Who is the private detective at the center of J.K. Rowling’s Galbraith crime novels?

Cormoran Strike is the private detective at the center of J.K. Rowling’s Galbraith crime novels.

Strike first appears in The Cuckoo’s Calling, published in 2013 under Rowling’s pseudonym Robert Galbraith. He is a former military investigator who opens a private-detective agency in London after leaving the Special Investigation Branch. His physical injuries and financial difficulties form part of his background, but his investigative ability is the defining feature of the character.

Robin Ellacott begins working with Strike as a temporary secretary and develops into his trusted investigative partner. Their professional relationship is a major continuing thread of the series.

Cormoran Strike is not a magical character and does not belong to the Harry Potter universe. The novels are contemporary detective stories involving murder investigations, evidence, suspects, and police procedure. This separation between Rowling’s fantasy and crime fiction is why the Galbraith name was initially used.