Mystery/Thriller Reading Friends discussion

Spoilers welcome discussion for part two chapters 61-69 and "One Month Later" plus the Epilogue of Robert Galbraith's Lethal White.
If the first to post please briefly summarize to guide the discussion.
What did you think of the book?

Chapter 61 ( Strike and Robin set off in her Land Rover)
Strike, unaware of the change in Robin's marriage status, fears she is pregnant. Robin is determined to just do her job and not talk about Matthew. A call on her mobile from Geraint Winn changed the tone of the day, attacking her verbally she lashes back and dissolves into a panic attack. Strike is sympathetic (and secretly celebrates) when she reveals her separation from Matthew.

Chapter 62 (an interview at Newbury Racecourse with Tegan Butcher starts off with a frank discussion between the partners)
And Strike reveals he and Lorelei split up too.n

Chapter 63 (Tegan reveals that Chiswell and his workers made and exported wooden gallows- finally - the secret)
Previously perfectly legal (if not moral)

Chapter 64 (the gallows sparked the blackmail?)
Chapter 65 (Strike, Barclay and Robin dig in the dell)
Discovering a buried skull in a pink blanket - a horse's skull

Chapter 66-67 (Kinvara sics her terriers on them, they return to her house) Robin risks exploring upstairs- someone is up there. This segment seemed particularly nerve-rattling. Robin through no fault of her own has been in danger several times on surveillance and doing her job. The nerves of steel she has to go upstairs and look around are beyond me. Strike and Kinvara return after checking out the grounds. He questions her extensively about the morning Jasper died and Raphael’s drive to the estate to save the necklace Kinvara was rumored to be stealing. She offers another explanation that Raphael’s mother stole and replaced the diamonds years ago.
Kinvara confirms the blackmail over payment for the gallows Jimmy felt he was owed. I wonder if Jasper had not been broke and had the money, if he would have paid him off. It wasn’t’t really blackmail money but owed funds. The knowledge of a person upstairs removing paintings alarms Strike.

Chapter 68 (Scotland Yard; Kinvara questioned; the pieces are falling together; Robin is called away by a series of texts from Matt)
Strike gave the police information that led to Kinvara’s involvement in the murder of her husband. Jimmy Knight hasn’t been picked up yet. A brief phone call from a strained and “contright” Sarah Shadlock confirms the painting Kinvara and the mystery person upstairs we’re moving may be worth $22 million pounds or more.

Chapter 69 (Robin goes to meet Matt; a suspicious location; denouement)
Robin is saddened at the end of her marriage to a Matt, a relationship that started with such promise and love. Just as Strike calls to tell her it isn’t Matthew she is attacked and dragged onto a barge. Raphael. Robin stalls for time and hope of a rescue with details of the evidence growing against Raphael. He had plotted to get the valuable painting, a astubbs, Mare in Mourning. Raphael prepares his rebuttal and viability to evade implication. The evidence piles up, he told Flick about the gallows; used his job at the gallery to keep the painting from appraisal, Raphael was behind everything, planning for months. There was video of Kinvara tossing a “homeless man” the door key and others were lured into compromising positions to look guilty as possible suspects. Finally Finally Strike and the police arrive just as Raphael decides he and Robin both have to die. His gun is empty.

One month later
Izzy gives Billy closure over dinner in a restaurant. The child, the little girl he say strangled and buried in the dell years ago was actually Raphael; strangled to unconsciousness by brother Freddie who shot and killed a miniature horse which was buried.
Robin is settling in to a flat with only one flat mate and the case is closed

Nobody there anymore? You are all too fast readers.
Well, the last revealings are always a little bit silly: The killer and the detective having a long, long dialog about how they did it. Same in the first two books ...
But anyway, it was great. Best JKR ever, including Harry Potter and Casual Vacancy.

Is this the right place to ask questions? There are some, I am sure I was not paying enough attention.

Flick took the handwritten paper from Chiswell. Why? Ok, she thought it was because of "Bill" which she took as a name. Fine. But then - she showed it to Jimmy and took it away again? Again - why?

And in the end: No blame on Jimmy? He is just the loving brother?

One question I had all the time: Why does Strike not demand to get paid in advance? Thank god Izzy paid all after Chiswell's death; but how can he risk to be left hanging? All the investments for the disguise in the Commons or the surveillance devices, and above all the manpower - Strike's pre-investments? I can't believe it.

Agree it was best JKR ever. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, possibly my best read of the year so far.

I also kept thinking about why Strike didn’t ask for money upfront. Seems like a random detail to get stuck on but I had similar line of thought about why he wouldn’t ask for at least partial payment up front...

Sybotes and Karly: A very good point, standard practice would seem to incoude a retainer and a contract to spell out what was to be covered as expenses. I am going to get these final summaties done this weekend, I promise! I loved the audio book so much and galloped through it, now i am rereading on Kindle to summarize ( between library due dates. )
Karly wrote: "Agree it was best JKR ever. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, possibly my best read of the year so far.

I also kept thinking about why Strike didn’t ask for money upfront.."

Sybotes: I did read the book very fast, it was so good and I was not able to take notes to summarize while I went. That also meant some subtlety was missed including what the significance was of the paper / to do list apparently stolen from Jasper by Flick posing as his Polish housekeeper. I think it was supposed to link him to the gallows being sold to lynch mobs. I am going to try to figure that out while rereading this section... but I am not sure either Jimmy or Flick knew what to do with it or would have been able to do much more than attempt to leverage more blackmail.
Flick may have been trying to hold onto Jimmy with it in her possession.

Sybotes wrote: "Nobody there anymore? You are all too fast readers.
Flick took the handwritten paper from Chiswell. Why? Ok, she thought it was because of "Bill" which she took as a name. Fine. But then - she showed it to Jimmy and took it away again? Again - why?.."

Rereading to summarize these last two sections was most enjoyable. I had sped past the chapter at Scotland Yard when the furiously intense chapter on the barge with Raphael blocked out everything else. What an ending!
That Izzy could be sympathetic to Raphael’s situation and motives after murdering her father is crazy.