The Strike & Ellacott Files

🧬 NEW EPISODE! 🧬

This week, we cover chapters 33-35 of The Hallmarked Man.

We discuss Rokeby and Sacha Legard contacting the office, Robin travelling to Masham with Murphy, and Strike thinking about Charlotte and Robin while on surveillance.

Next episode (18 June): Chapters 36-39

👀 SNEAK PEEK! 👀

In this week's episode, we...

- wonder whether Robin's habit of sitting on toilets during tense moments will come up in Sleep Tight, Evangeline

- are begging Strike to swallow his pride and accept help from Rokeby

- are divided on whether some of the parallel structures are good or painful (or both!)

- can't stop thinking about future parallels for the five Christmas text kisses

- interrupt our episode to talk about the 'open pursuit' tweet

- know Murphy is thrilled about Strike's bout of bad press

- analyze how JKR's themes regarding a mother's love appear in the Strike and Harry Potter series

- are pretty sure no other series' romance plot can compare to the Strike series

🧬 NEW EPISODE! 🧬

Today, we cover chapters 31 and 32 of The Hallmarked Man. We discuss Culpepper's second hit piece on Strike, Strike losing his temper, and he and Robin's talk.

Next episode (4 June): Chapters 33-35

👀 SNEAK PEEK! 👀

In this week's episode, we...

- are taken on an emotional roller coaster 🎢

- find something we have in common with Murphy

- want Robin to show us her sock drawer

- discuss the loudness of the silence from Strike's friends and family after the Candy story

- are unsure about an aspect of Strike's characterization

- wonder why Strike asks Robin to leave the room while talking to Robertson

✍️ NEW BLOG POST! ✍️

In a new guest blog on our website, listener Sophia delves into the Wizard of Oz-inspired parallels found throughout The Hallmarked Man. She explores whether the novel’s characters are punished for the very qualities that should make them heroic, and examines the devastating impact of reputation.

🧬 NEW EPISODE! 🧬

Today, we cover chapters 28-30 of The Hallmarked Man. We discuss Strike's interview with Jim Todd, Robin's altercation in Harrod's, Robin's interview with Albie Simpson-White, and pickles.

Next episode (21 May): Chapters 31-33

✍️ LISTENER QUESTION! ✍️

JK Rowling recently described The Hallmarked Man as “a very male-focused book,” touching on themes like homelessness, suicide, trauma, heroism, and depravity through the mystery of an unidentified victim.

We’d especially like to hear from the men in the Strike fandom: what parts of JKR’s comments here resonate with you? Are there aspects of masculinity, friendship, pressure, loneliness, or identity in the Strike series that you feel are especially well observed?

Source: https://youtu.be/-B4v5oB38-k?si=LE07NKwZg2ht_vao&t=60

👀 SNEAK PEEK! 👀

In this week's episode, we...

- discuss how the setting of Jim Todd's interview foreshadows the kind of person he is

- love Strike's power move of flipping back and forth through his notebook to unsettle an interviewee

- analyze how the green and gold where Albie works could connect to alchemy

- were terrified during the incident in Harrod's 😱

- are reminded that Strikes have more rights than Murphys, in the grand scheme of things

- cheer on the additional cracks in Robin and Murphy's relationship 💔

- know where Robin *really* wants to run to 🫂🏠

- have a long-winded digression about pickle terminology

- realize both Strike and Robin are projecting their past pain on to their perception of Rupert Fleetwood

- appreciate how Robin ends her interview with Albie 🤝

🧬 NEW EPISODE! 🧬

This week, we cover chapter 27 of The Hallmarked Man. (Kenz was ill when we were meant to record the second half of this episode together.)

We discuss Robin and Murphy looking at a house, Lindsay and Pools deep dive into whether Strike is a bastard to Midge, and include the partner's chat we recorded for episode 15.

Next episode (7 May): Chapters 28-30

👀 SNEAK PEEK! 👀

In this week's episode, we...

- don't let Robin's relationship status stop us from being resentful that she and Murphy have woken up in each other's beds

- discuss Robin inadvertently continuing the UHC's work with her continued self-brainwashing

- are ready to love Dr Broccoli 👩‍⚕️🥦

- can't help but notice a difference in how Robin treats a work call for Murphy versus if it had been Strike

- marvel over clues that we missed, and how Jo keeps us distracted while reading

- ponder the idea of a Murphy series (ugh!)

- can't handle Robin's refusal to acknowledge male anatomy around Strike

- welcome back the return of #TherapyEdition

🧬 BONUS EPISODE! 🧬

This week, we have a surprise bonus episode with part 1 of this season's outtakes while we're on break. (See also: what happens when three women with ADHD record a podcast!)

Next episode (23 April): Chapters 27-28

📣 ANNOUNCEMENT! 📣

Episode 14 will now be released on 23 April. We realized that to make the best episodes possible, we needed to take a short pause to regroup and reset.

Our updated episode schedule is now live on the website, and we’re really excited to get back to recording and bring you the rest of the season!

✍️ NEW BLOG POST! ✍️

In a new guest blog post, Iris explores Jung, literary alchemy, and the symbols that may reveal deeper transformations of Strike and Robin - all sparked by a teasing Twitter reply from JK Rowling. 🔍

🧬 NEW EPISODE! 🧬

This week, we cover chapters 24-26 of The Hallmarked Man. We discuss Robin's interview with Pamela, Strike's visit to Gibsons, and his chat with Ralph Lawrence.

Next episode (26 March): Chapters 27-28

👀 SNEAK PEEK! 👀

In this week's episode, we...

- discuss Jo's love of and frustration with Strike

- predict another underground location in Sleep Tight, Evangeline

- can't keep our tragic outdoor sporting accidents straight (#PoorPamela)

- connect Strike and Robin's troubles with hearing each other on the phone with their poor communication in the novel

- shamelessly beg for chapter locations for Sleep Tight, Evangeline

- unexpectedly find ourselves in complete agreement about a Strike topic we've never discussed together ☎️

🧬 NEW EPISODE! 🧬

This week, we cover chapters 22 and 23 of The Hallmarked Man. We discuss Strike 9's creepy title, Sleep Tight, Evangeline, Robin helping Strike with his Christmas shopping, and Culpepper's first hit piece on Strike.

Next episode (12 March): Chapters 24-26