Troubled Blood - *Spoiler-laden discussion*

[EllacottObsessive]

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

I’ve just finished troubled blood... strained wrist aside... it was really good.

I love a good detective murder book and this was the first Galbraith I’d read so I’ve had to get the whole set now.

Good luck...I read Lethal White first having seen the TV adaptations.

Then went back and read the first three books in a week!

I’m quite enjoying it - the murder is near where I live and his office is around the corner from mine! Spooooooooky!

It's so addictive. I'm currently learning towards a shock beginning to the next one. I really think it's likely to be the book in which things happen, but I think Rowling will want to keep us on our toes.

'Chapter One.

One month later

Strike knew he shouldn't have kissed her...'

JKR cackles in her armchair.

EllacottObsessive

I wouldn't be at all surprised if book 6 starts with them having had a one nighters off the back of Robin's or Cormoran's birthday and it being a massive elephant in the room because they've both tried to brush it off.

Also wondered with all the talk of kids whether there might be an accidental pregnancy, although I hope not as I don't think either of them would be reckless enough to make that kind of mistake given both their backgrounds.

Noooooo. I've only just recently come round to set of being ok with a marriage/civil partnership, I still think kids is a no no no.

I'm not keen on the idea of then having kids...at least not in canon.

I've written it a couple of times, but only in a one-shot, passing notion kind of way.

The agency is their baby. It would take a lot for me to change my mind on this. If anyone could do it, Rowling could, but I think she would only do it if she had something worthwhile to say about the reality of being pregnant/a mum while working, and I suspect she can explore those issue without Robin actually becoming a mother. And so far, all of Robin's inner monologue has made it feel very unlikely for her. I think Strike is more likely to change his mind about kids before her, actually, depending on how the Rokeby aspect is addressed which I imagine is an upcoming strand.

@EllacottObsessive

It's so addictive. I'm currently learning towards a shock beginning to the next one. I really think it's likely to be the book in which things happen, but I think Rowling will want to keep us on our toes.

'Chapter One.

One month later

Strike knew he shouldn't have kissed her...'

JKR cackles in her armchair.

Wasn't there a tweet a while ago which indicated that book 6 is set in 2015? I've lost track- was TB set in 2013 or 2014? Might indicate the gap and so the situation...

Yup. She said she was writing about Strike being in a pub in 2015 iirc. She didn't indicate how far into the book though. But I genuinely am expecting the unexpected.

As a childless not by choice woman I would love just for once for there not to be children so I don’t have to live through the residual pain of it again.

I think JKR is one of the few authors to actually look at the issues around not having children whether by choice or circumstance. Nick & Ilsa’s struggles to conceive are balanced against robins being not sure & strike being adamant he doesn’t. The conversation that strike & Robin have is really good becatse Robin feels forced as a woman to justify her ambivalence while strike as a man just gets to go ‘no’ with no justification until Robin pushes him

If anyone can address it well JKR can - just be nice not to have too!

And now I'm enjoying the Jilly Copper-esque delights of Lethal White as research. Oh, how I suffer for my art.

Bliddy autocucumber. I've no idea what Jilly Copper's work is like. She could be very like Galbraith for all I know.

TB started off in 2013 and ended in 2014, Dave Polworth was talking about the Scottish referendum.

@EllacottObsessive are you on AO3 by any chance?

Biscuitsanddoombar Since flowers are not a welcome present in Troubled Blood, I'm going to try doing beer and biscuits emojis for you🍺🍪

I'll be interested to see what JKR will do with the whole idea of children. I don't think that she can't really explore how things work for women in society without tackling it, perhaps even fairly upfront but I agree with you in liking where she has got to so far. Leda, Linda, Lucy, Margot, Leonora, Yvette Bristow, Joan, Ilsa, Kinvara - there's actually a really wide variety of female experiences around having children in the books.

MintyCedric I may well be, yes, but I am reluctant to link directly from MN. Bit too public and identifiable.

🍺🍪 to biscuits

(I love that parental)
I Agree that the topic of children will be nuanced and sensitive from JKR

@EllacottObsessive another fabulous podcast episode. I’m loving your reading of excerpts. The voices are pretty accurate.
What’s the plan when you’ve done each book though? I’m already anxious about what happens after your TB episode!

I've got a few ideas about more specific topics. I've got one planned about gendered expectations and how each of the characters fit and fight them.

Has anyone else wondered if Max the housemate’s drama has been broadcast yet? And what his interpretation of Strike’s ‘energy’ might be? I like to think that Strike wouldn’t recognise himself but I wonder if Robin might.

I really love how the Strike novels are an introduction to feminism. The last book in particular had loads of strong female characters, nice ones, nasty ones and flawed ones. I’m so bored with so many books and almost all films having fuck all women in them. In particular this book was more a Robin Ellacot novel than a Cormorant Strike novel.

Has anyone else wondered if Max the housemate’s drama has been broadcast yet? And what his interpretation of Strike’s ‘energy’ might be? I like to think that Strike wouldn’t recognise himself but I wonder if Robin might.

I have this vision of Robin and Strike talking about it after it is broadcast, and Strike banging on about how they got the army stuff all wrong, and Robin secretly smiling about Max's character's 'big man' energy that seems strangely familiar.

I really love how the Strike novels are an introduction to feminism. The last book in particular had loads of strong female characters, nice ones, nasty ones and flawed ones. I’m so bored with so many books and almost all films having fuck all women in them. In particular this book was more a Robin Ellacot novel than a Cormorant Strike novel.

Just a minor thing I noticed in Troubled Blood the other day: Robin mentioning that people often assume she is a man over email. It's so small, but I love how JKR uses every detail to build a picture of women's lives in a sexist world.

Oh, I noticed another little detail in Troubled Blood the other day - when Shanker meets up with Strike and warns him off going after the Ricci family, he complains that he has bought the wrong Monster High doll for Zahara. Zahara is the little girl who Robin was so concerned about in Career of Evil, and whose sister she saved from the child abuser. Shanker and her mum must still be together :o

And it especially tickles me to think of him running around the shops for the perfect Christmas gift for his stepdaughter!

Headbutting rivals for the gift he's after with ruthless efficiency...