The Hallmarked Man
The Hallmarked Man is a crime fiction novel written by British author J. K. Rowling, released on 2 September 2025.[1] It is the eighth book in the Cormoran Strike series of detective fiction novels, following The Running Grave which was released in September 2023. Like previous books in the series, it was published under the pen name Robert Galbraith, and features protagonists Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott solving a murder case. PlotThe novel begins in the aftermath of the passing of Cormoran Strike's uncle Ted due to a stroke. While Robin Ellacott is ill, the agency is called in by Decima Mullins to investigate a case involving a dismembered body that was found five months previously in the vault of Ramsay Silver, a shop located on a street behind London's Freemasons' Hall and specializing in Masonic silverware. The police believe that the body belongs to Jason Knowles, a known convicted robber who was posing as William Hastings. However, Mullins thinks it is the body of Rupert Fleetwood, her missing boyfriend and the father of Lion, her newborn son. The investigation spans London, Shropshire, Scotland, and the Channel Islands, and reveals the existence of several other missing men who could also fit the profile of the victim. A secondary plot explores Robin's growing relationship with her boyfriend Ryan Murphy, and Strike's feelings for her. CharactersProtagonists
Secondary Characters
DevelopmentBackgroundRowling announced the title of the book through X on 15 March 2024.[2] Public speculation about the setting and plot of the novel grew due to images and posts on Rowling's X account. These included Iron Bridge, Wild Court (a street behind Freemasons' Hall in London), the island of Sark in the Channel Islands, Crieff in Scotland, and the Savoy Hotel in London. Rowling partly confirmed these speculations when she said that a few chapters would be set on Sark during an interview.[3] She also teased a few plot details, revealing that she had written about an encounter that had been foreshadowed for years. On 17 December 2024, Rowling announced that she had finished writing the novel. The involvement of the Masons was further hinted at when the cover, which was leaked through Apple books on 23 May 2025, featured Freemasons' Hall. Retail listings later revealed the inclusion of a new character called Decima Mullins and confirmed the involvement of Freemasonry. Rowling revealed in an interview that Masonic concepts like the Pigpen Cipher would be plot points. PublicationThe novel was published by Sphere Books in the UK and by Mulholland Books in the USA. Both Mulholland and Sphere are imprints of Little, Brown and Company (part of the Hachette Book Group), which has published all of Rowling's adult fiction, including The Casual Vacancy. The novel has hardback, paperback, eBook, and audiobook editions. The audiobook is narrated by Robert Glenister, who also narrated all the previous books in the series.[4] Early copies of the hardcover edition started going out on 27 August.[5] The book was released to the public on 2 September. SequelOn 16 December 2024, Rowling revealed that she was already making plans for the ninth book in the series. Rowling has previously stated that she intends to end the series after ten books.[6] References
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
