What is the title of J.K. Rowling's first published Cormoran Strike mystery?
Answer
The Cuckoo's Calling
J.K. Rowling's first published Cormoran Strike mystery is The Cuckoo's Calling.
The novel was published in 2013 under Rowling's pseudonym, Robert Galbraith. Its protagonist, Cormoran Strike, is a private investigator and former military police officer who has lost part of one leg in Afghanistan. He is hired to investigate the death of Lula Landry, a famous model whose death was initially treated as suicide.
The book is a traditional detective mystery rather than a fantasy novel. Rowling used the genre to create a different reading experience, emphasizing interviews, physical clues, competing interpretations, and the social pressures surrounding celebrity. Robin Ellacott, who becomes Strike's secretary, is also introduced in this first installment.
The novel's true authorship was initially concealed, but the secret was exposed soon after publication. Its success led to additional Strike books: The Silkworm, Career of Evil, Lethal White, Troubled Blood, The Ink Black Heart, and The Running Grave. Television adaptations were later produced as Strike for BBC One.