Before I continue with the pre-The Hallmarked Man re-read of the Silkworm, I want to share a bit of important Strike news: the release of the Hallmarked cover!
But what about the Freemason building? I suspect that will relate in some way to our heroes' major mystery. As some have pointed out, the United Grand Hall is a popular event venue, so it is possible a visit there would have nothing to do with the Freemason organization itself. But, the most interesting thing about the Freemasons to me is their association with police corruption in the 1970's, apparently as a result of some Met cops being in the same lodges with career criminals. This makes me think of gangsters like Mucky Ricci, whom the police were clearly powerless to stop and makes me wonder if the mystery will involve some dirty cops, past or present. If so, that could certainly complicate things for Robin and Murphy. More importantly, it could be a connection to some of themes of TB, which also involved looking back at police work in the 1970's. That would be an interesting link between the two Book 5's of each ring.
Fans have also been told to pay particular attention to Temple #17 in the lodge, which apparently features an elaborately carved swan as part of its decor. Swans, of course, are a favorite bird to Strike fans, from the ones tha did not swim together at Robin and Matt's doomed wedding, to the single swan on the pub near the unhappy couple's marital home, to the double swans that close out LW to the kissing swan towels at Steven Douwaite's hotel. There is also the mythological connection to Strike's mother Leda.
Strike remembered the alcoholic major whse 12-year-old daughter had disclosed sexual abuse in her school in Germany. When Strike had arrived at the family house the major had taken a swing at him with a broken bottle. Strike had laid him out.
- One example was in Cuckoo's Calling, where he wanted John Bristow and Jonah Agyeman to be running in close proximity to each other, despite Jonah's statement that he started running as fast as he could when he saw Lula fall, whereas John had to wait for the Bestiguis to run downstairs and sound the alarm, Derrick Wilson to go outside and check Lula's body, then return to the building and go upstairs to check Lulu's flat, while the Bestiguis return to their own. This would have taken at least a couple of minutes, by which time Jonah would have been long gone.
- Another was from Career of Evil, where Strike and Robin both inexplicably fail to have their suspicions aroused when, of all the people in London, Donald Laing is the one who approaches Robin when she slips on the curry, and conveniently tries to lure her into his apartment.
- Unfortunately, the scene with Pippa seems to be another credulity-straining spot. Strike, a self-described "knackered old dinosaur" with his knee so sore he's using his walking stick, supposedly grabs a tall and "surprisingly strong" young woman (who had probably experienced male puberty) off a snowy and slippery street, holds her with one arm while picking up her knife with his other, then pauses to be buzzed in the building (with no one noticing he is physically grappling with a woman), then drags her up two flights of a spiral staircase and forces her into the office. As we have seen, when his knee is bad, he struggles to get himself upstairs; can he really be expected to drag a struggling person up against her will? Adrenalin rushes can only do so much.
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