Penny
Still Life
✦
Inspector Gamache
Louise Penny - 19 books
Character-driven mystery with a detective who approaches cases with patience and intelligence. Different setting (Quebec vs London), same commitment to character.
Series - Books in order
Cormoran Strike books in order
by J.K. Rowling - 7 books - 2013-2024 - Updated June 2026
The Cormoran Strike books are best read in publication order, starting with The Cuckoo's Calling. The series follows ongoing character development between Strike and his partner Robin Ellacott, and each case builds on their working relationship. Written by J.K. Rowling under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, the series is traditional detective fiction with sharp plotting, detailed investigative procedure, and a slow-burn professional dynamic that rewards reading in sequence.
Rowling
The Cuckoo's Calling
✦
1
Rowling
The Cuckoo's Calling
✦
1
Start with this book
Most readers should start with The Cuckoo's Calling. It gives you the cleanest entry point before continuing through the full series order.Read on KindleListen on Audible
Buy on Amazon7 books - read in publication order
Show orderPublication order
Contains affiliate links| # | Book | Published | Rating | Where to read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Cuckoo's Calling The Cuckoo's CallingStart | 2013 | 3.8 | |
| 2 | The Silkworm The Silkworm | 2014 | 3.9 | |
| 3 | Career of Evil Career of Evil | 2015 | 4.0 | |
| 4 | Lethal White Lethal White | 2018 | 4.0 | |
| 5 | Troubled Blood Troubled Blood | 2020 | 4.0 | |
| 6 | The Ink Black Heart The Ink Black Heart | 2022 | 3.7 | |
| 7 | The Running Grave The Running Grave | 2023 | 3.8 |
Our recommended reading order
publication
Rowling
The Cuckoo's Calling
✦
Best book to start with
The Cuckoo's Calling
Book #1, and still the best on-ramp. It sets up everything that makes this series work.
Similar series
If you love Cormoran Strike, try these next.
Connelly
The Black Echo
✦
Harry Bosch
Michael Connelly - 24 books
A dogged detective solving cases across decades. Bosch is grittier and more action-oriented, but the procedural detail is similar.
Rowling
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
✦
J.K. Rowling
J.K. Rowling - 7 books
Rowling's author page covers both Harry Potter and Cormoran Strike, with reading guides for each.
authorView author→
Explore more
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The relationship between Strike and Robin develops across the series, and later books reference earlier cases. Publication order is the only recommended path.
The Cuckoo's Calling, published in 2013. Strike investigates the apparent suicide of a supermodel, and Robin Ellacott arrives as his temporary secretary.
Seven as of 2023. The most recent is The Running Grave. Rowling has indicated the series will continue.
J.K. Rowling, under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. The pseudonym was revealed a few months after The Cuckoo's Calling was published in 2013.
If you like the investigative depth, try the Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny or the Harry Bosch series by Michael Connelly. Both are long-running detective series with strong character arcs.
Contains affiliate linksUpdated June 2026