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!

The whole Carmen storyline made me a bit uneasy, all the stuff with how controlling Martin was but also her drinking straight spirits so heavily pregnant and being enabled by Robin actually buying her a double vodka.

I was so sure when Linda said the baby was early and unwell that it was going to be fetal alcohol syndrome.

Yes me too. But fundamentally Robin couldn’t have refused her - or possibly started a AIBU thread.

I thought she did give Martin a bit of a hard time, but she’s always s grateful when someone appreciates her that she loses perspective

Yes, they were 2 different ones. The Nef that Rupert took was nothing to do with the Masons and the one found in the basement was based on the ship that took the first Mason to America and appeared in the catalogue for auction so would have been noticed if it was the exact same as the one Dino was missing

I can't imagine being in that situation, I was surprised they didn't show Robin being conflicted she just seemed surprised and went ahead and did it.

It brought me back to working in a corner shop when I was 19 and having a heavily pregnant woman come in all summer buying cigarettes and feeling so uneasy selling it them to her but knowing it wasn't my place to say anything. That being said I don't know if I was her SIL would I have bought them for her, definitely worthy of an AIBU while standing at the bar

What was the significance of the lion motif on Tyler’s weights? They were removed from his flat as they would prove the body was Tyler. How?

And all the lions connecting the missing men.

Tyler’s weights
Dick De Lion
Baby Lion.

All just coincidence?

It seems consistent with Robin’s views and experiences to respect Carmen’s choice on that occasion.

It wasn't a lion it was the mascot of a football club- Wolverhampton wolves? and would have given away Tyler's identity - or provided a clue anyway

@Strellacott Hadn’t come across John Granger before: he’s certainly been analysing JKR’s writing and interviews a long time!

His stuff about the mythology and Jungian things in that article is interesting!

The "lion" on the weights was the Wolverhampton Wanderers symbol, they seemed to have been fairly unique as one of the team was able to find the ebay listing that he purchased them off. Mohammed thinks its a lion but its actually a wolf

Thanks @miri1985 and @Woompund

I didn’t know JKR mentioned Cupid and Psyche, that’s interesting. I can’t remember all the strands of the ancient myth - or even THM now as it was so complicated, but it feels like it fits with what I was saying above about Robin. Her psychological needs will be the biggest issue in the next book. In the oldest tellings of Cupid and Psyche, not sure about post-renaissance, but the Greek myth they both go through a lot to get back to one another after trials almost beyond endurance. Cupid does not rape Psyche in the Greek original. It’s about mistakes, betrayals and then ultimately perseverance as individuals and then as a pair, literally ‘love’ and ‘soul’ who transcend their bullshit to become immortal together in love. Many times in the trials set by evil bitch Venus (Charlotte vibes) Psyche is ready to welcome death, bit like HP. Psyche means soul and JKR is definitely quite deeply interested in souls - the whole HP series revolves around them. Psyche also means relating the the mind (a few languages soul/heart/mind are interchangeable words) and she kept mentioning uni and having to leave, where she was meant to be studying psychology. I think the best although saddest part of this book was the study of the psychology of a tortured woman in a man’s world. There’s parallels for sure.

JKR loves her Greek mythology, Leda and the Swan is a whole thing too. Rokeby is the swan/Zeus and they have loads of half immortal kids born out of eggs or something.

I don’t know where I’m going with this just thinking out loud. Might need to go old school, get out a pen and paper and do myself a mind map.

Wow - I was not expecting to be one of only a small handful of people on this thread not to have loved the book :-s

I love the Strike series more than anyone I know - people online excluded ;-) - and I never used to see why some reviewers said that JKR’s books needed tighter writing or heavier editing. For me, the language flew so readably, and the descriptions were just right.

But about a third of the way through this book, I started thinking it was getting a bit tedious. And by the time Strike and Robin were on Sark and one of them noted that the pub’s lavatory doors read “Gentlemen/Hommes” and “Ladies/Femmes” I had a sinking feeling. Oh, and the toilets were across a yard. And the carpet in the bar was red. I mean, WHY! In a book 900 pages long, that is just ridiculous and unnecessary detail. How could any editor not have cut that?! I mean, it’s very satisfying for any Strike pilgrims that follow in JKR’s footsteps and note that yes indeed, that is what is written on the toilet doors - but for literally ANYONE else it’s just tedious minutiae!

And don’t get me started on the storm that meant they might have to spend another night on Sark, whoops, oh no it’s actually fine, just a two hour delay… what was the point of that!

I am still a massive fan and cannot wait for book 9. But this is perhaps the first book written by JKR where I have honestly (ever!) thought the writing quality was not 100% gold.

NB I have found this thread illuminating and after reading more about PTSD here I am less annoyed at Robin. And I totally got HP OOTP vibes as a previous poster mentioned - even while reading the book I was thinking that perhaps this misery is necessary for future payoff… And I loved the Rokeby chapter, and thought Strike needing a DNA test himself might help him forgive Rokeby… but I still think it needs a pair of garden shears taken to certain chapters!

saynotofondant oh I totally agree with you! The HP books were frankly poorly written in many ways, I just accept it from the author to get the end result. JKR is excellent at world building, and looping themes together, but repetitive and unnecessary words are often threatening to undermine her otherwise excellent work. It can feel worse sometimes on the audio book having to listen to poor Robert Glennister have to read out a load of filler, no wonder the book is huge!

I couldn’t do what she does, but also I’d get a shit hot editor 😬 maybe when you’re really good at weaving stories and creating beloved characters, you can get away with repeatedly saying “the latter” ugh!

I assume they would both have to sell, but there was no mention of them putting their flats on the market or even getting estate agents round. Robin would obviously be putting this off because of work/ not really wanting to move in with Murphy and he would be getting annoyed with her, but they got as far as putting an offer in without this even being mentioned.

I have questions

danny de Leon - did Branfoot put a hit out on him? Did he think he was the body in the vault? Did he assume or did someone claim it, which seems rather risky

why did shanker think it was a professional hit and indicate he knew the guy who said he’d done it and it was on the instructions of someone well connected? Oz/Griffiths isn’t a London gangster, there’s no overlap. Some idiot just taking credit?

on what pretext did Todd meet Tyler and persuade him to come to London with a fake identity and he would help him get a job in a silver shop for which he had zero experience? That seems so far fetched

I loved the scene with Rokeby and I hope strike gets some closure from having an acquaintance with him

i disliked that robin was right about Reata Lindvall - her character can be a bit of a Mary Sue, is she ever wrong about anything in an investigation?

I take the point about robin and Ryan both needing to sell to buy but I’m glad we were treated to schemes with a mortgage broker and debates about fixed vs. variable rates

another horrifyingly grim conclusion - how does such a seemingly nice woman come up with these nightmare scenarios?

My thought at 2am, are we up to 2018 already? Because with 2 books to go, we're going to hit Covid fairly soon. She does include topical references so she won't gloss over it.

So either the next two books are going to be immediate follow ons, or lock down will be in Book 10.

We are in 2017 I think - that’s when the Westminster bridge attack was, so this book is 2016/17.

im thinking Strike will almost certainly be incapacitated at some point in book 9 or 10 - either arrested or taken hostage and Robin will have to sort it all out with her various contacts - Ilsa, Shanker, Rokeby etc.

Ive seen lots of criticism of the book, I’m on my second read and have read the last chapter 3 or 4 times. I think you have to take the series as whole which we can’t do yet, but as I said above, I think this will turn out to be the Order of the Phoenix of the series and the light hearted tone that I love so much about her writing will return and everyone won’t be quite so mentally distressed. For that reason I’m hoping when the next book returns (inevitably probably several weeks after the proposal) Robin will have regained some perspective and be taking the time she needs to recover herself before making any big decisions!

Yes, Brexit was TRG, so this Christmas must be Christmas 2016, into 2017, you're right.

Unlikely to be locked down together then!

Yep, we're definitely in around March 2017. I'm sure that they've mentioned on the Strike & Elacott podcast that JKR has said that she wanted to the series to end before Covid.

Completely agree with the view that this is the Order of the Phoenix of the series. It's definitely not bumping its way up the list of my favourites. I do think that the next book is going to pick up where we left off, although that may be wishful thinking, but I really think the reader needs to have Robin's immediate perspective on what happens on the stairs and find out what she says to Murphy when he proposes. Does people pleaser Robin have it in her to dump her boyfriend on his birthday whilst he's proposing?

Yep, we're definitely in around March 2017. I'm sure that they've mentioned on the Strike & Elacott podcast that JKR has said that she wanted to the series to end before Covid.

I knew I’d heard / read that somewhere so it was almost definitely on TSEF.

Glad to have found this thread! A series of random thoughts:

1. I thought the preponderance of lions was going to have some significance but it didn't seem to.
2. Re Robin being a Mary Sue - I've always thought Robin was based on JKR herself. Her looks are very similar to JKR's, and she has had an abusive marriage.
3. I found the tension/arguments between Strike and Robin quite tedious and unnecessary. Their only purpose seemed to be to delay for another 900 pages the point at which they eventually get together. It felt like an extended episode of EastEnders.
4. Loved the Tunnock's teacakes, obviously.
5. The plot was too convoluted - I normally love the complexity of these plots, but I couldn't follow what was happening, who was related to who etc.
6. I'm not even sure I understand enough of what was happening to ask pertinent questions, but one question I do have is about Chloe/Jolanda. Towards the end it says that Chloe told Tyler her real identity. It also says that Tyler trusted Ian Griffiths when he was persuading him to take the new job in the silver shop. Why would he trust Ian when he knew that Chloe had been trafficked? Or have I missed something about the sequence of events?
7. But I did love the fact that she managed to pull some surprises out of the bag in the last 100 pages that I just didn't see coming.
8. In summary: quite enjoyable in parts but very far from being my favourite of the series.

I have just thought of another thing I didn't like, which was Strike watching pornography and getting an erection. That felt faintly unpleasant and not in keeping with the Strike we know and love.

He’s always been portrayed as a ‘red blooded male’ so I don’t think there’s any surprise he’d have a response to what he was seeing. He is only human.

i was also quite confused about how Tyler ended up working at the silver shop. I’m relistening now to work it out. At this point I think that Tyler coincidentally came into contact with Todd the cleaner. Todd was a contact of Griff because they’d worked together on trafficking in Europe. Todd sent the email to Griff (Oz) saying he could help him solve his problem (Tyler), though I don’t know how he knew Griff wanted Tyler dead. Todd helped Tyler get the job at the silver shop and then set up his murder with Griff. Why they thought that was the best way to kill him rather than just slipping him a peanut I don’t yet understand.

Personally I don’t mind all the detailed descriptions etc, but I did find quite a few typos in this book which made me feel the edits had been a bit rushed. Having said that, I want her to rush! 😂

I didn't mind Strike's reaction to the porn - I didn't get the impression it was something he indulged in regularly, but it clearly doesn't bother him either. Porn is pretty much designed to arouse straight men, and Strike doesn't have particularly unusual taste in that area from what we've seen so far.

IIRC he gets an erection in response to a picture Charlotte sends in one of the other books and then he feels guilty about it because he's trying to stay away from her.

Didn't Tyler come across Todd on the website for the wrongly accused, and that's where the plan came from? I haven't got to that bit on my reread yet and I was massively rushing that bit on my first read through as I wanted to get to the end! I also thought Tyler was a red herring and didn't pay as much attention to that bit 😳