The Hallmarked Man (Cormoran Strike, #8)

by Robert Galbraith

The distinguishing characteristics of a Gateshead were an irrational belief, a dislike of common sense questions and an inability to contemplate alternative explanations for their dilemmas.

‘Proper man’ was a Polworth-ism with many connotations. To be a proper man meant to be a strong man, an outdoors man, but also a man of principle. It meant lack of bombast, a repudiation of shallowness and a core of quiet self-belief. It meant being slow to anger, but firm in conviction.

‘There’s no pride in having what you never worked for,’

‘Never let the other chap change your game plan,’ Ted had once told Strike, though they’d been speaking of boxing, rather than romance. ‘Stick to your own, and play to your strengths.’

There’s no pride in having what you never worked for. Never let the other chap change your game plan. Stick to your own, and play to your strengths.

Strike spotted Kim wending her way back towards him. ‘Linda,’ said Strike, before Kim could speak, ‘this is Nina. Nina, Linda.’ ‘Hi,’ said Kim brightly. ‘How do you know Cormoran?’ ‘We fucked twice, a few years ago,’ said Nina, leaving Strike to deplore the tendency of the upper classes to call a spade a spade. ‘Oh,’ said Kim, without a flicker of discomposure. ‘He’s good, isn’t he? Speaking of which, Corm, I’d rather be doing that. Let’s go.’ She linked her arm through Strike’s.

While enmeshed in the relationship, Strike had never been able to imagine loving another woman as deeply, but since it had ended, he thought of it in terms of a protracted infection he’d finally succeeded in throwing off.

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.

Masonry does not change human nature, and cannot make honest men out of born knaves.”’

‘That men perennially underestimate how many of their fellow men are perverts and predators. You know what they say: “all women know a rape victim, no man knows a rapist”.’

‘No more women who’re walking red flags. I had no excuse for not seeing trouble when it’s right in front of me, I had sixteen years’ fucking experience.’ ‘So, then,’ said Robin, ‘why disregard the red flag?’ ‘Because sometimes,’ said Strike, all caution gone, ‘if you can’t get what you want, you take what you can get.’

stupid males could be just as dangerous as intelligent ones.

These things simply didn’t happen. And if they did happen, they certainly didn’t all happen to the same woman. What was she doing to attract this? What was wrong with her?

‘I think they’re going to love each other for ever and never be able to do anything about it.’