What is the name of the detective at the center of J.K. Rowling’s Strike series?

Cormoran Strike is the detective at the center of J.K. Rowling’s Strike series.

The character first appears in The Cuckoo’s Calling, published in 2013 under Rowling’s pseudonym Robert Galbraith. Strike is a former Special Investigation Branch investigator who establishes a private detective agency in London after leaving military service.

His professional relationship with Robin Ellacott becomes one of the series’ central storylines. Robin begins as Strike’s temporary secretary, but her investigative skills and judgment make her an increasingly important partner. The novels combine individual murder investigations with the evolving personal and professional lives of both characters.

Cormoran is an uncommon name, and readers occasionally confuse the character with the author pseudonym. Robert Galbraith is the name on the books, whereas Cormoran Strike is the fictional investigator. The series has also been adapted for television as Strike, with Tom Burke playing the title role.