Heartwarming / Troubled Blood

• A dramatic moment leads to a night of drinking and soul-searching between Robin and Strike. At one point during the conversation, Robin refers to Dave Polworth as being Strike's best mate. "Dave Polworth is my oldest mate," he tells her. "My best mate... is you."
• Strike actually making a tenuous affirmative reply to one of his previously-unmet Rokeby half-siblings reaching out to him.
• Pat bringing Strike soup when he's sick.
• Pat and Barclay's 29th birthday presents to Robin.
• The emotional release and beginnings of reconciliation between Margot's husband and daughter.
• Gloria talking about how Margot first got interested in helping her.
• Robin and Mathew's brief moment of civility and wistfulness during the signing of divorce papers.
• Pat acknowledging that she was wrong to like Morris, and implying she accepts maybe she'd been prejudging Strike.
• Strike bonding a bit more with his nephew Jack.
• DCI Layborn's help in the case, particularly after the poor first impression he gave in the previous book.
• Brian Tucker finally getting his daughters body and thanking Strike and Robin for it.
• The fact that all of Rokeby's other kids are doing something nice for his band's anniversary (even if its soured by Strike's, arguably justifiable, refusal to participate).
• Anna acknowledging Cynthia was a good mother to her.
• Roy and Oonagh mending fences at the end.
• Strike opening up to his sick Aunt Joan, telling her about his investigation, and wishing he'd done that with his previous cases after seeing how much interest she takes in it and the excitement it brings her. The moment is further sweetened by Strike finally acknowledging Joan and her husband as having been parents to him.
  • Joan mentions that a fortune-teller told her she would never have children. Cormoran's response? "Well, she was dead wrong about that, wasn't she?"
• When Joan begins her final decline, Cormoran and Lucy race to Cornwall to be with her, but a horrendous storm makes the road impassable. Dave Polworth, and several other men who are friends of his or of Ted's, band together to get Cormoran and Lucy to St Mawes. This involves sailing and walking for several hours in nightmarish, even dangerous, conditions(Cormoran spends most of it in a haze of exhaustion and pain from his leg), but Cormoran and Lucy get to Joan's bedside to spend her final days with her.
• Joan hanging onto consciousness and life for several days (even though it's obvious she's ready to go) by sheer willpower, because she's treasuring these last days with her children and husband.
• Pretty much the whole last scene, with Cormoran finally stepping up to give Robin a really good 30th birthday celebration.