The Hallmarked Man by Robert Galbraith

"It is the great misfortune of the coward that he sees danger everywhere, and of the snob that he perpetually underestimates those he considers his inferiors."

(Disclaimer: I try not to let the political views of authors dictate what I read. I do not agree with JK Rowlings views, but I still like her ability to tell a story. I absolutely understand why so many won't read her work anymore and don't need a lecture.)

Robin and Strike are back, with new mysteries and scandals. This time they've been hired to prove that the identity of a body found murdered and mutilated in a vault is that of their client's missing boyfriend. In the meantime, both detectives are dealing with increasingly complicated personal lives. Robin has just had a miscarriage and is suffering from PTSD due to her stay at Chapman Farm, and Strike is ready to admit he's in love with Robin even as he's reconciling how he feels about Charlotte's suicide. The mystery takes a darker turn when someone connected to the case begins hunting Robin.

This book had some interesting themes beyond the mystery and I'd like to start there. 

Accidental pregnancy features heavily in this book, starting with Robin's ectopic pregnancy which she feels the need to hide from her family and Strike. Their client, Decima, had her pregnancy and baby in secrecy, fearing repercussions from her family. And we can't forget about Strike, whose accused of fathering a child himself even though he's been told the girl isn't his. 

To be or not to be a parent, that is the question. Robin isn't sure she wants kids, which becomes a source of animosity between her and her boyfriend, Ryan Murphy who knows that he does. And Strike, who's afraid of becoming just like his own father, knows without a doubt that he doesn't want children. And just because you've become a parent doesn't mean you'd make a good one. Strike's own father was a deadbeat dad who liked to throw money at the problem. Decima who wants her child is probably too unstable to raise one and in bad need of social services to talk her out of hiding. Strike's aunt and uncle represent the ideal; they raised him as their own, introducing him to love and structure and a roof over his head, things his biological parents failed to give him.

Another theme (one I didn't like) is whether or not all men are bad. Seriously, that's a theme. This book feature's men behaving horribly. They're portrayed as violent, jealous, perverts, and liars. Strike himself is portrayed as an irresponsible womanizer. These traits are placed soley on the shoulders of men as if women couldn't possibly be any of these things. Robin at one point even says she's sick of men because they carry these problems.

I try hard not to let an author's political views color my judgement of a book, but it's hard when she starts using her storytelling to broadcast them. In this book, her so-called feminist views villainize men while painting all women as victims. To me, that suggests that her opinions on men might be as negative as her opinions on the trans-community, which I find abhorrent.

I'm also over Charlotte, Strike's crazy ex. She's dead but not gone; her family and friends integrate themselves into this story making her a chronic disease that no vaccine can cure. Seriously, why have we harped on about her for 8 books! Robin was married and we don't hear about her ex as often as we have to tolerate Strike's. And in the meantime, Robin's dating a man who, just like her ex-husband, is jealous of her relationship with Strike on top of having a temper and being a recovering alcoholic, traits that for most women would be red flags.

And because the book is filled with so much strife, the main characters spend more time fighting with each other than they do working on the case. Which to be fair, mixes things up a bit, getting away from the will-they-won't-they vibe, but it does get tiring after a while.

The case is interesting enough. It's the first time I've seen them work on identifying a victim rather than the killer. They have a line-up of men somewhat connected to the case who may or may not be dead and character witnesses who don't really want to speak out because the men in question weren't exactly fine citizens. Distasteful themes aside, it was fun to watch Strike, Robin, and their team work together to unravel the latest mystery.

I'm awarding this book 3 stars. I liked the mystery but not the politics embedded in the novel even though I'm impressed that she bothered to integrate themes at all. If misandry is upsetting to you, don't bother to pick the book up.