Which pseudonym did J.K. Rowling use for her crime novels before her identity was revealed?

J.K. Rowling used the pseudonym Robert Galbraith for her crime novels before her identity was revealed.

The name first appeared on The Cuckoo’s Calling, published in 2013. The book introduced private detective Cormoran Strike and his assistant Robin Ellacott. Rowling chose to write the series separately from Harry Potter and initially kept her authorship private.

The pseudonym was not intended to identify a fictional character inside the novels. Robert Galbraith was presented as the author name on the books, and the Galbraith identity was publicly linked to Rowling after an anonymous tip led to linguistic analysis.

Rowling continued publishing the Cormoran Strike series under the Galbraith name after the disclosure. This is distinct from J.K. Rowling, the name used for her Harry Potter books and several other works, including The Casual Vacancy.