoint. The multi-timeline plot adds to the sense that all is not what it seems, told in bursts from a childhood diary, adult journals, and part two as a courtroom drama. What a book! Can't wait to read more by Callie Kazumi.

A fabulous debut novel that had me intrigued and kept me turning the pages! It hooked me right in early on and I loved that it was full of twists with an unexpected one right at the end. A very entertaining read! I look forward to more from this author in the future!

What a great debut novel. A very clever, twisty read which, once I picked it up I could not put down. Highly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I will be looking out for more from this new writer

Wow, what a debut novel from Callie Kazumi and what a ride Cuckoo takes you on. The present day story line makes you feel the same disorientation that Claire must be feeling and desperate to know what it going on. Combined with stories of Claire's childhood you really start to feel for her and your heart is breaking too.

I'm going to leave my review there for fear of spoiling the story but if you love a thriller that you can't put down you're doing to love Cuckoo.

What a fantastic debut novel by Callie Kazumi for taking unhinged onto a completely new level. This was such an intriguing read because not only did the main character, Claire want to know what was happening, but I did as well and I honestly could not put the book down.

Told from Claire's perspective - her side of the story is believable, highlighting her traumatic childhood as a single child to an abusive mother. As a psychological thriller, it may have been predictable, but you can't help but feel for Claire. It was cleverly written bringing out Claire's vulnerability along with plenty of twists.

Dark, compelling, and emotionally charged—Cuckoo is a gripping debut that pulls readers into an intense, rollercoaster journey through the life of Claire, a woman battling her inner demons and external forces in a world that seems set to unravel her. From the very first page, the narrative draws you in with its raw emotional depth, leaving you both unsettled and deeply invested in Claire’s tumultuous journey.

The novel explores themes of identity, betrayal, and the complexities of mental health, all while building a profound sense of dread that lingers throughout. Claire is a multifaceted character, struggling with both personal and familial expectations, which makes her both relatable and heartbreaking.

What stands out in this debut novel is the author’s ability to balance the psychological tension with moments of profound introspection. The pace is relentless, with twists and turns that keep the reader guessing, yet there’s a delicate balance of vulnerability in Claire’s character that anchors the narrative. As the story progresses, you can’t help but root for her, even as her decisions become increasingly erratic.