Rowling Outed as “Mystery” Novelist

Though it started out as a big secret, the fact that Harry Potter creator JK Rowling published a mystery novel under a pen name earlier this year didn’t stay secret for long.

The Cuckoo’s Calling was published in April under the name of debut detective novelist, Robert Galbraith.

In a statement sent out through Rowling’s publicist yesterday, the novelist expressed regret at the loss of her temporary anonymity. “I hoped to keep this secret a little longer because being Robert Galbraith has been such a liberating experience. It has been wonderful to publish without hype or expectation, and pure pleasure to get feedback from publishers and readers under a different name.”

Sales of the novel have escalated since the author’s true identity was revealed by The Sunday Times over the weekend, leaving bookstores everywhere short of stock.