The detective in J.K. Rowling’s Robert Galbraith crime novels is Cormoran Strike.
Cormoran Strike is a private investigator and former Special Investigation Branch investigator. He runs a detective agency in London and often works with Robin Ellacott, who begins as his temporary secretary and becomes a key investigative partner. Their professional relationship develops across the series.
Strike first appears in The Cuckoo’s Calling, published in 2013. The novels investigate cases involving celebrity deaths, publishing, organized crime, political activism, and online harassment. Although the books are by Rowling, they use the Robert Galbraith pseudonym rather than the J.K. Rowling name.
The character’s background distinguishes him from Rowling’s fantasy protagonists. Strike is an adult investigator operating in a recognizable modern Britain, and the series follows procedural clues rather than magic. The books were adapted for television in the BBC series Strike, which also uses the character’s name in its title.