The Running Grave - contains spoilers

[Scotch Mist]

I did wonder briefly if Robin would get sucked in by being beaten down with the constant indoctrination. She was lucky to avoid having to have sex with anyone. I also thought that they were bound to realise that she was a PI and they were obviously suspicious of her. The cult itself was really weird with their strange prophets (perhaps inspired by scientology).

I'm going to read the book again to pick up some of the subtle points I might have missed.

I think the man who interfered with Lucy had already died so they couldn't pursue a case against him.

 

[Falkor]

I want to read it again pretty soon too. The little details like one of the Purbrights (can't remember right now whether it was Emily or Louisa) picking all the carrots out of her food, which seems insignificant at the time.

 

[Carriethereallgunnalaugh]

Emily was picking the veg out!!
- im on my second listen what was the connection with Walter? If thats his name . … the old man who went in for the third time with Robyn .
---

At the beginning yes, especially when she started to chant - I can see how easy it would be to fall into this habit of numbing your mind when you're hungry and tired.

I would have liked a bit more of Lucy after learning about that assault and also about Ted - it was probably deliberate that we didn't see much of them, because the book focused on Robin being away so much, everyone worried about her, so that Strike not only had to run the agency single and do the work with one person less (plus all those trips to Norfolk!) but also to show that Strike really had no time for them. I want justice for Lucy!

exactly i feel like that hit was rushed through. I was sad for Lucy. I think i had tears in my eyes.

 

[Quokka]

Emily was picking the veg out!!
- im on my second listen what was the connection with Walter? If thats his name . … the old man who went in for the third time with Robyn .
---


exactly i feel like that hit was rushed through. I was sad for Lucy. I think i had tears in my eyes.

That scene where Lucy is crying in her living room to Strike but her kids come in and she just changes instantly and Strike is impressed... I love that. The strength she has for her children is amazing

 

[IndominusRex]

I feel like I’m being stalked by cults now! Just checked into a hotel for a couple of nights and it’s opposite a Scientology centre!

 

[SarcasmSpecialist]

I found the whole cult part incredibly claustrophobic. I thought JKR did an amazing job on this one. I had to keep putting my Kindle down so as to breathe.

 

[Badirene]

I feel like I’m being stalked by cults now! Just checked into a hotel for a couple of nights and it’s opposite a Scientology centre!

I dare you to go over to the Scientology centre and offer them a pamphlet asking if they would consider listening to your thoughts on the divine spirituality that is Tattle.

 

[Scotch Mist]

I feel like I’m being stalked by cults now! Just checked into a hotel for a couple of nights and it’s opposite a Scientology centre!

I remember being caught out by them in my youth a long time ago after being invited to take a personality quiz in London. I had never heard of them before. I did the quiz thinking it was something to do with employment

Then someone interviewed me and told me that I had many faults that riled me up as you can imagine, so I told them to duck off.

 

[Bagpuss20]

Im currently listening to it audiobook- it feels claustrophobic just listening in some places.

 

[Codiaeum]

The book actually woke me up twice I'm not mad about it, my brain gets like this when I'm really into a story and the parts where Robin was inside stuck with me so much that I woke up in the early hours feeling very unsettled and needed to read out, because it had wormed its way into my feelings.

 

[IndominusRex]

You’re not going to believe this, went into town, heard some music and wandered over and it was Falun Gong! I’m obviously hyper aware because of the book but three in one week seems excessive!!

 

[ButtonDownTheHutches]

I want to read it again pretty soon too. The little details like one of the Purbrights (can't remember right now whether it was Emily or Louisa) picking all the carrots out of her food, which seems insignificant at the time.

Oh my god, yes! I hadn’t made the connection with the reason why she refuses to eat any of the farm-grown vegetables

 

[Bagpuss20]

Im knackered. Stayed up til 2am listening as I needed to know that she got out of there

 

[Milliemoo99]

I did wonder briefly if Robin would get sucked in by being beaten down with the constant indoctrination. She was lucky to avoid having to have sex with anyone. I also thought that they were bound to realise that she was a PI and they were obviously suspicious of her. The cult itself was really weird with their strange prophets (perhaps inspired by scientology).

I'm going to read the book again to pick up some of the subtle points I might have missed.

I think the man who interfered with Lucy had already died so they couldn't pursue a case against him.

Im glad Ive found this thread!

I think the strength of the book is the combination of fantasy/detective story genre with gritty reality!
The reality is the stuff about how people cope after traumatic events like Lucy, or how to cope with elderly relatives, or what poverty is really like, or the people Strike interviews who have left the cult, or Pat and her life,

I also think the way some damaged individuals are portrayed is also fairly realistic, eg Charlotte, who is so needy and emotionally damaged that she is a danger to herself and those around her. There is a lot of emotion and understanding of empathy in these books, so we have rounded characters that are a mix of both good and bad. Rowling shows the complexity of families with different and conflicting needs and emotions.

I dont think I would get caught within a cult, I ask too many questions, and wander off under pressure, and I have no money!!!! , but I can imagine an awful lot of people would. In fact its partly what a lot of social media leads into....... where people accept ridiculous facts as truth....thinking here of some of the myths and legends around q anon, or Andrew Tate and his followers.

But I can see that cults are dangerous, and need rigorous observation. Thinking of the almost cult like behaviour around a monster like Jimmy Saville, who wasnt questioned about behaviours that raised a lot of red flags ! I was thinking of scientology when I read the book, as they have leading figures who havent been seen for years, and they have a habit of being extremely litigious. Theres a lot of stuff about using divide and rule...
There is something about how money and corruption and control shouldn't be allowed to fester and grow, leading to them getting away with appalling behaviours. this is about cults, but its also about wider levels of corruption and deceit!

This is a fascinating book and I cant wait to see the TV series and adaptation.

I too want Strike and Robin to get together, but I think the romance is being used deliberately as a literacy conceit. In reality, I think they would have got together at least once or twice by now...... but the will they wont they....is part of the game to keep the audience interested and coming back for more!
Although maybe Strike needed to grow up a bit and understand relationships better than the disaster of the one he had with Charlotte and his mother!!!! before being able to have a grown up adult relationship with Robin!!

 

[Codiaeum]

I'm still on my second read, less time unfortunately and I want to savour it. I read the part yesterday when Robin is coming out of the torture box and then submits to everything, knowing then that she can't request to leave, as UHC would happily commit murder. That part struck me way more than on my first read, I think I read so fast, wanting her to get out that I barely registered it.

But I do think that that might also be a somewhat realistic depiction of why people stay in cults. Knowing that the situation is terrible, but that there genuinely is no save way out anymore, and they are stuck and comply.

 

[emmer_moans]

Finally getting around to putting my thoughts here:

OMG, this is the best one yet. So well written!

I took longer than I hoped to read because:-

1) I had not much free time this month
2) I wanted to savour it
3) I found the cult chapters hard to get through, because they felt so realistic, I was really getting quite scared for Robin, I thought she was going to be (TW ) raped.

JKR really built a world on the farm, so much detail and the characters so vividly created.

I also thought Robin might break down fully and become indoctrinated herself and Strike have to break her out of there through the front door.

I loved the getaway scene with Strike wacking Taio with the wire cutters.

I loved the plastic stone interactions, again, well described that I could imagine eating the chocolate bars, as though I was Robin. Especially after being worried about her, getting the chocolate parts felt like a blessed relief, lol.

Ryan Murphy is Boooooooooooooooooorrrrrrringggggggggg but I think he is supposed to be Matthew 'Mark 2' to make Robin eventually realise not to make the same mistakes, a bit like Strike made the same mistakes going back to abusive Charlotte so many times. Also I think she needed a rebound before eventually getting (we hope) with Strike.

Finally some personal growth for Strike with that final chapter Love it.

I bloody love Pat. I was not keen on her at first, but now I want to adopt her as my mother She comes across so realistic.

I like Barclay and Midge as subcontractors.

I did not see the twist coming about Abigail.

I'm glad Charlotte is gone, she was always annoying when she cropped up, but I guess necessary for Strike's character development.

Too much to remember but I now feel BEREFT knowing we have to wait for more.

What do I read in the meantime?

 

[Vee6]

Just finished it,‘so still processing.loved it. Didn’t expect the twist. Has been my
Favourite so far.
Only murders in the building and stroke books seem to have a lot of female killers. Maybe because women are more interesting and can have more unusual motives

 

[ginginginster]

I really enjoyed these Strike novels - any recommendations from better read Tattlers than me for other crime fiction that I would probably like? I like the modern day setting, Robin/Strike relationship in these…

 

[emmer_moans]

I really enjoyed these Strike novels - any recommendations from better read Tattlers than me for other crime fiction that I would probably like? I like the modern day setting, Robin/Strike relationship in these…

I'm still looking myself, I haven't come across anything as good! If I find any I'll come back to this thread to mention them.

 

[Goujon]

There is nothing as good out there.

The ones that come closest are jane Casey's Maeve Kerrigan series, they are really really good but not on same level as JKR