On her first day back at work after her escape from Chapman Farm, Robin picks up Strike in the Land Rover from Wembley Station, and they drive to Thornbury in Gloucestershire – a drive of around two hours and forty-five minutes – to interview Cherie Gittens, who is now going by the name Carrie Curtis Woods.

Strike and Robin ‘arrived in Oakleaze Road, Thornbury, to find Carrie Curtis Woods’ residence empty. The modest but well-maintained semi-detached house, which shared a patch of unfenced lawn with its Siamese twin, was almost indistinguishable from every other house within view, except for slight variations in the style of front door’ (Chapter 96).

Strike decides it is better to leave and come back later as ‘there were windows everywhere he looked, and the flat lawns in front of all the houses offered no hint of cover. The ancient Land Rover also looked conspicuous, among all the family cars’ (Chapter 96).

They head into Thornbury.  ‘The town was small, and they reached the High Street in minutes. There was less uniformity here, with shops and pubs of varying sizes, some of them painted in pastel colours or bearing old-fashioned awnings’ (Chapter 96). 

Robin parks the Land Rover outside the Malthouse pub.

‘The interior proved to be roomy, modern and white-walled, with grey checked carpet and chairs’ (Chapter 96).

Strike buys peanuts, a zero-alcohol beer for himself and a tomato juice for Robin from the bar.

They sit at a table in a bay window overlooking the High Street.

They don’t remain there long however.  Upon hearing the news from Barclay that Patterson has been arrested for bugging Andrew Honbold’s office, a gleeful Strike wants to fire Littlejohn immediately. He heads to the beer garden for privacy, followed by Robin.

‘Once seated on benches at a brown painted table, Strike called Littlejohn and switched his mobile to speakerphone again’ (Chapter 96).

After speaking to Littlejohn, they finish their drinks and then decide to head back to Oakleaze Road.

Forty minutes after they arrive, Carrie Curtis Woods returns home and Strike and Robin succeed in interviewing her in her home (Chapter 97).  After leaving, they decide to have some lunch.  Rather than returning to the Malthouse, they instead buy food from a shop on the High Street to eat in the car (Chapter 98).

They drive for five minutes to Greenhill Road and park in a layby by a graveyard to eat.  Strike has pork pies and Robin a cheese sandwich.

The graveyard belongs to St Helen’s, a Victorian Church of England Church in Alveston.

As they eat, Robin and Strike discuss the case.  Strike finishes his two pork pies and moves on to a Yorkie bar and ‘the apple he’d bought as an afterthought’ (Chapter 98).  Robin looks at the graveyard out of the window.

After finishing their lunch, Strike and Robin head back to London.

You can find the Thornbury locations here: