Series · mystery
Cormoran Strike
The Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith has 8 books and is best read in publication order, starting with The Cuckoo's Calling (2013).
- Books
- 8 books
- First published
- 2013
- Status
- ongoing
- Last checked
Start here: The Cuckoo's Calling (2013) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
The Cuckoo's Calling
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Cuckoo's Calling - Book 2:
The Silkworm
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Silkworm - Book 3:
Career of Evil
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Career of Evil - Book 4:
Lethal White
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Lethal White - Book 5:
Troubled Blood
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Troubled Blood - Book 6:
The Ink Black Heart
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Ink Black Heart - Book 7:
The Running Grave
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Running Grave - Book 8:
The Hallmarked Man
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Hallmarked Man
About the Cormoran Strike series
Cormoran Strike is a one-legged Afghanistan veteran turned private detective, working London's less glamorous end of the trade out of a cramped Denmark Street office, when his temp secretary Robin Ellacott turns out to have a genuine gift for surveillance and deduction. Written by J.K. Rowling under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, the series is old-fashioned detective fiction at heart — proper puzzle-box mysteries with red herrings, closed suspect lists and a satisfying reveal — dressed in very contemporary London: the fashion industry, tabloid politics, social media pile-ons, cult psychology and celebrity culture all get the forensic treatment across the books, and each one runs 500-900 pages, closer to a doorstop than a quick read.
What keeps readers coming back is the slow-burn relationship between Strike and Robin, which develops with real patience across the whole series rather than being resolved or abandoned early, alongside a genuinely twisty mystery in every volume. It's for readers who like their crime fiction meaty, character-driven and willing to earn its ending, and who don't mind waiting — Galbraith writes roughly one book every two years, and the books have grown steadily longer and more ambitious as the series has gone on.
How to read this series
Publication order, starting with The Cuckoo's Calling — this is a single continuous story about Strike and Robin's partnership and there is no other way to read it. The mysteries are self-contained case by case, but the emotional through-line (their working relationship, Strike's family history, Robin's marriage and its aftermath) builds directly from book to book and loses most of its impact out of order.
There are no companion novellas in the main line to worry about; a handful of short stories featuring the pair have appeared in anthologies but none are essential to the numbered series. J.K. Rowling has described Cormoran Strike as a planned ten-book series, with book nine, Sleep Tight, Evangeline, announced but not yet dated as of August 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How many Cormoran Strike books are there?
Eight novels are published, from The Cuckoo's Calling (2013) to The Hallmarked Man (2025). A ninth, Sleep Tight, Evangeline, was announced in February 2026 but has no release date yet.
What order should I read the Cormoran Strike books in?
Publication order, starting with The Cuckoo's Calling. The Strike/Robin relationship and Strike's personal history develop continuously across the series, so reading out of order spoils a lot.
Is Cormoran Strike written by J.K. Rowling?
Yes. Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym J.K. Rowling uses for this series, revealed shortly after the first book's 2013 publication.
How many Cormoran Strike books will there be in total?
Rowling has said she envisions the series running to around ten books, which would mean two more after Sleep Tight, Evangeline.
Do I need to read the Cormoran Strike books in order?
Yes, more than most detective series. Each case is self-contained, but Strike and Robin's relationship, families and personal arcs carry forward and build cumulatively from book to book.
Reading order last verified .