The Hallmarked Man by Robert Galbraith

At nearly 900 pages, The Hallmarked Man is a long but rewarding read. When I first picked it up, I didn’t even bother to read the blurb. Only later did I realize that Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym for J. K. Rowling, and this is the eighth book in the Cormoran Strike series. I’m grateful I gave it a chance and now I can’t wait for the ninth installment.

The story begins when Decima Mullins contacts the detective agency run by Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott. She wants answers about a body discovered months earlier in the vault of a silver shop. The police believed it to be William Wright, who turned out to be using the false identity of a convicted armed robber named Jason Knowles. The police were unable to obtain DNA confirmation because the body had been heavily mutilated. But Decima is convinced the victim was her young lover, Rupert Fleetwood, who vanished at the same time.

Strike and Robin suspect the murder might be tied to a priceless collection of Masonic treasures recently purchased by the silver shop. The body’s ritualistic wounds and the hallmark engraved on its back suggest a symbolic and sinister motive.

As the investigation unfolds, Strike and Robin navigate a maze of false identities, possible suspects, and personal struggles. Strike, worn down by old enemies and unspoken feelings for Robin, struggles to stay focused. Meanwhile, Robin faces the lingering trauma of her last undercover case. Together, they make an extraordinary team, both flawed and deeply human yet utterly compelling.

Rowling’s storytelling is as sharp and immersive as ever. Her attention to detail, complex plotting, and emotional depth make this a standout read. Every question finds its answer by the end, leaving me completely satisfied and eager for what comes next. 5⭐

Seesaw Monster by Kotaro Isaka

Seesaw Monster by Kotaro Isaka is divided into two sections with very different themes, yet they’re deeply connected in ways that only become clear as the story unfolds.

In the first part, Naoto Kitayama’s mother lives alone after her husband’s death. Worried about her, Naoto moves in with his wife, Miyako Shiota. From their first meeting, Miyako and her mother-in-law, Setsu, clash endlessly. What begins as a domestic drama soon turns dark when Miyako, a former secret agent, starts suspecting her father-in-law’s death wasn’t natural and that her husband might be framed in a work-related fraud.

The second part, Spin Monster, shifts to a futuristic Japan driven by advanced technology. A tragic accident leaves one boy as the sole survivor of two families, raised by grandparents Naomasa Mito and Kagetora Hiyama, who share no bond despite their shared loss. 

Fast forward, when an AI creator is murdered after sending a mysterious message through Mito, he becomes entangled in a dangerous conspiracy that could spark a war. Hiyama, now a police detective on the case, crosses paths with Mito once again. To my surprise, Miyako, now known as Miyako Setsu, a celebrated children’s book author in her nineties reappears, tying the two worlds together in an unexpected way.

Here, AI doesn’t just think, it feels, possessing an uncanny intuition that can predict and possibly manipulate future outcomes, posing real danger to humanity. Compared to the first part, this section is far more complex and layered, filled with unreliable characters and shifting truths. A mix of family drama, mystery, and sci-fi thriller, Seesaw Monster is both emotionally charged and intellectually gripping, an inventive exploration of human connection, suspicion, and the cost of progress.

Two Kinds of Stranger by Steve Cavanagh

Elly Parker built her fame on viral videos of random acts of kindness. Everyone adored her until everything fell apart. When she walked in on her husband, James, and her best friend, Harriet, in her own apartment livestreaming it by accident, the internet turned them into the most despised couple online. Suddenly, Elly’s entire life was under a microscope.

Determined to stay off-camera, Elly quietly helps a man on crutches one afternoon. No cameras. No hashtags. Just kindness. What she doesn’t realise is that someone has been watching her closely. Two weeks later, James and Harriet are found poisoned and Elly instantly becomes the prime suspect with the clearest motive imaginable.

This becomes Eddie Flynn’s next high-profile case, and it’s about to test every trick he’s ever learned. The deeper he and his team dig, the darker the truth gets and things only spiral further when his own ex-wife faces a murder accusation too.

I love a clever courtroom drama with an antagonist who always seems one step ahead. And that final twist completely froze my brain. This was my first Steve Cavanagh even though it’s book nine in the Eddie Flynn series, and now I’m fully invested.

The Break In by Katherine Faulkner

Alice Rawthorne was enjoying a quiet evening with friends when an intruder broke into her home. In a moment of panic, she struck the teenage boy, Ezra Jones, on the back of his head with a metal stool. He later died from his injuries. Since that night, Alice has been drowning in guilt and paranoia. Her husband, Jamie, urges her to seek help, while their exhausted nanny, Becca, decides to quit after the break-in.

But everything changes when Alice receives a chilling anonymous call. Someone claims that Ezra had a reason to be in her house that night and warns her to be careful.

From there, Alice begins to dig into Ezra’s past, convinced that the break-in was no random crime. The deeper she goes, the more unsettling the truth becomes. It seems she can’t trust anyone when every revelation points closer to home. Even Alice herself starts to feel unreliable as both a murder suspect and a tabloid obsession at the center of a national scandal. And now, Jamie has gone missing.

Though the story unfolds at a slow pace, I found it a gripping psychological rollercoaster. Katherine Faulkner masterfully explores betrayal, obsession, and the blurry line between guilt and innocence. There were moments I couldn’t even trust Alice and that’s what made it so addictive.

The Phoenix Pencil Company by Alisson King

Monica Tsai sets out to help her grandmother, Wong Yun, reconnect with her long-lost cousin, Chen Meng, the one she rarely spoke of, yet shared a childhood with in the old family business, the Phoenix Pencil Company of Shanghai. It’s been over seventy years since Yun last saw Meng, and both women have lived through the Occupation of Shanghai, a time that shaped and scarred them in ways words can barely capture.

What fascinated me most was how The Phoenix Pencil Company blends magical realism with historical fiction. The secret of pencils, the mysterious ability of the women in the company to Reforge, becomes a haunting metaphor for power, memory, and creation. A pencil, after all, can write, heal, and harm at the same time.

I love how Allison King intertwines the weight of history with the importance of remembering and speaking the past. Yun and Meng are portrayed not just as survivors but as women who carried a secret that demanded silence until Monica’s search forces it into the light.

Monica, raised by her grandparents after her parents’ absence, is determined to make this reconnection happen, even as Yun’s memory slowly fades. Her journey becomes more complicated and heartfelt when she meets Louise, a stranger who fortunately crosses their path during the search. I found the queer romance between them a bit overemphasized, perhaps more for modern appeal than depth.

What truly stood out for me, though, was the bond between grandparents and granddaughter. It’s the emotional core of the story, reminding us how love and memory intertwine across generations.

Overall, The Phoenix Pencil Company is a quiet yet evocative read, a story of art, memory, and the women who learn that even something as simple as a pencil can hold the power to change lives.