J.K. Rowling’s debut crime novel, The Cuckoo’s Calling, was published in 2013.
The novel appeared under the name Robert Galbraith and introduced private investigator Cormoran Strike. It was released in April 2013 and initially attracted attention as the work of an apparently new crime writer. The story centres on the death of model Lula Landry and Strike’s attempt to investigate the circumstances.
Rowling’s identity as the author was revealed later in 2013. The disclosure changed the book’s commercial fortunes, but the novel had already received positive attention from crime-fiction reviewers before the revelation.
The book launched a continuing series featuring Strike and Robin Ellacott. Later entries include The Silkworm, Career of Evil, Lethal White, Troubled Blood, The Ink Black Heart, and The Running Grave. These titles are separate from Rowling’s Harry Potter novels and from the Fantastic Beasts screenplays.