Cormoran Strike Books in Order
Cormoran Strike is a private detective in London, a war veteran who lost part of his leg in Afghanistan and the son of a famous rock star. In the first book, a temp named Robin Ellacott arrives at his struggling agency. She becomes his partner, and their relationship drives the series as much as the cases. Robert Galbraith is a pen name of J. K. Rowling.
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Series facts
- Books
- 8
- Published
- 2013 to 2025
- First book
- The Cuckoo’s Calling
- Latest
- The Hallmarked Man (2025)
- Setting
- Set in London
The reading order
Every Cormoran Strike book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
- 1The Cuckoo’s Calling2013With Cormoran Strike and Robin EllacottWhen a troubled supermodel falls to her death from her London balcony, the police say it was suicide.Buy on Amazon
- 2The Silkworm2014With Cormoran Strike and Robin EllacottThe wife of novelist Owen Quine asks Strike to find her husband, who has gone missing after writing a manuscript that savages almost everyone he knows.Buy on Amazon
- 3Career of Evil2015With Cormoran Strike and Robin EllacottA package containing a woman’s severed leg is delivered to Robin Ellacott, and Strike suspects three men from his past who might want revenge.Buy on Amazon
- 4Lethal White2018With Cormoran Strike and Robin EllacottA troubled young man comes to Strike’s office claiming he saw a child killed years ago, while a government minister hires the agency to investigate why he is being blackmailed.Buy on Amazon
- 5Troubled Blood2020With Cormoran Strike and Robin EllacottVisiting his family in Cornwall, Strike is approached by a woman who asks him to find out what happened to her mother, a doctor who vanished in 1974.Buy on Amazon
- 6The Ink Black Heart2022With Cormoran Strike and Robin EllacottEdie Ledwell, co-creator of a popular online cartoon, comes to the agency for help identifying a mysterious online figure, Anomie, who is persecuting her.Buy on Amazon
- 7The Running Grave2023With Cormoran Strike and Robin EllacottA worried father asks Strike to rescue his son from a powerful religious movement, and Robin goes undercover at the group’s remote farm in Norfolk.Buy on Amazon
- 8The Hallmarked Man2025With Cormoran Strike and Robin EllacottA dismembered body is found in the vault of a silver dealer’s shop in London, and Strike and Robin are hired to find out who the dead man really was.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read in order, starting with The Cuckoo’s Calling. The cases stand alone, but the lives of Strike and Robin develop through the series.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Cormoran Strike | Robin Ellacott | Charlotte Campbell | Shanker | Matthew Cunliffe | Lucy | Eric Wardle | Ryan Murphy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Cuckoo’s Calling | LLead | LLead | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | ||
| 2 The Silkworm | LLead | LLead | ·Minor | MMajor | ·Minor | |||
| 3 Career of Evil | LLead | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 4 Lethal White | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | |||
| 5 Troubled Blood | LLead | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | ||
| 6 The Ink Black Heart | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ||
| 7 The Running Grave | LLead | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | |||
| 8 The Hallmarked Man | LLead | LLead | ·Minor | ·Minor |
Characters in the Cormoran Strike books
9 characters from Robert Galbraith’s chart, with the number of Cormoran Strike books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Cormoran StrikePrivate detective and Afghanistan veteran | 8 | The Cuckoo’s Calling 2013 |
| Robin EllacottStrike’s assistant, then partner | 8 | The Cuckoo’s Calling 2013 |
| Charlotte CampbellStrike’s former fiancée | 6 | The Cuckoo’s Calling 2013 |
| ShankerStrike’s old friend from the London underworld | 6 | Career of Evil 2015 |
| Matthew CunliffeRobin’s fiancé, later husband | 5 | The Cuckoo’s Calling 2013 |
| LucyStrike’s half-sister | 4 | The Cuckoo’s Calling 2013 |
| Eric WardleMetropolitan Police detective | 3 | The Cuckoo’s Calling 2013 |
| Ryan MurphyPolice detective and Robin’s boyfriend | 3 | The Ink Black Heart 2022 |
| Ted and JoanStrike’s uncle and aunt in Cornwall | 1 | Troubled Blood 2020 |