Strike’s sister, Lucy, lives with her husband and three sons in Bromley, a large borough in southeast London.
In The Cuckoo’s Calling, Strike visits Lucy’s house for his middle nephew Jack’s birthday party. Strike isn’t exactly keen for the visit with Lucy’s agitated state of being, his less-than-warm feelings for his brother-in-law, Greg, and the overly curious party guests. After managing to insult one of Lucy and Greg’s friends, Strike takes refuge in another room where he uses the DVD player to watch the CCTV footage that Wardle provided him.
“The front room was blandly comfortable, with a beige three-piece suit, an Impressionist print over the mantelpiece and framed photographs of his three nephews in their bottle-green school uniform displayed on the shelves.” (The Cuckoo’s Calling, Part 3, Chapter 2)
Strike then has a nice moment alone with Jack where he gives Jack his toy soldier gift. “Lucy found them both sitting there ten minutes later. Jack was making his soldier fire around the back of the sofa and Strike pretending to have taken a bullet to the stomach.” (The Cuckoo’s Calling, Part 3, Chapter 2)
Strike visits Lucy’s house again in The Silkworm when, much to Strike’s chagrin, Lucy throws him a birthday dinner.
“It was like Lucy to throw him a birthday dinner at her own house. She was fundamentally unimaginative and, even though she often seemed more harried there than anywhere else, she rated her home’s attractions highly. It was like her to insist on giving him a dinner he didn’t want, but which she could not understanding him not wanting. Birthdays in Lucy’s world were always celebrated, never forgotten; there must be cake and presents; time must be marked, order preserved, traditions upheld.” (The Silkworm, Chapter 15)
While the evening is marked by some tension, with Strike’s unenthusiastic attitude and Lucy’s unsuccessful attempts at matchmaking, it’s not all bad since it’s the first time readers get to meet Strike’s friends Nick and Ilsa.
“Nick and Ilsa were two of his oldest friends and they were the only place where the two halves of his early life intersected: London and Cornwall, happily married.” (The Silkworm, Chapter 15)
Strike makes another visit to Lucy’s house in Lethal White under much happier circumstances. After having seen Jack through emergency surgery, Strike welcomes a chance to spend some time with his nephew and family as they watch the Olympics Opening Ceremony together.
You can watch the complete 2012 London Olympic Opening Ceremony here. Also watch JK Rowling’s part of the Opening Ceremony here. It’s certainly fun to think of Strike watching JK Rowling!
To get to Lucy’s house, Strike takes the Tube to the Bromley South station, where he then catches a taxi.
Find Bromley on the map below.