Strike: The Ink Black Heart - airs 16 Dec

[KiIIingMeDeftly]

Seems like we've been waiting ages for this but it'll finally be shown on BBC One on the 16th.

I don't think the book was as good as Troubled Blood or The Running Grave but I'm still looking forward to it. I wonder what they did with the numerous online chats that appear in it?

@RobinEllacotStrike your last sentence in the spoiler post - - I had not realised this! I definitely need to read it again now

One of the things I find so fab about these books is they are a brilliant reread. When you know whodunnit and you reread there are so many pointers & clues. It's really fun. I generally have a very greedy fast paced first read. So revisiting the book at a slower pace, or on audiobook is a delight.

I tend to read very quickly and it's hard to slow myself down. So the audiobooks are great for my rereads as I don't dictate the pace. I'm a better listener.

Oh same on reading speed, but unfortunately audio is no good for me as I constantly get distracted and miss huge chunks.

"Alexa rewind 10 minutes" is almost a mantra in my house.

Oh god didn't mean to quote then. 🙄

Strike’s little face at the end…🥺

I found this book and series really confusing though still enjoyed watching for the Strike and Robin relationship. Too many odd character names, I kept getting them mixed up. Looking forward to the next book.

Thanks, yes, I get that, the female office etc, but as I said, I haven't watched (or read) the previous series. But I might start from the beginning when this one finishes. It's clear that what I'm seeing of Strike in this series doesn't tell me the half of what's been going on.

Oh God yes! Starting from scratch will make ALL the difference. Have fun!

Finished it last night, loved it. I’m not keen on Ilsa though, who knows that both their friends are in love with eachother and doesn’t get them in a room together to say ‘you love her, she loves you, get a room!’

I’d actually forgotten who Anomie was and when DH guessed I told him he was barking up the wrong tree. So the ending was a surprise to me even though I’ve read it twice 🤣

I’d guessed who Anomie was on the basis of a background character being the killer.

Can I watch this and follow it even though I've not seen any of the earlier series?

I really wouldn’t. The mystery is standalone but Robin & Strike’s relationship isn’t. You’ll get far more out of it if you go from the start.

Finished it now and enjoyed it overall but it was pretty rushed. You didn't get the chance to know the characters properly and the characters are the best thing about the books in my view. It kind of felt like just the outline of the story.

Might go read the book again now!

Well I actually started on S1 ep 1 tonight, and half-way through the third and final ep. I've been watching TIBH in TV time, so half-way through. I think I'll persist with that now, and watch the earlier series when I have time. Isn't there another series in the pipeline after TIBH anyway?

Not for me!
A good narrator sets another layer of brilliance on top, enhancing the strength of the original book. Robert Glennister is the best, I can’t imagine anyone else coming even close.

The Running Grave will be next. JKR’s just finished writing The Hallmarked Man, which will hopefully be out next year, & there should be 2 more after that.

Agreed. I don’t LOVE TIBH as a book or an audio or whatever but he is the best narrator ever. He’s amazing.

So I polished off The Cuckoo's Calling last night. Plenty to like about the set-up and characters. The actual plot; not so much. So it was all about a will, which we only heard about 20 minutes from the end? I wonder if they rent real buildings in Mayfair or wherever (expensive!), or whether it's all done with sets and mirrors these days.

I complete agree. She is wonderful on characterisation, whether it’s these books or in The Casual Vacancy, which also suffered in the transition from book to the (truncated) TV adaptation.

Strike's office is just off Tottenham Court Road, on Denman St, which is famous for guitar shops. There's a TK Maxx at the end of the street and it always amuses me how they go to great lengths to hide the big red sign post-production! But I'm pretty sure the interiors are all done on a set.

The Running Grave is the best book of the series IMO and I really hope the BBC can stretch to 6 episodes to do it justice.

They are all on iplayer. Fan set of Christmas viewing!

The Ink Black Heart is my least favourite book of the series. So I wasn’t really feeling the adaptation. It was ok I think but plodding and rushed at the same time somehow.
Like a op said why doesn’t Ilsa say something?