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The Cuckoo's Calling
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The Cuckoo's Calling
The Cuckoo's Calling is a crime fiction novel written by British author J. K. Rowling, published under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. It is the first novel in the Cormoran Strike series of detective novels and was first published on 4 April 2013. It was followed by The Silkworm in 2014, Career of Evil in 2015, Lethal White in 2018, Troubled Blood in 2020, The Ink Black Heart in 2022, and The Running Grave in 2023. An eighth book The Hallmarked Man was published on 2 September 2025.
Disabled Afghan War veteran and private investigator Cormoran Strike sleeps in his office after breaking up with his on-again, off-again aristocratic girlfriend, Charlotte Campbell. Robin Ellacott, recently engaged to longtime boyfriend Matthew Cunliffe, is mistakenly assigned by a temp agency as Strike's secretary, and their first encounter is very awkward. Strike is approached by lawyer John Bristow, the adoptive brother of Strike's childhood schoolmate Charlie, to reinvestigate the alleged suicide of his sister, supermodel Lula Landry. Although unconvinced, Strike takes the case, keen to repay a loan taken from his absentee biological father, rock star Johnny Rokeby. Finding Robin more resourceful and efficient than he expected, Strike extends her stay.
The two set about interviewing Lula's friends and acquaintances, and learn that she was becoming interested in her black roots and biological family before her death. A neighbor, Tansy Bestigui, claims to have overheard an argument prior to Lula’s fall from her apartment balcony, but is dismissed as a liar by the police. Guy Some, a fashion designer and friend, suggests that Lula’s drug addict boyfriend, Evan Duffield, is responsible. Fellow supermodel Ciara Porter refutes this, saying that Lula made a comment about “leaving everything to her brother” in the day leading up to her death. Strike and Robin locate a friend of Lula’s from psychiatric treatment, Rochelle, who seems to know more than she lets on. Robin is forced to relay a message from Charlotte that she has gotten engaged to another man following her breakup with Strike, and comforts him when he gets drunk and mourns the relationship.
After seeing Lula’s apartment, Strike deduces that Tansy had been locked out on the frozen balcony by her abusive husband following a heated argument over her cocaine use at the time of Lula’s death, and was threatened into lying about how she overheard it. Rochelle is found dead in the Thames, drowned hours after first meeting with Strike; he becomes convinced that she was in contact with the killer. Robin discovers the identity of Lula’s deceased biological father, a Ghanaian academic, and tracks down Lula’s biological brother Jonah, a soldier in the British army. From shop assistants’ gossip, they deduce that Lula was trying to meet Jonah the night of her death. Strike visits Lula’s mother’s house, and discovers that she has left a will hidden in the purse she carried the day she died.
Strike invites John Bristow to his office and accuses him of killing Lula and Rochelle, as well as Charlie, whom everyone believed died after riding his bicycle into a quarry. Jealous of her success and desperate for handouts to cover up his own embezzlement at work, John hid in Lula’s apartment building before killing her and escaping, engaging Strike in an attempt to bring Lula’s relationship with Jonah to light and frame him for the crime. Rochelle, who knew Lula was meeting Jonah the night of her death and served as witness for her revised will, was blackmailing John for money. Realising he has been caught, Bristow tries to stab Strike and frame a crazed former client for his death, only to be subdued after Robin enters the office.
Sometime later, Robin prepares to leave for a new permanent job, and Strike gives her a parting gift, an expensive dress that she tried on during the investigation. At the last moment, the two agree on an arrangement that will allow her to stay on.
Over the years, Rowling often spoke of writing a crime novel. In 2007, during the Edinburgh Book Festival, author Ian Rankin was reported as saying that his wife spotted Rowling "scribbling away" at a detective novel in a cafe. Rankin later clarified that his earlier comment was part of a joke delivered onstage which had been misinterpreted in the press as a factual report. The rumour persisted with The Guardian's speculating in 2012 that Rowling's next book would be a crime novel.
The BBC reported that Rowling sent the manuscript to the publishers anonymously, and at least one publishing house declined it, including Orion Books. It was eventually accepted by Sphere Books, which is an imprint of Little, Brown & Company, with whom Rowling had collaborated on her previous novel, The Casual Vacancy (2012).
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The Cuckoo's Calling
The Cuckoo's Calling is a crime fiction novel written by British author J. K. Rowling, published under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. It is the first novel in the Cormoran Strike series of detective novels and was first published on 4 April 2013. It was followed by The Silkworm in 2014, Career of Evil in 2015, Lethal White in 2018, Troubled Blood in 2020, The Ink Black Heart in 2022, and The Running Grave in 2023. An eighth book The Hallmarked Man was published on 2 September 2025.
Disabled Afghan War veteran and private investigator Cormoran Strike sleeps in his office after breaking up with his on-again, off-again aristocratic girlfriend, Charlotte Campbell. Robin Ellacott, recently engaged to longtime boyfriend Matthew Cunliffe, is mistakenly assigned by a temp agency as Strike's secretary, and their first encounter is very awkward. Strike is approached by lawyer John Bristow, the adoptive brother of Strike's childhood schoolmate Charlie, to reinvestigate the alleged suicide of his sister, supermodel Lula Landry. Although unconvinced, Strike takes the case, keen to repay a loan taken from his absentee biological father, rock star Johnny Rokeby. Finding Robin more resourceful and efficient than he expected, Strike extends her stay.
The two set about interviewing Lula's friends and acquaintances, and learn that she was becoming interested in her black roots and biological family before her death. A neighbor, Tansy Bestigui, claims to have overheard an argument prior to Lula’s fall from her apartment balcony, but is dismissed as a liar by the police. Guy Some, a fashion designer and friend, suggests that Lula’s drug addict boyfriend, Evan Duffield, is responsible. Fellow supermodel Ciara Porter refutes this, saying that Lula made a comment about “leaving everything to her brother” in the day leading up to her death. Strike and Robin locate a friend of Lula’s from psychiatric treatment, Rochelle, who seems to know more than she lets on. Robin is forced to relay a message from Charlotte that she has gotten engaged to another man following her breakup with Strike, and comforts him when he gets drunk and mourns the relationship.
After seeing Lula’s apartment, Strike deduces that Tansy had been locked out on the frozen balcony by her abusive husband following a heated argument over her cocaine use at the time of Lula’s death, and was threatened into lying about how she overheard it. Rochelle is found dead in the Thames, drowned hours after first meeting with Strike; he becomes convinced that she was in contact with the killer. Robin discovers the identity of Lula’s deceased biological father, a Ghanaian academic, and tracks down Lula’s biological brother Jonah, a soldier in the British army. From shop assistants’ gossip, they deduce that Lula was trying to meet Jonah the night of her death. Strike visits Lula’s mother’s house, and discovers that she has left a will hidden in the purse she carried the day she died.
Strike invites John Bristow to his office and accuses him of killing Lula and Rochelle, as well as Charlie, whom everyone believed died after riding his bicycle into a quarry. Jealous of her success and desperate for handouts to cover up his own embezzlement at work, John hid in Lula’s apartment building before killing her and escaping, engaging Strike in an attempt to bring Lula’s relationship with Jonah to light and frame him for the crime. Rochelle, who knew Lula was meeting Jonah the night of her death and served as witness for her revised will, was blackmailing John for money. Realising he has been caught, Bristow tries to stab Strike and frame a crazed former client for his death, only to be subdued after Robin enters the office.
Sometime later, Robin prepares to leave for a new permanent job, and Strike gives her a parting gift, an expensive dress that she tried on during the investigation. At the last moment, the two agree on an arrangement that will allow her to stay on.
Over the years, Rowling often spoke of writing a crime novel. In 2007, during the Edinburgh Book Festival, author Ian Rankin was reported as saying that his wife spotted Rowling "scribbling away" at a detective novel in a cafe. Rankin later clarified that his earlier comment was part of a joke delivered onstage which had been misinterpreted in the press as a factual report. The rumour persisted with The Guardian's speculating in 2012 that Rowling's next book would be a crime novel.
The BBC reported that Rowling sent the manuscript to the publishers anonymously, and at least one publishing house declined it, including Orion Books. It was eventually accepted by Sphere Books, which is an imprint of Little, Brown & Company, with whom Rowling had collaborated on her previous novel, The Casual Vacancy (2012).