Lots of good points. Some a little more tenuous than others. Of course, with our appreciation of the non-linear nature of much of Rowling's writing, there are some other possibilities. It may be that this is a garden path which we're being lead down, only for it to be subsequently subverted, with the birth of the Strike-Ellacott twins, Teddy Thierry and Lucy Pat. Or, it could be that there's an alternative parenting scenario, adoption, fostering, surrogacy, IVF, co-step-parenting the products of the ill-conceived clinches with Bijou and Ryan(foreshadowed by Shanker?)... With naturally all sorts of classical allusions, symbolism, echoes and reflections along the way.
New here, so haven’t read everything. I was looking for discussion of Running Grave but found this.
I think this theory is antiquated and absurd. A woman doesn’t have to be “sterile” to not reproduce. I’d be profoundly disappointed if the choice is taken out of Robin’s hands by the “deus ex machina” of infertility.
Personally, I don’t think there needs to be any subplot related to Robin’s parental status. Believe it or not, women have full lives outside of whether or not they breed. Just like men! This entire book series would be complete with no baby-related content. It’s a detective story not a soap opera.
But we know from HP that JKR loves to pair people up heterosexually and give them babies, so I suppose it’s to be expected.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts, Karen!
I'm not sure how your assertion that "this theory" is "antiquated and absurd" or your anticipated feelings (!) of "profound disappointment" if Ms Ellacott-Cunliffe's decision "to not reproduce" is "taken out of Robin's hands" amounts to an argument, Karen, but I welcome your feedback and expect Nick and I will discuss the Baroness and Karen resistance to this possibility.
I had to chuckle at your attempt to enlighten me about the fact that "women have full lives outside of whether or not they breed." Besides the 'tell,' Karen, of your using the word "breed" to describe human reproduction and specifically a woman's capacity to have children, there's your condescending suggestion that this might be news to me. This was funny because two of my four daughters are monastics, lead very full lives indeed, and are respected and admired by everyone in our family for their 'reproductive choices,' "antiquated and absurd" as you may find their way of life.
I'm grateful for your stopping in and sharing your assertions sans evidence -- with the exception of Harry Potter canon that undermines your argument, as you noted -- for two reasons.
First, you have found your Serious Striker home, Karen, if you want conversation in support of the idea that the current series is much, much more than a "soap opera," by which I guess from your "baby-related content" jibe that you mean 'a narrative driven by male-female relations, especially the romantic and sexual kind.' Unlike other Strike fan sites, that's us!
Second, your piece did not provide the Harpy argument I have been hoping for, namely gynecological evidence that the Chlamydia-PID link to infertility was not credible. My disappointment on that count led to further research on my part about said link, all of which online reading confirmed the credibility of my explanation for why Rowling-Galbraith dropped this specific detail in 'Running Grave.'
And, Karen, I found something else.
One of the ways untreated PID causes infertility is being the agency of inflammation in the fallopian tubes which causes an ectopic pregnancy. I cannot tell how well you know the Strike series from your comments today, Karen, but perhaps you recall that one of the 'foundation crimes' of 'Troubled Blood' was the death of Theodosia Loveridge, a woman who had an ectopic pregnancy and came to Margot Bamborough's clinic the day that doctor was murdered. I hope you'll read my posts on the ghosts of 'Troubled Blood' and that book as a Medieval Morality Play a la Spenser on this subject, cf., https://www.hogwartsprofessor.com/reading-troubled-blood-as-an-allegory-part-1/ and https://www.hogwartsprofessor.com/the-ghosts-haunting-troubled-blood/.
Why bother? Well, Karen, there is a structure argument now in Strike fandom about the center or story-turn of the ten book series. One logical place to look for it would be the end of Strike5 or the beginning of Strike6, the natural centers of the series. If the big reveal, albeit offered only as an aside, at the end of 'Blood' was Theo's story of an ectopic pregnancy, per Rowling's structural fixation, we might expect there to be an ectopic pregnancy, a life threatening one, at the finish.
As I'll explore further in an upcoming 'Rowling Studies' podcast, Karen, the natural person for that role is Robin Ellacott.
Thank you both for the push to do some more research on a subject I expected "people who menstruate" would enlighten me on and for taking the time to share your fears about being "profoundly disappointed" if my theory proves to be true.
“But we know from HP that JKR loves to pair people up heterosexually and give them babies, so I suppose it’s to be expected.”
You mean like Dumbledore and Grindlewald, Max Priestwood, Anna Bamborough and Kim Sullivan, Guy Some’ and others whose sexuality is the subject of constant speculation? (Am I missing any?)
I see a big barrier to this storyline. For us readers to find out about it, Robin would have to change her mind about wanting a baby, and start trying to get pregnant. Then she'd have to be unsuccessful. The father would most likely be Murphy, since Strike doesn't want children. Robin isn't the type to trap him. Deciding she wants a baby with Murphy would be weird after Strike told her he loves her.
Excellent point, Lorna! The only way I can see Robin being tested for PID would be if she begins to show symptoms. As you explain, the revelation that she is sterile would only come through her attempts at becoming pregnant and after a significant passage of time a la Nick and Ilsa Herbert. In contrast, the reveal that she is not sterile is pretty straight forward!
I did a quick check online for PID symptoms and they're not things you would ignore:
When signs and symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) are present, they most often include:
Pain — ranging from mild to severe — in your lower abdomen and pelvis
Unusual or heavy vaginal discharge that may have an unpleasant odor
Unusual bleeding from the vagina, especially during or after sex, or between periods
Pain during sex
Fever, sometimes with chills
Painful, frequent or difficult urination
The 'Robin is Sterile' theory, though, all but requires that she be symptom-free. I will leave it to those familiar with this condition to share if PID can be symptom free and then flare up as the condition reaches a chronic or critical state.
Outside of that, I'm with you, Lorna, in not seeing how Robin could learn she has the condition. Maybe if she is in an auto accident and breaks a hip? Would surgery to place a pin reveal PID?
Regardless, great point! Thank you for sharing the key "barrier to this storyline."
Update here per Karen's comment above! Robin might become pregnant per a Ryan Murphy pregnancy trap -- and it turns out to be an ectopic pregnancy consequent to undiagnosed PID (it causes inflammation in the fallopian tubes). That has the potential of ending Robin's life, alas, but, more likely I think for narrative and medical reasons, results in a hysterectomy after emergency surgery.
Ed has summarized my feelings nicely. It’s impossible to know if Rowling is foreshadowing: Bijou’s pregnancy by Strike? Robin’s sterility, or pregnancy by Ryan? Both women pregnant? Or will Strike 8 introduce an entirely new rabbit trail?
As much as I rather expect to see Strike confront at least the specter of raising a child not his own, there are simply too many possibilities—some buttressed by tantalizing clues and some largely speculative—to put stock in any theory that rests on an author so adept at misdirection.
All I can say to you and Ed, Albus, is noting that this post is speculative and concluding that my argument is not consequently by any means a demonstration is not going to win either of you a 'Boldness and Daring Badge' or a certificate for 'Quality Commentary on Critical Evidence.'
Please do let me know what you think about Robin's chlamydia and the consequent possibility that she is sterile, about the Shed discussion of the three mythological templates and the mad mommies of the Strike series, as well as the Lake evidence about the Baroness and other goddesses in Rowling's life.
I understand, in other words, that we do not have Strike 8, 9, or 10 in hand so this kind of argument cannot be conclusive. That's a given, right?
I'd like to know if you think there is evidence I have missed that is contrary to my thesis, suggesting in other words that Robin is certainly not sterile, or if you think what I have argued is rubbish, that the templates and effectively barren women in the series I discuss mean that Robin Ellacott is not sterile.
Sorry to be Old Cranky Pants with you two, but this is way beneath the standards for comment here that both of you have set quite high!
John, I certainly don’t think your argument is rubbish. On the contrary, you’ve presented good evidence and defended your theory comprehensively. Your Chlamydia catch had not occurred to me and is clearly a signal that something COULD be wrong with Robin’s fertility. My only point, which I obviously failed to make clear, is that even with the STD and the other evidence you’ve outlined, I can’t get too bought in to ANY theory—no matter how well-conceived—about the future of Strike and Robin as long as Rowling is behind the keyboard.
The 11:59:59 arrival of Strike at Robin’s marriage to Mathew (which nonetheless goes forward), the radical shift in S & R’s relationship between the close of TB and the opening of IBH, and Strike’s willingness to put the woman he loves at existential risk in TRG are just a few examples of Rowling’s delight in pulling the rug from under readers. There are countless others. Often her false trails are fun and clever. But sometimes—whether she’s bending credulity to create the necessary groundwork for three additional books or hewing to mythological templates—they can feel forced and occasionally even half-assed.
Given the heavy lifting you’ve done on ring structure, I doubt you’ve missed any significant evidence concerning Robin’s possible sterility. It’s an interesting idea and your thesis is valid. But, at the risk of sounding like Freddie “nothing-really-matters” Mercury, I find it futile to theorize about Rowling’s next moves. The fact that I have doubts that Robin is sterile has nothing to do with your scholarship. It’s entirely down to JKR’s skills at misdirection.
You asked posters to change your mind. I can’t do that with countervailing arguments because there is little to no evidence that she’s NOT sterile. I can only tell you why I’m unable to give the argument greater credence.
Thank you for this prompt and thoughtful response, Albus, and, again, please forgive me my disappointment in your first response.
We certainly agree about the importance of speculation about the next book at least with respect to the likelihood that it will pan out. The odds, as you note, are close to zero with respect to speculation that is not closely tied to Twitter headers and the like.
That being said, as I've argued since my 'Unlocking Harry Potter' in which I drew up a very involved theory of what would be revealed in 'Deathly Hallows' -- Scar-o-scope! -- the virtue of guessing where Rowling is going is exercising less the fanciful imagination and more the critical tools we know work for Rowling's finished texts. Hence my Lake and Shed efforts with both the 'Charlotte was Murdered' piece and this post on 'Sterile Robin.'
Thank you again for your note! We agree as usual much more than we disagree.
Your argument is excellent, John. I can't really fault it, and hence why I think the best argument against it, given your demand to change your mind, is to recall that sometimes all the clues are misdirection. I always remember the stack of evidence that Snape was a vampire here...
The spot on, "When did you realise it wasn’t suicide?" is a great one of course.
The chlamydia revelation didn't strike me as much of a surprise. I assumed that it was something we were already aware of as we've already gone over Robin's recovery from her attack and its impact in some detail.
I'm not sure about the sterility tying in with the fact that Castor and Pollux weren't an eligible breeding pair. But the Psyche and Artemis parallels are much more compelling.
The identification of themes of motherhood/conception/birth as core and central to series is undeniable. Although this could then serve as a precis for some other resolution, such as Robin is Fertile...
The biographical information on the women featured in the dedication is intriguing. Aine Kiely being a mother breaks the parallel somewhat. And speculation on Dianne Moore's godmother status is nothing more than speculation. But Lynne Corbett's calling is very significant.
Just reread The Casual Vacancy; worth noting that Rowling has mentioned chlamydia in past writings. In Part One, Saturday I, "Parminder had only ever spoken to Gavin when she had tested and treated him for chlamydia. He had never met her gaze again." and in Part Two, VII, "It was not very long after, that Lisa had admitted that she was sleeping with an associate partner at her firm and advised Gavin to get tested for chlamydia." Maybe not of extreme note, but chlamydia and the contraction thereof is certainly on her radar.
‘He had a real idée fixe,’ said Fancourt, turning back to Strike. ‘Picasso-esque, you know, his testicles the source of his creative power. He was obsessed in both his life and his work with machismo, virility, fertility. Some might say it was an odd fixation for a man who liked to be tied up and dominated, but I see it as a natural consequence… the yin and yang of Quine’s sexual persona. You’ll have noticed the names he gave us in the book?’
‘Vas and Varicocele,’ said Strike and he noted again that slight surprise in Fancourt that a man who looked like Strike read books, or paid attention to their contents.
‘Vas – Quine – the duct that carries sperm from balls to penis – the healthy, potent, creative force. Varicocele – a painful enlargement of a vein in the testicle, sometimes leading to infertility. A typically crass Quine-esque allusion to the fact that I contracted mumps shortly after Joe died and in fact was too unwell to go to the funeral, but also to the fact that – as you’ve pointed out – I was writing under difficult circumstances around that time.’
‘You were still friends at this point?’ Strike clarified.
‘When he started the book we were still – in theory – friends,’ said Fancourt, with a grim smile. ‘But writers are a savage breed, Mr Strike. If you want life-long friendship and selfless camaraderie, join the army and learn to kill. If you want a lifetime of temporary alliances with peers who will glory in your every failure, write novels.’
Strike smiled. Fancourt said with detached pleasure:
‘The Balzac Brothers received some of the worst reviews I’ve ever read.’ (Silkworm, 397)
You fellows are going off the rails! Sometimes a suicide is just a suicide. There would have been the constant threat of Charlotte if she were still a character. Rowling made her too crazy. When I read it, I thought, "Thank goodness, I can't stand that character!" She is sort-of the Strike series' invisibility cloak.
And sterile because of chlamydia? It would have been tested for after the rape. And though there are mistakes in medical understanding within the books, anyone who has been raped any where in the world might even get treated for chlamydia, not just tested. And far from sterile, I think it far more likely that she is going to become pregnant by Murphy because of 4 months off her birth control, and some misstep in her protection. Also, Bijou is pregnant with Strike's child, not that guy she is trying to pull a Chisholm on. If Rowling is going to advance this relationship, they need more speed bumps to make it "good" fiction.
Just to clarify, Nick and I are not arguing that Charlotte is "still a character" but that her very real death was due to homicide rather than suicide. I certainly understand your relief at Ms Campbell-Ross' exit, one that Strike welcomed, too, as well as the great majority of Strike fandom that thinks her existence is the biggest hurdle to clear for Cormoran-Robin relations. But suicide in Cormoran Strike is rarely (as in 'never'?) a cut and dried thing.
You may very well be right in your assertion that "sometimes a suicide is just a suicide" (does Freud celebrate or groan over this turn on his assertion about cigars?). After all, a very large part of Harry Potter fandom was convinced that Dumbledore Was Not Dead after 'Half-Blood Prince.' And they were wrong; that exercise in euthanasia/assisted suicide/murder was indeed fatal. Nick and I allow for the possibility that we are wrong.
We're just noting all the evidence in the story that it was a homicide, none of which you reference. Saying "sometimes a suicide is just a suicide" would be an argument if you could share one or two examples of suicides in the Strike series that were truly committed by people who were not coerced into it or actually murdered by another hand.
I nowhere in the piece above about Robin's fertility/sterility said that chlamydia caused her inability to have children. I very carefully noted that her treatment post rape for that STD was obviously successful -- but if the antibiotics were not delivered promptly enough, then she might have developed PID, which can cause infertility and be symptom free.
You assert without evidence or argument contra that PID theory that it is "far more likely [Robin] is going to become pregnant by Murphy." I think -- and wrote -- that this is a fun idea because of the place 'pregnancy traps' play in Rowling's writing, but that the possibility is "far more likely" escapes me. Sterile Robin as opposed to Preggers Robin has a means to it, namely, undiagnosed PID consequent to Chlamydia, while the other requires that she be careless or taken advantage of by her boyfriend-lover, something completely out of character for our Girl Friday.
Are you suggesting that she is so thrown for a loop by Strike's confession of love for her (sort of!) that she has unprotected sex? Allows Murphy to get her drunk and have at her in a mad bout of passion? Really, I see the possibility, especially if Murphy uses a pierced condom or the like, but asserting this is "far more likely" a speculation is nothing more than saying "more what I expect" or "what I want."
Thank you again for your feedback on the speculative ideas of Charlotte having been murdered and Robin being sterile! I hope you will re-read those pieces, though, and note the care taken in all of them to argue from all of Rowling canon as well as Lake and Shed perspectives; this is much more our point than hitting long-shot bulls-eyes on targets no one but Rowling can see. Cheers!
Thanks for your blog. I have read it for many years. I had no idea you would respond so quickly! I practice evidence-based medicine, and I don't think of literature, a work of the imagination, in that way, which just demonstrates how far removed I am from writing college papers.
Charlotte: I would cite as evidence that the suicide is not homicide based on the previous attempt with ample evidence of that attempt's potential effectiveness, only this time more rage-filled. We are mercifully treated to only short bits of recording, similar to the suicide attempt play-by-play we were subjected to post Strike's aunt's funeral. Charlotte's timing is "impeccable" in its abusiveness. Suicide is consistent with her character, as is her demand that Strike save her, and her enraged belt-and-braces attempt and its consistency with her bipolar/ borderline personality behavior.
Robin: I cite TB, where Robin is pondering Margret Bamborough's possible abortion and its meaning to Anna, she reflects on the only time she was worried about pregnancy and her fear of "another procedure, more blood, more pain" as evidence that she had standard, timely post-rape care. After all, she testified against her rapist. Further, Rowling mentions too many times to be ignored that Robin can't take/ hasn't been taking her OCP (which is estrogen and progesterone, not estrogen alone, by-the-by). Is she thoughtful? Yes. Do thoughtful people become pregnant while on OCPs? Yes. Further, if merely Bijou is pregnant, is that really much of a problem? I am not sure I would buy that. I am not married to this thesis, I just think it is well within the possibility of what will, yet again, derail any real movement forward in their relationship, and I don't recall where it was where JKR said that good relationships (?) make poor fiction.
Bijou: I would cite that she had unprotected sex with Strike twice, we are told more than once about this, it is emphasized that Robin won't interfere, and that, if anyone is infertile, it is likely the old Barrister. Further, Bijou's behavior when she ignores Strike's call and then he confronts her is a bit weird. I could build a stronger argument for little Strike Jr, "this was an accident." How will Strike demonstrate that he is more thoughtful than Rokeby?
Do you speculate somewhere about the identity of the fellow sitting smirking at Robin while seated at the bar at the Ritz? Just curious. I was wondering if and when he was going to show up again.
Okay, Nadine! Some evidence based arguments -- love it!
On Charlotte's suicide: you argue -- and I do not, cannot disagree with anything you wrote on this point -- that it is credible for a host of character-and-behavior-consistency reasons that Melady Bezerko topped herself. But that's exactly where Nick's and my arguments begin, right? It is is convincing that she killed herself or Strike would have asked himself reflexively if it was murder or suicide.
That he doesn't ask that question, however, is something of a red flag itself. The first page of the book has him being questioned about the case which made his agency, the Lula Landry murder, specifically when he realized it wasn't a suicide. Murders-staged-as-suicides are his defining genius, not to mention his personal issue per Leda Strike's death. And he doesn't think of it?
Thank you for writing the best one paragraph summary, though, of how Rowling sets us up to believe Charlotte killed herself. Now I hope you will tear apart the arguments from text, Lake, and Shed that Nick and I have made for the 'She Was Murdered' side of this argument. We cede that your evidence is real enough, but put it aside as the necessary set-up for a stunning twist finish -- and explain the several pointers in text that point to her possible murderers. Are those arguments faulty? Have at it!
On Robin's pregnancy (i.e., her not being sterile): there are only four mentions of the word "contraceptive" in the Strike series thus far and two of them are about Robin's not being able to use them at Chapman Farm, one before (her not mentioning it to Murphy, 174) and one after (her having bought condoms for their first tryst post partum-escape, 672). [The only time "the pill" is referenced as a contraceptive is in Strike 5 when Gloria Conti relates: "I was pregnant. I hadn’t realized that the pill wouldn’t work if you’d had a stomach upset, and I’d had a bug, a month before. I knew I was cornered, and it was too late, I’d have to marry Luca" (823).]
I'm with you in thinking that scene with Murphy post escape in which they exchange "I love you's" is suggestive; Robin's "brain slightly fuzzy from alcohol and the tiredness she'd felt ever since she returned to London" doesn't suggest she's being especially careful in the birth control department.
I differ with you in thinking this "evidence" trumps the chlamydia/PID possibility. It does suggest an alternative possibility to my contrarian thesis, but that she is fertile rather than infertile or sterile has been everyone's assumption from the start. No one, to include Robin or strike -- and certainly not Murphy who is excited about the idea of starting a family with Ms Ellacott -- thinks she is sterile.
Again, I hope you will show the mistakes I've made with respect to oral contraceptive pills (I had to look up OCP), chlamydia, or PID and the weakness of my meta-literary arguments, Lake and Shed. Every Strike reader in the world is on board with the idea that Robin can have children; where do my arguments that Rowling is setting us up for the big twist that she cannot go wrong?
Bijou: I'm totally on board with the Belinda Bimbo Bump and Pregnancy Trap idea. The delightful position this pts Strike in of being in the exact position was with respect to Rokeby and his own conception is a delightful way to bring the two together, a meeting which will will segue I think to the investigation of Leda's death in Strike 10.
Ritz Rogue: No clue! I wonder if, like the fifty roses delivered near the end of 'Career of Evil,' this man's haunting presence is a mystery we'll never learn the answer to. Have we had any characters appear in one book, unnamed and without association, who appear in no other place in the novel of their arrival on the scene and not in the next book either, who then show up in a later novel? Shanker, sort of, I guess; anyone else? I won't be losing any sleep over the 'Ink Black Heart' character you mention, because I cannot think of any grounds for speculation. He seems to be a little old to be a Rokeby PI hire or the like.
Thanks afain, Nadine, for these arguments! I look forward to your assaults on the canon, Lake, and Shed arguments made in posts here about the Charlotte Was Murdered and Robin is Sterile ideas.
Aside from all the mythological evidence you give, I remember back to one of the novels (forgive me if I don’t remember which one off the top of my head - Lethal White?) where when Robin was having a therapy appointment, Strike wondered if she was going to a fertility specialist. Why would he even be thinking along those lines? I thought at the time that this was a random and strange thought for him to be having. If you are looking at ring structure isn’t Lethal White the turn/center? This could be one of those Rowling gems of a clue.
I really like the idea of Strike being the father of Bijou’s baby. I will not be happy if that happens but I could see Rowling doing that for all the reasons you listed above.
Right you are, Kelly! Strike learns the Robin is going to a 'V' Clinic and assumes it has something to do with IVF. Here's a quick review of his thoughts about clinics and pregnancy in 'Lethal White' --
<i>Strike learns that Robin is visiting a "clinic" in the opening chapter of 'Lethal White:' </i>
“I’ve just found this,” said Denise, brandishing a scribbled note in front of him. “It says ‘clinic’… there’s a word beginning with ‘V’ in front… the appointment’s for half an hour’s time—should I have reminded you?”
Strike saw Robin’s handwriting. The first word was indeed illegible. (34)
<i>Strike in the same chapter after interviewing and hiring Barclay:</i>
He had to pick his way through the ever-present roadworks at the top of Tottenham Court Road to get back to his office. Waiting until he was past the noisiest stretch, he called Robin to tell her that he had hired Barclay, but his call went straight to voicemail. Remembering that she was supposed to be at the mysterious clinic right now, he cut the call without leaving a message.
Walking on, a sudden thought occurred to him. He had assumed that the clinic related to Robin’s mental health, but what if—? (38)
<i>Strike at the house-warming party in 'Lethal White:'</i>
The suspicions provoked by her visit to that unknown clinic uppermost in his mind, he appraised her figure in the clinging gray dress. She certainly didn’t appear to be pregnant, and the fact that she was drinking wine seemed a further counter-indication, but they might only just have begun the process of IVF. (82)
<i>Strike after Robin asks for two days off "to deal with some personal business:"</i>
He had almost forgotten his suspicion of a couple of months ago, that Robin might be trying to get pregnant. Into his mind swam the vision of Charlotte’s swollen belly at the dinner table. Robin wasn’t the kind of woman who’d be able to walk away from her child as soon as it left the womb. If Robin was pregnant… (531)
<i>Strike as he and Robin begin their trip west to dig up the dell:</i>
Strike, who had taken fleeting stock of Robin’s appearance, had his worst suspicions strengthened. Pale, with shadows beneath her eyes, she managed to look both puffy and drawn and also seemed to have lost weight in the few days since he’d last seen her. The wife of his old army friend Graham Hardacre had been hospitalized in the early stages of pregnancy because of persistent vomiting. Perhaps one of Robin’s important appointments had been to address that problem. (536)
<i>The conversation on the verge:</i>
Strike wondered whether a direct inquiry constituted some kind of infringement of her employment rights.
“I wondered,” he said, “whether you might be, ah, pregnant.”
Robin began to laugh again.
"Oh, God, that's funny."
“Is it?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head, “I’m not pregnant.”
Strike now noticed that her wedding and engagement rings were missing. He had become so used to seeing her without them as she impersonated Venetia Hall and Bobbi Cunliffe that it had not occurred to him that their absence today might be significant, yet he didn’t want to pose a direct question, for reasons that had nothing at all to do with employment rights.
"Matthew and I have split up,"... (541)
I don't think it mysterious that Strike is wondering about the possibility of Robin having a baby; that news would almost certainly end his dream that she would divorce Matt and be free to take up with him.
It is curious, though, that his mind would leap to IVF, which would mean that he did not think it bizarre that the Cunliffes would be going that route after only a year of her trying to get pregnant. It's as if he is prepared to think she and Matt have fertility issues and need professional medical intervention in order to conceive.
Even if Nick and Ilsa have 'gone there' and Strike knows that, it's odd that the younger couple and nearly newlyweds would try IVF unless there are issues with there being no issue.
How can we listen to the first podcast? What have I missed? I need to program an AI bot to check every place I know of where serious readers post ideas and comments, because ai can’t even keep track of new podcasts!
Lots of good points. Some a little more tenuous than others. Of course, with our appreciation of the non-linear nature of much of Rowling's writing, there are some other possibilities. It may be that this is a garden path which we're being lead down, only for it to be subsequently subverted, with the birth of the Strike-Ellacott twins, Teddy Thierry and Lucy Pat. Or, it could be that there's an alternative parenting scenario, adoption, fostering, surrogacy, IVF, co-step-parenting the products of the ill-conceived clinches with Bijou and Ryan(foreshadowed by Shanker?)... With naturally all sorts of classical allusions, symbolism, echoes and reflections along the way.
New here, so haven’t read everything. I was looking for discussion of Running Grave but found this.
I think this theory is antiquated and absurd. A woman doesn’t have to be “sterile” to not reproduce. I’d be profoundly disappointed if the choice is taken out of Robin’s hands by the “deus ex machina” of infertility.
Personally, I don’t think there needs to be any subplot related to Robin’s parental status. Believe it or not, women have full lives outside of whether or not they breed. Just like men! This entire book series would be complete with no baby-related content. It’s a detective story not a soap opera.
But we know from HP that JKR loves to pair people up heterosexually and give them babies, so I suppose it’s to be expected.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts, Karen!
I'm not sure how your assertion that "this theory" is "antiquated and absurd" or your anticipated feelings (!) of "profound disappointment" if Ms Ellacott-Cunliffe's decision "to not reproduce" is "taken out of Robin's hands" amounts to an argument, Karen, but I welcome your feedback and expect Nick and I will discuss the Baroness and Karen resistance to this possibility.
I had to chuckle at your attempt to enlighten me about the fact that "women have full lives outside of whether or not they breed." Besides the 'tell,' Karen, of your using the word "breed" to describe human reproduction and specifically a woman's capacity to have children, there's your condescending suggestion that this might be news to me. This was funny because two of my four daughters are monastics, lead very full lives indeed, and are respected and admired by everyone in our family for their 'reproductive choices,' "antiquated and absurd" as you may find their way of life.
I'm grateful for your stopping in and sharing your assertions sans evidence -- with the exception of Harry Potter canon that undermines your argument, as you noted -- for two reasons.
First, you have found your Serious Striker home, Karen, if you want conversation in support of the idea that the current series is much, much more than a "soap opera," by which I guess from your "baby-related content" jibe that you mean 'a narrative driven by male-female relations, especially the romantic and sexual kind.' Unlike other Strike fan sites, that's us!
Second, your piece did not provide the Harpy argument I have been hoping for, namely gynecological evidence that the Chlamydia-PID link to infertility was not credible. My disappointment on that count led to further research on my part about said link, all of which online reading confirmed the credibility of my explanation for why Rowling-Galbraith dropped this specific detail in 'Running Grave.'
And, Karen, I found something else.
One of the ways untreated PID causes infertility is being the agency of inflammation in the fallopian tubes which causes an ectopic pregnancy. I cannot tell how well you know the Strike series from your comments today, Karen, but perhaps you recall that one of the 'foundation crimes' of 'Troubled Blood' was the death of Theodosia Loveridge, a woman who had an ectopic pregnancy and came to Margot Bamborough's clinic the day that doctor was murdered. I hope you'll read my posts on the ghosts of 'Troubled Blood' and that book as a Medieval Morality Play a la Spenser on this subject, cf., https://www.hogwartsprofessor.com/reading-troubled-blood-as-an-allegory-part-1/ and https://www.hogwartsprofessor.com/the-ghosts-haunting-troubled-blood/.
Why bother? Well, Karen, there is a structure argument now in Strike fandom about the center or story-turn of the ten book series. One logical place to look for it would be the end of Strike5 or the beginning of Strike6, the natural centers of the series. If the big reveal, albeit offered only as an aside, at the end of 'Blood' was Theo's story of an ectopic pregnancy, per Rowling's structural fixation, we might expect there to be an ectopic pregnancy, a life threatening one, at the finish.
As I'll explore further in an upcoming 'Rowling Studies' podcast, Karen, the natural person for that role is Robin Ellacott.
Thank you both for the push to do some more research on a subject I expected "people who menstruate" would enlighten me on and for taking the time to share your fears about being "profoundly disappointed" if my theory proves to be true.
“But we know from HP that JKR loves to pair people up heterosexually and give them babies, so I suppose it’s to be expected.”
You mean like Dumbledore and Grindlewald, Max Priestwood, Anna Bamborough and Kim Sullivan, Guy Some’ and others whose sexuality is the subject of constant speculation? (Am I missing any?)
I see a big barrier to this storyline. For us readers to find out about it, Robin would have to change her mind about wanting a baby, and start trying to get pregnant. Then she'd have to be unsuccessful. The father would most likely be Murphy, since Strike doesn't want children. Robin isn't the type to trap him. Deciding she wants a baby with Murphy would be weird after Strike told her he loves her.
Excellent point, Lorna! The only way I can see Robin being tested for PID would be if she begins to show symptoms. As you explain, the revelation that she is sterile would only come through her attempts at becoming pregnant and after a significant passage of time a la Nick and Ilsa Herbert. In contrast, the reveal that she is not sterile is pretty straight forward!
I did a quick check online for PID symptoms and they're not things you would ignore:
When signs and symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) are present, they most often include:
Pain — ranging from mild to severe — in your lower abdomen and pelvis
Unusual or heavy vaginal discharge that may have an unpleasant odor
Unusual bleeding from the vagina, especially during or after sex, or between periods
Pain during sex
Fever, sometimes with chills
Painful, frequent or difficult urination
The 'Robin is Sterile' theory, though, all but requires that she be symptom-free. I will leave it to those familiar with this condition to share if PID can be symptom free and then flare up as the condition reaches a chronic or critical state.
Outside of that, I'm with you, Lorna, in not seeing how Robin could learn she has the condition. Maybe if she is in an auto accident and breaks a hip? Would surgery to place a pin reveal PID?
Regardless, great point! Thank you for sharing the key "barrier to this storyline."
Update here per Karen's comment above! Robin might become pregnant per a Ryan Murphy pregnancy trap -- and it turns out to be an ectopic pregnancy consequent to undiagnosed PID (it causes inflammation in the fallopian tubes). That has the potential of ending Robin's life, alas, but, more likely I think for narrative and medical reasons, results in a hysterectomy after emergency surgery.
Ed has summarized my feelings nicely. It’s impossible to know if Rowling is foreshadowing: Bijou’s pregnancy by Strike? Robin’s sterility, or pregnancy by Ryan? Both women pregnant? Or will Strike 8 introduce an entirely new rabbit trail?
As much as I rather expect to see Strike confront at least the specter of raising a child not his own, there are simply too many possibilities—some buttressed by tantalizing clues and some largely speculative—to put stock in any theory that rests on an author so adept at misdirection.
All I can say to you and Ed, Albus, is noting that this post is speculative and concluding that my argument is not consequently by any means a demonstration is not going to win either of you a 'Boldness and Daring Badge' or a certificate for 'Quality Commentary on Critical Evidence.'
Please do let me know what you think about Robin's chlamydia and the consequent possibility that she is sterile, about the Shed discussion of the three mythological templates and the mad mommies of the Strike series, as well as the Lake evidence about the Baroness and other goddesses in Rowling's life.
I understand, in other words, that we do not have Strike 8, 9, or 10 in hand so this kind of argument cannot be conclusive. That's a given, right?
I'd like to know if you think there is evidence I have missed that is contrary to my thesis, suggesting in other words that Robin is certainly not sterile, or if you think what I have argued is rubbish, that the templates and effectively barren women in the series I discuss mean that Robin Ellacott is not sterile.
Sorry to be Old Cranky Pants with you two, but this is way beneath the standards for comment here that both of you have set quite high!
John, I certainly don’t think your argument is rubbish. On the contrary, you’ve presented good evidence and defended your theory comprehensively. Your Chlamydia catch had not occurred to me and is clearly a signal that something COULD be wrong with Robin’s fertility. My only point, which I obviously failed to make clear, is that even with the STD and the other evidence you’ve outlined, I can’t get too bought in to ANY theory—no matter how well-conceived—about the future of Strike and Robin as long as Rowling is behind the keyboard.
The 11:59:59 arrival of Strike at Robin’s marriage to Mathew (which nonetheless goes forward), the radical shift in S & R’s relationship between the close of TB and the opening of IBH, and Strike’s willingness to put the woman he loves at existential risk in TRG are just a few examples of Rowling’s delight in pulling the rug from under readers. There are countless others. Often her false trails are fun and clever. But sometimes—whether she’s bending credulity to create the necessary groundwork for three additional books or hewing to mythological templates—they can feel forced and occasionally even half-assed.
Given the heavy lifting you’ve done on ring structure, I doubt you’ve missed any significant evidence concerning Robin’s possible sterility. It’s an interesting idea and your thesis is valid. But, at the risk of sounding like Freddie “nothing-really-matters” Mercury, I find it futile to theorize about Rowling’s next moves. The fact that I have doubts that Robin is sterile has nothing to do with your scholarship. It’s entirely down to JKR’s skills at misdirection.
You asked posters to change your mind. I can’t do that with countervailing arguments because there is little to no evidence that she’s NOT sterile. I can only tell you why I’m unable to give the argument greater credence.
Thank you for this prompt and thoughtful response, Albus, and, again, please forgive me my disappointment in your first response.
We certainly agree about the importance of speculation about the next book at least with respect to the likelihood that it will pan out. The odds, as you note, are close to zero with respect to speculation that is not closely tied to Twitter headers and the like.
That being said, as I've argued since my 'Unlocking Harry Potter' in which I drew up a very involved theory of what would be revealed in 'Deathly Hallows' -- Scar-o-scope! -- the virtue of guessing where Rowling is going is exercising less the fanciful imagination and more the critical tools we know work for Rowling's finished texts. Hence my Lake and Shed efforts with both the 'Charlotte was Murdered' piece and this post on 'Sterile Robin.'
Thank you again for your note! We agree as usual much more than we disagree.
Your argument is excellent, John. I can't really fault it, and hence why I think the best argument against it, given your demand to change your mind, is to recall that sometimes all the clues are misdirection. I always remember the stack of evidence that Snape was a vampire here...
The spot on, "When did you realise it wasn’t suicide?" is a great one of course.
The chlamydia revelation didn't strike me as much of a surprise. I assumed that it was something we were already aware of as we've already gone over Robin's recovery from her attack and its impact in some detail.
I'm not sure about the sterility tying in with the fact that Castor and Pollux weren't an eligible breeding pair. But the Psyche and Artemis parallels are much more compelling.
The identification of themes of motherhood/conception/birth as core and central to series is undeniable. Although this could then serve as a precis for some other resolution, such as Robin is Fertile...
The biographical information on the women featured in the dedication is intriguing. Aine Kiely being a mother breaks the parallel somewhat. And speculation on Dianne Moore's godmother status is nothing more than speculation. But Lynne Corbett's calling is very significant.
Just reread The Casual Vacancy; worth noting that Rowling has mentioned chlamydia in past writings. In Part One, Saturday I, "Parminder had only ever spoken to Gavin when she had tested and treated him for chlamydia. He had never met her gaze again." and in Part Two, VII, "It was not very long after, that Lisa had admitted that she was sleeping with an associate partner at her firm and advised Gavin to get tested for chlamydia." Maybe not of extreme note, but chlamydia and the contraction thereof is certainly on her radar.
'He had a real 𝘪𝘥é𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘹𝘦'
‘He had a real idée fixe,’ said Fancourt, turning back to Strike. ‘Picasso-esque, you know, his testicles the source of his creative power. He was obsessed in both his life and his work with machismo, virility, fertility. Some might say it was an odd fixation for a man who liked to be tied up and dominated, but I see it as a natural consequence… the yin and yang of Quine’s sexual persona. You’ll have noticed the names he gave us in the book?’
‘Vas and Varicocele,’ said Strike and he noted again that slight surprise in Fancourt that a man who looked like Strike read books, or paid attention to their contents.
‘Vas – Quine – the duct that carries sperm from balls to penis – the healthy, potent, creative force. Varicocele – a painful enlargement of a vein in the testicle, sometimes leading to infertility. A typically crass Quine-esque allusion to the fact that I contracted mumps shortly after Joe died and in fact was too unwell to go to the funeral, but also to the fact that – as you’ve pointed out – I was writing under difficult circumstances around that time.’
‘You were still friends at this point?’ Strike clarified.
‘When he started the book we were still – in theory – friends,’ said Fancourt, with a grim smile. ‘But writers are a savage breed, Mr Strike. If you want life-long friendship and selfless camaraderie, join the army and learn to kill. If you want a lifetime of temporary alliances with peers who will glory in your every failure, write novels.’
Strike smiled. Fancourt said with detached pleasure:
‘The Balzac Brothers received some of the worst reviews I’ve ever read.’ (Silkworm, 397)
You fellows are going off the rails! Sometimes a suicide is just a suicide. There would have been the constant threat of Charlotte if she were still a character. Rowling made her too crazy. When I read it, I thought, "Thank goodness, I can't stand that character!" She is sort-of the Strike series' invisibility cloak.
And sterile because of chlamydia? It would have been tested for after the rape. And though there are mistakes in medical understanding within the books, anyone who has been raped any where in the world might even get treated for chlamydia, not just tested. And far from sterile, I think it far more likely that she is going to become pregnant by Murphy because of 4 months off her birth control, and some misstep in her protection. Also, Bijou is pregnant with Strike's child, not that guy she is trying to pull a Chisholm on. If Rowling is going to advance this relationship, they need more speed bumps to make it "good" fiction.
Thanks for your feedback, Nadine!
Just to clarify, Nick and I are not arguing that Charlotte is "still a character" but that her very real death was due to homicide rather than suicide. I certainly understand your relief at Ms Campbell-Ross' exit, one that Strike welcomed, too, as well as the great majority of Strike fandom that thinks her existence is the biggest hurdle to clear for Cormoran-Robin relations. But suicide in Cormoran Strike is rarely (as in 'never'?) a cut and dried thing.
You may very well be right in your assertion that "sometimes a suicide is just a suicide" (does Freud celebrate or groan over this turn on his assertion about cigars?). After all, a very large part of Harry Potter fandom was convinced that Dumbledore Was Not Dead after 'Half-Blood Prince.' And they were wrong; that exercise in euthanasia/assisted suicide/murder was indeed fatal. Nick and I allow for the possibility that we are wrong.
We're just noting all the evidence in the story that it was a homicide, none of which you reference. Saying "sometimes a suicide is just a suicide" would be an argument if you could share one or two examples of suicides in the Strike series that were truly committed by people who were not coerced into it or actually murdered by another hand.
I nowhere in the piece above about Robin's fertility/sterility said that chlamydia caused her inability to have children. I very carefully noted that her treatment post rape for that STD was obviously successful -- but if the antibiotics were not delivered promptly enough, then she might have developed PID, which can cause infertility and be symptom free.
You assert without evidence or argument contra that PID theory that it is "far more likely [Robin] is going to become pregnant by Murphy." I think -- and wrote -- that this is a fun idea because of the place 'pregnancy traps' play in Rowling's writing, but that the possibility is "far more likely" escapes me. Sterile Robin as opposed to Preggers Robin has a means to it, namely, undiagnosed PID consequent to Chlamydia, while the other requires that she be careless or taken advantage of by her boyfriend-lover, something completely out of character for our Girl Friday.
Are you suggesting that she is so thrown for a loop by Strike's confession of love for her (sort of!) that she has unprotected sex? Allows Murphy to get her drunk and have at her in a mad bout of passion? Really, I see the possibility, especially if Murphy uses a pierced condom or the like, but asserting this is "far more likely" a speculation is nothing more than saying "more what I expect" or "what I want."
Thank you again for your feedback on the speculative ideas of Charlotte having been murdered and Robin being sterile! I hope you will re-read those pieces, though, and note the care taken in all of them to argue from all of Rowling canon as well as Lake and Shed perspectives; this is much more our point than hitting long-shot bulls-eyes on targets no one but Rowling can see. Cheers!
Thanks for your blog. I have read it for many years. I had no idea you would respond so quickly! I practice evidence-based medicine, and I don't think of literature, a work of the imagination, in that way, which just demonstrates how far removed I am from writing college papers.
Charlotte: I would cite as evidence that the suicide is not homicide based on the previous attempt with ample evidence of that attempt's potential effectiveness, only this time more rage-filled. We are mercifully treated to only short bits of recording, similar to the suicide attempt play-by-play we were subjected to post Strike's aunt's funeral. Charlotte's timing is "impeccable" in its abusiveness. Suicide is consistent with her character, as is her demand that Strike save her, and her enraged belt-and-braces attempt and its consistency with her bipolar/ borderline personality behavior.
Robin: I cite TB, where Robin is pondering Margret Bamborough's possible abortion and its meaning to Anna, she reflects on the only time she was worried about pregnancy and her fear of "another procedure, more blood, more pain" as evidence that she had standard, timely post-rape care. After all, she testified against her rapist. Further, Rowling mentions too many times to be ignored that Robin can't take/ hasn't been taking her OCP (which is estrogen and progesterone, not estrogen alone, by-the-by). Is she thoughtful? Yes. Do thoughtful people become pregnant while on OCPs? Yes. Further, if merely Bijou is pregnant, is that really much of a problem? I am not sure I would buy that. I am not married to this thesis, I just think it is well within the possibility of what will, yet again, derail any real movement forward in their relationship, and I don't recall where it was where JKR said that good relationships (?) make poor fiction.
Bijou: I would cite that she had unprotected sex with Strike twice, we are told more than once about this, it is emphasized that Robin won't interfere, and that, if anyone is infertile, it is likely the old Barrister. Further, Bijou's behavior when she ignores Strike's call and then he confronts her is a bit weird. I could build a stronger argument for little Strike Jr, "this was an accident." How will Strike demonstrate that he is more thoughtful than Rokeby?
Do you speculate somewhere about the identity of the fellow sitting smirking at Robin while seated at the bar at the Ritz? Just curious. I was wondering if and when he was going to show up again.
Okay, Nadine! Some evidence based arguments -- love it!
On Charlotte's suicide: you argue -- and I do not, cannot disagree with anything you wrote on this point -- that it is credible for a host of character-and-behavior-consistency reasons that Melady Bezerko topped herself. But that's exactly where Nick's and my arguments begin, right? It is is convincing that she killed herself or Strike would have asked himself reflexively if it was murder or suicide.
That he doesn't ask that question, however, is something of a red flag itself. The first page of the book has him being questioned about the case which made his agency, the Lula Landry murder, specifically when he realized it wasn't a suicide. Murders-staged-as-suicides are his defining genius, not to mention his personal issue per Leda Strike's death. And he doesn't think of it?
Thank you for writing the best one paragraph summary, though, of how Rowling sets us up to believe Charlotte killed herself. Now I hope you will tear apart the arguments from text, Lake, and Shed that Nick and I have made for the 'She Was Murdered' side of this argument. We cede that your evidence is real enough, but put it aside as the necessary set-up for a stunning twist finish -- and explain the several pointers in text that point to her possible murderers. Are those arguments faulty? Have at it!
On Robin's pregnancy (i.e., her not being sterile): there are only four mentions of the word "contraceptive" in the Strike series thus far and two of them are about Robin's not being able to use them at Chapman Farm, one before (her not mentioning it to Murphy, 174) and one after (her having bought condoms for their first tryst post partum-escape, 672). [The only time "the pill" is referenced as a contraceptive is in Strike 5 when Gloria Conti relates: "I was pregnant. I hadn’t realized that the pill wouldn’t work if you’d had a stomach upset, and I’d had a bug, a month before. I knew I was cornered, and it was too late, I’d have to marry Luca" (823).]
I'm with you in thinking that scene with Murphy post escape in which they exchange "I love you's" is suggestive; Robin's "brain slightly fuzzy from alcohol and the tiredness she'd felt ever since she returned to London" doesn't suggest she's being especially careful in the birth control department.
I differ with you in thinking this "evidence" trumps the chlamydia/PID possibility. It does suggest an alternative possibility to my contrarian thesis, but that she is fertile rather than infertile or sterile has been everyone's assumption from the start. No one, to include Robin or strike -- and certainly not Murphy who is excited about the idea of starting a family with Ms Ellacott -- thinks she is sterile.
Again, I hope you will show the mistakes I've made with respect to oral contraceptive pills (I had to look up OCP), chlamydia, or PID and the weakness of my meta-literary arguments, Lake and Shed. Every Strike reader in the world is on board with the idea that Robin can have children; where do my arguments that Rowling is setting us up for the big twist that she cannot go wrong?
Bijou: I'm totally on board with the Belinda Bimbo Bump and Pregnancy Trap idea. The delightful position this pts Strike in of being in the exact position was with respect to Rokeby and his own conception is a delightful way to bring the two together, a meeting which will will segue I think to the investigation of Leda's death in Strike 10.
Ritz Rogue: No clue! I wonder if, like the fifty roses delivered near the end of 'Career of Evil,' this man's haunting presence is a mystery we'll never learn the answer to. Have we had any characters appear in one book, unnamed and without association, who appear in no other place in the novel of their arrival on the scene and not in the next book either, who then show up in a later novel? Shanker, sort of, I guess; anyone else? I won't be losing any sleep over the 'Ink Black Heart' character you mention, because I cannot think of any grounds for speculation. He seems to be a little old to be a Rokeby PI hire or the like.
Thanks afain, Nadine, for these arguments! I look forward to your assaults on the canon, Lake, and Shed arguments made in posts here about the Charlotte Was Murdered and Robin is Sterile ideas.
Aside from all the mythological evidence you give, I remember back to one of the novels (forgive me if I don’t remember which one off the top of my head - Lethal White?) where when Robin was having a therapy appointment, Strike wondered if she was going to a fertility specialist. Why would he even be thinking along those lines? I thought at the time that this was a random and strange thought for him to be having. If you are looking at ring structure isn’t Lethal White the turn/center? This could be one of those Rowling gems of a clue.
I really like the idea of Strike being the father of Bijou’s baby. I will not be happy if that happens but I could see Rowling doing that for all the reasons you listed above.
Right you are, Kelly! Strike learns the Robin is going to a 'V' Clinic and assumes it has something to do with IVF. Here's a quick review of his thoughts about clinics and pregnancy in 'Lethal White' --
<i>Strike learns that Robin is visiting a "clinic" in the opening chapter of 'Lethal White:' </i>
“I’ve just found this,” said Denise, brandishing a scribbled note in front of him. “It says ‘clinic’… there’s a word beginning with ‘V’ in front… the appointment’s for half an hour’s time—should I have reminded you?”
Strike saw Robin’s handwriting. The first word was indeed illegible. (34)
<i>Strike in the same chapter after interviewing and hiring Barclay:</i>
He had to pick his way through the ever-present roadworks at the top of Tottenham Court Road to get back to his office. Waiting until he was past the noisiest stretch, he called Robin to tell her that he had hired Barclay, but his call went straight to voicemail. Remembering that she was supposed to be at the mysterious clinic right now, he cut the call without leaving a message.
Walking on, a sudden thought occurred to him. He had assumed that the clinic related to Robin’s mental health, but what if—? (38)
<i>Strike at the house-warming party in 'Lethal White:'</i>
The suspicions provoked by her visit to that unknown clinic uppermost in his mind, he appraised her figure in the clinging gray dress. She certainly didn’t appear to be pregnant, and the fact that she was drinking wine seemed a further counter-indication, but they might only just have begun the process of IVF. (82)
<i>Strike after Robin asks for two days off "to deal with some personal business:"</i>
He had almost forgotten his suspicion of a couple of months ago, that Robin might be trying to get pregnant. Into his mind swam the vision of Charlotte’s swollen belly at the dinner table. Robin wasn’t the kind of woman who’d be able to walk away from her child as soon as it left the womb. If Robin was pregnant… (531)
<i>Strike as he and Robin begin their trip west to dig up the dell:</i>
Strike, who had taken fleeting stock of Robin’s appearance, had his worst suspicions strengthened. Pale, with shadows beneath her eyes, she managed to look both puffy and drawn and also seemed to have lost weight in the few days since he’d last seen her. The wife of his old army friend Graham Hardacre had been hospitalized in the early stages of pregnancy because of persistent vomiting. Perhaps one of Robin’s important appointments had been to address that problem. (536)
<i>The conversation on the verge:</i>
Strike wondered whether a direct inquiry constituted some kind of infringement of her employment rights.
“I wondered,” he said, “whether you might be, ah, pregnant.”
Robin began to laugh again.
"Oh, God, that's funny."
“Is it?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head, “I’m not pregnant.”
Strike now noticed that her wedding and engagement rings were missing. He had become so used to seeing her without them as she impersonated Venetia Hall and Bobbi Cunliffe that it had not occurred to him that their absence today might be significant, yet he didn’t want to pose a direct question, for reasons that had nothing at all to do with employment rights.
"Matthew and I have split up,"... (541)
I don't think it mysterious that Strike is wondering about the possibility of Robin having a baby; that news would almost certainly end his dream that she would divorce Matt and be free to take up with him.
It is curious, though, that his mind would leap to IVF, which would mean that he did not think it bizarre that the Cunliffes would be going that route after only a year of her trying to get pregnant. It's as if he is prepared to think she and Matt have fertility issues and need professional medical intervention in order to conceive.
Even if Nick and Ilsa have 'gone there' and Strike knows that, it's odd that the younger couple and nearly newlyweds would try IVF unless there are issues with there being no issue.
Great spotting, Kelly!
How can we listen to the first podcast? What have I missed? I need to program an AI bot to check every place I know of where serious readers post ideas and comments, because ai can’t even keep track of new podcasts!
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