The Cormoran Strike Series: A Super Fan's Guide to Galbraith's Novels & TV Adaptations

Fellow Cormoran Strike fan? Here’s my complete guide to the series, including the books in order, my personal ranking, the audiobooks, the C.B. Strike TV adaptation, and what’s coming next.

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If you've been following the blog for any period of time, you'll know that I'm a massive fan of the Cormoran Strike book series from Robert Galbraith/J.K. Rowling, particularly of private detective Cormoran Strike himself. My favorite series of novels? I'd say so.

I'm an avid consumer of British murder mystery content and, book after book, J.K. Rowling has certainly earned herself a well-deserved place in the pantheon of great British mystery writers. As Rowling herself pointed out in an interview, her work on the Harry Potter books prepared her well for writing murder mysteries, as each of Harry's school years was essentially a little self-contained mystery within the ambit of the larger, over-arching plot lines.
Since The Cuckoo's Calling came out in 2013, I've been anxiously awaiting the next installments, and devouring them when they arrive. Though the way it happened was abhorrent (obviously, I'm never going to speak out against attorney-client privilege!), I'll be forever grateful for the series of slip-ups that led to J.K. Rowling being unmasked as the author of the Strike series, and led to me looking them up.
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So, if you're wondering where to start, which Strike books are my favorites, whether you should listen to the audiobooks, or how the C.B. Strike television series fits into everything, here's my complete guide to Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott.

The Cormoran Strike Books in Order

There are currently eight published Cormoran Strike books:

1. The Cuckoo's Calling
2. The Silkworm
3. Career of Evil
4. Lethal White
5. Troubled Blood
6. The Ink Black Heart
7. The Running Grave
8. The Hallmarked Man

The ninth Cormoran Strike novel has also been announced: Sleep Tight, Evangeline.

What Are the Cormoran Strike Books About?

Having recently left the Royal Military Police to become a private investigator, Cormoran Strike's fledgling agency takes on its greatest asset in the form of an unwanted temp, Robin Ellacott, on the same day Strike splits from his gorgeous and intriguingly troubled fiancée, Charlotte Campbell.

Strike quickly realizes that Robin has the makings of an investigator, though their personal lives are going to take some...sorting out ("you have a lot of aptitude for the job...but you're getting married to a guy who hates you doing it.")
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Over the course of the series, Strike and Robin stun London, and gain fame and, at least somewhat more, fortune, by solving a long list of cases, from cold cases to serial killers, each with its own standalone (good) mystery, as their personal relationship...well, obviously I'm not going to give anything away!

Do I Need to Read the Cormoran Strike Series
​in Order?

Yes. A huge part of the attraction to this series is the chemistry between the main characters, Strike and Robin, starting in the first book, not to mention the tertiary, non-mystery-based subplots. There are A LOT of callbacks to earlier books in later books. If you skip any books in the series, you will miss major plot points and not recognize the many Easter eggs when they appear.
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While each book contains its own mystery, start with The Cuckoo's Calling. This isn't a mystery series I'd recommend jumping around in.

My Cormoran Strike Books Ranking: Best to Worst

I've eagerly awaited every subsequent novel. J.K. Rowling, and her alter ego/nom de plume/pseudonym, Robert Galbraith, hit it out of the park with each edition, and I have yet to be disappointed. That said, obviously I have favorites. My current Cormoran Strike ranking, from best to worst:

1. Lethal White
Forever my favorite. The mystery starts with a troubled young man telling Strike that he witnessed a murder as a child and eventually takes us into the worlds of politics, blackmail, and a complicated wealthy family. We go into the Palace of Westminster, and take a deep dive into Old Masters.

But let's be real. The mystery isn't the only reason this one is #1. Lethal White is peak Strike-and-Robin, and it has managed to hold onto the top spot even as the series has grown.

2. Career of Evil
Career of Evil is one of the grisliest of the Strike novels, beginning when a severed leg is delivered to Robin at the agency. It's personal to Strike, much darker than the first two books, and an important installment for Strike and Robin's relationship. This was the book that turned my enjoyment of the series into...an obsession.

3. The Running Grave
This book is WILD. A true page turner. The Running Grave sees Robin infiltrate a religious cult in Norfolk. It's dark, stressful, gripping, and extremely difficult to put down. Easily one of my favorites in the entire series. J.K. Rowling does institutional politics really well, and the same extends to cults.

4. The Cuckoo's Calling
The book that started it all. The story begins with Strike investigating the death of supermodel Lula Landry and, more importantly for those of us who have now spent thousands of pages with these people, with Robin Ellacott arriving in Strike's office as an unwanted temp.
Going back to The Cuckoo's Calling after reading the later books is especially fun because you get to see the beginning of a partnership neither character realizes will change his or her life.

5. The Hallmarked Man
The Hallmarked Man debuted in September 2025. And it is...perfection. The mystery begins with a quest to identify a dismembered body found in a Masonic silver shop, but by book eight, let's be real: I'm not reading these books solely for the murder mystery. No spoilers here, but longtime Strike-and-Robin fans have plenty to enjoy.

6. The Ink Black Heart
The Ink Black Heart plunges Strike and Robin into the world of online fandom, anonymous accounts, and internet harassment. Strike and Robin take a memorable trip to the seaside. It's difficult to listen to on Audible because so much of the story unfolds through online chat conversations. I still thoroughly enjoyed it, and include it in my re-listens (skipping the chat portions).

7. Troubled Blood
Troubled Blood centers on the cold-case disappearance of a young physician, and it's one of the enormous, increasingly intricate (and long) mysteries that characterize the later Strike books. The 1970's vibes and Joni Mitchell references are fun, and I'd say it probably features the best killer, when all is revealed. I would say it's just fairly slow moving, a bit grim, and the side stories dominate a little more than they do in others. There's plenty of Strike-and-Robin material here, so again, don't even think about skipping it.

8. The Silkworm
Something has to come last...The Silkworm takes Strike into the London publishing world after novelist Owen Quine disappears. It's still Strike, it's still worth reading, there's lots of fun Strike and Robin foundation, and you absolutely shouldn't skip it...but the large portions of text they're reading to investigate the author's murder is a bit tedious and the mystery just isn't that compelling. To her credit, the murderer's 'evil voice' speech at the end is excellent. Thank goodness she kept writing!!

What Is the Next Cormoran Strike Book Coming Out?
The next Strike novel will be Sleep Tight, Evangeline, the ninth installment in the series. It follows The Hallmarked Man, which debuted in September 2025. It seems likely to make its appearance on a similar timeline, which would be September 2027.

What Should I Read After Cormoran Strike?
I've rounded up a few book series recommendations that remind me a lot of Strike, some for the will-they-won't-they, some for the intricate nature of the murder mysteries themselves, and some for the depth of their supporting characters, one of my favorite parts about Strike. My recommendations include Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad, Deborah Crombie's Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series, Kate Atkinson's Jackson Brodie series, Ian Rankin's Rebus novels, and plenty more.
READ NEXT: 9+ Addictive Mystery Novels Like Cormoran Strike

The Cormoran Strike Audiobooks, Read by Robert Glenister

If, by some bizarre chance, you've managed to fall in love with Strike and Robin but haven't listened to Robert Glenister reading the series on Audible, I'd highly recommend it. I promise you'll experience the entire series in a whole new light.

They're my favorite audiobooks, without any competition. No offense to the other narrators I recommend around here, but veteran British actor Robert Glenister is by far my favorite audiobook narrator of all time.
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READ NEXT: 8+ Addictive British Mystery Audiobooks on Audible

C.B. Strike: The TV Series

Thankfully, the Strike novels have been adapted into a pretty successful TV series, C.B. Strike, starring Tom Burke and Holliday Grainger, and a host of other well-known faces from many of my favorite British detective series.

Do I Need to Read the Strike Books Before Watching C.B. Strike?
No. The TV adaptation is made to be accessible to anyone, even people who have not read the book series. That said, as always, the books are far more detailed than the TV adaptation, and I'd strongly recommend them. Seriously. Read them. You can thank me later.

Which Cormoran Strike Books Have Been Adapted for TV?
The television adaptations follow the books in order, beginning with The Cuckoo's Calling, and we are currently awaiting the release of Running Grave.

Where Can I Watch C.B. Strike?
Viewers in the United States can currently stream all of the C.B. Strike seasons on HBO Max, where it is included in your new or existing subscription. Note: A subscription is required - you cannot just stream the series by itself. Some of the earlier seasons are available for standalone purchase on Amazon.

What Should I Watch After C.B. Strike?
As we can't always have new Strike to watch, I've rounded up some of my favorite British detective shows like C.B. Strike to keep us entertained while we await the next installment of our favorite private detectives. When thinking of British detective shows that reminded me of C.B. Strike, I looked for a few key elements: a will-they-won't-they connection between the leads; grisly, rather than cozy, murder mysteries; and generally big-city drama, rather than Cotswolds charm.
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READ NEXT: 8+ Addictive British Detective Shows Like C.B. Strike
And if you're simply in the mood for another British mystery, rather than something specifically similar to Strike:
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READ NEXT: The 27+ Best British Detective Series to Watch Right Now

Thanks for Stopping By!

​I hope my 'Strike guide' helps you get started with Cormoran Strike, revisit the series, or find something to fill the time until the next Strike novel comes out! Thankfully Sleep Tight, Evangeline will be here before we know it!

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