Roy Carver is a Detective Inspector for the Metropolitan Police who appears in The Cuckoo’s Calling and Career of Evil. He is described as “a paunchy man with a face the colour of corned beef, whose shirt was usually ringed with sweat around the armpits.” At any given time, he’s described as having dandruff, bloodshot eyes and mottled, blotchy skin. Those in close vicinity to him are often treated to “the sharp, sour, oniony smell of BO.”

Carver shows a bad temper every time we see him, and it’s usually directed at Strike. After having been the lead investigator in the Lula Landry case, Carver obviously doesn’t appreciate Strike proving his conclusions wrong. In Career of Evil, Carver belligerently warns Strike about interfering with the murder case. At one point, the two men nearly come to blows.

Carver speaks with a South London accent and his language is usually heavy with profanity. He relishes calling Strike “Rokeby Junior” among other names.