Which J.K. Rowling novel features the detective Cormoran Strike for the first time?

The Cuckoo’s Calling introduces J.K. Rowling’s detective Cormoran Strike.

Published in 2013 under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, the novel begins when model Lula Landry dies after falling from a London apartment balcony. Strike, a private investigator and former military police investigator, is hired to examine whether the death was suicide.

The story also establishes Robin Ellacott, who becomes Strike’s investigative partner and an important continuing character. Later books in the series include The Silkworm, Career of Evil, Lethal White, Troubled Blood, The Ink Black Heart, and The Running Grave.

The book’s authorship was initially kept secret. Rowling’s identity was revealed after publication, but the series retained the Robert Galbraith byline. That is why the first Strike novel can be accurately described by both its title and its pseudonymous author.