Alyssa Vincent is suspect Noel Brockbank’s girlfriend. The first time we hear of Alyssa is in the Saracen strip club, where Brockbank used to work. Strike goes here looking for Brockbank and speaks to an Irish girl called Orla, who gives him the information he needs.

It turns out both Brockbank and Alyssa have been sacked from the Saracen. Strike discovers that Brockbank is living with Alyssa and her kids in Bow, an area of London near Shoreditch. Later, Robin finds out where specifically Alyssa lives — on Blondin Street — and then much mayhem and excitement ensues. Alyssa plays a particularly important role toward the end of the book.

Alyssa is described as “by any standards, gorgeous. Tall, black and with a bikini model’s figure” with hair in “waist-length twists” and thick-lashed caramel brown eyes.