Tom Strikes it lucky with a shabby detective

THE world of the private eye gets a fresh airing this evening in the BBC’s latest drama series Strike – The Cuckoo’s Calling.

It’s an adaptation of one of the bestselling novels about detective Cormoran Strike written by JK Rowling under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.

Tom Burke plays the injured war veteran operating out of a shabby London office with Holliday Grainger as his assistant, Robin.

And he says one of Strike’s appealing characteristics is that he’s far from a Sherlock-like genius.

“I really like the fact that sometimes he gets it half right but not completely right,” says the former Musketeers star.

“In The Cuckoo’s Calling he believes he knows this particular person is the killer, but he honestly feels if he presents them with the facts, they’ll sort of crumble. And they might even be relieved.

“There’s a slightly older brother quality to it. Whilst he has got the right person, that is absolutely not how they react, so he’s completely taken by surprise.

“That to me is much more interesting than somebody who absolutely knows how everything is going to play out, which is also fun to watch.

“I like the fact this is a bit different, a bit more human.”

Strike is constantly seen wearing his trademark coat and getting the perfect one involved a lengthy hunt for Tom and the show’s costume designer.

“It’s one of the main items of clothing you’re continually reminded of in the books,” he adds.

“I almost had the collar permanently up, it just felt right for how we were doing it. I think I ended up wearing it a lot more than I ever imagined I would.

“I just quite liked the idea that this guy lives in the coat.”

Strike – The Cuckoo’s Calling, BBC1, tonight, 9.05pm.