The Hallmarked Man Real-Time Re-read Wrap-up: Was it better this time through? Yes, but it's still the worst in the series, and here's why.

A recent Reddit poll ranked The Hallmarked Man last of the eight Strike books, and, if I recall correctly, it wasn't a particularly close vote. A lot of THM fans insist, it's better when you re-read, and I think that is absolutely true. Then again, that's true of all of the Strike series, and RG/JKR's other works as well. Part of the huge success of the Harry Potter series can be attributed to the details uncovered as kids and adults read them again and again. One reason I think the Strike books will never hit that level of popularity is that they are marketed squarely in the mystery category. Many adults do not read whodunnits more than once, since the thrill for them is gone once you know whodunnit. 

I've read or listened to the earlier Strike books dozens of times. I've lost track of how many times I've re-read THM, but, given that I read each section at least 2-3 times when doing a detailed blog-through like the one I have just completed, it must be six or seven by now. Did THM improve on re-reading?  Yes, absolutely. Did it, for me, lift itself out of last place? No, it didn't.  For this summary I have re-read not the book but all of my detailed blog posts, from the Advent Adventure to the Real-time Re-read, for the purposes of summarizing what changed for me and what didn't. 

The Hallmarked Man Real-time Re-read Finale, Chapters 126-127: A margarine tub and--- some broccoli?

The Hallmarked Man closed on April 7th, 2017. I am closing my in-depth re-read exactly nine years later. It's been a great ride and I am thankful to all who have followed since the start of The Hallmarked Man Advent Adventure back in early December. 

My plan is to review the last two chapters here. Then, later in the week, I'll post a round-up on how my impressions changed with the re-read, and where I think The Hallmarked Man stacks up in relationship to the rest of the series 

“In a way," said Decima Mullins, "I feel as though he did die.”

Thus begins Chapter 126, possibly the saddest closing wrap-up in the series. We already know the sad endings to two of the Wright candidates, with Semple's suicide and Powell's brutal murder. We see Decima here, wishing she'd never have found out the truth about her son't parentage and still clearly having strong feelings and desire for the man that she can never have. The best they can hope for is a platonic relationship as they strive to raise their child together and debate for the next dozen years or so whether it would be better or worse for him to know the truth about his parentage. The only comfort Strike can give her is the knowledge that her persistence in pursuing the case revealed the truth about both Semple and Powell, and, perhaps more importantly, rescued Sapphire Neagle from a terrible fate. Strike and Robin, naturally, promise never to reveal the secret about the incest and fortunately, mouthy subcontractors like KFC never found out. 

The Hallmarked Man Real-Time Re-read, Chapters 124-125: From burial to bougainvillea.

"Engraved with the regimen's winged dagger badge"

I must say, I really love Chapter 124, the first in the Epilogue. Eleven days have passed since the way-overblown confrontation with the sliced-off ear and the bottle of whiskey. Not only do we see Strike actually behaving sensibly here, but we get perhaps the best glimpse so far in the series as to what he must have been like as a soldier. 

Eleven days after Ian Griffiths and friends had been taken into custody, and Strike and Sapphire Neagle had been driven by ambulance to the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, Strike donned his only black suit in his attic flat, and drove, again, to Hereford.

We learn that Strike had correctly deduced that Niall Semple had committed suicide by jumping off the Regents' Park Bridge, with a weighted-down briefcase shackled to his wrist. His widow, Jade, has invited Strike to attend the funeral, and Strike feels he should do this, rather than accompany Robin on her trip to "tidy away the last fragment of the silver vault case." 

Strike and Robin Timelines updated after the re-read of The Hallmarked Man

 

Last January, I did a quick update of the Strike and Robin Pre- and Inter-book Timelines I have maintained for several years. Now that I am nearly done with The Hallmarked Man Real-time re-read, I have again updated both documents. 

The new Strike timeline is available here. 

The new Robin timeline is available here. 

Along with those I have a new timeline of Charlotte Campbell's life pre-Cuckoo's Calling. set up as a blog post. 

The Hallmarked Man Real-time Re-Read, Chapters 121-123: An over-the-top confrontation for an over-the-top crime.

It's the evening of Thursday, March 21, and Strike has returned to Ironbridge. Fasten your seatbelts for three intense and rather gruesome chapters. 

Night had fallen by the time Strike decided it was safe for him to re-enter the small town that had seemed so quaintly beautiful by daylight.

The Hallmarked Man Real-time Re-Read, Chapters 116-120: Visual ambiguities, Chekhov's priest and a series of interrupted phone calls.

The Hallmarked Man is winding down, which means the chapters get shorter and the pacing gets faster. In Chapter 116, it's the evening of the terrorist attack. 

Robin was at home, alone. Night had fallen, her curtains were closed, her door double-locked, her alarm on, and the dining room chair was still propped beneath the handle of the front door.

Fortunately, her anxiety is lifted by a call from Midge, who shows that listening to a recorded interview is the next best thing to being there. We learn first that Wright was kind enough to help the Mohamed family with their daughter's wheelchair. Even better, Robin's speculations about the weights were right on the money. 

The Hallmarked Man Real-time Re-read, Chapters 113-115: The Westminster attack and the associated trauma for both our detectives.

In Chapter 113, Strike and Robin catch up in the office and make some major advancements in the case. It's Friday, March 17 (St. Patrick's Day) but there is no mention of it.  Too bad Strike didn't suggest a lunch outing to an Irish pub. 

Robin left Martin asleep on the sofa bed in the sitting room the following morning and headed for the office. There was something she wanted to say to Strike face to face, so she forced herself to drive into town, checking her rear-view mirror constantly, and feeling shaky and exposed during the short walk to Denmark Street.

Robin arrives to Pat's news that Travolta the fish has died, then joins Wardle and Strike in the inner office. Strike fills her in on the confrontation with Plug & Associates the previous night, which resulted in Plug's arrest and his son being transferred to the custody of his great-uncle but with Dev Shah getting stabbed in the thigh.  But, turns out that is only part of Dev's current issues with the job. He's been listening to KFC and not only arguing with Strike about the ethics of Decima Mullins' case, but also speculating Strike has sexually harassed Kim. This is not the week to ask him to fill out an employee satisfaction review. Strike is convinced Shah's going to jump the S & E ship for Navabi's, so Wardle offers to set him straight about KFC's past shenanigans at the Met.