The Hallmarked Man (Cormoran Strike #8), by Robert Galbraith
The Hallmarked Man by Robert Galbraith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A thrilling yet tangled chase through secrets, ethics, and emotional turmoil.
This eighth instalment of the Cormoran Strike & Robin series doesn’t quite reach the brilliance of its predecessors. The primary case Strike & Robin are investigating is very convoluted and complicated. At some points I actually had to search for and go back to earlier parts to remember the connections.
As such, this novel was somewhat more challenging to read. It was nevertheless worth it: It was suspenseful, interesting, and – despite the complexity – believable and very, very engaging.
Much room is given to the relationship between Robin and Strike, and countless were the times when I wanted to grab one of them and shake them and shout at them to finally talk to each other. (I confess to loudly yelling at my Kobo to that effect.)
Coming from the previous novel’s ending, I had hoped for, but did not expect, big developments – which may or may not have occurred in this novel…
If you’re a fan of this series, get it from a library to try and make sure the author doesn’t get a dime from you. Do not start the series with this book, though. It’s probably good enough for a stand-alone read, but you’ll definitely be confused by many of the references to earlier books.
»We are all of us, though not all equally, mistaken.
– Albert Pike The Liturgy of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry«
Please take note: Rowling is still very much openly transphobic and, thus, I encourage you not to buy her books, but rather get them in a library so that at the very least she won’t profit any more than she already has.
If you’re one of those people who don’t believe who and what she is, here’s an excellent article (permanently updated) that collects Rowling’s disgusting statements and actions:
https://www.glamour.com/story/a-compl…
Roman Polanski, Woody Allen, Bill Cosby, Joanne K. Rowling – they are different kinds of monsters and yet monsters they all are. I recoil whenever I’m confronted with their depravity. And yet, I cannot break from their art. I can keep calling them out, though.
Four stars out of five.
