Clive Littlejohn has been recruited by Strike as the newest subcontractor at the agency. Littlejohn only recently left the army, where he was in the Special Investigation Branch. ‘He was large and square, with heavy-lidded eyes that gave an impression of perennial weariness, and salt-and-pepper hair that he continued to wear military short’ (chapter 2). He is slightly older than Strike, married with teenage children, and has left the army to provide a more stable life for his family.

We learn that none of the subcontractors particularly like Littlejohn and neither does Pat. His extreme taciturnity grates on them all. He barely talks and Barclay says, ‘There’s something wrong wi’ him’ … ‘He just fuckin’ stares’… ‘Doesn’t blink. Like a fuckin’ lizard’ (chapter 13).

Strike and Robin are surprised when Littlejohn turns up unexpectedly at the agency on a day when the office should have been empty (chapter 15). Strike finds this behaviour odd, and his suspicions are confirmed when Dev finds out some information about Littlejohn’s past that he has not disclosed (chapter 25).