Cromer is a coastal town in Norfolk and is a popular British holiday destination, with its beach, pier, arcades, and famous Cromer crab. In The Running Grave, Cromer is the town in which Jonathan Wace’s wife, Jennifer Wace, and Daiyu Wace drowns in the sea. The drowning of Daiyu off Cromer beach led to the legend of the Drowned Prophet in the Universal Humantiarian Church.

In chapter 62, Strike parks his BMW in a car park in the middle of town.

Strike walks from the car park to Garden Street to interview the Heatons in their house.

The Wellington pub is mentioned as being close to the Heatons house.

After interviewing the Heatons he walks along the promenade to the small car park and café at the section of beach where Jennifer and Daiyu are said to have drowned.

Strike checks in at the Hotel de Paris hotel, a large red brick Victorian hotel.

Strike then goes to the King’s Head pub for Doom Bar and a burger and chips.

We first learnt that Cromer was to be a location in the book from a Twitter header photo J.K. Rowling uploaded, showing the coastline and pier.

One of the bench shelters along the Cromer Pier also features on the cover of The Running Grave, with the figures of Strike and Robin in the foreground.