Troubled Blood — Reader’s Companion & Study Guide

A doctor vanished in 1974. Nearly forty years later, Strike and Robin reopen the mystery.

When Anna Phipps asks Cormoran Strike to discover what happened to her mother, GP Margot Bamborough, the agency takes on its first major cold case.

Margot disappeared without trace in 1974. Decades later, Strike and Robin must reconstruct her final day from old police files, fading memories, conflicting testimony and an extraordinary collection of suspects.

The original investigation was complicated by detective Bill Talbot's obsession with astrology, while the possibility that Margot encountered serial killer Dennis Creed adds another disturbing dimension to the case.

This comprehensive Coleman’s Notes® Reader’s Companion helps you navigate one of the longest and most intricate investigations in the Cormoran Strike series.

Inside the guide: Story in Five Minutes; where Troubled Blood fits in the series; main characters; Margot Bamborough's disappearance; reconstruction of her final day; detailed companion to all 73 chapters; Bill Talbot's notebook; suspect analysis; clues and red herrings; the complete solution; Strike & Robin; Robin after Matthew; Strike, Joan & Rokeby; themes and literary background; meaning of the title; ending explained; what to remember before The Ink Black Heart; 25 book-club and discussion questions; and Quick Recall.

The guide also follows the continuing development of the Strike and Robin partnership, Robin's growing independence and the personal pressures affecting both detectives alongside the investigation.

Ideal for readers who have completed the novel, are returning to the series after a break, or want a convenient reference before continuing with The Ink Black Heart.

Full spoiler warning: This companion discusses the complete novel, including the solution and ending.

Individual guide — £6.95
Complete eight-guide Robert Galbraith Collection — £49.95