Since the cat’s out of the bag, JK Rowling can freely let the details of her newest book be open for discussion. Rowling, who penned an adult title to disappointing critical acclaim, went on to release an entirely new crime novel under a pseudonym last year. When a legal firm “accidentally” leaked the news on social media, Rowling sued, donating the resulting damages to charity.
But now that the author is openly writing as Robert Gilbraith, published by Little, Brown, and Co., she’s free to share details of the new title, The Silkworm, which will be the second book that features her character, Private Investigator Cormoran Strike.
According to a release from the publisher, “When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife calls in private detective Cormoran Strike. At first, Mrs. Quine just thinks her husband has gone off by himself for a few days (as he has done before) and she wants Strike to find him and bring him home. But as Strike investigates, it becomes clear that there is more to Quine’s disappearance than his wife realises. The novelist has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were to be published, it would ruin lives: meaning that there are a lot of people who might want him silenced.”
Rowling has remained in the headlines for a variety of publishing projects, notable this series under her pen name and her recent statement concerning the ending of her much acclaimed book series. She is yet another author who has released details of a pending and long-awaited title, as Stephen King has also announced the upcoming publication of two books this year.
Mercy Pilkington is a Senior Editor for Good e-Reader. She is also the CEO and founder of a hybrid publishing and consulting company.