Games: Rowling's secret novel revealed

J.K. Rowling secretly wrote "The Cuckoo's Calling"The publisher pretended the author was Robert Galbraith, a former soldier and police officerIt's been "wonderful to publish without hype or expectation," Rowling saysSales on Amazon spiked 507,000% after the news broke

(CNN) -- "Harry Potter" creator J.K. Rowling donned an invisibility cloak of her own for her new novel.

In top-secret fashion, she published "The Cuckoo's Calling" under the name Robert Galbraith. Her publisher, Mulholland Books -- an imprint of Little, Brown and Company -- described the author as a former member of the Special Investigative Branch of the Royal Military Police.

"He left the military in 2003 and has been working since then in the civilian security industry," the publisher's website said. "The idea for (protagonist) Cormoran Strike grew directly out of his own experiences and those of his military friends who returned to the civilian world. 'Robert Galbraith' is a pseudonym."

The Sunday Times, curious about who this mystery novelist really was, connected the dots -- noting that "he" used an agent, editor and publisher who had worked with Rowling.

Social class, swearing and sex permeate Rowling's 'Casual Vacancy'

"The upside of being rumbled is that I can publicly thank my editor David Shelley, who has been a true partner in crime, all those people at Little, Brown who have been working so hard on 'The Cuckoo's Calling' without realizing that I wrote it, and the writers and reviewers, both in the newspapers and online, who have been so generous to the novel.

"And to those who have asked for a sequel, Robert fully intends to keep writing the series, although he will probably continue to turn down personal appearances."

Rowling's daring leap

While the novel received praise before the secret was out, the disclosure that Rowling was the author -- to little surprise -- skyrocketed the book's sales.

Reagan Arthur, publisher of Little, Brown and Company. said a reprint of the book is underway and will carry a revised author biography that reads 'Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym for J. K. Rowling.' "

On Amazon.com, sales soared more than 507,000% after Rowling acknowledged being the author.

The fast facts on J. K. Rowling

CNN's Lindsay Isaac and Joseph Netto contributed to this report.

/* push in config for this share instance */cnn_shareconfig.push({"id" : "cnn_sharebar2","url" : "http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/14/world/rowling-secret-book/index.html","title" : "J.K. Rowling revealed as secret author of crime novel"});

July 18, 2013 -- Updated 2148 GMT (0548 HKT)

Parents of children lost in a school poisoning tragedy in India are overwhelmed with grief. Sumnima Udas reports.July 19, 2013 -- Updated 1852 GMT (0252 HKT)

The backlash over Rolling Stone's cover photo of the Boston Marathon bombing suspect led to the release of new photos of his capture.July 18, 2013 -- Updated 2035 GMT (0435 HKT)

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is free to appeal a jail sentence for embezzlement. But who is this critic of President Putin?

Immigrants fleeing violence pay people smugglers thousands of dollars to enter Europe through Greece. The exodus includes children, alone and at risk.July 19, 2013 -- Updated 1251 GMT (2051 HKT)

Royal watchers eagerly await the arrival of a child who will be heir to the British throne. Here's what you need to know and the latest developments:July 19, 2013 -- Updated 0231 GMT (1031 HKT)

A Buddhist monk accused of rape and embezzling donations to live a lavish lifestyle is on the run from Thai authorities. July 18, 2013 -- Updated 0758 GMT (1558 HKT)

CNN's Desktop Caddy watches while you work with coverage of the British Open at Muirfield.July 18, 2013 -- Updated 1510 GMT (2310 HKT)

It was not because of "your books or school." A letter purportedly from the Taliban to Malala explains why they shot her in the head. July 17, 2013 -- Updated 1509 GMT (2309 HKT)

Watch this incredible video of the wreck of the cruise ship Costa Concordia filmed from a drone in the sky.July 18, 2013 -- Updated 2157 GMT (0557 HKT)

All that glitters is not gold, they say. But all the gold in the world may come from astronomical events that send high-energy light out in space. July 19, 2013 -- Updated 0819 GMT (1619 HKT)