The day Robin has her hair cut to assume the identity of Rowena Ellis, she takes a train to Strawberry Hill, where Strike’s half sister Prudence lives. Strawberry Hill is a suburb of West London, in the borough of Richmond upon Thames.

The area of Strawberry Hill is named after Strawberry Hill House, a Gothic Revival villa built by Horace Walpole, mid-18th-century writer, historian and politician. Walpole is the author of The Castle of Otranto, which is generally regarded as the first gothic novel.

Strike meets Robin in his BMW in the car park outside Strawberry Hill station.

“’How was Bigfoot?’ Robin asked, as they drove past a long line of solid Edwardian villas’ (chapter 9).

They soon arrive at Prudence’s house, described as ‘a particularly large Edwardian house’ with a driveway (chapter 9).

Strike and Robin spend the evening at Prudence’s house. Prudence gives Robin some of her designer clothes to add authenticity to Robin’s undercover persona and invites both of them to stay for dinner.

Strawberry Hill is located here: