Which J.K. Rowling novel was the first to feature adult detective Cormoran Strike?

The Cuckoo’s Calling was the first J.K. Rowling novel to feature private detective Cormoran Strike. Rowling published it in 2013 under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, launching a crime-fiction series separate from the Harry Potter books.

Strike investigates the death of model Lula Landry, and Robin Ellacott joins his office as a temporary secretary. Their professional relationship becomes a continuing thread across the series. The novel’s setting, investigative method, and adult cast distinguish it sharply from Rowling’s children’s fantasy work.

The book attracted wider attention when Rowling’s authorship was publicly revealed. Its follow-up, The Silkworm, was published in 2014. Later entries include Career of Evil, Lethal White, Troubled Blood, The Ink Black Heart, and The Running Grave.