Emily Pirbright is a member of the Universal Humanitarian Church. She joined aged six when her mother, Louise Pirbright, took her to Chapman Farm along with her sister Becca, aged eight, and brother Kevin, aged three.

Emily is first mentioned by name in Kevin Pirbright’s email to Sir Colin Edensor (Chapter 7) in which Kevin states that ‘Emily was allowed to go out collecting money’. Later, Strike and Robin visit Niamh Doherty, an ex-member of the church (Chapter 21). Niamh recognises Kevin and Emily from a list of names Strike reads out, and she says “They were nice, and they had a sister Becca…..”

When Robin is undercover at Chapman Farm, the main ‘retreat’ of the Universal Humanitarian Church, she learns that two minibuses have arrived containing church members relocating from the Birmingham and Glasgow centres. Robin is interested in one of the newcomers who is described as ‘a sallow-skinned, virtually bald young woman with thick eyebrows. She looked grumpy and seemed disinclined to return greetings to fellow church members’ (Chapter 39). Robin meets Emily shortly afterwards when she takes a seat at her table in the dining hall, and concludes from the body language of other church members that Emily is in some form of disgrace.  Robin learns that Emily is related to Becca and Louise, and is intrigued to see that Emily avoids eating the chunks of carrot in her meal.

Robin subsequently tries on several occasions to engage Emily in conversation, but is unsuccessful until they are both sent to Norwich to collect money for the church (Chapter 66).