The Running Grave Chapter 48 Summary & Analysis
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Strike meets subcontractor Dev Shah at the Rose and Crown after Bigfoot punched Shah in the face. Shah managed to photograph Bigfoot leaving a hotel room with a near‑naked sex worker, despite a smashed phone. Strike reimburses Shah for the phone and sends him home to ice his nose. He then calls Bigfoot’s wife, who is thrilled to receive the evidence. Strike also phones a new client—a man with an exaggerated upper‑class accent who wants his mother watched—and warns him against using Patterson’s agency. Later, Strike searches Facebook and Mumsnet for Cherie Gittins, who has used at least three aliases. He comes across a private account under the name Carrie Curtis Woods, whose profile picture resembles the young Cherie. While examining it, his receptionist Pat announces a visitor: Barry Saxon, the barman from the Forester pub, who claims to know Abigail Glover.
Key Events
- Dev Shah suffers a punch from Bigfoot but obtains a clear photograph of the man with a sex worker.
- Strike approves Shah’s work, covers the cost of a new phone, and sends him home to recover.
- Strike contacts Bigfoot’s wife, who is delighted by the incriminating photo.
- Strike takes on a new client with a pronounced upper‑class accent who wants his mother’s movements followed; Strike warns him away from the rival agency Patterson’s.
- Strike begins a systematic search for Cherie Gittins on Facebook and Mumsnet, using all known aliases.
- He sends a follower request to Carrie Curtis Woods, a possible match for Cherie.
- Pat tells Strike that Barry Saxon, a man he met earlier in the series, has arrived at the office.
Character Development
- Cormoran Strike demonstrates his resourcefulness and no‑nonsense professionalism. He praises Shah’s quick thinking, manages multiple cases simultaneously, and wastes no time in chasing down leads on Cherie. His willingness to use unconventional contacts—even former criminals—underscores his pragmatism.
- Dev Shah shows loyalty and toughness. Despite a broken phone and a split lip, he delivers vital evidence and jokes afterward. His reference to his wife being on Mumsnet provides Strike with a useful tip.
- Pat is protective of the agency’s staff, glaring at Strike when he reports Shah’s injury. Her stiff reaction to the name Littlejohn suggests ongoing tension.
- The new client (unnamed) is characterised by his exaggeratedly posh accent. Strike’s blunt dismissal of Patterson’s agency shows his confidence and willingness to poach clients from rivals.
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
- Evidence as leverage: The photograph of Bigfoot is a tangible weapon. Strike immediately uses it to satisfy Bigfoot’s wife, who presumably needs it for divorce proceedings.
- The tedium of investigation: Strike spends hours manually scrolling through Facebook profiles. This highlights the less glamorous side of detective work—grinding through data with no guarantee of success.
- Underworld connections: Strike pays Shanker’s criminal associates to watch a suspect. His remark “they don’t often play on the side of the angels” shows his willingness to blur ethical lines for results.
- The return of a past acquaintance: Barry Saxon’s unexpected appearance signals that earlier threads are converging, potentially linking the UHC case to the Forester pub subplot.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter advances two major subplots: the Bigfoot case is essentially finished after the photo evidence, and the search for Cherie Gittins takes a promising turn. The introduction of a new client also adds to Strike’s caseload and reinforces his reputation in the private‑detective world. Most importantly, Barry Saxon’s arrival ties the chapter back to an earlier encounter, hinting that Abigail Glover’s story may intersect with Strike’s deeper investigation into the Universal Humanitarian Church.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Strike warn the new client away from Patterson’s agency?
Strike has a personal grudge against Patterson, who hired Littlejohn to spy on the agency. He also believes his own firm is better, and he wants to deny Patterson the business.
2. What method does Strike use to search for Cherie Gittins, and why is it time‑consuming?
He creates a fake Facebook profile and searches for every known alias and combination of names. Facebook returns many results from multiple countries, so he must manually examine each profile picture to find a plausible match.
3. What does the appearance of Barry Saxon suggest about the direction of the plot?
Barry Saxon last appeared in connection with the Forester pub and the Glover case. His visit at this point suggests that Strike’s ongoing investigation into the UHC—and possibly the fate of Abigail Glover—will now require him to revisit those earlier connections.