Funny / Troubled Blood

• In one chapter, Robin realizes that Strike has forgotten her birthday. Having done the same thing the previous year, she figured that he would have made an effort to remember this year, but apparently not. The events shift to Strike's perspective for the next chapter. At the end of it, he checks his phone following a lengthy interview to find two text messages have come in. One of them is fairly lengthy and involves Strike's brother Al inviting him to a reunion of their father's band, something he wants no part of. The second text, which is from his friend Ilsa, is said to be much shorter. It reads as follows: "It's Robin's birthday, you total dickhead." (end of chapter)
• Robin and Strike have an extended discussion regarding Talbot's astrology theories, which tests Strike's patience, as he considers it to be all nonsense. Then, they end up having a phone conversation with a witness, which ends up being so much blather as well. Robin finally manages to get the talkative witness off the phone, and turns to Strike, asking him what he thinks. He points up at the sky.
  "What?" said Robin, looking up into the blue haze.
  "If you look carefully," said Strike, "you might just see an asteroid passing through the house of bollocks."
• A suspect manages to anger Strike through a jibe regarding his estranged father, Johnny Rokeby. Strike is so enraged that he tries to take a swing at him. Robin holds him back, but ends up getting two black eyes and a bloodied nose in the process. The two return to the office and settle things over a pleasant chat and dinner. Robin is busy washing up the dishes when Saul Morris, one of their subcontractors, grabs her from behind unawares. Having endured previous attacks and trained in self-defense, she reacts instinctively, pushing him back, bloodying and possibly breaking his nose and brandishing a knife at him. Strike and Barclay, another subcontractor, hear the commotion and come racing in. Morris claims that he was just joking, but Robin, fed up, reveals that Morris texted her a picture of his penis the past Christmas and she doesn't want anything to do with him anymore. He is fired and sent packing. After he is gone, Strike quips "One all, then. What say, first to break Barclay's nose wins the night?"
• Robin and Strike discuss two people of interest in the Bamborough case, both of which are of a rather shady nature and seem interested in the publicity they might get from meeting Strike. Strike suggests that if they're not married, they might set them up with each other.
  Strike: Mightn't be a bad sideline for us, setting up grifters with each other.
  Robin: So they can have dodgy children together, thus keeping us in business forever?
  Strike: Not a perfect business plan. There's no guarantee breeding two shits together will produce a third shit.
• In the otherwise tense and dark dinner party, Wolfgang’s intense interest in the casserole (described as “the object of his devotion,”) is especially funny to dog owners.
  Wolfgang was lying as close to the hot door as he could manage without burning himself, reminding Robin of fans who camped out overnight in hope of catching a glimpse of pop stars.