Cormoran Strike
| Company type | Book series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Crime fiction novels |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Founder | J. K. Rowling (as Robert Galbraith) |
| Products | Novels, television series |
Cormoran Strike is a collection of crime fiction novels authored by British writer J. K. Rowling under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. The narrative centers on private detective Cormoran Strike and his associate Robin Ellacott. To date, seven installments have been released as part of a projected ten-volume series. The latest book, The Running Grave, was published on 26 September 2023. By February 2024, the series had achieved global sales exceeding 20 million copies, with editions available in over 50 countries and translations into 43 languages.
These novels have been transformed into the television series Strike, which debuted on BBC One in August 2017.
Novels
- The Cuckoo's Calling (2013) – 464 pages
- The Silkworm (2014) – 454 pages
- Career of Evil (2015) – 512 pages
- Lethal White (2018) – 656 pages
- Troubled Blood (2020) – 944 pages
- The Ink Black Heart (2022) – 1024 pages
- The Running Grave (2023) – 960 pages
- The Hallmarked Man (2025) – 912 pages
Main Characters
- Cormoran Strike: A former officer with the Special Investigation Branch who now runs his own private investigation agency. His biological parents are Jonny Rokeby, a renowned rock musician, and Leda Strike, a model.
- Robin Venetia Ellacott: Initially employed as a temporary secretary, she advances to become Strike’s business partner within the detective agency.
Supporting Characters
- Matthew Cunliffe: Robin’s fiancé turned husband and later ex-husband.
- Lucy: Strike’s younger half-sister from his mother’s side.
- Jonny Rokeby: Strike’s father, a well-known rock star.
- Leda Strike: Strike’s deceased mother, who was both a model and a rockstar groupie; she passed away from a heroin overdose when Strike was twenty.
- Charlotte Campbell (Ross): Strike’s affluent and unpredictable former fiancée.
- Eric Wardle, Roy Carver, Richard Anstis: Detectives affiliated with the Metropolitan Police.
- Linda Ellacott: Robin’s mother, introduced in the second book.
- Alexander 'Al' Rokeby: Strike’s half-brother on his father’s side.
- Shanker: A childhood friend of Strike’s with a history in crime.
- Nick and Ilsa Herbert: School acquaintances of Strike who appear starting from the second novel.
- Samuel 'Sam' Barclay: A Scottish subcontractor collaborating with the agency from the fourth novel onward.
- Ted and Joan: Aunt and uncle to Strike and Lucy.
Television adaptation
In December 2014, the BBC revealed plans to adapt the novel series for television. By September 2016, Tom Burke was cast in the role of Cormoran Strike, followed by Holliday Grainger joining as Robin Ellacott in November of that year. Production commenced that month on seven episodes, each approximately one hour long. HBO acquired distribution rights for audiences in the United States and Canada. The series made its debut on BBC One on 27 August 2017.