The Hallmarked Man Part 1 Preview: Spoilers through Chapters 1-13

I finally got access to a longer English preview yesterday via the Books-a-Million site (click on "Look Inside:" if you want to see). I spent yesterday poring over the first 13 chapters, or most of part 1. Wow!  Do not proceed if you don't want spoilers.  I am staying off social media now, as there are later-book spoilers floating around-- apparently some bookstores are a bit careless about putting them out before the official date.  I ask all readers to observe the warning in the post header and not post comments with spoilers beyond Chapter 13. 

I actually enjoyed being able to read the section through twice.  Maybe I will try to discipline myself into doing that for the rest of the book, to savor the experience.  Of course, that's what I said with TRG and that resolve evaporated after Charlotte died. 

I need to put up a poll to let people vote on the worst baby name:  Lion or Switch?  I'm a little surprised Strike did not pull the "client doesn't get to tell me what to investigate" card---  maybe because Decima seemed so fragile?  Proving Rupert is in New York, or alive and in hiding elsewhere would address the question of whether he's the corpse. 

Robin's ectopic pregnancy was certainly a surprise.  I have to wonder what Strike's reaction will be when he finds out. On the one hand, gynecological issues are definitely on his "I don't want to know" list, but she did suffer the attack while on the job. I think we are supposed to be suspicious of Murphy--  while I don't think he was drunk, I think he definitely knew the condom had come off. And showing up with a gym bag and a flimsy excuse (would a cop actually wait around for a person who blocked him in, when he could have them ticketed and towed?) after Robin expressed doubt about kids and reluctance for freezing her eggs?  I continue to hope that she will leave Ryan because she realizes this relationship isn't what she wants, not because he does something underhanded. But the stage seems to be getting set for, at the very least, her to uncover shady stuff after she leaves him to further justify the decision. 

I am glad we also learned more about the Nancarrow family history; as many had guessed there was something dark there that made Ted leave home. However, it doesn't seem to have involved sexual abuse of Leda, unless her father had regular access to her at Granny Nancarrow's. If Ted left home at 18 and returned seven years later, after his father's "premature" death (was there foul play involved?) "Peggy" would have been 11 at the time and in the custody of her grandmother since age 2. It was interesting to learn that she renamed herself Leda when she married---  the "change of name" she wanted was more than a surname. Right now, it seems the "draconian" Granny was merely strict, not abusive, but will we learn more later?

It seems we have two questions to answer: who was "William Wright" and was the mutilated body actually him? Just because the DNA of the body matched DNA found in the store does not mean that DNA is "William's." And how would a man's hair wind up in the U-bend of a sink at work?

 The "Fleetwood" name apparently was originally for a "lost place" in Lancashire, making it fitting for the guy that has gone missing. 

If anyone is curious about what the Plug cartoon character looks like, here's a picture. Given the Strike and Ellacott files observation that the side cases can mirror aspects of the main case, I think it is very interesting we have an uncle hiring the agency to investigate his nephew and try to get him arrested, because he thinks the nephew is robbing his sister. (I think the teenage son will be crucial to the case). Not only do we have an aunt and uncle who apparently spent all of their nephew Rupert's money, we have Uncle Lynden Knowles supposedly putting out a hit on his nephew Jason. 

Auntie Anjelica is more than a little suspicious---  if she wants police and detectives to stop contacting her about her nephew, she could just give them his contact information. The relationship with the orphan nephew seems poor---  boarding school and no money left in the trust?  Peter Fleetwood owned a $40K silver piece (the price given for the one shown in the Twitter Header) but there weren't enough family assets to pay for boarding school? An why the animosity against Papa Longcaster?  Is it resentment over the loss of the nef, or something else?  Could there have been a custody issue with the aunt and the godfather for little orphan Rupert? 

All the cases involving nephew hostilities make Strike and Ted's relationship shine all the brighter. Probably my favorite scene of his whole preview is when Strike is unpacking his shoebox and pondering what to do about Robin. 

Brooding would do no good whatsoever; what was needed was decisive action.

It seemed to Strike that the wraith of Edward Nancarrow nodded approvingly at this conclusion so having finished the washing-up, he replaced the photographs and the two hats in the shoebox and then, after a second's deliberation, placed the old fisherman's priest on the windowsill, the only ornament, if it could be so called, that he'd ever put on display. 

Strike is making plans to out-compete Ryan F. Murphy for Robin's affections. I think this is a good time to recall the meaning of RFM's name.  Ryan means "little king" while Murphy means "sea warrior." Strike has taken position of, and put in a place of honor, a weapon that his sea-loving father figure used to "finish off fish still fighting for life."  I think we can prepare for a battle in which Strike will, figuratively of course, finish Murphy off. 

This is also the only place we've ever seen Ted addressed as "Edward," which tells us this, meaning "wealthy guardian" is his real name, not Theodore ("God-given.") While Ted is certainly not a man of monetary wealth, especially compared to Strike's biological father, he was certainly the most valuable guardian Strike ever had. 

Naturally, I had to look up "Stitches," the song Robin's inconsiderate neighbor is playing upstairs.

I would say it is not good news for Murphy to have these lyrics pop up while Robin is thinking---  no,  knowing how much she loves Murphy.

I thought that I'd been hurt before
But no one's ever left me quite this sore
Your words cut deeper than a knife
Now I need someone to breathe me back to life

Got a feeling that I'm going under
But I know that I'll make it out alive
If I quit calling you my lover
Move on

You watch me bleed until I can't breathe
Shaking, falling onto my knees
And now that I'm without your kisses
I'll be needing stitches
Tripping over myself
Aching, begging you to come help
And now that I'm without your kisses
I'll be needing stitches

Just like a moth drawn to a flame
Oh, you lured me in, I couldn't sense the pain
Your bitter heart cold to the touch
Now I'm gonna reap what I sow
I'm left seeing red on my own

Of course, Robin did need stitches after the ectopic pregnancy, for which Murphy certainly bore some responsibility. 

Strike is wondering if Murphy knows he slept over on the sofa bed?  Ryan and Robin weren't even together then! What he ought to be wondering is if Murphy knows they shared a bed at Felbrigg Lodge. 

I do wonder if, when Murphy said Kim had "quite the rep at work" he was talking about her professional reputation. Bijou had "quite the rep at work," too, after all. It's very interesting that Robin got caught in the lie about Strike seeing Bijou, and Strike seemed to know why she told it and covered for her.  Strike's statement that Bijou was a "misguided exercise in distraction and instant gratification that's cured me of the practice" certainly counts as one of the most personal things he has ever said to her--- and for it to happen on the street when they are tailing a target?  I have a feeling there will be a lot more drama in the personal lives than in the cases in this book. 

Questions/thoughts that jumped out at me from Murphy's report.

• What errand was William sent on late in the afternoon?
• When was the alarm disabled and by whom?
• Why did the three survivors separate?
• What happened to the two that didn't get in the getaway car?
• How were they carrying the silver? Did they steal it or did it vanish for some other reason? 
• Has any record of the nef been found at the shop? 
• Would the shop hire someone fr whom they are trying to sell a valuable nef on commission?
• Murphy reports the corpse was dressed in something weird and humiliating; news reports said it was nude. Which was it?
• Again, hair in the sink sounds like it could be an easy plant. 
• If Truman is genuinely a Freemason, then his releasing Knowles' identity while under orders not to is suspicious. 
• Of the other two candidates for the corpse, the paratrooper sounds like the one most likely to be identified by fingerprints. 
• And, his Scotland home and military background sounds like a good excuse to visit Hardacre. 
• Maybe the story of Strike's medal will come up there? 

Connections to even-numbered books:

Decima's house has Gothic elements, like Liz Tassel's home near cemetery, Chiswell House, and Highgate.  

The Silkworm:

• Dismembered corpse, arranged and posed and surrounded by silver, like Owen Quine. 
• Decima's case also inverts Leonora's. Leonora thought Quine had gone away; he was actually murdered. Decima thinks he was murdered; he may only be missing. 
• Strike consulted "even Anstis," the first time we know of contact between them since TS. 
• A nice echo of the Burger King talk:
• "If investigating is going to cause trouble between you and Murphy, we'll pass."
• Caught off guard, Robin "I--even if it did, that's not a good reason not to take it," she said, without thinking. 
• This is a good match for "You're getting married to someone who hates you doing it!" 
• "Even if that's-- whether that's true or not," she said unsteadily. "It's up to me what I do with my--- it's not up to Matthew what career I have."

Lethal White:

• Robin experiencing stress-related symptoms as a result of trauma she experienced in the previous book. 
• Strike notices but she refuses to take time off. 
• Sacha and Valentine were first mentioned, together, when Strike remembered their past trip to the racetrack with Charlotte. Both have connections to the Decima-Rupert mystery. 
• Wealthy person living in broken down house. 
• The women in the train station suspected a ruptured appendix, like Jack had. 
• Decima is the Roman name for the Fate Lachesis in Greek mythology, which featured in LW. 

The Ink Black Heart: 

• Death of a dog (Wolfgang, Rowntree) 
• Strike's first impression of Decima is of someone unkempt and "Gateshead" just like Robin's was of Edie.
• Both women present this way despite the fact that they are wealthy. 
• Robin gains information from reader comments on online news articles. 
• Strike is annoyed by seeing a picture of Ryan and Robin on her mantel, just like he was previously annoyed by the Hugh Jacks group shot. 
• Robin is trying to forget about and downplay Strike's hand-grenade at the end of TRG, just like she did the missed kiss at the Ritz. At the rate they are going there are going to have enough elephants in the room to open a circus. 

Connections to #5 books

 Troubled Blood:

• Death of Ted links to death of Joan.
• Strike drove through the rain to get to Joan's deathbead, he's also driving through a torrential downpour when the readers learn of Ted's death.  
• Strike feels the presence of the "wraith" of Ted like he felt the "wraith" of Leda in the garden. 
• A parent of an infant has disappeared; partner insists he never would have abandoned her and baby. 
• Robin has an ectopic pregnancy, just like Theo. 
• We've barely met Kim Cochran but she's already given the impression of a female Saul Morris.
• She's attractive and competent, with background in police.
• But a bit too eager to toot her own horn. 
• She's cozying up to Strike but dismissive of Robin.
• She's asked about the romantic status of an agency partner she is clearly interested in.
• She tries to attract attention by lifting her arms and calling attention to her tight-fitting shirt.
• She's aroused jealousy in the other partner, when Robin hears about her communications with Strike and immediately concludes there might be something going on. 
• Barclay has Robin's back as far as Kim's concerned. Go Barclay!
• Two-times is back! They're going to be calling the guy "54-times" before they retire. 
• Vanessa got engaged in TB; now we learn she has a baby. 
• Robin finally gives a bad birthday gift, the whiskey that reminds Strike of Charlotte, like he got her flowers that reminded her of Sarah Shadlock in TB.  
• The "criminal family every bit as sociopathic as the Knowles" is undoubtedly the Riccis. 
• Ted's wraith "nods approvingly" at Strike's plan to win Robin from Murphy. Polworth told Strike back at the pub that Ted and Joan "reckon you're going to end up with your business partner, that Robin girl."

Order of the Phoenix: 

• Death of protagonist's surrogate father induces lots of grief and guilt.
• Surrogate parent who died hated his own parent(s) and left home, not returning until they were dead. 
• Cleaning out of an old house. 
• A secret society at the heart of the story.
• Hallmark carved on corpse's back, words carved on Harry's hand. 

I'm also seeing a reasonable number of connections to Career of Evil, which Double Wedding Band does not predict.  So, either the model may need modification, or this is a natural result of the huge number of connections to Troubled Blood, since Books 3 and 5 were so closely linked.

• In CoE, there were four suspects for the Leg Man, one a career criminal that the police, at least early on, were quite convinced it was, and three that Strike suggested investigating, We have a similar situation here, with Strike looking at Rupert Fleetwood, Niall Semple and Tyler Powell. 
• It seems likely that Graham Hardacre will turn up again, as a source of information about both paratrooper Niall Semple and the Freemasons. 
• Robin self-corrects her thoughts:  She had to--  no, she wanted to marry Matthew; she thinks-- no she knows she's in love with Ryan. Ilsa, please come slap some sense into her. 

I'm not expecting any more book until tomorrow, so I'll be back with Part 2 on Tuesday or Wednesday.  Happy Striking!