Book #8 in the Cormoran Strike series — and once again, 908 pages long!
Book Review
Robert Galbraith (a.k.a. J.K. Rowling) clearly has no plans of returning to shorter books anytime soon. The Ink Black Heart was over 1000 pages, but that one got away with it since half the book was chat transcripts. The Running Grave, too, despite being lengthy, justified its page count with the complex cult plot. But even then, I had this niggle that 900+ pages for any mystery does not make it gripping enough, and with The Hallmarked Man, that 900+ page stretch finally feels like a burden.
First-time readers, please do ensure you are reading the series in order; else you are definitely gonna miss out on the interrelationship dynamics that are scattered throughout the book. And series readers are in for a treat — or MAYBE NOT???
Relationship Chaos….
If you are one of those, like me, who loved all the other books in the series because there is a perfect balance of mystery and “will they/won’t they” dynamics between the two leads, you are probably gonna be disappointed. For the first time in the series, The Hallmarked Man, in which the lead detectives have to identify a body discovered in a silver vault, the mystery element is quite tepid.
And now to the relationship aspect of the story, which works big time for many — I can sum it up with these two quotes from the book:
“no matter the subsequently disastrous consequences. His older self had chosen to be cautious where he should have been bold; in recognising too late what he wanted and perhaps even needed, he’d jettisoned what he was increasingly feeling was his one chance of real happiness.”
Strike is all heart in this… lamenting his lost chances and unable to compartmentalize the personal and professional elements of his life, which he was a pro at. Hence, the reason for taking up the case seems to be only so that he can spend time with Robin. In fact, every point in the investigation is about getting a chance to be with Robin and bare one’s heart out. And also, for the first time in his life makes an effort and gives Robin a bracelet with charms that give meaning to each of the 7 years of their life.
I loved the fact that Strike is in a lot of mess for the casual affairs he’s had all through the series, and most of them coming back to bite his ass in unimaginable ways was brilliantly done and clearly shows the mess he has created in his life. I would have assumed both of them to behave maturely when dealing with the emotions entangled in their life, but unfortunately, that is missing, leaving me feeling exasperated.
And Then Robin…
“waiting for something to happen, something disruptive and cathartic, as a person feels in the change of air pressure the first intimations of a coming thunderstorm.”
Robin, meanwhile, is a wreck. She’s under the worst stress imaginable after enduring the emotional and physical torture in book #7 with The Running Grave, here I kind of feel JKR was purposely being cruel by torturing her to the maximum. She suffers through an ectopic pregnancy and is made aware of the challenges of becoming naturally pregnant, then there’s the repetition of the attacks and stalking and never ending trauma, and the reason I feel that in this we find Robin kind of regressed to her earlier selfless and loyal to a fault trait.
For someone who knows her job is her life — and having already gone through a divorce and a jealous husband — going through the same with her current boyfriend should have been an eye-opener. Instead, we see Robin repeatedly hiding behind lies and being self-destructive to her mental well-being. I’m glad there’s at least a discussion about therapy towards the end, because doubting someone you’ve known for seven years, through all kinds of violence, clearly reflects her mental state.
Winning Big with The TV series…
The TV adaptation of this one will be a fan favourite purely for the emotional outbursts between Strike and Robin. But amidst all that, the balance between mystery and drama is seriously missing. It feels like JKR brought readers to a point where the relationship overshadows the mystery. The plot is convoluted to the point of confusion, with a multitude of characters linked to each possible murdered victim — MI5 connections, drug trafficking, missing women, murder — pure mayhem. Even with the final reveal, I didn’t get that heart-pounding climax we’re so used to.
Series lovers, however, will be in heaven with all the familiar faces — Pat, Barclay, Midge, Shah — plus a new recruit, Kim, who adds her own drama. We also meet new characters like Rokeby and Tara (Charlotte’s mother). I absolutely love how JKR shows the passage of time in the leads’ lives: the beloved Land Rover failing its MOT, the passing of Ted, and the sale of their Cornwall house — all adding a touch of realism, giving a bit of breathing space for Strike from the constant money crunching that he has to do.
My Rating
The mystery part of the story gets 3 stars, but the relationship development and emotional depth definitely deserve 5 stars.
Overall rating: 3.5 / 5 ⭐
Book Blurb
A dismembered corpse is discovered in the vault of a silver shop. The police initially believe it to be that of a convicted armed robber – but not everyone agrees with that theory. One of them is Decima Mullins, who calls on the help of private detective Cormoran Strike as she’s certain the body in the silver vault was that of her boyfriend – the father of her newborn baby – who suddenly and mysteriously disappeared.
The more Strike and his business partner Robin Ellacott delve into the case, the more labyrinthine it gets. The silver shop is no ordinary one: it’s located beside Freemasons’ Hall and specializes in Masonic silverware. And in addition to the armed robber and Decima’s boyfriend, it becomes clear that there are other missing men who could fit the profile of the body in the vault.
As the case becomes ever more complicated and dangerous, Strike faces another quandary. Robin seems increasingly committed to her boyfriend, policeman Ryan Murphy, but the impulse to declare his own feelings for her is becoming stronger than ever.
A gripping, wonderfully complex novel which takes Strike and Robin’s story to a new level, The Hallmarked Man is an unmissable read for any fan of this unique series.
About The Author
Robert Galbraith’s Cormoran Strike series is classic contemporary crime fiction from a master story-teller, rich in plot, characterisation and detail. Galbraith’s debut into crime fiction garnered acclaim amongst critics and crime fans alike. The first three novels The Cuckoo’s Calling (2013), The Silkworm (2014) and Career of Evil (2015) all topped the national and international bestseller lists and have been adapted for television, produced by Brontë Film and Television. The fourth in the series, Lethal White (2018), is out now.
Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym of J.K. Rowling, bestselling author of the Harry Potter series and The Casual Vacancy, a novel for adults. After Harry Potter, the author chose crime fiction for her next books, a genre she has always loved as a reader. She wanted to write a contemporary whodunit, with a credible back story.
J.K. Rowling’s original intention for writing as Robert Galbraith was for the books to be judged on their own merit, and to establish Galbraith as a well-regarded name in crime in its own right.
Now Robert Galbraith’s true identity is widely known, J.K. Rowling continues to write the crime series under the Galbraith pseudonym to keep the distinction from her other writing, and so people will know what to expect from a Cormoran Strike novel.
My Reviews in the Series
Other Books in the Series
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