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The Running Grave - possible spoilers

80 replies

thevegetablesoup · 08/10/2023 18:46

I've just finished this and really loved it, felt it was a return to form after the ink black heart which I still Enjoyed but not my favourite.

Anyway, in this one, strike and Robin are investigating a cult called the United humanitarian church and I did notice a lot of parallels between the church and trans ideology.....

For example

The church has a difficult relationship with the truth
It encourages members to cut themselves off from family members
Its emphasis on the spirit over the body- at one point Robin is chastised when she is undercover as a cult member for referring to someone as gay- she is told "bodies don't matter, spirit matters"

It was brilliant and thought provoking and JKR is a genius.

OP posts:
miri1985 · 09/10/2023 00:12

Loved Troubled Blood but didn't get on well with Ink Black Heart, I think because I was listening on audiobook the online chats were really difficult to grasp, so went in with medium expectations and I loved Running Grave, its up there with TB for the best in the series.

I thought there was so much explained about Lucy and so much character development in that one chapter when they talk about Aylmerton. Loved all the bits with Strike and Prudence. Pat as usual is a stand out character, so glad we got to know more about her and her private life.

JKR's description of Robin's time in the cult were so detailed and visceral at times, it was extremely well written. My heart was in my mouth when she was finally escaping after everything that happened including the box.

Did anyone catch the panama papers reference, I think JKR is too classy but I hoped it was a dig at Emma Watson, funny how none of her costars felt compelled to speak out about her participating in tax avoidance but did about JKR standing up for womens rights.

TheaBrandt · 08/10/2023 21:39

On my birthday list cant wait

FartyBrainedHippo · 08/10/2023 21:01

There was bit in it along the lines of 'just because you think they're a harmless weirdo; doesn't mean they're not dangerous'.

Great book, I've about twenty pages left...

DarkDayforMN · 08/10/2023 20:53

Also the recurring theme throughout the book that many people thought the cult a bit strange but they didn’t want to be judgemental so they didn’t trust their first instincts…

“Live and let live”, isn’t it?’ said Strike. ‘If nobody wants to speak out, and with the charity work there as a smokescreen, plus all the useful celebrity idiots…’”
**
🤔

Britinme · 08/10/2023 19:21

I agree - I just finished it as well, and thought how clever it was to make it so clear that anybody that asks you to take the discrepancy between your eyes and the facts on faith is an untrustworthy liar with their own agenda.