Spoiler warning: This timeline will give details about the story and is for people who have already read the book.

Pre-2016

8th March 1990: Rupert Fleetwood is born in Zurich. 

8th March 2015: Rupert Fleetwood’s 25th birthday. A photo of Rupert and Decima in a park is posted on Rupert’s Instagram account. 

2016 

Sunday 15 May: The last time Decima sees Rupert Fleetwood.

19 May: William Wright is interviewed for the job at Ramsay Silver. 

21 May: William Wright moves into a rented room.

22 May: The last time Decima hears from Rupert, over the phone. They argue because Decima wants him to give the nef back to her father.

25 May: Rupert’s aunt Anjelica Wallner tells Decima that Rupert had rang her that day and told her he’s got a job in New York.

26 May: Strike finds photos of Jade Semple at a fancy dress party on this date. He notices she is a twin and can’t tell if Jade is the one dressed as Princess Peach or Rosalina. There is no sign of her husband in any of the photos.

27 May: Niall Semple disappears from Crieff, Scotland, days after his mother’s funeral.

4 June: Niall Semple’s last known sighting is at a cashpoint in Camden. The footage shows a scruffy man with an unkept beard and holding a metal briefcase.

Friday, 17 June: 8:40am: Pamela Bullen-Driscoll arrives at Ramsay Silver. At 8:54am: William Wright arrives at Ramsay Silver and is there most of the day, apart from when he goes out on an errand in the late afternoon, then comes back and is there until six. 1:03pm: Kenneth Ramsay turns up excited about the Murdoch silver. 2:14pm: Kenneth leaves the shop. 3:15pm: The Munich silver shows up. 3:47pm: Jim Todd arrives. On the CCTV footage, Robin notices Wright tripping on something unseen on his way out. At ten past six Wright is caught on CCTV entering Covent Garden tube station.

Saturday, 18 June: Four men are caught on CCTV walking towards Ramsay Silver, the assumption is that it was Wright and three associates. CCTV shows a man entering the silver shop at 1am, in the dark. They cross the floor and turn off the camera. The camera is switched back on at 3am and the alarm is reset.

Sunday, 19 June: Sofia Medina, student and OnlyFans model, is murdered in the early hours. Her body is found by a dog walker.

Monday, 20 June: William Wright’s body is found in the vault in Ramsay Silver

PART 1

Thursday, 9 November: Strike dashes down to Truro after Ted’s second stroke.

11 to 18 November: in between: Strike and Lucy arrange Ted’s funeral. The funeral is held. They clear out Ted and Joan’s house in St Mawes. 

Friday, 18 November (Chapters 1-3): Strike spends his 10th day in Cornwall. Robin Ellacott is tailing a surveillance target at Victoria station when she suffers an ectopic pregnancy and is taken to hospital. Strike travels back to London by train in the evening. Ryan calls Strike to tell him Robin has come down with a high fever and sore throat and will not be coming with him to Kent the following day. Robin barely sleeps that night in the hospital because of the moans of another patient.

Saturday, 19 November (Chapters 3-6): In the morning, Robin is taken to a single room in the hospital. Strike drives to Temple Ewell in Kent to meet Decima Mullins. (Decima had the baby three weeks ago). Robin is visited by Mr Butler, her surgeon, in hospital and is told her fallopian tubes are scarred and it’s unlikely she’ll be able to conceive naturally. Strike calls Robin while she’s in hospital and he’s sitting outside a pub called The Fox in Temple Ewell. Ryan visits Robin in the hospital. Kim Cochran catches Plug handing over a wad of cash to a man at Tufnell Park Station. Dev Shah takes over surveillance. Strike returns to Denmark Street. He Googles Decima, Valentine and Rupert Fleetwood. Kim Cochran comes to the office. Strike cooks himself steak and vegetables. He thinks about Robin.

Sunday, 20 November (Chapter 7-9) : Robin is discharged from hospital in the morning and takes a taxi back to her flat. Linda calls Robin to tell her Rowntree had to be put down. Robin Googles the ‘silver vault murder’. Kim calls Robin asking about Plug. Strike calls Robin. Strike is sitting in his BMW watching Arsehole’s ex-wife having lunch with another woman. Strike tails Mrs Arsehole to her flat in Glebe Place in Chelsea. He calls Anjelica Wallner (Rupert’s aunt) (Chapter 8). Ryan Murphy comes to Robin’s flat with fish and chips. Robin says she’ll be good to go back to work on Wednesday.

Monday, 21 November: Barclay is off work Sunday and Monday, and Robin is also still off work. Kim Cochran helps cover some surveillance shifts.

Tuesday, 22nd November: Barclay is back at work.

Wednesday, 23rd November (Chapters 10-12): Cormoran Strike’s 42nd birthday. Strike calls for a team meeting at the office in the morning (Midge calls in, as she’s on surveillance). The agency eat cake brought in by Pat. Strike and Robin talk in the inner office about the silver vault case and the Freemasons (Chapter 11). Strike writes an update for Mr A. Robin tidies her sitting room at six o’clock in the evening. Strike goes to Robin’s flat so Murphy can give them information about the silver vault case (Chapter 12).

The work rota is arranged so that Strike and Robin don’t meet again until Friday.

Thursday, 24 November: –

Friday, 25 November: Robin is tailing the ex-wife of the cricketer, Mrs A, on Mount Street in Belgravia at eleven o’clock. Dev Shah tails Plug to Ipswich. Decima calls Strike. Strike arrives on Mount Street to talk to Robin about the silver vault case before taking over surveillance of Mrs A. Strike and Robin agree to take on Decima’s case; Strike calls Decima to tell her, then takes over surveillance on Mrs A.

PART 2

Thursday, 1 December: Robin opens a letter from her GP asking her to make a check-up appointment. Ryan suggests to Robin they look for a new house together, which she is not enthusiastic about (Chapter 14).

Friday, 2 December (Chapter 14-16): Strike calls Robin who is driving on the A40 to take over from Midge on surveillance of Mrs A. near Stroud. Strike tells Robin Kim can do Stroud instead because Kenneth Ramsay wants to see them at Ramsay Silver at one o’clock. Robin meets Strike outside Freemasons’ Hall at half past twelve. They walk around the area before going to Ramsay Silver for one o’clock. Kenneth shows them the vault and they interview him. Strike and Robin go to the Prince of Wales pub near Freemasons’ Hall and discuss the case. Strike sees on Robin’s phone a text from Ryan with a link to Rightmove (Chapter 15). After lunch with Strike, Robin is on surveillance of Plug in Camberwell. Strike returns to the office in a bad mood. He checks the rota and decides Monday is the best day for him and Robin to go to St George’s Avenue, the last known address of Wright. Strike looks up Niall Semple online and finds an article in which his wife Jade pleaded for information on her husband’s whereabouts (Chapter 16). Strike replies to Kim to meet outside the Dorchester at 7. Barclay calls Strike to tell him Plug is visiting some kind of compound, “waste ground, high fences, sheds…”, a good way north of Ipswich. Strike finishes an email to Graham Hardacre. He locks up the office at half past 5 and goes up to his flat for a sandwich and to get ready. Strike gets a taxi from Shaftesbury Avenue to the Dorchester and conducts surveillance on Mrs A with Kim. Kim tells Strike that Farah Navabi has asked her to join the detective agency she is starting up. While he’s at the bar in the Dorchester, Jade Semple calls Strike. Strike orders a third whisky. Strike and Kim enter the ballroom and Strike is approached by Nina Lascelles, cousin of Dominic Culpepper. Kim photographs Mrs A entwined against the bathroom wall with Lady Violet, Dominic Culpepper’s wife (Chapter 16). Sam Barclay is arrested. Robin’s upstairs neighbour throws a party, which means she barely gets an hour of sleep.

Saturday, 3 December: Strike calls Robin in the morning to give her two bits of news. One, that Barclay was arrested the previous night. And two, that Kim had cracked Mr A’s case. Neither of these pieces of information is particularly welcome to Robin. Strike tells Robin she’ll be able to have the day off tomorrow. Ryan suggests lunch at the Prospect of Whitby (Chapter 17).

Sunday, 4 December: Robin and Murphy have lunch at the Prospect of Whitby, the oldest pub along the River Thames. While ordering more drinks at the bar, Robin receives a text from Strike telling her that Barclay had been released with only a caution. 

Monday, 5 December: In the morning, Robin sets off for St George’s Avenue in Newham. She receives a call from Midge saying she’s lost a wad of expense receipts and also asks Robin if there’s anything going on between Strike and Kim, because Kim had been saying her and Strike were talking about their exes all night on Friday. Robin arrives in St George’s Avenue in Newham at 11 o’clock and meets Strike, who has come in his BMW. They split up and both go looking for the property in which Wright had lived (Chapter 17). Shortly after, Strike calls Robin to say he thinks he’s found the right house. Strike and Robin interview Mandy and Daz. Robin sees a text from Kim on Strike’s phone saying ‘SO SEXY’. Robin and Ryan view a property in Wanstead then go for a drink in a nearby pub. Ryan leaves and Robin stays in the pub. Strike goes to the Flying Horse. He texts Robin asking how the house was and sends her the link to the AbusedAndAccused website he’d found. Strike and Robin agree to review the Ramsay Silver camera footage together on Wednesday. 

Tuesday, 6 December: –

Wednesday, 7 December: Strike puts on a new shirt because of his tête-a-tête with Robin that day. Strike enters the office at 9am to see a fish tank on the table besides the sofa. It is Pat’s great-granddaughter Tilly’s birthday. Pat plays a voicemail from Calvin Osgood then a voicemail from a man saying “Leave it an’ you won’t get ‘urt.” Strike calls Kim asking if Plug could have spotted her while on surveillance. She tells him it could have been Robin, who lost Plug at Victoria station. Strike calls Osgood who tells him he has nothing to do with Ramsay Silver, that there’s someone out there pretending to be him and that he’s never called himself “Oz”. Strike does reverse image searches on the fake Osgood Instagram and discovers they were all stolen from other accounts. Strike spends the rest of the morning doing paperwork unrelated to the silver vault case. Robin is on surveillance of Two-Times wife before letting Dev take over in Harvey Nichols. As Strike is eating a late lunch, Midge arrives to file her notes. Strike and Robin review the camera footage from Ramsay Silver (Chapter 20). Shanker calls Strike wanting to meet. Strike goes to the Falcon in Clapham junction to meet him. Shanker tells Strike the body in the silver vault wasn’t Jason Knowles. After leaving the Falcon, Strike heads for Wild Court to buy Robin’s Christmas present (Chapter 21). Strike calls Robin to relay Shanker’s warning. Ryan is staying at her flat. Both are in bed by half 9pm (Chapter 22).

Thursday, 8 December: Robin is in Camberwell at 9am watching the house Plus is living with his elderly mother. Plug’s son leaves the house and Robin follows him to the allotment where there is an animal in a shed. Strike is in Liberty’s following Two-Times’ wife when he calls Robin. They talk about Shanker’s warning, and Strike ends the call after telling Robin he’s already chosen her Christmas present. Strike buys scarfs for Lucy and Prudence (Chapter 22). Strike and Robin see each other only in passing over the next few days (Chapter 23).

Monday, 12 December: Robin reminds Strike that it is Christmas so not to expect people they’ve approached about the silver vault case to respond to them until after Christmas.

Tuesday, 13 December: Farah Navaho takes the stand during Patterson’s case. Strike hands over surveillance to Kim.

Wednesday, 14 December: Patterson is pursued from car to court by paparazzi. 

Thursday, 15 December: In the morning, Mitch Patterson is found guilty and sentencing is deferred to the new year. Robin is at the Rosewood Hotel at lunchtime watching Two-Times’ wife enjoying a cocktail with a female friend. Ryan texts her about another property they could look at and asks her if she’s seen the article on Strike. Strike texts Robin saying Two-Times is about to join his wife and friend so Robin can stand down. Robin gets a phone call from a great-niece of Dilys Powell to say Dilys is in hospital. Robin tells Strike over the phone she’s going to try and talk to Pamela (Chapter 23). Robin goes to the Silver Vaults to talk to Pamela. Afterwards, Robin calls Strike to let him know (Chapter 24). Strike goes to Ipswich to follow a friend of Plug’s whom Kim had identified as an ex-embezzler. Strike drives back to London and calls the RSPCA anonymously about the animal kept in the shed. On leaving the office he sees three new fish in Pat’s aquarium (Chapter 25).

Friday, 16 December: After breakfast, Strike leaves the office and notices a blonde woman acting suspicious on the end of Denmark Street. He goes to Gibsons Auction House to ask for information about Larry McGee. He talks to Diana Boadu, Charlie Carter and Bradley (Chapter 25). Strike calls Robin to update her. On returning to the office Strike finds the note with the pigpen cipher. Ralph Lawrence comes to the office to talk to Strike about Niall Semple. Ralph tells Strike that the man in the silver vault wasn’t Semple (Chapter 26). Robin takes her Land Rover in for an MOT. Strike deciphers the pigpen which says “ the man in the safe was dangerous dick de lion I don’t know who had him killed but he is on TV”. Robin stays up late perusing the Facebook page of Calvin Osgood and the Instagram page of his impersonator.

Saturday, 17 December: Robin wakes up in Ryan’s flat in Wanstead. It is foggy and cold. On the way to Wood Green to view a house with Murphy, Strike calls her. She tells him she’ll call him back. Dilys Powell calls Robin. Robin and Ryan view the house. Robin calls Strike back while Ryan is also on the phone. Strike tells Robin about Ralph Lawrence and the pigpen note. Robin tells Strike about Dilys’ call and agreeing to meet and also that Midge and Tasha have split up (Chapter 27).

Sunday, 18 December: –

Monday, 19 December: Robin goes to Dino’s and talks to a waitress on the street. At quarter to two in the afternoon, Strike heads out to Holborn to interview Jim Todd. He calls Robin and she tells him she’s just found out that Albie hasn’t worked at Dino’s for five months, which is why they couldn’t get hold of him. He’s now working at Harrods, which is where she’s now heading. Strike tells Robin he’s heard from Hardacre who told him Niall Semple was definitely SAS and was invalided out in 2015 following a traumatic brain injury. Robin tells Strike that a girl called Sapphire Neagle had commented on Osgood’s real Facebook post and also the fake Oz Instagram account. Robin had discovered that Neagle is also on the missing persons’ website. Robin also tells Strike that her Land Rover has failed it’s MOT (Chapter 28). Robin goes to Harrods and after two and a half hours of searching she finds Albie, who tells her to meet him at the staff entrance at eight. Robin returns to the ground floor. Her mother texts her a photo of her father holding a jet black Labrador puppy called Betty.Robin is grabbed from being by a man who forces a rubber model of a gorilla into her hand. Robin decides not to call Murphy, but calls Strike to let him know (Chapter 29). Robin interviews Albie in the Alfred Tennyson pub. She believes he may know where Rupert is and wants to put surveillance on him (Chapter 39).

PART 3

Tuesday, 20 December: In the morning, Strike and Robin talk on the phone. She admits the man who grabbed her from behind was probably following her for hours, since she’d left her flat.

Wednesday, 21 December: Strike speaks to Decima on the phone about the information they’d found out about Rupert in St George’s Avenue. Strike speaks to Larry McGee’s daughter who tells him there was nothing fishy about his death, that he had died of myocardial infarction related to poorly managed diabetes (Chapter 33).

Thursday, 22nd December: Strike and Robin are to have a face-to-face catch-up meeting. Strike wakes up in his cold flat and contemplates finally telling Robin how he feels. It is the last morning she is in the office before going to Masham for Christmas. At 9am, Pat hammers on his flat door and tells him Dominic Culpepper has written a piece on him in the paper: “Jonny Rokeby Son in Sex Worker Abuse Claim” (Chapter 31). Robin sees the article before boarding the Tube. When she arrives at the office Strike is shouting into the phone. Strike calls Fergus Robertson to give him a quote for a piece (Chapter 32). Pat answers a phone call from Jonny Rokeby who calls to offer legal aid to Strike. “Of all the things that she thought might tip Strike completely over the edge this morning, his father was foremost.” Strike and Robin have their catch-up meeting in the inner office. They discuss Larry McGee, Jim Todd, Albie Simpson-White, and Decima’s information on Rupert Fleetwood. They also review the three minutes of footage of Wright arriving at Bullen & Co which shows Wright signing with his right hand, even though he’s supposed to be left-handed. Kim comes to the office and has news on the getaway car and also news on Plug: the animal in the shed was moved. She offers Strike and Robin coffee; Strike accepts but Robin automatically refuses even though she’d have liked one. Strike and Robin continue discussing the silver vault case. Robin tells Strike that his father has called and offered legal help. Robin and Strike exchange Christmas gifts. Sacha Legard calls the office and agrees to meet Strike at the National Theatre the following day (Chapter 33). Robin has a difficult appointment with her GP. Robin and Ryan travel to Masham for Christmas (Chapter 34). In the evening, Jade Semple texts Strike (Chapter 35).

Friday, 23 December: Fergus Robertson’s Telegraph article appears that morning. Strike gets an anonymous call shortly after leaving Denmark Street: “Leave it. We’ve got gow-too on our side. Leave it.” Strike conducts surveillance on Plug, who shops in a warehouse. Strike goes to the National Theatre to interview Sacha Legard (Chapter 35-36). Strike sends Shah to watch the entrance to the Freemasons’ Lodge for the 18:30: meeting at Winston Churchill lodge. Shah sees DCI Malcolm Truman turn up for the meeting with his “apron bag in hand” (Chapter 38).

Saturday, 24 December: Robin sleeps until half-past nine, which she hasn’t done for months. She catches her mother and Ryan talking about her and Strike. She reads the Telegraph and sees an article about Lord Oliver Branfoot. She tells Stephen she has to call Strike (Chapter 37). Strike brings his overnight bag down to the office. He does some online research on Dangerous Dick de Lion. Robin calls him to tell him there’s a picture of Lord Oliver Branfoot in the Telegraph standing next to the customer they saw in Ramsey Silver. The customer is Sir Victor Lambert (Chapter 38). A manic-sounding Scottish woman calls Strike and asks him to come to the Golden Fleece (Chapter 38). Robin has a row with Murphy. Robin spends most of the afternoon with Jenny and Annabel in the sitting room while all male members of the family, plus Murphy, discuss football in the kitchen (Chapter 39). At six o’clock that evening, the four Ellacott siblings and Murphy go for drinks in the Bay Horse. Robin finds “Reata Lindvall” online (Chapter 39). Strike finds online the woman who had put the cipher note through the agency’s door: Fyola Fay, who had worked with Dick de Lion in a couple of porn films. Strike goes to Lucy’s house party at half-past nine. He is faced with Marguerite, vomiting children, and the watchful eyes of other party goers (Chapter 40).

Sunday, 25 December: After midnight, Robin opens Strike’s Christmas gift to her, a silver charm bracelet of fond memories and inside jokes (Chapter 41).

PART 4

Saturday, 31 December: Strike spends New Years Eve on surveillance in the Stapleton Tavern in Haringey watching Plug, who is drinking with equally rough-looking friends. Strike texts Jade Semple, who also seems drunk again (Chapter 42).

2017

Sunday, 1 January: Strike arrives back in Denmark Street at 3am to find a large letter ‘G’ painted in scarlet on the street door of the office. He spends almost an hour trying to remove the graffiti. He finally is able to remove his prosthesis at 4am then sees that a voicemail had been left to him from Valentine Longcaster. Jade Semple texts Strike and agrees he can come to Crieff to talk to her on the 17th (Chapter 42). Robin is on surveillance of Plug, who hadn’t stirred since he got back from the pub (Chapter 43).

Friday, 6 January: Robin and Murphy find out they’ve lost the house they’d put an offer on. Strike calls Robin for a quick catch-up. He is on surveillance of Two-Times’ wife. Shortly before one o’clock in the afternoon Strike returns to Denmark Street. Pat tells him he’s had a message from Zacharias Lorimer saying he can FaceTime at half past four – half past one UK time. Robin texts Strike to tell him she’s contacted Gretchen Schiff, roommate of Sofia Medina. Strike gets a call from Midge complaining about Kim. Strike FaceTimes with Zacharias Lorimer (Chapter 44). Strike convinces Lucy on the phone that they should let the Smiths buy Ted and Joan’s house, rather than wait for a London lot to offer more. Strike looks up contact details for Tish Benton (Chapter 44).

Thursday, 12 January: At lunchtime, Robin meets with Gretchen Schiff (and her boyfriend Max) at the Montagu Pyke for an interview (Chapter 45).

Friday, 13 January: Robin arrives at the office at eleven o’clock in the morning for a catch-up meeting with Strike. Kim comes to the office with intel and photos of the body. Kim tells Strike that Andrew Honbold is getting Farah Navabi’s agency to tail Bijou Watkins (Chapter 46). Strike calls his friend and lawyer Ilsa Herbert about Honbold and Bijou. Robin gets a text from Stephen saying Jenny had given birth early to a boy they’ve called Barnaby (Chapter 48). Strike and Robin meet Decima Mullins at Qui Vadis on Dean Street for a face-to-face update (Chapter 49). Strike and Robin go to Bar Italia. Strike calls Pat back and she tells him Bijou is trying to contact him (Chapter 50). Strike calls Bijou Watkins (Chapter 51). Robin is on Plug in the evening. 

Saturday, 14 January: Robin is on surveillance on Plug’s mother’s house in Camberwell in the early hours. She goes home after the lights go out. In the evening: Robin takes over surveillance of Jim Todd from Dev Shah. Shah asks Robin why Bijou Watkins called Strike the day before. Robin follows Todd into the Tube (Chapter 52). Strike has Saturday evening off. He contemplates and rearranges the noticeboard for the silver vault case in the inner office. Barclay calls saying he’s swallowed a prawn and is allergic and can’t continue surveillance on Plug (Chapter 53). Robin follows Todd to Liverpool Street then onto the Circle Line, which he remained for nearly an hour. She catches him putting his phone under a girl’s skirt. He leaves at Barbican stop (Chapter 54).

Sunday, 15 January: Robin arrives at the office early and calls Ilsa to ask about Bijou. After the call Robin cries, “a dam broke inside her”. A call comes through to the office with another warning: “you were told to leave it”. Robin emails Strike telling him about Jim Todd’s upskirting, and also that it’s pointless for them both to go on next week’s trip to Scotland, that she’s going to stay because she wants to talk to a friend of Sapphire Neagles and also try and talk to Valentine Longacaster on Tuesday at God’s Own Junkyard.  Robin is annoyed that Strike has taken down her paragraph on Reata Lindvall from the noticeboard – another reason to be angry at him (Chapter 56).

Monday, 16 January: Robin wakes up early, before Ryan, and goes to Juniper Hill High School in Finsbury Park to catch Tia Thompson, friend of Sapphire Neagle. Strike gets on the Caledonian Sleeper with two pints of Doom Bar already inside him and a bottle of Scotch in his holdall. On the sleeper berth to Glasgow he Googles Reata Lindvall. While reading an article on Charlotte, Fergus Robertson approaches him in the bar compartment of the train and they talk (Chapter 57).

Tuesday, 17 January: At 6am, Strike gets off the train at Glasgow Central. He is very hungover and has a bacon and egg roll. Shortly before 11am he arrives in Crieff. He parks in a car park off the High Street and walks up to Comrie Road, passing shops. Pat calls him to say she might have found Hussein Mohamed. Strike interviews Jade Semple in Crieff. Robin goes to God’s Own Junkyard to try and speak to Valentine Longcaster. Robin gets a call from Ryan who confronts her about the agency getting photos of William Wright’s body. She hangs up on Ryan. A man with a face covered like a bandit was watching her (Chapter 60). Two and a half hours after leaving Crieff Strike stops in café on the market square in Moffat. Eric Wardle calls Strike to warn him the Met are seriously pissed off that his agency has photos of Wright’s body. Wardle also tells Strike he’s signed off work because of depression. Strike offers him a job at the agency and asks him if he wants to go for a pint when he’s back from London (Chapter 61). Robin is still at God’s Own Junkyard at half past six in the evening. Valentine agrees to talk about “Rupert fucking Fleetwood” and they meet for the interview in Arte e Pasta (Chapter 62). Robin answers the third call from Linda who tells her Carmen has had the baby early and they think something’s wrong – a birth injury. After leaving Arte e Pasta Robin calls Ilsa and asks her if Cormoran was ever violent to Charlotte. Robin is approached by a man with a knife (Chapter 63). The man throws a dagger at her feet then sprints away. Linda calls Robin again saying Martin had threatened to hit the doctor and that Carmen has an android pelvis, which made it harder for the baby to get through. Robin returns home, makes a sandwich she only has two bites of, and has a bath (Chapter 64). Strike stays in the Travelodge in Penrith (Chapter 65).

Wednesday, 18 January: Robin only has a couple of hours sleep. On her way north, Ryan calls Robin to apologise and reaffirm their intention to visit the house in Walthamstow the next day. Strike suffers an uncomfortable drive from Penrith to Ironbridge. He parks at the Swan Taphouse car park and meets Robin. “… he wanted her as he’d never wanted any woman in his life, and it was too late.” “… she hated herself for recognising how attractive she found him, dishevelled and badly shaven as he was.” Strike and Robin have coffee in the Tontine Hotel and have a quick case update before walking up to Dilya Powell’s house, up New Road (Chapter 65). Dilys’ Powell doesn’t answer the door so they go to Tyler’s parents house. They are stopped by Ian Griffiths who thinks they are press. He invites them into his home and they talk (Chapter 66). A little later on, Griff brings Dilys into his house so Strike and Robin can talk to her (Chapter 67). Strike and Robin have a drink in the Swan Taphouse and discuss the case. Robin points out that Tyler is a good candidate for visiting Abused and Accused. Strike and Robin argue about the case (Chapter 68). At home, Robin makes pepper spray.

PART 6

Thursday, 19 January: Early in the morning, Robin and Barclay enter Wycliffe Road in Barclay’s car in the early hours to watch Fyola Fay’s (Fiona Freeman’s) house. Robin talks to Fiona. (Chapter 69)

Tuesday, 24 January: Strike reads an email from Robin and calls her. They chat about the case, and a new Land Rover: “The Defender 90 looks good. Want to go and see it?” Robin: “I could go on Sunday afternoon.” (Chapter 70). Strike heads to Wardle’s in Brixton in the evening. He he has just got his curries from the takeaway when Bijou calls him saying he needs to take a DNA test. He tells her he’ll call her back when he has a plan (Chapter 70). Strike has an Indian takeaway at Wardle’s and a chat. Robin calls him to say she’s in casualty. The son of Plug was bitten. She tells Strike everything; he guesses that it is dog fights (Chapter 70). After finishing his meal with Wardle he sees Branfoot on a quiz show (Chapter 70).

Sunday, 29 January: Robin goes to see the new Land Rover Defender 90.

Wednesday, 1 February: Robin and Ryan view a house (Chapter 71).

Friday, 3 February: Robin and Ryan’s offer on a house is accepted (Chapter 71).

Sunday, 5 February: Robin tails Albie Simpson-White from his flat to the Tube around midday. Robin follows him off the Tube at Notting Hill Gate station and up Pembridge Road and round a corner to the Sun in Splendour. Robin sits at the bar and reads a long WhatsApp message from Chloe Griffiths. Strike calls Robin asking if she wanted to come to Freemasons’ Hall for a private tour but she declines. Robin hands over surveillance to Kim (Chapter 71).

Tuesday, 7 February: Strike hangs around in his flat until he was sure Bijou’s would be awake and calls her to tell her his plan for the Savoy the day after tomorrow. Pat tells Strike the “Scottish Gateshead” had called again and said that people are out to get her. Strike meets with Graham Hardacre at the Freemasons’ Arm. They go to the Freemasons’ Hall: the museum and Temple 17. Strike looks up Niall Semple and finds out he has a sister called Rena. 

Wednesday, 8 February: Eight o’clock the following evening, Robin is on surveillance of Mrs Two-Times in Coya, a Latin American restaurant in Mayfair. Strike joins her instead of Midge (she experiences “an electric shock in the pit of the stomach”). They have a catch-up on the silver vault case. Robin tells Strike she’s going to try and talk to Cosima Longcaster this week.

Thursday, 9 February: Strike meets Bijou in The Savoy hotel around four o’clock in the afternoon (Chapter 74).

Saturday, 10 February: Robin goes to the Longcaster house in Belgravia (Chapter 75). Strike calls Robin to tell him Kenneth Ramsay called him to say Jim Todd has disappeared. He didn’t turn up to Ramsay Silver on Thursday and didn’t go to the Kingsway office on Friday. Cosima doesn’t emerge and Robin has to leave for her evening with Ryan at the Duke in Wanstead. Linda calls her and tells her she thinks Martin and Carmen have split up. Robin gets a call from Zeta. She tells her how she’d once gotten drunk in the Jockey & Horse and, a week later on Wellsey Road a car nearly ran into her. She suspected it was Tyler. At the Duke, Ryan gives Robin information on the getaway Peugeot. Ryan then asks her whether she’ll ever want kids. “The feeling of restriction […] returned.”

Monday, 13 February: The fourth afternoon of no DNA result news: Strike calls Bijou on his way to Jim Todd’s place in Holborn. Bijou tells him she hasn’t got the results yet. Strike arrives at Todd’s flat and talks to a man who says a white guy wearing a hat and sunglasses had come to the flat banging on Todd’s door, “maybe Wednesday”. Murphy stays over at Robin’s flat.

Tuesday, 14 February: Valentines Day. Ryan gives Robin a plush dog with a heart in its mouth. Robin is on Mrs Two-Times, who is shoe shopping in Selfridges, in the evening. Ryan calls Robin to say they’ve been gazumped – lost the house. Robin hands over surveillance to Midge at four o’clock. Robin drives to Haringey to take over surveillance on Plug from Strike. Strike gets in the Land Rover with Robin and they follow Plug and his friend, who had dragged a huge dog into the back of Plug’s van (Chapter 77). In the Land Rover, Strike tells Robin he thinks he’s found Danny de Leon, a record of him on Sark. They discuss the case. Strike gets a text from Bijou confirming he’s not the father. He comes clean to Robin (Chapter 78). Robin and Strike go to the compound north of Ipswich (Chapter 79). Robin and Strike escape the compound. Robin buys milk from a petrol station for Strike’s eyes. Robin agrees to come to Sark with him. “… he was suddenly happier than he’d been in months.”

PART 7

Thursday, 16 February: “It took a full forty-eight hours for the whites of Strike’s eyes to recover from the pepper spray, during which time he had an emergency tetanus shot” and handed the footage over to the Ipswich police (Chapter 81).

Monday, 20 February: In the evening, Robin and Ryan share a takeaway at Robin’s flat. He asks her about the ectopic pregnancy.

Tuesday, 21 February: Robin enters the office in the morning and talks to Pat. Kim is in Forest Gate trying to find Hussein Mohamed. Robin receives a text from Wynn Jones. Robin calls Kim and confronts her about Laetitia Benton (Chapter 81). Strike is on Plug and is up all night. He calls the RSPCA. Plug drives to Barking (”appropriate”).

Wednesday, 22 February: Strike and Robin get the flight from Gatwick to Guernsey. They get a taxi to St Peter’s Port and get on the ferry to Sark (Chapter 82). They speak to Richard de Leon then go to the Bel Air pub. Robin buys Strike a walking stick in the general shop. Strike orders them both pizzas. They discuss Rena Liddell. Strike takes a call from Wardle who expresses interest in joining the agency (Chapter 83). They find Danny de Leon doing the gardening at Helen Platt’s. Strike takes a spade to the face (Chapter 84). Strike and Robin talk to Danny and Richard (Chapter 85). Strike and Robin go to the Captain’s Bar. Robin goes shopping for them. They walk to the Old Forge B&B. Strike asks her what she thinks about taking Wardle on at the agency. They arrive at the B&B (Chapter 86). Strike has a shower and Robin cooks spaghetti carbonara for them. Robin tells Strike about the ectopic pregnancy. They go in the sitting room and discuss the case (Chapter 87).

Thursday, 23 February: Strike and Robin walk a little way along La Coupée. They get the ferry back to Guernsey and get the flight from Guernsey to Gatwick (Chapter 88).

Friday, 24 February: Strike is on surveillance of Mrs Two-Times on the Richmond street where they live. Strike follows Mrs Two-Times in his BMW; an Uber driver drops her off at St Martins Lane Hotel. He finds her in the Blind Spot, a secret bar. He orders a double Ardbeg. He tries to find Nancy Jameson (Jim Todd’s mother) online. He orders a second whisky. He gets a call from someone claiming to be Rupert Fleetwood. He then gets a call from Rena Liddell. Kim arrives after being attacked by her ex’s ex. She flirts with Strike and leans into him. Strike puts her in her place, leaving her angry and humiliated (Chapter 88). Strike gets a kebab on the way home.

Saturday, 25 February: In the evening, Robin and Ryan meet at an Italian restaurant and talk. She stays at Murphy’s flat.

Sunday, 26 February: Robin stays at Ryan’s all day. Late afternoon: she gets a text from Wynn Jones agreeing to speak to her that evening by FaceTime. Ryan goes to the gym. Strike and Robin talk on the phone. His stomach was upset from the kebab he had on the way home the previous evening. He tells Robin he’d got a call from Rupert Fleetwood “last night”. He also tells her that he’s found Todd’s mother, that Kim had resigned by email and that Wardle has handed his resignation in at the Met. Robin FaceTimes Wynn Jones. Robin knocks over Ryan’s water bottle (Chapter 89). Strike is on Plug in Carnival Street, Haringey, in the evening. He sees Marco Ricci going in and out of a scrapyard called Brian Judge Scrap. Strike guesses this to be the infamous “Barnaby’s”. Strike calls Shanker to give him advance warning (Chapter 90). Ryan comes back to the flat with curry. Robin confronts him and then she leaves (Chapter 92). Strike leaves Carnival Row and drives to Magdalen Court, Harlesden, where Todd’s mother Nancy lives. Strike finds her and Jim Todd (Chapter 92).

PART 8

(Date continued:) Strike is arrested for breaking and entering and taken to Scotland Yard. He is taken to an interview room shortly before midnight (Chapter 93).

Monday, 27 February: From around 1am, Strike is interviewed at Scotland Yard by DCI Northmore and DCI Iverson. He is free to leave shortly before 2am (Chapter 93). At 5am, Robin gets out of bed and makes herself coffee. Ryan had been calling her and texting her through the night, which she’d ignored (Chapter 94). She heads to the office early but receives a text from Strike when she gets off the Tube. She joins him at Little Portland Café and they discuss the case (Chapter 95). (Strike tells from Rena Liddell contacted him on Thursday but it was Friday).

Tuesday, 28 February: The murders of Jim Todd and his mother hit the London Evening Standard. Robin and Ryan meet at the Duke pub (Chapter 96).

Wednesday, 1 March: Eric Wardle starts work at the agency. Robin goes to Dino’s to speak to Cosima and ends up speaking to Dino too (Chapter 96). Strike spends a tedious afternoon on Mrs Two-Times, which he hands over to Wardle. He goes to House of Computers to buy a new laptop then to the Flying Horse where he calls Spanner to receive instructions on installing an anonymous browser. He goes back to the office at half-past eight and finds Robin still there with a half-eaten pizza. Rena Liddell calls the office again. Midge calls to say Plug and his mates are planning a stabbing. Strike finds Sofia Medina’s OnlyFans page archived on a website called “DEAD SLAGS”. Wardle calls to say Mrs Two-Times is about to ring the office doorbell (Chapter 97). Mrs Two-Times hires the agency. Strike chats with Wardle in the office. Wardle advices Strike to use mashed up peas to help Cormoran the fish (Chapter 98).

Saturday, 4th March: Barclay calls Robin at 6am to say there’s no need for her to tail Mrs Two-Times because she was spending the day at a spa. She is woken again shortly before 9am by Murphy who wants her to come over to his place for lunch with his parents. Strike calls to ask her to tail Two-Times but she refuses. Strike hangs up on her. She has a bath and gets ready and drives to Murphy’s; she arrives shortly before midday. Robin meets his parents for the first time. Murphy and his father watch the Liverpool vs Arsenal match from 5:30pm. Martin texts Robin asking if he can come and stay with her for a couple of days. Robin looks through Chloe Griffiths’ two Instagram accounts and the fake Oz’s account. Robin and Ryan argue and Ryan leaves for “fresh air”. Robin searches his flat and finds the briefcase. She drives home frightened (Chapter 99).

Sunday, 5 March: Midge tails Branfoot to his flat at around 11pm. Robin watches Plug’s mother’s house.

Monday, 6 March: Strike sets off for Hereford at 8:30am in the morning. At 8:45am Midge calls to say she’s got the address of Branfoot’s flat. Midge is on Hussein Mohamed. Strike drives down the M40. Robin calls Strike. He tells her he’s going to a Golden Fleece in Hereford. Robin tells Strike Pat has found a Quicksilver Mail pub in Yeovil. Robin is in the office to file receipts, she is going to interview Faber Whitehead later (Chapter 100). Strike parks in a multi-story car park in Hereford. He eats in the Beefy Boys and has a Dirty Boy Burger. He sends a text to Robin apologising. Strike walks to the Golden Fleece. He is sent up to the roof and is faced with Ralph Lawrence (Chapter 101). Robin is in Plug until she hands over to Midge at half past five. She eats a sandwich in the Land Rover and drives to Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire to interview Faber Whitehead at his home on Tilsworth Road (Chapter 102). Robin is attacked in the Land Rover (Chapter 103). Strike goes to the Quicksilver Mail in Yeovil but it is a waste of time because no one had recognised the photo of Tyler Powell. Ten miles from London, Strike gets a call from Danny de Leon. Strike stops at Heston services and texts Danny Fergus Robertson’s contact details. Fergus Robertson calls Strike and tells him that Culpepper is going to run a big piece in Strike, Bijou and Andrew Honbold. Strike calls Bijou and then his half-sister Prudence (Chapter 104). Strike goes to Jonny Rokeby’s townhouse to get legal help. Robin calls Strike from the police station (Chapter 105)

PART 9

Tuesday, 7 March: Robin has agreed to work at home for five days. Strike is watching Two-Times’ office from his BMW when Murphy calls him to say Robin is in a bad way and she should have more time off (Chapter 106).

Wednesday, 8 March: Strike watches more Daesh execution videos on the dark web. Strike calls Robin with news that Barclay has caught Two-Times coming out of a hotel with a mini-skirted blonde. He also tells her that Branfoot has agreed to meet Strike that Friday. Robin tells Strike that the man who attacked her has been released on bail. Strike tells Robin he was at Rokeby’s (when “you called on Friday” but it should be Monday 6th) (Chapter 106).

Thursday, 9 March: Strike and Barclay chat in the office (Chapter 107).

Friday, 10 March: Strike conducts several hours surveillance on Plug then returns to his attic flat in the afternoon to change into his suit. Strike and Robin meet in the cocktail bar at the Goring hotel. Robin tells Strike she’s found the username AustinH on both Abused and Accused and Truth About Freemasons. Branfoot approaches, along with Kim Cochran (Chapter 107). They talk to Branfoot (Chapter 108).

Monday, 13 March: Strike rises at 5am. He drives to Heberley House in Northumberland (Chapter 109). He talks to Tara (Chapter 110). Strike drives south to the city of York. He parts his BMW and calls Decima with the likely location of Rupert and that the case is terminated. He calls Robin to update her. He goes to the Old White Swan for a late lunch. he talks to George Layborn (Chapter 111).

Thursday, 16 March: A police spokesperson announces that Jason Knowles hadn’t been the body in the vault. Robin turns into Blackhorse Road and Murphy calls her to tell her he can’t come over that evening. Robin agrees to tomorrow night instead. Robin walks to her flat entrance and two men burst out and head straight towards her. The first man called her a “fucking bitch” then scarpers. The second man is her brother Martin. Robin lets Martin into her flat and answers Strike’s call in her bedroom. Strike is watching Plug and his son who are sitting in a van on Carnival Street. Strike tells Robin he thinks tonight is the night of the revenge stabbing. Robin calls Prudence about recommending her a therapist. Robin and Martin drink wine and have a chat. She tells him she should apologise to Carmen (Chapter 113). Strike and Dev have an argument (Chapter 113). The agency intercept Plug, two mates and his son who are heading for the front door of 15 Carnival Street. Dev gets stabbed in the leg. Barclay restrains Plug and Strike takes down his biggest mate. The third guy scarpers. They persuade Plug’s son to stay put. Plug and his mate are arrested. Strike and Barclay give statements to the police (Chapter 113).

Friday, 17 March: Dev is let out of hospital. Strike gets a call from Rena Liddell saying she’s been discharged from hospital and wants to meet him at the Engineer. Robin arrives at the office at 9am. Pat tells Robin that Travolta the fish has died. Strike and Wardle talk in the inner office. Wardle is on the cheating civil servant. Strike and Robin discuss the case and Stroke shows her the CCTV footage again, explaining his idea (Chapter 113).

Saturday, 18 March: Martin returns to Yorkshire after Carmen accepts his apology (Chapter 114).

Wednesday, 22 March: Strike tails the allegedly unfaithful civil servant. Midge is keeping a watch of Hussein Mohamed in Forest Gate. Robin spends the day at her flat. (Robin is to have her first therapy appointment in three weeks). She texts Chloe Griffiths. Ryan calls her to say there’s been a terrorist attack on Westminster Bridge. Strike stays in St Stephen’s Tavern after the terrorist attack (Chapter 114). Strike drives to Camden and parks in Gloucester Avenue where the Engineer is located. After checking inside the pub, Strike goes looking for Rena along Regent’s Canal. He finds her under an iron bridge. They go back to the Engineer (Chapter 115). Robin is at home alone when Midge calls and sends her the voice recording of the interview with Hussein Mohamed. He talks about seeing the yellow weights with the black lion on. Robin calls Strike, “I think I’ve got something important – really important.“ “Funnily enough […] so have I.” (Chapter 116).

PART 10

(Date continued:) Strike and Robin talk on the phone for two hours. Ryan calls her and tells her he’s booked the Ritz restaurant for his birthday. Strike finishes writing a to-do list (Chapter 117).

Thursday, 23 March: Wardle and Barclay meet Strike at his parked BMW at 7am (Chapter 117). Robin and Midge meet on Wild Court at quarter to nine. Kenneth Ramsay appears (Chapter 119). On the drive north Strike tells Wardle and Barclay how he thinks Wright was murdered. They arrive in Banbury shortly after nine o’clock and Wardle and Barclay pick up a rental car. Strike stops at the Old Town Deli and Café and consumes two flapjacks and reads the day’s news. He sees that Culpepper has been sacked from his newspaper. Dev Shah calls to apologise. Midge calls while Robin is taking the back off the cupboard in the basement of Ramsey Silver. They find the silver and Wright’s clothes behind the brick wall. George Layborn calls Strike. Strike calls Robin back saying they’ve found Semple’s body. Barclay calls to say “he’s just left”. Strike replies “I’m moving closer” and he sets off for Ironbridge (Chapter 120). Strike arrives in Ironbridge and meets Barclay on New Road. He breaks into Ian Griffith’s house. Wynn Jones descends the stairs. Strike strikes him with the fisherman’s priest (Chapter 121). Strike finds Sapphire Neagle in the basement. Strike fights Ian Griffiths. Wardle and Barclay arrive to assist him (Chapter 122). Barclay handcuffs Griffiths and they drag him to the sitting room. Strike interrogates the men. He passes out. (Chapter 123).

EPILOGUE

(11 days later) Monday, 3 April: Strike puts on his suit and drives to Hereford for Niall Semple’s funeral. Wardle calls Strike to tell him they’ve found the Wolves weights and a pair of human hands in Petts Wood. Strike goes to the wake and talks to Ralph Lawrence then Jade Semple. Robin gets a flight to Italy. Strike calls her when she’s in a taxi to the hotel (Chapter 124). Robin talks to Rupert Fleetwood (Chapter 125).

(4 days later) Friday, 7 April: Ryan Murphy’s birthday. Strike and Robin have a final meeting with Decima in the office. Robin leaves the office for the Ritz. Strike wrenches open the door to go after her (Chapter 126). Strike and Robin talk on the stairs. Pat comes out of the bathroom. He goes to fetch peas for Cormoran the fish (Chapter 127).

END