The Hallmarked Man

A Cormoran Strike Novel

De: Robert Galbraith

Narrado por: Robert Glenister

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING SERIES RETURNS THIS SEPTEMBER

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 specializes 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 pick for any fan of this unique series.

©2025 Robert Galbraith (P)2025 Little, Brown & Company

So Wonderfully Complicated

To some fellow reviewers, please stop dropping spoilers into your reviews. It isn't fair.
Thanks.
**What I loved about this book: so many plots! Only a genius writer would dare throw so many balls into the air and keep juggling them successfully. Great addition to the series: surprise humor, and depth - a certain overarching consciousness of the razor's edge between tragedy and comedy. Strike and Robin are truly challenged physically, intellectually and emotionally by the various mysteries in the cases they have taken on. They are also grappling with their own pasts. There are many moments when they don't know what is happening. Listeners/readers need to pay very close attention to make sense of it all. Many characters from earlier books pop in, with Strike's memories adding context.
**Some reviewers have been critical of certain aspects of the lead characters. i would ask them to remember what the leads have been through in the previous books as well as the catastrophic life changing events they are each faced with in this one. As Robin notes silently to herself at one key turning point, ""Life had taught her that there were few limits on the lies that desperate men were prepared to tell." This recurrent truth colors her thoughts and choices as the adventures and life pile onto her.
**Sorting lies from truths is a key to this book. After all, in the precious metals world, the hallmark is the symbol that testifies to the value and truth of the object. The bitter irony of a "hallmarked man" is that desperate people frequently prefer the lie. **Lastly - Hurrah for the narrator! His performance is sheer pure perfection.

Fantastic Book

This one has so ment twists and turn I LOVE IT!! Sadly we’ll have to wait for another one

Great characters, heavy mystery

The characters, as always, are terrifically drawn – interesting, complex, compelling, human. The reader, Robert Glenister, is my favorite all-time. The twists and turns in the mystery itself were more than I needed. And there were too many characters to comfortably track via audiobook. That said, I do look forward to listening again. And I very much look forward to the next in the series—spectacular main characters who are alive in my imagination.

Aaaahhhh (again)

Love these books -- the two protagonists are absolutely fantastic, and I adore many of the side characters. My main issue with this book is actually the main mystery -- I found this one a little hard to follow and sympathize with the many, many people involved, and I'm frustrated by feeling a little like a cat and a laser toy regarding the main plot's being dragged out, but otherwise, amazing character development and really beautiful writing! A few of the chapters (avoiding spoilers: chapter where Strike gets a lawyer and the last chapter) made me squeak, which doesn't happen often. And bravo to the absolutely incredible reader, who never misses an emotional beat!!

Love the characters

This storyline was hard for me to follow. I love the characters and that’s the only reason I read these books.
Ugh! Another cliffhanger. I hope I live long enough to know how it ever ends.

Classic Robin and Strike!

Spoilers ahead. Everything you want out of a strike novel. I came out of the running grave so depressed and it’s the only one I didn’t restart immediately. Hallmarked man is maybe my second favorite behind troubled blood. Glad to see more cheerful moments in this one, and a longer epilogue tho I wish we heard a little more about Kim there at the end, but can’t have everything. Downsides: very traumatic descriptions, including graphic animal abuse, human dismemberment, human trafficking/SA, and terrorism/torture. Several of Murphy’s behaviors were unforgivable to me (eg, calling Robin a liar, jumping on her after meeting his parents, “going to the gym”). And the character development stepped back in this one, with both main characters continuing to grossly misinterpret each other’s actions and words, keeping secrets from each other, and Robin making all the same relationship mistakes we suffered through with Matthew. Also - at the end- um Robin he went in for the kiss at the ritz and you rejected it. That’s doing something. Again, however, my second fave so far and can’t ask for everything. RIP Ted. Off to relisten!

I love everything about this Book

I love the plot and jk Rowling ideas and the way she uses language. I also love her honesty and integrity. I couldn’t put the book down. Read it ! Just read it!

Another brilliant book

This mystery kept me guessing right to the end. I've guessed the killers in all previous books in the series until now. I loved how layered this one was. And the character growth we see in this book is 🔥. Is book 9 ready yet?! 😅

Too much slow burn....

No one loves the Cormoran & Robin series more than me, but I feel as if we are just being strung along. The story got way more convoluted than it should have been. It gets messy when it goes on too long. And we all know what I mean with Corm & Robin...

Finished in 2 days and now I’ll wait another 2 years for the next.

As per usual, I’m impressed with the voice actor and I think this might be my new favorite Cormoran Strike book. Realistic.