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The Hallmarked Man

Cormoran Strike, Book 8

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The Hallmarked Man

By: Robert Galbraith
Narrated by: Robert Glenister
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Summary

 'A triumph of storytelling'
Guardian

THE NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER, SEPTEMBER 2025

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 specialises 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.

PRAISE FOR THE CORMORAN STRIKE SERIES

'A superlative piece of crime fiction' Sunday Times

'The work of a master storyteller' Daily Telegraph

'A scrupulous plotter and master of misdirection, Galbraith keeps the pages turning . . . Strike and Ellacott remain one of crime's most engaging duos' Guardian

'No one can deny [Robert Galbraith, pseudonym of] J. K. Rowling's formidable talents as a crime writer' Daily Mail

'Strike is a compelling creation . . . this is terrifically entertaining stuff' Irish Times©2025 Robert Galbraith Limited Crime Thrillers Thriller & Suspense Crime Exciting Detective
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Critic reviews

A terrific and tightly plotted romp ... With an apparent effortlessness that speaks of great discipline and skill, Galbraith keeps the plates of all four possible murder inquiries spinning, each one replete with its own satisfyingly unexpected feints and twists ... A triumph of storytelling (GUARDIAN)
These Galbraith novels are remarkable, the management of a variety of themes and stories extraordinary. Indeed, I would rather read Galbraith than any other crime writer now active. These are books you can happily lose yourself in. (The Scotsman)
Cancel all your plans [...] combines a fiendish mystery with the deliciously tangled will they/won't they romantic lives of private investigators Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott. [...] It's so good to have them back. (HEAT)
Galbraith has created a world that the reader wants to spend time in and I'm just as invested in the characters as I am the mysteries. Strike and Robin are two of the most compelling characters in contemporary fiction and I really hope we've got lots more books to come. 'The Hallmarked Man' is dark, twisty and endlessly addictive, and it's one of the strongest books in the Strike series so far.' (ENTERTAINMENT FOCUS)
All stars
Most relevant
I was utterly gripped by this book and I'm probably mostly to blame for finding the plot confusing at times. There's a huge cast of characters and, upon hearing that Strike was off to interview [person of interest], I often found myself wondering "who is that again?!"

I also found the ongoing "will they, won't they" with Strike and Robin (and I'm sorry to say this) a little annoying now. With the ending of the previous book, it really stretched credulity that these two intelligent people, who see each other most days at work, could repeatedly fail to have the important conversation that needs to happen. Every time they were about to talk like grown-ups some (believable) obstacle would be placed in their path. Strike is being thoughtful and sensitive but the way that the plot conspires to prevent him from talking straight to Robin begins to feel almost comical. It's like there's a whole army of stage hands, ready and waiting in the wings to wheel out obstacles to stop The Conversation from happening.

Gripping but sometimes confusing and frustrating

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This was a tricky one for me to get into because I'm incredibly invested in the duo that forms the Strike & Ellacot detective agency. For those who know the story so far, you'll understand when I say I was in many ways drawn more to the 'other' narrative.

For those unfamiliar with the Strike series, start at book 1 - this book will give so much more if you have all of the background.

As ever, Robert Glenister is the voice of the cast of characters which he fills with life and soul.

For anyone wondering whether this book is worth your Audible credit, the answer is Elvis - just kidding. The answer is yes!

Relationships and how complex they are

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I think this may be the best one yet, so many more emotions in this one, I could of cried my eyes out when cormoran was talking to his dad, poor strike has had the worst luck always getting his dirty laundry aired in public but deep down that's so far from what sort of man he is, and Robin should know that. I feel that if she marries Murphy I will be in utter turmoil, very well done on delivering yet another beautifully written novel, but now what??? When is book 9 ??? Just superb!!!!!

Now what am I going to do????

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I pre order the book and did enjoy it. However there is a lot of characters to keep in mind and I had to keep rewinding to understand what's going on. It got so bad that at the end I didn't actually remember who was the person who was revealed as the 'who did it'.

The Strike and Robin storyline was very dull. the cliff hanger at the last book was stretched so thin that it was frankly just a buffer for more text. JK need to end the storyline between them because it's not adding anything and frankly made the book worse.

If you like Strike you will like this

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Another multi faceted book, guessing around many corners. A binge listen of over 30 hours, wanting to listen but at the same time not wanting it to end. Left with a feeling of ‘now what’ for my next listen!

The narrator excellent as always

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