*Spoilers spoilers spoilers* the running grave spoilers thread.. (Content warning - mentions suicide)

[EggTheParrot]

Just as the title says really.. spoilers ok in this thread. Let's keep the other one spoiler free??

Oh my god why is Robyn going undercover!

If you like the 'detective stories with a very slow-burn romantic subplot between the two leads' genre, I can heartily recommend Elly Griffiths' Dr. Ruth Galloway series. Really good characterisation and sense of place. There are about 15 of them and it all wraps up in a very satisfying way.

For this I thank you 😊

I loved the early Elly Griffiths but not the latest ones for some reason. But I’m not sure it was the books, I think I went off them. It was good to get closure in the final one though.

I'm on book 2 of Marge Kerrigan series and loving it so far! Thanks so much for the recommendation

I've just finished the most recent book and they are amazing, absolutely brilliant to find a new series like this. I hope they get together in the next one though 😀

Oh god just realised the below might have been a massive spoiler, sorry.

I think it’s OK, it’s kind of the reason why people who, like the Strike books might like these ones too. The ‘will they, won’t they’ of the characters!

Can’t believe it was only the 18th Nov when I started reading the Maeve Kerrigan books (at book 4). Now just finished book 7 and about to start book 8! I’ll be quite sad when I get to the end of book 10 😢

I was exactly the same. By the end I was only reading to find out how the Ruth and Nelson storyline was resolved. I found the style annoying and the characterisation repetitive and the plots weak.

But they are very popular, so she must have made it work for most people.

At least there is a new one out in March, so you won't be bereft for long. I've also just finished the novella about Rob called The Outsider.

I've absolutely gorged on the Maeve Kerrigan books. I've only got one to go. I've thoroughly enjoyed them. The character development has been excellent. Gutted to be at the end of the series so far.

Maybe we need a Maeve Kerrigan thread?

I've just started the first Maeve Kerrigan on the back of this thread!

Love it! You won't be disappointed. Stick with it. By book four nothing else in your life will matter 😁

I've nearly finished Maeve Kerrigan Book 10 as well now 😂(though didn't read Books 1-3!). I'll be sad when I've finished them!

What should I read after them? Any more recommended series out there??

I've just been on Amazon and ordered book 3 now as it's on sale for 99p and the Rob and Georgia novellas so got something to keep me reading a bit longer

Not really Strike related, but has anyone been watching Vigil? Why aren't the military police doing the investigation? They are there, but seem mostly to be gorillas for guarding suspects?

Yes, just finished Vigil. I think it's fallen under police jurisdiction because of where it happened and the fact not all victims were military personnel. I don't think it's really explained, much like on season 1 it's mainly an excuse to put a civilian into military situations she would never normally be in.

On the recommendations here I've now read all 10 Maeve Kerrigan books 😆

Now watching the killing kind (a stand alone Jane Casey adaptation) and none other than Kerr Logan (Matthew) plays a copper. He's actually quite attractive!

Spoiler alert warning about The Close - I was imagining a version where robin & strike go undercover as house sitters, a shame this is too unlikely as strike's too recognizable but how great would that be?!

Happy Christmas fellow strike obsessives!

For your consideration- Rupert Penry Jones as Wace

Who would be Taio? I feel bad about this one because the character is supposed to be an unattractive sleaze, but actors know they get cast for certain looks and we could use padding and fake noses/teeth, so casting someone doesn't mean they must be ugly. Just someone who isn't conventionally handsome and could capture that with the right styling, makeup and possibly prosthetics.

I think Adam Driver would be good. He's a great actor too.

Question - if Wace knew that Abigail had murdered Daiyu, why was he so relaxed about her leaving the UHC? You’d think he’d want to keep her and her co conspirators close?

Did he know? I can't remember... must reread. Maybe there wasn't much he could do about it and figured it was in her interests as much as his not to let on.

Has anyone watched the twin flame cult doc on Netflix (apparently there is also one on prime) - made me think of this novel. Rowling absolutely did her research on cults, it was really chilling and almost unbelievable what they were doing.

I don't think he knew - he thought she had drowned the same as everyone else at first, and then when Becca started saying stuff about Daiyu turning invisible etc., which she was getting from Cherie (?) that's when he got the idea for the "drowned prophet" doojit. I'm not sure on timelines though, I think Abigail had been sent to Birmingham very soon after Daiyu's death, to get her out of sight of Mazu who already disliked her and now, grieving for her own daughter, couldn't stand the sight of her. I think Abigail escaped from Birmingham before Wace got suspicious that Daiyu was murdered and before he took Cherie's lies to Becca about Daiyu as the start of the drowned prophet myth. At which point he probably figured if she was on the run for murdering a child, she wasn't going to start blabbing.

I think he suspected but didn't really care (and didn't want to know for sure). Everyone in the cult was just a means to an end. Abigail was no longer a tool he could use so he sent her away and when she ran away he didn't give her a moment's more thought. She couldn't hurt the "church" without ending up in prison so no need to worry.