I enjoy police procedurals, and by extension, pseudo-police procedurals. 
 Cormoran Strike, the main male character of this novel, is a former military policeman, currently working - or trying to work - as a private investigator. The novel begins just as he breaks up with his fiancee and has hit pretty close to rock bottom. Luckily for Strike, just as he hits this new low, he gets two gifts from fate - a crackerjack new temporary secretary with a secret desire to work as a PI, and a new rich client willing to part with double Strike's normal fee. 
 Strike is almost an anti-hero at the beginning of this book, but as he works his way diligently through his last chance case, he works through his own demons as well. Robin, the temp who shouldn't be there (he can't afford to pay her), is a perfect foil for Strike. Where his life has completely fallen apart, hers has reached a pinnacle. She has a new fiance and several interviews set up for 'real' jobs. One can't help but wonder if her perfect life will start to decline as Strikes imperfect life starts to rise. 
 I had not heard of this book prior to finding out that Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym for JK Rowling. I feel certain I would have eventually found Galbraith's works, as I do enjoy this type of book a lot. 'Eventually' though, could have meant decades. 
 I don't know that I would have been able to tell this was Rowling's writing. The one thing that I've seen in common between this, the Potter series, and The Casual Vacancy is the death of an important character at the beginning of the book. I'm not sure that would have been enough for me. I guess I'll have to study it more.