SPOILER ALERT Hallmarked Man (Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott)

[Civilservant]

Spoiler thread for posters who have read or listened to The Hallmarked Man by Robert Galbraith (J K Rowling) and would like to discuss it!

One of them is called Jonathan. So might be that you heard? Think she has 3 - Martin ( one with the issues and pregnant girlfriend) Stephen (eldest)

You're right! I'm addled by so many names to remember!

Loved the scene with Rokeby - the healing power of a sandwich! Loved them sitting down to eat together and finally making a connection.

Just finished. Loved it. All the swans! But bloody hell. That ending! That was just mean.

On a slightly less hysterical note - it felt more tightly edited than the previous two which was good.

I finished it at stupid o'clock this morning. Am exhausted today! I feel like I'm still processing everything. I didn't like Strike for a lot of the book, it felt like he was being v manipulative towards Robin & Murphy & I feel like she deserves better than that. I think he shouldn't have been trying to engineer a big romantic declaration but instead should have arranged a post-work-hours meeting with her & just sat her down & calmly explained that he'd been fighting his feelings for her because he was worried about the agency & their friendship but that he thought she deserved the truth. How differently that would have played out amidst Murphy's lies about his alcoholism!

Once again, I loved how we got clues about all the different candidates for WW but not quite enough to put it all together until they were going to confront them. I find so many detective books/shows very frustrating because I usually find it's overly obvious who the baddie is & then I get bored waiting for the reveal. Every time JKR releases a new Strike book I think I'm going to crack it before the reveal this time & every time I'm almost there but still surprised by at least some aspects!

I need the next book now!

Me too. I can’t wait another two years!
I’ve just downloaded it on audible but shall listen to the TSEF files 2 hour mammoth reaction podcast first!

I cried at the bracelet scene! It was so beautifully done.
Then nearly threw the book across the room in frustration with Robin a few chapters later! FFS girl, stop sleepwalking into these relationships!

The stairs at the end, the most perfect setting! But loved Pat telling Strike that's not how to do it!

My little grumble is Strike saying how a curly wig isn't a brilliant disguise (because in Lethal White they made a massive deal about how coloured contact lenses completely changed Robin's appearance!)

This is what I wrote in my notes app about half way through:

The story about finding silver on Sark is a metaphor for strike and robin in this book. The seam gets richer and richer and they get closer and closer to the mother-lode but then it all collapses to dust.

I loved this too. Especially as the bracelet was so meaningful but also a bit uneven (presumably the sizes of the charms). Strike knew what he wanted to convey but having not had to ever really work for someone’s attention before he wasn’t perfect at it!
Whilst I don’t want the whole of the next book to be them still not together, I think he does need to put some work in. At the end of TRG he realised that Robin was worth the effort but then all through this book he was just kind of waiting for the right moment to make his declaration so she could (presumably) fall into his arms. He needs to realise that it’s day to day work and effort that earns the big relationship rewards.

Oh and the fact that Strike took Shanker's advice about jewellery to impress a woman :)

I normally listen on audible, but I got the ebook this time and was determined to spot the killer. I even made a mindmap as I went along. Here's a blurry copy so you can see how many characters there are most of them are new! (I didn't include anyone from the agency or Robin's family) but if you got confused at any point who people were, here is why). It's a real mess as I didn't tidy it as I went along and was trying to capture relationships but it got really complicated, and at one point was just dumping names in it as new characters kept popping up!

Oh I’m so glad to find this thread. Devoured the book over three days and I’m itching inside with the need to talk to someone about it. Have listened to the TSEF reaction episode but I have things to say! 😂 Not the most important but it’s really bugging me…what was Robin’s Christmas gift to Strike? We see her giving him an envelope but do we find out what it was? Did I completely miss it? Robin frustrated the hell out of me in this book. It felt a bit unlike her character, or that she has massively regressed. Maybe we’ll get an explanation for that through her therapy. Her outrage at the end at Strike not telling her sooner, omg girl, if that bracelet on top of what he said at the end of TRG didn’t tell you that’s on you! I loved the stairwell at the end but it’s NOT how I pictured their stairwell scene going! 😩

Robins present to Strike as a subscription to Cornish foods to be delivered to him monthly. So she gave him a card with it in.

Love this. I read the Maid of the Silver Sea when it was revealed as an epigraph source and loved it.

Omg yes thank you! I completely forgot. My brain is a bit fried from reading 900 pages so fast!

I feel like it’s Robin’s turn to do some work. One of the things I love about their relationship is how equal it is, but she seems to be expecting him to take the lead. Which is obviously an issue for her as she’s super passive in her personal relationships. I just really hope we see a breakthrough on that front soon. And not just because Strike would **ing love it.

I’m halfway through so not reading the thread. Just wanted to express how fucking frustrating these two are!

Just have an actual conversation FFS

@Shortpoet that mind map looks amazing! I need one for all the characters. I was super confused by the end but I didn’t want to stop to work it out.

I’m also confused by why the silver was hidden. Were they planning to come back for it? I need a day or two to process before I start the audiobook for a second ‘read’.

I read it once to find out what happens to Strike and Robin. I'll pick up the detective story bit on a second reading. The crime part of the plot is secondary for me. It's the characters which is why I read this series.

Tunnocks teacakes made me smile.

now re listening to it and she places a clue to the huge surprise as to the reason lions father left was placed in chapter 2

Re-listening with google maps on the go. I’m looking at the Lebanese restaurant in Leatherlane right now

Exactly, I’m sure I’d notice the detective clues if I weren’t so invested in the Robin/Strike relationship!

I was really hoping for Robin that she’d have the growth to finish with Murphy on her own terms because she knows she doesn’t love him. Disappointing that Strike declared first. Knew if it happened it would be on those stairs though.

Otherwise loved it, will re listen several times more I’m sure.

I have finished! I’m going to have a bit of a lie down then I’ll be back

Ugh, Robin was frustrating me in this one. She lies endlessly to Murphy and hates the thought of living with him, plus he clearly wants kids and she doesn’t really. At this stage I almost hope he dumps her. I can’t fathom a relationship where you get attacked twice and don’t tell your nearest and supposedly dearest.

My initial thoughts on Strike and Robin (not the plot)

they were infuriating in this one.

the TV series is going to be 3x30 minutes there was so much overthinking and inner turmoil.

I agree Robin needs to sort herself out. Hopefully book 9 will be her finishing with Murphy and getting some therapy, but still being cross with strike and all men until end of Book 9.

the Sark trip was lovely.