What was J.K. Rowling’s first published Harry Potter pseudonym-related adult crime novel?

J.K. Rowling’s first published crime novel under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith was The Cuckoo’s Calling.

The book was published in April 2013 and introduced private detective Cormoran Strike. Strike investigates the death of model Lula Landry, whose death has been ruled a suicide. Robin Ellacott joins his office as a temporary secretary and becomes central to the series.

The novel was initially credited to Robert Galbraith, a name presented as belonging to a former military police investigator. Rowling’s authorship was publicly revealed several months after publication. The revelation caused a sharp increase in sales and confirmed that the book was part of a new series by the Harry Potter author.

The title is often confused with the series’ second novel, The Silkworm. The Cuckoo’s Calling came first; later entries continued the Strike and Robin storyline in contemporary London.