Which fictional detective is the central character in J.K. Rowling’s crime-fiction series?

Cormoran Strike is the central fictional detective in J.K. Rowling’s crime-fiction series.

The character first appeared in The Cuckoo’s Calling, published in 2013 under Rowling’s pseudonym Robert Galbraith. Strike is a private investigator who operates in London and draws on his military police experience when investigating difficult cases.

Strike is physically distinctive and has a complicated personal history. He lost part of one leg while serving in Afghanistan and has a difficult relationship with his former fiancée, Charlotte Campbell. These details help distinguish him from more conventional fictional detectives.

Robin Ellacott becomes his assistant and later a crucial investigative colleague. Their professional partnership develops across the series, while each novel presents a separate major case. The books have also been adapted for television as Strike, with Tom Burke portraying Strike.