Barbara Graves is mother of the ‘Stolen Prophet’ Alexander Graves, and the wife of Colonel Edward Graves (Ch 29).

Strike drives to interview the Graves’ at their family house, Garvestone Hall in. Norfolk. Colonel Graves introduces his wife Barbara, his daughter Phillipa and her husband Nicholas Delaunay (Ch 38).

Barbara is described as ‘an elderly woman with thin white hair, who was dressed in navy blue and pearls’ (Ch 38).

Mrs Graves and the Colonel tell Strike about Alexander Graves’ early life and the problems he had, being expelled from school for drug abuse and then later narrowly avoiding a spell in prison. They explain to Strike that during his community service he met Mazu and then joined the church. One day Alex turned up at the house and told them Mazu was pregnant, and that Daiyu was then born in May 1988. Barbara Graves says the baby looked just like Alexander (Ch 38).

Strike asks if they remembered Jonathan Wace coming to live at Chapman Farm and Mrs Graves says yes, and that they were completely taken in by him. Jonathan told them he was keeping an eye on Alexander, Mazu and the baby (Ch 38).

Strike said he understood that the Graves had tried to get custody of Daiyu when Alexander died, which Colonel Graves confirmed (Ch 38).