Troubled Blood - *Spoiler-laden discussion*

[EllacottObsessive]

Setting this up for Strike and Ellacott fans to talk about spoilery things.

So, donkeys, Anna Karenina and perfume. Let's get that on the board straight away. And Chapter 58, while we're at it.

I absolutely loved the ending of the last one, so satisfying from the balloon to Anna Karina. Sigh

Chapter 58! Dammit Barclay

And Strike getting the better of Creed in the interview in some style. I punched the air.

Barclay did a good thing though. Drunken shenanigans would not help. Shenanigans should happen relatively sober.

It was so perfect, so much more tightly edited, despite being so long, the best one yet. Loved it loved it. Would recommend the audio versions too, Robert Glenister is brilliant

@EllacottObsessive

Barclay did a good thing though. Drunken shenanigans would not help. Shenanigans should happen relatively sober.

Oh and Strike castigating himself for feeling like a teenager on a first date when they were by the sea. Swoon

I cried laughing at Strike's assessment of his nephews, drily repeated when Robin is amused and a teensy bit shocked. So funny.

And aborted perfume purchases that end in buying Salted caramel that we already know Robin associates with thoughtless presents and creepy Morris.

I loved Strike's takedown of the Woke students at the dinner party and Robin finally not standing for being treated like crap anymore. "Don't you dare buy me flowers again"

Loved it- best of the series. Listened to the Audible, very good narration.

No you’re right - drunk sex would have been a bad idea but the honesty in their conversation was just perfect

The way she handles creepy Morris at the sink. I was cheering.

The whole Morris storyline was really well done. We’ve all met a Morris & I cheered when Robin reamed him out & then kicked his arse out of the office

And her conversation with her mother, who pissed me off no end in this book

"How's Morris?
"Oh, we fired him"

(Now, Linda, stop stumping for really horrible blokes to pair Robin off with and accept that she is a detective Queen, and Strike is her true partner in every sense of the word. The end)

The brackets was my awesome fanfic skillz.

I LOVED the way Strike played Creed.

I also liked that it was a woman serial killer who kept Creed off the front pages of the newspaper.

Her violence was very different to Crred's. I liked the juxtaposition.

@EllacottObsessive

The brackets was my awesome fanfic skillz.

Ao3 here you come!

It’s impossible to read the book & not see Tom Burke & Holliday Grainger

But given how strike is described physically in the book, maybe Linda just can’t fathom her daughter being even vaguely interested in him whereas Morris is all smarmy ‘charm’ like Matthew

On the surface I mean cos he’s clearly an utter wankspanner

I love Strike acknowledging poor relationship habits and learning to apologise in chapters 42 and 43.

People can change, 'or so the psychiatrist in Broadmoor told me'.

I actually think Robin can't fathom why she's interested. Traumatic sexual violence and a boyfriend/husband as bland as a plank of pine. Robin hasn't quite awakened to the fact that she finds Strike attractive. She does, but she doesn't know what to call it.

I liked the very subtle 'like the women who'd climbed willingly into Dennis Creed's van, he'd been hoodwinked by a careful performance of femininity.' Lots to unpack there.

See, I love Burke as Strike, because his acting is every superlative in the thesaurus, but every now and then when I'm reading the books I am jarred because he's not quite book Strike.

Oh yes parental!! Iys only a short line but there’s so much in it.