Cormoran Strike

For the television programme based on the series, see Strike (TV series).

Cormoran Strike is a series of crime fiction novels written by British author J. K. Rowling, under the pen name Robert Galbraith. The story chronicles the cases of the fictional British private detective Cormoran Strike and his partner Robin Ellacott. Seven novels have so far been published in a planned series of ten.^[1] The seventh novel, titled The Running Grave, was released on 26 September 2023.^[2] As of February 2024, the series has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and was published in more than 50 countries, being translated into 43 languages.^[3]

Cormoran Strike

The Cuckoo's Calling (2013) The Silkworm (2014) Career of Evil (2015) Lethal White (2018) Troubled Blood (2020) The Ink Black Heart (2022) The Running Grave (2023)
Author	J. K. Rowling (as Robert Galbraith)
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Genre	Crime fiction, mystery
Publisher	Sphere Books
Published	4 April 2013–present
Media type	Print (hardback and paperback) Audiobook E-book
No. of books	7

The novels are adapted into the television programme Strike, which began airing on BBC One in the United Kingdom in August 2017.^[4][5][6]

Novels

1. Galbraith, Robert (4 April 2013). The Cuckoo's Calling. Sphere. ISBN 978-1-4087-0399-1. 464 pages
2. Galbraith, Robert; Rowling, J. K. (19 June 2014). The Silkworm. Sphere. ISBN 978-1-4087-0402-8. 454 pages
3. Galbraith, Robert (20 October 2015). Career of Evil. Sphere. ISBN 978-0-7515-6227-9. 512 pages
4. Galbraith, Robert; Rowling, J. K. (18 September 2018). Lethal White. Sphere. ISBN 978-0-7515-7285-8. 656 pages
5. Galbraith, Robert (15 September 2020). Troubled Blood. Mulholland Books/Little, Brown. ISBN 978-0-3164-9893-7. 944 pages
6. Galbraith, Robert (30 August 2022). The Ink Black Heart. Mulholland Books/Little, Brown. ISBN 978-0-3164-1303-9. 1024 pages
7. Galbraith, Robert (26 September 2023). The Running Grave. Mulholland Books/Little, Brown. ISBN 978-0-3165-7210-1. 960 pages

On 15 March 2024, Rowling revealed the title of the eighth book as The Hallmarked Man.^[7] It has a planned release date of September 2, 2025.^[8]

Characters

Protagonists

Cormoran Strike
First appearance	The Cuckoo's Calling
Created by	Robert Galbraith
Portrayed by	Tom Burke
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Occupation	Private detective
Family	Jonathan 'Jonny' Rokeby (father) Leda Strike (mother) Maimie (half-sister) Gabriella Rokeby (half-sister) Daniella Rokeby (half-sister) Alexander 'Al' Rokeby (half-brother) Edward Rokeby (half-brother) Prudence Donleavey (half-sister) Lucy (half-sister) Switch Whittaker (half-brother) Jeff Whittaker (stepfather) Jack (nephew) Luke (nephew) Adam (nephew) Sylvie Donleavey (niece) Ted Nancarrow (uncle) Joan Nancarrow (aunt by marriage)
Nationality	British

• Cormoran Blue Strike: An ex-SIB investigator who runs a private detective agency. His biological father, Jonny Rokeby, is a renowned rock star who had an affair with Strike's mother, model and 'super groupie' Leda Strikel

Robin Ellacott
First appearance	The Cuckoo's Calling
Created by	Robert Galbraith
Portrayed by	Holliday Grainger
In-universe information
Gender	Female
Occupation	Private detective
Family	Linda Ellacott (Mother) Michael Ellacott (Father) Stephen (Brother) Martin Ellacott (Brother) Jonathan (Brother) Matthew Cunliffe (Ex-Husband)
Nationality	British

• Robin Venetia Ellacott; She begins the series as a temporary secretary, but becomes a partner in the detective agency alongside Strike.

Secondary characters

• Matthew Cunliffe: Robin's fiancé, later husband, eventually ex-husband.
• Lucy: Strike's younger half-sister on his mother's side.
• Jonny Rokeby: Strike's famous rock-star father.
• Leda Strike: Strike's late mother, a famous model and a rockstar 'supergroupie'. She died of a heroin overdose when Strike was 20.
• Charlotte Campbell (Ross): Strike's ex-fiancée, wealthy and mercurial.
• Eric Wardle: A detective with the Metropolitan Police.
• Roy Carver: A detective with the Metropolitan Police.
• Richard Anstis: A detective with the Metropolitan Police.
• Linda Ellacott: Robin's mother, first appearing in the second novel.
• Alexander 'Al' Rokeby: One of Strike's half-brothers on his father's side.
• Shanker: Strike's friend from the times he was living with his mother Leda, a career criminal.
• Nick and Ilsa Herbert: Strike's school friends who appear beginning in the second novel.
• Samuel 'Sam' Barclay: A Scottish subcontractor who begins working with the agency in the fourth novel.

Television adaptation

Main article: Strike (TV series)

In December 2014, it was announced that the novel series would be adapted for television by the BBC. In September 2016, Tom Burke was confirmed as having been cast as Cormoran Strike.^[9] Holliday Grainger was cast as Robin Ellacott later in November.^[10] Filming of seven hour-long episodes of the Cormoran Strike television series began in November 2016.^[11] The series was picked up by HBO for distribution in the United States and Canada,^[12] It premiered on 27 August 2017 on BBC.^[13]