Robert Galbraith

Robert Galbraith is the pseudonym J. K. Rowling, author of Harry Potter, has written crime fiction under since 2013, when The Cuckoo's Calling introduced Cormoran Strike, a one-legged Afghanistan veteran turned private detective working out of a cramped London office. Rowling's authorship was revealed within weeks of publication, but she has continued using the Galbraith name for the series ever since, in part because it let the first book be judged purely on its own merits before her name entered the conversation. Strike is joined early on by Robin Ellacott, his temp-turned-partner with a genuine gift for the work, and the slow-burn will-they-won't-they between the two runs across the whole series rather than resolving or vanishing early. These are proper puzzle-box detective novels, closed suspect lists, real red herrings, satisfying reveals, wrapped in very contemporary London settings, from the fashion industry to internet pile-ons, and they've grown steadily longer and more ambitious across eight books and counting; Rowling has said she envisions roughly ten in total. New readers should start with The Cuckoo's Calling and read in order, since Strike and Robin's relationship and personal histories build continuously. The series has also been adapted into Strike, an ongoing BBC/HBO drama starring Tom Burke and Holliday Grainger.