Who is the central detective in J.K. Rowling’s Cormoran Strike series?

Cormoran Strike is the central detective in J.K. Rowling’s Cormoran Strike series. Rowling writes these crime novels under the pen name Robert Galbraith.

Strike is a private investigator based in London. He is a former Special Investigation Branch investigator in the Royal Military Police and has a prosthetic leg after losing part of one leg during service in Afghanistan. His military background contributes to his investigative skills and to the series’ characterization.

Robin Ellacott becomes closely associated with Strike’s cases. She begins as his temporary secretary in The Cuckoo’s Calling and develops into his capable business partner. Their professional relationship is a continuing thread across the novels.

Strike is not a wizard and does not belong to the Harry Potter universe. The character anchors Rowling’s later adult crime fiction, which differs in genre, setting, tone, and intended readership from her children’s fantasy series. The television adaptation is titled Strike in the United Kingdom.