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The Hallmarked Man

Cormoran Strike, Book 8

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About this listen

 'A triumph of storytelling'
Guardian

FIND OUT WHAT IS NEXT FOR STRIKE AND ROBIN

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.©2025 Robert Galbraith Limited (P)2025 Hachette Audio UK Crime Thrillers Thriller & Suspense Crime Exciting Detective

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 would definitely prefer no quotations at the start of every chapter. If I were reading instead of listening. I would not read them. They appear totally extraneous to requirements.

Only one criticism

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I really wanted to love this, but I can't stretch as far as that. The last 10 minutes were worth waiting for, but I felt like that's what I was doing listening to the rest. Well-written and thoroughly-researched, as always, but a very complex plot that I don't think I will understand without listening again. It's the only book in the series so far where I switched it off part way through the reveal then tried again the next day to see if I could follow it.

Glenister's performance is astounding, especially given the large number of characters he gave voice to and it was always possible to tell each person apart (even if you couldn't remember their role in the story!). However, characters from previous books came to mind on hearing certain voices and it sounded like there were some patch edits in places where the audio changed in volume or quality.

But, similar to the last book, the thrilling hook right at the end makes me want to come back for the next one. It's almost as if it was done deliberately that way...

A 10-minute book with a 30 hour preface!

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Liked the mystery ( whose body is in the vault?). Well plotted and logical and interesting sub plots. Less good was all the press/publicity story which felt much more like something that would happen to the author herself, than a problem that would plausibly impact a PI agency. The romantic tension feels stretched here, and both protagonists seem more selfish and silly regarding their love lives than in earlier books - which feels wrong. But overall a good read with great banter and characters, marvellous reading by Glenister.

Excellent whodunnit

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without Mr Glenisters magnificent interpretation it wouldn’t have held as long as it did- he enlivened the book which otherwise would’ve been closed in first chapters.

Robert Glenister makes the story what it is -

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I was desperate to listen to this audiobook after the ending of The Running Grave two years ago. I’m sad to say then that I felt a bit disappointed with book 8 of the series. I found the crime story confusing (maybe it was because all characters involved were men of a similar age, and easy to confuse their stories?) and the love story frustrating. I hope book 9 is a return to form.

Not my favourite of the series

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