Are you a thriller enthusiast intrigued by the process of solving a mysterious crime or murder case? Robert Galbraith’s books in the Cormoran Strike series will run your fantasy wild. The series centers on solving enthralling crime cases by detective strike and his colleague Robin Ellacott. But what’s the best way to read the Robert Galbraith books in order?
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Cormoran Strike Books in Order
The only books JK Rowling has published under her Robert Galbraith pseudonym are the Cormoran Strike books. Each of these books follows a new standalone mystery he must solve, however, the best way to read these books is by following the publication order.
That’s because while the mysteries are new, Strike’s relationship to those around him is recurring. If you enjoy character-driven stories, then you will want to read the Robert Galbraith books in order of publication. This way you will also avoid any potential spoilers about his character development.
- The Cuckoo’s Calling (2013)
- The Silkworm (2014)
- Career of Evil (2015)
- Lethal White (2018)
- Troubled Blood (2020)
- The Ink Black Heart (2022)
- The Running Grave (2023)
- The Hallmarked Man (2025)
Cormoran Strike TV Adaptations
BBC announced adapting Galbraith’s Strike series for TV in 2016. The first season premiered in August 2017 starring Tom Burke as Cormoran Strike and Holliday Grainger as Robin Ellacott. Perhaps just as much as the mystery, the tension and will-they-won’t-they between Strike and Robin has kept fans hooked.
Since the premiere there have since four more seasons, each adapting one book per season. Like the books, each season tackles a new standalone mystery, but the character development and progression run throughout the series.
The sixth season of the popular TV show has yet to be officially confirmed, but reports in March 2023 said the deal was close to being locked in.
It would follow the plot of The Ink Black Heart, published in August 2022. The book bears striking resemblance to JK Rowling’s own life as it follows the creator of a YouTube cartoon series who is murder following accusations of using racist and ableist tropes in their work. However, Rowling has said that the plot does not pull from her own experiences, despite recognizing the similarities.
The fifth season of Strike drew in eight million viewers for its premiere in December 2022 and averaged 6.9 million viewers throughout its four-part series.
Rowling said in August 2022 she has ten books planned for the series, so there is hope for ten seasons of the show following the current format.
Who is Robert Galbraith?
Potterheads (fans of Harry Potter) and book readers everywhere are well aware of the series’ world-famous author, J.K. Rowling. But did you know that Robert Galbraith is a penname for none other than Rowling herself?
So the obvious question becomes, why did J.K. Rowling write as Robert Galbraith instead of herself? As you might already suspect, the answer is that she didn’t want the pressure of writing as Rowling. With the wide-spread success of Harry Potter, certain expectations are placed upon Rowling for any book she publishes.
The ability to write something new and different without the hype of her name allowed her to remove stress from the process of writing a novel. Of course, Galbraith’s identity didn’t stay secret for long or we still wouldn’t know about it today.
Rowling’s first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, was published in 1997. J.K. Rowling did not publish any books for adults until she published The Casual Vacancy in 2011 under her own name which was received with mixed reactions.
Hence why later in 2013, she published her first book as Robert Galbraith, The Cuckoo’s Calling.
Her books have been adapted for TV, translated into many languages, and won numerous awards and honors. Her fifth book in the Comoran Strike series, Troubled Blood, got the Book of the Year Award in the British Book Awards, Crime and Fiction category.
Looking for similar books in order?
If you want more thriller authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Thriller Books in Order index.
2 thoughts on “Robert Galbraith Books in Order: Cormoran Strike Series”
I love the Cormoran Strike series! I’ve read all 7 books and can’t wait to see what happens in the next one.
Love the Strike series. Read them all, now waiting for the next one.