Here are the miscellaneous characters from The Ink Black Heart, presented alphabetically. Beware: Character summaries may contain minor spoilers.

Alice de Bock – One of the models for Madeline’s ‘Notorious’ collection – a ‘model who was done for shoplifting’ (Ch 8). 

Amelia – Charlotte’s sister, who is first mentioned in Lethal White. Charlotte tells Strike that she is having lunch with Amelia at Franco’s the day she meets him at the art gallery (Lethal White, Ch 50). In The Ink Black Heart, Charlotte tells Strike that Amelia is going to testify against Jago on her behalf. Strike remembers her as ‘a plainer but far less volatile woman, who’d never much liked’ him (Ch 25).

Amy Whittstock – One of two left-wing female MPs believed to be on the Halvening’s ‘Direct Action’ list and whose constituency offices had recently been sent explosive devices (Ch 15).

Sir Anthony Campbell – Charlotte Campbell’s father. We know from previous books that Sir Anthony, now deceased, was a well-known broadcaster and was married three times. In The Ink Black Heart, we learn that he and his third wife, Scheherazade, had a large house on Arran, where he kept sheep (Ch 1).

Beth – Sub-contractor Midge Greenstreet’s ex-girlfriend. According to Midge, she had never had a job for more than a couple of months. They broke up when Midge found her online dating profile (Ch 2). Midge tells Robin that Beth used to play Drek’s Game under the username ‘Buffypaws’. Midge persuades Beth to let the agency use her log-in details to infiltrate the game in exchange for an antique mirror that Midge kept when they split up (Ch 34).

Brendan – A student of the art class attended by Robin at the North Grove Collective on 23 April 2015. He’s described as “elderly … cheerful, diligent … has a stiff grey beard and is wearing a Breton (striped) sweater” (Ch 39 and 66). The drawing class is his fifth: “I’m an old timer …trying to find the one I’m good at.”

Brendan is friendly to Robin/Jessica, directing her to the toilet and winking at her flustered late arrival back to the class. He appears to be a confident artist, making good progress on his sketch of Pez Pierce, who is facing and often looking at him.

Robin/Jessica encounters Brendan again in chapter 66 when she visits North Grove with Pez on the evening of the canceled art class and visit to Highgate Cemetery. Brendan is in the studio drawing ferns that Mariam has arranged.

Caroline – A Lisburne Road neighbour of the Upcott family, ‘Aunty Caroline’ sometimes babysits Flavia Upcott.

In Chapter 33, Flavia interrupts Strike and Robin’s interview of Katya with a request to visit Caroline because she wants to see her puppies; this is declined because Flavia has a cold, but Flavia continues, “Aunty Caroline says she doesn’t mind she’s already had this cold” (p306)

Catriona Douglas – A foster sister of Edie Ledwell’s. They remained in touch after she left the family, and Catriona attended Edie’s funeral. Catriona originally voiced the part of Paperwhite in The Ink Black Heart cartoon, but was happy to be replaced (Ch 18). Robin later speaks to her and eliminates her from enquiries on the basis that she is the events manager at a hotel and is therefore unable to be online for much of the day (Ch 38). 

Chloe Cardew – The sister of Wally Cardew, the YouTuber and former voice of Drek in the Ink Black Heart cartoon. She lives with Wally and their grandmother in a three-bedroom maisonette on the Lismore Circus estate and has done so for the past twenty years; she also works nearby in a chemist. She is included in Wally’s alibi for the night of Edie Ledwell’s murder and Josh Blay’s attempted murder. He claims to have been at home with Chloe and their grandmother, and Chloe confirms this during a police interview (Ch 24).

Chloe is described as “tow headed (light blonde coloured hair) … Scandinavian … voluptuous … large, round blue eyes … full lips,” a description that helps us understand why Dev Shah and Sam Barclay tell Strike they would be happy to surveille her in and out of contracted hours (Ch 51).

In chapter 64, Robin witnesses Chloe emerging from the maisonette to help then walk away with MJ, Wally’s YouTube co-host who appears to have been physically attacked.

Strike later discovers via the Twitter hashtag “#FuckWallyCardew” that Chloe was in a relationship with MJ, which was a probable motive for Wally punching MJ and Wally being subsequently attacked by MJ’s “relatives,” sending him to hospital (Ch. 74).

Constance Cartwright – One of the models for Madeline’s ‘Notorious’ collection (Ch 8). 

Darcy Olivia Barrett – A “very pretty black-haired girl … mid twenties,” an appropriate description as her given name means “dark haired.” Her social media accounts and home address Strike finds being doxxed in the Reddit forum ‘r/TrackCriminalBitches’ (Ch 70). She is being accused by Reddit user johnbaldwin of falsifying an accusation of sexual assault.

Strike later believes the doxxing is why he can’t find her details online after he is told her name by Nicole Crystal (Ch 97). Her Twitter account @DarkViola90 interacts with The Pen of Justice in December 2014 (Ch 75).

She lives with her brother Marcus Barrett in a shared flat in London and attends the Royal College of Music (Ch 107). This is where she gains the acquaintance of Gus Upcott, whom she invites to a house party. He later attempts to forcibly kiss her and is ejected from the party.

When Strike and Robin visit the Upcott house to interview Katya in chapter 33, they witness Katya ask her son Gus: “Heard from Darcy?”

Robin reveals to Strike in chapter 107 that Gus had told his mother he and Darcy were girlfriend and boyfriend.

Private Dean Shaw – Strike is reminded of this soldier, whom he investigated when he was in the SIB, as he was similar in looks to Wally Cardew. Shaw was court martialed ‘for what he insisted was a prank gone wrong, which had resulted in the fatal shooting of a sixteen-year-old recruit’ (Ch 13).

Ellen – Michelle ‘Midge’ Greenstreet’s ex-girlfriend’s password to enter Drek’s Game is WishIWasWithEllen. “‘Wish I was with fookin’ Ellen,’ said Midge bitterly. ‘That was her ex before me.’”

Eric Wardle – A Metropolitan police detective who has become a friend and useful contact to Cormoran. Read his main page here.

At some point after interviewing Phillip Ormond, Strike contacts Wardle, and in chapter 38 as Strike and Robin eat Singapore noodles at Gerrards Corner, he tells her he’s asked Wardle to “do me a favour.” Strike felt that Ormond’s reason for leaving the Metropolitan Police Force might not be accurate. This is confirmed by Wardle: “ ‘Thought he was Dirty Harry’ were Wardle’s exact words. He liked roughing up suspects.” Wardle also reveals that Ormond’s wife left him before he left the Met and not after.

Ethan Ledwell – Grant and Heather Ledwell’s third child (Grant’s fourth) and their first son, is born toward the end of The Ink Black Heart. He’s named after the protagonist of the Mission Impossible movie franchise Ethan Hunt, which is Heather’s “favourite name.”

Still in utero when Strike and Robin first meet Heather in chapter 18, he’s being breastfed when they visit Battledean Road to interview Grant Ledwell in chapter 104, and we’re treated to another description of Heather’s bountiful bosom.

He has a “sparse covering of brown hair” on a head that looks like a “large potato,” according to Strike; let’s hope he learns some more flattering descriptives before his next godfather duties.

Evan Duffield – A character from The Cuckoo’s Calling. See his character page here. One of the models for Madeline’s ‘Notorious’ collection, Siobhan Vickery, ‘had an affair with Evan Duffield while he was still married’ (Ch 8). 

Fayola Johnson – According to an article in The Times read by Strike, Fayola is a comic book writer who (like Edie) survived a suicide attempt after being subjected to a trolling campaign coordinated by The Halvening (Ch 15).

Fingers – The nickname given to one of the agency’s targets for investigation. They are hired by Fingers’ billionaire stepfather to look into a series of thefts of high-value antiques from his mansion on South Audley Street in Mayfair. The agency puts hidden cameras into the house and keeps Fingers under surveillance.  He lives in a flat above a department store on Sloane Square (Ch 15) and often eats out at The Botanist restaurant nearby (Ch 24).

Gaby Rokeby – One of Strike’s half-siblings. Strike “barely knows her.” She’s an acquaintance of Charlotte Campbell, and it’s Gaby who tells Charlotte about Strike’s niece Sylvie’s accident and about Strike being in recent contact with her mother, Prudence Donleavy: “Gaby’s clearly been talking a lot.”

Gigi Cazenove – A 23-year-old pop singer, spokesperson for an environmental charity and client of Madeline Courson-Miles. Gigi takes her own life on New Year’s Eve 2014, after The Halvening leaked emails in which she allegedly used racist language, causing her to be relentlessly harassed online. The emails were later proved to be fake (Ch 15).

Groomer – The code name for the target of one of the agency’s investigations, Groomer is a successful television producer and the ex-boyfriend of their client, a well-known correspondent for an American news channel.  Shortly after their break up, the client had discovered that Groomer was still in touch with her 17-year-old daughter (nicknamed Legs). She hires the agency to conduct surveillance with the aim of producing evidence of an inappropriate relationship between Legs and Groomer (Ch 2).

Dr Hookham – Gus Upcott’s ‘no doubt exorbitantly priced dermatologist’ based in Harley Street (Ch 50).

Ian Baker – Josh Blay’s old school friend from Gospel Oak who voiced Lord Wyrdy-Grob in The Ink Black Heart cartoon (Ch 34).

Ian Peach – The father of Drek’s Game players and Halvening members Oliver and Charlie Peach. He’s first identified in chapter 60, as Robin checks the BBC News website and finds that the individual pushed onto the tracks at the Excel Centre is Oliver Peach: “He’s … wow. He’s the son of Ian Peach … you know, that oddball who ran for mayor of London. The billionaire?”

Peach made his fortune via a tech company that facilitated his candidacy for mayor of London (possibly in 2012). He lives with his wife, described as looking “mummified” by DCI Ryan Murphy, in a Grecian-columned house in Bishops Avenue North London. Peach drives a new Maserati, and he’s described as “distinctive-looking” with a “low-hairline” and a “penchant for suits with broad pinstripes.”

Josh Blay calls Peach a “weird fucker” when describing Nils de Jong as a libertarian in chapter 63, which may refer to his political ideology.

James – Charlotte and Jago’s young son, twin brother of Mary, and second in line to the Viscountcy of Croy (Ch 25).

Jim – An actor, the ex-husband of Madeline Courson-Miles. Madeline and Jim split up after she found out he was cheating on her with his leading lady through reading his text messages (Ch 13).

John Bristow – An old client of the agency, mentioned by Strike to Robin whilst they are at the Ritz (Ch 1). See his character page here.

Miss Jones – A client of the agency (first mentioned in Troubled Blood) for whom the agency is trying to dig up dirt on her ex-boyfriend due to an ongoing custody battle over their baby daughter.  Miss Jones has ‘an almost embarrassing yen’ for Strike (Ch 2).

Judith Marantz – One of two left-wing female MPs believed to be on the Halvening’s ‘Direct Action’ list and whose constituency offices had recently been sent explosive devices (Ch 15).

Landon Dormer – A man with whom Charlotte denies having an affair when accused of cheating by Jago (Ch 87); Madeline later tells Strike that ‘everyone knows’ Charlotte is ‘messing around’ with him (Ch 94).

Laura – Rachel Ledwell’s mother and Grant Ledwell’s ex-wife. She and Rachel live in Leeds; Laura is unwell with lupus (Ch 18).

Legs – Legs is the nickname for the 17-year-old daughter of one of the agency’s clients. She is described as tall and slender with long blonde hair. The agency is hired to watch Legs and Groomer (see above) for evidence of an inappropriate relationship (Ch 2). Strike and Midge attend a New Year’s Eve party at Annabel’s nightclub to watch Legs; Robin follows Legs and Groomer on another occasion to the William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow (Ch 16).

Len – A good friend of Grant Ledwell who heads up a cybersecurity firm. Grant asked him to investigate Anomie, but he was unable to find out his identity (Ch 18).

Lia – A new member of the art class that Robin, disguised as Jessica Robbins, attends at the North Grove Collective on 23 April 2015. She’s described as “eager looking … around 18 years of age … short blue hair and multiple piercings” (Ch 39).

When asked by the class tutor, Mariam Torosyan, why she chose the class, Lia replies, “Oh, I’m a big Ink Black Heart fan … I really just wanted to, you know, soak in the magic? See if I can catch some?” This is not received positively.

Later, when class members are in the kitchen on break, and Pez Pierce is explaining the subject matter of a large stained-glass window to Robin/Jessica, Lia interrupts to ask if Edie and Josh are depicted. Her questions and comments about the two are received poorly by Pierce, who tells her to “stop pretending you wanna learn drawing and go sniff around in the cemetery.” Robin feels “sorry for her.”

Lindsey Fanthrope – An actress and Strike’s half-sister Prudence Donleavy’s mother. She’s described as a ‘mixed race woman’ who has ‘been in everything. Eastenders, The Bill…’ (Ch 1).

Lucinda Richardson – A celebrity client of Madeline Courson-Miles who was almost stopped entering her store by a new and ‘OTT’ security guard (Ch 8).

Lucy Drew – Josh Blay’s old school friend from Gospel Oak who voiced Lady Wyrdy-Grob in The Ink Black Heart cartoon (Ch 34).

Marcus Barrett – The brother of Darcy Barrett. They share a flat in London. He’s the ex-boyfriend of Nicole Crystal who he had a relationship with in the last year of school in Glasgow. Marcus left Scotland to attend The Royal Academy of the Dramatic Arts in London to study drama, during which time he received a series of erotic photographs from Nicole. It’s possible these photographs were stolen from his iCloud (Ch 107).

He’s a ‘nice guy,’ according to Nicole. Marcus is no longer in a relationship with Nicole and has a new girlfriend.

Maya Satterthwaite – Mentioned in an article in The Times, Maya was a child star and animal rights activist who took her own life. She was targeted by The Halvening, who leaked her private text messages online (Ch 15).

McCabes – A rival firm of private Investigators that Robin recommends to Edie as they have experience in cybersecurity (Ch 7). Later, Strike recommends them to Charlotte, and she subsequently hires them to investigate Jago after Strike refuses to take the job (Ch 51).

Michael David – Michael David is a famous actor who replaces Wally Cardew as the voice of Drek in The Ink Black Heart cartoon. Replacing Wally Cardew triggered a storm of online abuse toward him, particularly from members of the Brotherhood of Ultima Thule (BOUT). However, at the time of Strike and Robin’s Anomie investigation, Michael has already left the cartoon. He went on to get a part in Casualty and later a role in a West End play.

We find out that Yasmin Weatherhead is somewhat smitten with Michael David, and believes him to be the person behind the username LordDrek in Drek’s Game. She explains to Morehouse that LordDrek cannot be part of the racist terrorist group The Halvening because he is Black.

Neal Jameson – Neal Jameson is a colleague of Ryan Murphy’s at the CID.  He and Murphy interview Strike and Pat in the aftermath of the attack on the office.  He is described as ‘an older Black man with greying hair’ (Chapter 71). The interview takes place in the basement room of The Tottenham.

Richard – The boyfriend of Max, Robin’s flatmate, and the lighting director on Max’s TV show. Their relationship becomes serious, which motivates Robin to think about moving out (Ch 1).

Scheherazade Campbell – Charlotte’s stepmother, the wife of her father, Sir Antony Campbell. Whilst Robin and Strike are at the Ritz on Robin’s 30th birthday, Strike tells the story of how Scheherazade tried to seduce him whilst he and Charlotte were visiting her and Charlotte’s father on Arran. Strike describes her as ‘very good-looking, if you like them coke-thin’ and ‘a very big drinker’ (Ch 1).

Shereece Summers – An ex-flatmate of Edie Ledwell on whom Edie based aspects of the Paperwhite character in the cartoon (Ch 6).

Siobhan Vickery – One of the models for Madeline’s ‘Notorious’ collection – a ‘girl who had an affair with Evan Duffield while he was still married’ (Ch 8).

Sylvie – Strike’s niece, the daughter of his half-sister Prudence Donleavy, Rokeby’s other “illegitimate.” In chapter 51, Charlotte Campbell tells Strike that Sylvie “fell off a climbing wall. Harness wasn’t fastened or something.” Strike recalls that Prudence had alluded to the incident in a text canceling their meeting on April 23, 2015 (Ch 38).

By the beginning of June, Sylvie is “doing much better,” according to Prudence in another text to Strike; then in a text answering one from Prudence about the agency being bombed, Strike refers to his niece for the first time: “Hope all ok with Sylvie.”

Wendy – The mother-in-law of Grant Ledwell, ‘Gan-Gan’ to three of his children. She enjoys red wine: “Heather and her mother have got through all my decent red” and is described as ‘short’ with ‘aggressively red hair.’ Along with many other women, she’s excited to see Strike and seems overly interested in his pinned-up trouser leg (Ch 104). She’s “oblivious to tension … oblivious to propriety.”

William Cunliffe – Matthew and Sarah’s son, a newborn whom they bring to Masham for Christmas 2014 (Ch 4).