Who is the fictional detective at the center of J.K. Rowling’s Strike novels?

Cormoran Strike is the fictional detective at the center of J.K. Rowling’s Strike novels, which she publishes under the name Robert Galbraith.

Strike is a private investigator and former Special Investigation Branch investigator. The novels begin with The Cuckoo’s Calling, in which he investigates the death of model Lula Landry. Robin Ellacott becomes his temporary secretary and later an important investigative partner.

These books belong to the crime-fiction genre, not the fantasy genre of Harry Potter. That difference is one reason Rowling initially used a pseudonym. Her authorship of The Cuckoo’s Calling was later confirmed, but the Robert Galbraith credit continued for subsequent books.

Cormoran Strike’s name also reflects the series’ broader setting. The stories are contemporary detective mysteries rooted in London and other parts of Britain, with investigations, suspects, evidence, and professional relationships replacing magic, spells, and wizarding institutions.