Entertainment

J.K. Rowling Could Rewrite History

by Christine DiStasio

History might be repeating itself for J.K. Rowling. Last week we learned that Rowling's first novel under pseudonym Robert Galbraith, The Cuckoo's Calling , will have a sequel this summer. But the celebration-worthy news doesn't end there — J.K. Rowling might be planning a seven-book series for her new detective. Seven is the most magical number, after all, so why not more Cormoran Strike novels?

Rowling's sequel, titled The Silkworm, will be released on June 24, 2014 and will follow private detective Cormoran Strike and his assistant Robin Ellacott as they investigate the disappearance of a novelist with a fondness for including scathing likenesses of real people. If The Silkworm is anything like Cuckoo's Calling, we won't be able to put it down. But there may be even more good news: The Sunday Times reported that Rowling might have already started penning a third crime novel in the series, and she's allegedly mapped up to seven books. Her publisher, Little, Brown, denies the reports, but whatever — we're still holding out hope.

Some would argue that lightning doesn't strike twice and Rowling shouldn't be trying to do Potter Part Deux. But we disagree — this is J.K. Rowling we're talking about, people; if anyone could repeat history, she can. Here are seven reasons why Rowling has another seven book series in her, and should let it out:

1. She's J.K. Rowling

Enough said. She knows her stuff and she knows her characters — so much so that she's still thinking about their personal lives years after they've been put to rest. If she sees seven novels in Cormoran Strike's story, there are seven novels. We don't question her authority (well, except about Harry and Hermione).

2. It's A Detective Series

If she keeps up with the trend of having each novel follow a different case, why would she not be able to fill seven novels? It's not like she'd ever run out of inspiration — crimes happen all over the world, every single day. And think about the Nancy Drew novels and Mary Kate & Ashley books/movies — mystery is everywhere.

3. The Characters Are Available

These novels are about the crimes — there's no denying that — but she definitely has an opportunity to carry a Cormoran or Robin-driven subplot throughout the remainder of the novels. We briefly learned about their personal lives throughout Cuckoo's Calling, but she didn't begin any arc with them that would carry over into future novels. These characters can grow to be whatever she wants them to be at this point. If that's what she chooses to do, of course.

4. She's Built Great Characters

Inner-monologues were great pieces of Cuckoo's Calling and, like we mentioned earlier, her characters have a lot of potential to grow and to learn from one another. Cormoran's rough past and rocky, volatile relationships and Robin's wide-eyed glorification of the profession are both amazing starting points for a series. It'd be an injustice to not let such great characters run their course.

5. It's Proven Successful Before

There's not one Potter novel that fans and critics could say doesn't belong in the series. And that's because they were carefully mapped out to all be absolutely necessary pieces of a bigger picture. Seven installments, one more successful than the next — it's the recipe to Rowling's success. Also, again, seven is the most magical number.

6. Fans Already Want More

Did anyone expect a Cuckoo's Calling sequel? I sure didn't, but I'm definitely not complaining. To be honest, I was disappointed when I finished the novel that there might not be sequel because of the breach on confidentiality that revealed Rowling to be the author. Who knew she'd continue to write as Robert Galbraith following that legal drama? But now that we know she will, it's not like there's a single fan on this planet that would tell her to stop. Ever. And that's saying something considering we lived through A Casual Vacancy.

7. It'd Just Be Perfect

No one — not even the biggest, most skeptical haters on Earth — could deny that it'd be just be perfect if Rowling published another wildly successful seven-part series. Honestly, we couldn't even be mad if she retired from writing afterwards because we'd just be in awe over the perfect symmetry in the turn of events.

Deny it 'til your end Little, Brown, but we won't believe you. Rowling pulled the wool over our eyes once with her pseudonym and we're not going to fall for another bait-and-switch. There's nothing we want more than to see a seven-part detective series because a) Rowling is incredible, b) we loved Cuckoo's Calling, and c) detectives are very in right now (See: True Detective ). At the risk of sounding like Dudley Dursley — just give us what we want.