What was the title of J.K. Rowling’s 2013 debut crime novel?

J.K. Rowling’s 2013 debut crime novel was The Cuckoo’s Calling. It was published under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith and introduced private detective Cormoran Strike.

The novel begins with the death of supermodel Lula Landry, which is initially treated as a suicide. Strike is hired to investigate the circumstances, and the case develops through interviews, conflicting accounts, and clues surrounding London’s celebrity culture and family relationships.

The book’s true authorship became public in July 2013, several months after publication. Rowling later continued the series with The Silkworm, Career of Evil, Lethal White, Troubled Blood, and The Ink Black Heart, among other installments.

The Cuckoo’s Calling should not be confused with The Casual Vacancy, Rowling’s first adult novel published under her own name. It is also separate from the Harry Potter books in setting, genre, and characters.