The Silkworm was published under J.K. Rowling’s Robert Galbraith pen name in 2014.
The novel is the second book in Rowling’s Cormoran Strike series. It was published in June 2014 and follows private detective Cormoran Strike and his assistant Robin Ellacott as they investigate the disappearance of novelist Owen Quine. The case centres on a controversial manuscript and the people connected with its author.
The series began with The Cuckoo’s Calling in 2013, which was initially presented as the work of Robert Galbraith. Rowling’s identity as the author was revealed later that year. She continued using the pen name for the detective novels.
The Silkworm is often confused with later series titles. Career of Evil followed in 2015, Lethal White in 2018, and The Ink Black Heart in 2022. The answer is therefore the second, not the first or third, Strike novel.