Episode
Why Hallmarked Man is the Best Cormoran Strike Novel and Will Be Considered the Key to Unlocking the Series' Mysteries
- Published
- Dec 20, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 6465
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Summary
John Granger Attempts to Convince Nick (and You!) That The Hallmarked Man will be Considered the Best of the Series. We review our take-away impressions from our initial reading of The Hallmarked Man. Although we enjoyed it, especially John’s incredible prediction of Robin’s ectopic pregnancy, neither of us came away thinking this was the finest book in the series. For Nick, this was a surprise, as enthusiastic J. K. Rowling fan that he is other than Career of Evil every book he has read has been his favourite. Using an innovative analysis of the character pairs surrounding both Cormoran and Robin, John argues that we can’t really appreciate the artistry of book number eight until we consider its place in the series. Join John and Nick as they review the mysteries that remain to be resolved and how The Hallmarked Man sets readers up for shocking reveals in Strike 9 and 10! Why Troubled Blood is the Best Strike Novel: * The Pillar Post Collection of Troubled Blood Posts at HogwartsProfessor by John Granger, Elizabeth Baird-Hardy, Louise Freeman, Beatrice Groves, and Nick Jeffery Troubled Blood and Faerie Queene: The Kanreki Conversation But What If We Judge Strike Novels by a Different Standard than Shed Artifice? What About Setting Up the ‘Biggest Twist’ in Detective Fiction History? * If Rowling is to be judged by the ‘shock’ of the reveals in Strike 10, then The Hallmarked Man , the most disappointing book in the series even to many Serious Strikers, will almost certainly be remembered as the book that set up the finale with the greatest technical misdirection while playing fair. * The ending must be a shock, one that readers do not see coming, BUT * The author must provide the necessary clues and pointers repeatedly and emphatically lest the reader feel cheated at t…