The Hallmarked Man (Cormoran Strike, #8)

by Robert Galbraith

pale, dumpy woman whose long, straggly brown hair had greying roots and which looked as though it hadn’t been cut in a long time.

leave it to Jo! first woman in the book and THIS is how she's described. jo despises fat women

it would have been perfectly in character for Valentine to hush up this squat, grubby-looking woman, because he was a man who placed a very high premium on looks and stylishness.

as opposed to fair- minded, non-judgmental Cormoran

but feeling more strongly than ever that she’d like to cry.

It's telling that Jo, in her 60s now, still writes characters with an unwillingness to face their emotiond, as "strong"

Since realising how little Murphy wanted

Strike's enthusiasm at putting many people in danger to score Robin is appalling

His gaze roved, apparently absent-mindedly, back to Robin’s chest.

The whole thing feels like something dreamed up by a conspiracy theorist. It’s like the plot of a B movie.’

At least Jo realizes how ridiculous her novels have become

Yes, Robin was probably right: the wisest course was to ignore his father, but if she returned from Masham engaged, Strike would consider all previous pledges cancelled.

Do most women find this petulant lack of self-regulation sexy?

until Strike’s bored expression intimidated her into silence.

jo understands that unpleasantness isn't a strength, right? oh wait

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.

good line

I’d got him quite drunk,’ Kim added, with another of her little laughs.

jo hates women so much

because it reminded him of the tedious hours he’d spent in her company, all in the service of two easy fucks, and of his own stupidity.

jesus jo hates women who fuck

because he’d been an arrogant fuckwit who thought she was there for the taking if he chose…

with jo, i never know if she actually knows men's tendency to be self-loathing instead of taking accountability and feeling remorseful--or if she thinks she's writing a flawed, but irresistible, man

Strike couldn’t offhand think of any men with whom he had deeply personal conversations.

‘You’ve led a bloody sheltered life if you think this is foul,’ said Strike, and he left.

strike is unpleasant whilst coping with a situation he created

He had nobody but himself to blame for the fact that he’d been forced, in what was likely to be the most auspicious setting for romance he and Robin would ever visit together, to listen to her outline her plans to preserve her eggs for Murphy.

It's so rare Strike does the decent thing. And when he does, he is so resentful about it

However, they landed without mishap to a round of applause from the passengers, excluding Strike, for whom the forearm-grabbing had been bittersweet, and who’d happily have endured a far rougher descent for prolonged physical contact.

Do other women reading this think of Strike as sweet? To me his motives and actions and hopes are entirely self-serving. Perhaps Jo just thinks she's keeping it real?