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Jackson Brodie #3
When Will There Be Good News?
Three lives come together in unexpected and thrilling ways in Kate Atkinson's When Will There Be Good News?
On a hot summer day, Joanna Mason's family slowly wanders home along a country lane. A moment later, Joanna's life is changed forever...
On a dark night thirty years later, ex-detective Jackson Brodie finds himself on a train that is both crowded and late. Lost in his thoughts, he suddenly hears a shocking sound...
At the end of a long day, 16-year-old Reggie is looking forward to watching a little TV. Then a terrifying noise shatters her peaceful evening. Luckily, Reggie makes it a point to be prepared for an emergency...
These three lives come together in unexpected and deeply thrilling ways in the latest novel from Kate Atkinson, the critically acclaimed author who Harlan Coben calls "an absolute must-read."
On a hot summer day, Joanna Mason's family slowly wanders home along a country lane. A moment later, Joanna's life is changed forever...
On a dark night thirty years later, ex-detective Jackson Brodie finds himself on a train that is both crowded and late. Lost in his thoughts, he suddenly hears a shocking sound...
At the end of a long day, 16-year-old Reggie is looking forward to watching a little TV. Then a terrifying noise shatters her peaceful evening. Luckily, Reggie makes it a point to be prepared for an emergency...
These three lives come together in unexpected and deeply thrilling ways in the latest novel from Kate Atkinson, the critically acclaimed author who Harlan Coben calls "an absolute must-read."
388 pages, Hardcover
First published September 24, 2008
2949 people are currently reading
18175 people want to read
About the author
Kate Atkinson
73 books12k followersKate Atkinson was born in York and now lives in Edinburgh. Her first novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum, won the Whitbread Book of the Year Award and she has been a critically acclaimed international bestselling author ever since.
She is the author of a collection of short stories, Not the End of the World, and of the critically acclaimed novels Human Croquet, Emotionally Weird, Case Histories, and One Good Turn.
Case Histories introduced her readers to Jackson Brodie, former police inspector turned private investigator, and won the Saltire Book of the Year Award and the Prix Westminster.
When Will There Be Good News? was voted Richard & Judy Book Best Read of the Year. After Case Histories and One Good Turn, it was her third novel to feature the former private detective Jackson Brodie, who makes a welcome return in Started Early, Took My Dog.
She is the author of a collection of short stories, Not the End of the World, and of the critically acclaimed novels Human Croquet, Emotionally Weird, Case Histories, and One Good Turn.
Case Histories introduced her readers to Jackson Brodie, former police inspector turned private investigator, and won the Saltire Book of the Year Award and the Prix Westminster.
When Will There Be Good News? was voted Richard & Judy Book Best Read of the Year. After Case Histories and One Good Turn, it was her third novel to feature the former private detective Jackson Brodie, who makes a welcome return in Started Early, Took My Dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,323 reviews
May 15, 2019
Once again, Kate Atkinson has written a novel that fires off with sketched pencil outlines that gradually become filled in, fleshed out with colours both brilliant and ominous.
In this third (of five, so far) Jackson Brodie novel, we become re-acquainted with several returning characters. As I observed in her last novel, these characters are like streamers floating in an uncertain breeze suspended from a common source – a maypole perhaps – each one with their own backstory, their own tragic or sad or serendipitous histories. As the breeze becomes a wind, the streamers touch each other – briefly – or sometimes become stuck together for a time until the wind changes direction and they touch others, clinging or bouncing off in another direction.
The intricacy of this dance among her characters is what sets Kate Atkinson’s writing apart. The connections are rarely obvious, and sometimes they are hazy and unclear, yet as I sat riveted by this story I remained hypnotized by the ballet being played out in front of my eyes.
This novel is set largely in Scotland, in and around Edinburgh with some Glaswegian thugs thrown in for good measure.
There is a new character, too – a young girl named Regina (“call me Reggie”) who is 16 years old, looks like she’s 11 or 12, and has the mind, capacity for love, and loyalties of a person twice her age. Reggie is the pivot point for this novel as she is linked, either directly or indirectly, to the majority of the other characters in the story.
It is Reggie who is the true heroine of this novel as she invests every ounce of her being into saving lives, finding lost things (and people), and guarding those she loves and cares about with ferocious intelligence.
Jackson Brodie’s own life takes many subtle, sudden, and surprising twists. He loses almost everything in his life and paradoxically, he regains not just himself, but a closer sense of who he really is; of all that matters most to him.
Once again, I am eager to return to the world inhabited by Jackson Brodie and his many acquaintances and his few close friends. I plan to read the 4th novel in this series early in June, and while the 5th in the series will be published late in June, I hope to read that one as soon as I can after it is published.
This is gripping, suspenseful writing with fascinating characters whose lives and philosophies may differ from each other, yet each one authentically painted in their own colours, and so real I feel I know them personally. It doesn’t get much better than this.
In this third (of five, so far) Jackson Brodie novel, we become re-acquainted with several returning characters. As I observed in her last novel, these characters are like streamers floating in an uncertain breeze suspended from a common source – a maypole perhaps – each one with their own backstory, their own tragic or sad or serendipitous histories. As the breeze becomes a wind, the streamers touch each other – briefly – or sometimes become stuck together for a time until the wind changes direction and they touch others, clinging or bouncing off in another direction.
The intricacy of this dance among her characters is what sets Kate Atkinson’s writing apart. The connections are rarely obvious, and sometimes they are hazy and unclear, yet as I sat riveted by this story I remained hypnotized by the ballet being played out in front of my eyes.
This novel is set largely in Scotland, in and around Edinburgh with some Glaswegian thugs thrown in for good measure.
There is a new character, too – a young girl named Regina (“call me Reggie”) who is 16 years old, looks like she’s 11 or 12, and has the mind, capacity for love, and loyalties of a person twice her age. Reggie is the pivot point for this novel as she is linked, either directly or indirectly, to the majority of the other characters in the story.
It is Reggie who is the true heroine of this novel as she invests every ounce of her being into saving lives, finding lost things (and people), and guarding those she loves and cares about with ferocious intelligence.
Jackson Brodie’s own life takes many subtle, sudden, and surprising twists. He loses almost everything in his life and paradoxically, he regains not just himself, but a closer sense of who he really is; of all that matters most to him.
Once again, I am eager to return to the world inhabited by Jackson Brodie and his many acquaintances and his few close friends. I plan to read the 4th novel in this series early in June, and while the 5th in the series will be published late in June, I hope to read that one as soon as I can after it is published.
This is gripping, suspenseful writing with fascinating characters whose lives and philosophies may differ from each other, yet each one authentically painted in their own colours, and so real I feel I know them personally. It doesn’t get much better than this.
May 12, 2019
It's a joy to return to Kate Atkinson's rather unusual offbeat crime series featuring Jackson Brodie, full of wry wit and humour, and her trademark case studies of the lives of the main characters. It is a story in which for the characters, the title of the novel is particularly apt, given the horror, trauma and tragedies that have blighted their lives. In a rural part of Devon, 6 year old Joanna is to have her life ripped apart by horrors that no-one should ever have to experience, which result in her being the only family member to survive. Thirty years later, the person convicted of the nightmare crimes is being released from prison. 16 year old Regina 'Reggie' Chase is nanny to a GP's baby, the mother has gone missing with her baby, and Reggie seems to be the only one who is worried about this. Reggie's tenacity and determination bring in the recently married Chief Inspector Louise Monroe, and the ex-cop and PI Jackson Brodie with his family problems, with the two mired in their own tangled relationship. In a story that celebrates the everyday routines and actions, and great cultural references, it is the remarkable presence of hope, and the spirit of human resilience in the face of the horrors and traumatic challenges that life can throw at a person. that shines through. A wonderful addition to simply brilliant series. Many thanks to Random House Transworld for a copy.
September 19, 2019
Circumstance
When Will There Be Good News? is a thriller from the wonderful Kate Atkinson that is the third book in the Jackson Brodie series but can be read as a standalone. The novel is full of suspense, surprises and a fair splattering of coincidence. The opening scene shocked me! Kate Atkinson writes with an unrestrained scope and mixes a fascinating plot with great characters. She teases us with humour while masking the opportunity of dropping cruel murderous bombshells. The plot is a mix of multiple threads that start weaving in and out of each other and what I liked is that it happens throughout the novel rather than all coming at once. The plot is cloaked in misdirection and tentative assumptions.
Thirty years after serving a prison sentence for the murder of the Mason family, where only 6-year-old Joanne was left alive, Andrew Decker, the killer, has gone underground and Dr Joanne Hunter (nee Mason) has gone missing with her infant baby. Reggie Chase, Dr Hunter’s baby-minder and friend, finds herself in the middle of a complex web of events. Thrown into the web of murder and deceit, along with the gutsy Reggie, are Chief Inspector Louise Monroe and ex-soldier, ex-cop, current PI, Jackson Brodie. Each character is developed with great depth and capacity, but I loved the character of Reggie, she is 16 years of age, feisty, resilient and clever. A young girl that hasn’t had much luck in life, in fact, when has there ever been good news.
The personal relationships with spouses, friends and colleagues, felt very real, with wonderful subtleties that were just masterstrokes. The love interest was engaging and tantalising – why is it that we often want what we shouldn’t have. Marriages, in particular, are put under tremendous strain throughout the book and often the thing most valued, isn’t the person sharing the home.
Kate Atkinson provides amazing detail and observations, often with a bit of humour.
I would highly recommend this book and I’d like to thank Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy in return for an honest review.
When Will There Be Good News? is a thriller from the wonderful Kate Atkinson that is the third book in the Jackson Brodie series but can be read as a standalone. The novel is full of suspense, surprises and a fair splattering of coincidence. The opening scene shocked me! Kate Atkinson writes with an unrestrained scope and mixes a fascinating plot with great characters. She teases us with humour while masking the opportunity of dropping cruel murderous bombshells. The plot is a mix of multiple threads that start weaving in and out of each other and what I liked is that it happens throughout the novel rather than all coming at once. The plot is cloaked in misdirection and tentative assumptions.
Thirty years after serving a prison sentence for the murder of the Mason family, where only 6-year-old Joanne was left alive, Andrew Decker, the killer, has gone underground and Dr Joanne Hunter (nee Mason) has gone missing with her infant baby. Reggie Chase, Dr Hunter’s baby-minder and friend, finds herself in the middle of a complex web of events. Thrown into the web of murder and deceit, along with the gutsy Reggie, are Chief Inspector Louise Monroe and ex-soldier, ex-cop, current PI, Jackson Brodie. Each character is developed with great depth and capacity, but I loved the character of Reggie, she is 16 years of age, feisty, resilient and clever. A young girl that hasn’t had much luck in life, in fact, when has there ever been good news.
“Just because something bad happened to her once doesn’t mean it’s happened again,’ Louise said to Reggie. ‘No,’ Reggie said. ‘You’re wrong. Just because something bad happened to her once doesn’t mean it won’t happen again. Believe me, bad things happen to me all the time.’ ‘Me too,’ Jackson said.”An implicit reference to the title.
The personal relationships with spouses, friends and colleagues, felt very real, with wonderful subtleties that were just masterstrokes. The love interest was engaging and tantalising – why is it that we often want what we shouldn’t have. Marriages, in particular, are put under tremendous strain throughout the book and often the thing most valued, isn’t the person sharing the home.
Kate Atkinson provides amazing detail and observations, often with a bit of humour.
“A few supermarket lorries thundered along and a speeding motorcyclist hurtled past, eager to donate an organ in time for someone’s Christmas.”If I had one criticism it would be that sometimes the detail feels like she has veered off-track and delivered content that didn’t really mean much.
I would highly recommend this book and I’d like to thank Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy in return for an honest review.
October 8, 2021
2021 review: Jackson Brodie #3: After the brutal random murder of her mother and siblings 30 years ago… the only survivor, now with her own child, medical profession and nice home, is to be told that the murderer has served his time and is going to be released. Her elfin nanny (a superb character), Chief Inspector Louise and her one-time beau, but now recently married Jackson Brodie himself, all get caught up in this situation,but all from different angles. My summary doesn't really explain just how well crafted, well characterised and nicely plotted this top drawer Scotland set crime fiction thriller is. Also there's some delicious and seismic changes in Brodie's life! Certainly a good read! 8.5 out of 12.
2009 review: Jackson Brodie #3: My first Brodie, as well as my first Atkinson read. Despite being one of many bestselling crime fiction / thriller writers, Atkinson stands out in this busy crowd, on her writing alone. A very well written mystery thriller that brings together brutal murders committed 30 years in the past, the only survivor and her borderline gangster hubby and an elfin nanny(!). I very much enjoyed this read. 7 out of 12
2009 review: Jackson Brodie #3: My first Brodie, as well as my first Atkinson read. Despite being one of many bestselling crime fiction / thriller writers, Atkinson stands out in this busy crowd, on her writing alone. A very well written mystery thriller that brings together brutal murders committed 30 years in the past, the only survivor and her borderline gangster hubby and an elfin nanny(!). I very much enjoyed this read. 7 out of 12
May 25, 2020
so, when i heard kate atkinson had a new book i thought "yayyy!!" and then when i found out it was another jackson brodie novel i said "boooo!!" i thought the first one was great, but the second was a lot weaker. there's a reason i tend not to read genre fiction like sci-fi and mystery - because i just don't want to commit to ten books about the same world. i would rather read one book that is self-contained and never visit the characters again.(and yes i know - Donald Harington is exempt from this preference because no one can write like him) that being said - i loved this book. it's true that there seem to be a lot of characters in atkinson's books who have all had one or more family members murdered in horrible ways, which seems like an unlikely coincidence, path-crossing-wise, but she really can do it all - write a convincing multi-plot mystery novel with exceptionally interesting and flawed characters, as well as a pretty incisive psychological study of these people. so - jackson brodie redeemed, which is good i suppose, since it doesn't seem like this will be the end of this character. i'm in it for the long haul now.
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June 30, 2024
5★
“Twenty years ago she too would have found his moodiness attractive. Now she just wanted to punch him. But then she seemed to want to punch everyone at the moment.”
There’s a lot to be angry about in this third of Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie series, and there were plenty of times I wanted to punch somebody too – or worse. In this instance, she is Detective Chief Inspector Louse Monroe, and he is a man suspected of fraud who’s just opened his front door and smiled sarcastically at her warrant card. I remember Louise from a past story, and there’s no way I would be looking sideways at her warrant card!
Hers is one thread of a story with many remarkably inventive intersections. Jackson is the main character, of course, and finds himself in Edinburgh despite his intention to have a nice, peaceful life with his lovely new wife. No stress.
But fortunately for us, Atkinson’s not going to let him off that easily. He’s a sucker for a damsel in distress, and it seems most of them are.
“‘You used to be a private detective. Right?’ she said.
‘Amongst other things.’
‘So you used to find people?’
‘Sometimes. I also lost people.’ <”
She’s not buying that. She is Reggie, a 16-year old schoolgirl, orphaned now with only her self-styled gangster brother, Billy, who's been beating up on her since childhood. But lately she has been very happy as mother’s help for well-to-do Dr Hunter and her baby boy, the three of them forming a tight, happy little unit.
“‘How’s my treasure?’ Dr Hunter asked, nuzzling the baby’s neck (‘He’s edible, don’t you think?’) and Reggie felt something seize in her heart, a little convulsion of pain, and she wasn’t sure why exactly except that she thought it was sad (very sad indeed) that no one could remember being a baby. What Reggie wouldn’t have given to have been a baby, wrapped in Mum’s arms again. Or Dr Hunter’s arms, for that matter. Anyone’s arms really. Not Billy’s obviously.”
And the pay is pretty good, so things are looking up. Until this.
“She’d identified a dead body, had her flat vandalized, been threatened by violent idiots and it wasn’t even lunchtime. Reggie hoped the rest of the day would be more uneventful.”
Of course, Atkinson’s back stories are always intriguing to the point that once I get caught up in one, it’s a shock to find myself back in the present and then, next thing I know, I’m deep into someone else’s history. Wonderful stuff!
Her style is her own, and I love it – the surprising juxtaposition of ideas, the everyday and the exceptional, all thrown in together.
“Everything about her life was just lovely. Apart from the whole family massacred in childhood thing.”
I don’t know how she combines affection with disdain, but while I’m snickering knowingly behind my hand at some dowdy character, I’m also kind of warming to them.
“The therapist, a hippyish, well-intentioned woman called Jenny who looked as if she’d knitted herself. . . ”
She’s quite a contrast to Ms MacDonald, an unwell lady who’s helping Reggie with her school studies.
“Ms MacDonald was in her fifties but she had never been young. When she was a teacher at the school she looked as if she ironed herself every morning.”
And then there’s a woman on the train “leafing indifferently through a celebrity magazine, was a fortyish blonde, buxom as an overstuffed turkey. She was wearing siren-red lipstick and a top to match that was half a size too tight and which burned like a signal fire in front of Jackson’s eyes. Jackson was surprised she didn’t have ‘Up for It’ tattooed on her forehead.”
Jackson’s love for his daughter Marlee and his affection for wives and women in his past all mingle together. Also mingled together are his memories of the army, the police force, and his private cases. Under it all is his sorrow.
“Not his real home, his real home, the one he never named any more, was the dark and sooty chamber in his heart that contained his sister and his brother and, because it was an accommodating kind of space, the entire filthy history of the industrial revolution. It was amazing how much dark matter you could crush inside the black hole of the heart.”
This current story touches on all of them and then some. I love it, but then I’m a pushover for everything she writes, I think. This was a re-read before I read the latest, #5, so thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Transworld/Black Swan for the copy for review. Even if I’d remembered critical plot points (which I admit I hadn’t), I’d have enjoyed it just as much for her writing alone.
P.S. I should add that I think you can enjoy this on its own without having read the previous books. Atkinson answers any questions you might have. Of course, I like to read them in order, but if this is the only one you can get your hands on - do so!
“Twenty years ago she too would have found his moodiness attractive. Now she just wanted to punch him. But then she seemed to want to punch everyone at the moment.”
There’s a lot to be angry about in this third of Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie series, and there were plenty of times I wanted to punch somebody too – or worse. In this instance, she is Detective Chief Inspector Louse Monroe, and he is a man suspected of fraud who’s just opened his front door and smiled sarcastically at her warrant card. I remember Louise from a past story, and there’s no way I would be looking sideways at her warrant card!
Hers is one thread of a story with many remarkably inventive intersections. Jackson is the main character, of course, and finds himself in Edinburgh despite his intention to have a nice, peaceful life with his lovely new wife. No stress.
But fortunately for us, Atkinson’s not going to let him off that easily. He’s a sucker for a damsel in distress, and it seems most of them are.
“‘You used to be a private detective. Right?’ she said.
‘Amongst other things.’
‘So you used to find people?’
‘Sometimes. I also lost people.’ <”
She’s not buying that. She is Reggie, a 16-year old schoolgirl, orphaned now with only her self-styled gangster brother, Billy, who's been beating up on her since childhood. But lately she has been very happy as mother’s help for well-to-do Dr Hunter and her baby boy, the three of them forming a tight, happy little unit.
“‘How’s my treasure?’ Dr Hunter asked, nuzzling the baby’s neck (‘He’s edible, don’t you think?’) and Reggie felt something seize in her heart, a little convulsion of pain, and she wasn’t sure why exactly except that she thought it was sad (very sad indeed) that no one could remember being a baby. What Reggie wouldn’t have given to have been a baby, wrapped in Mum’s arms again. Or Dr Hunter’s arms, for that matter. Anyone’s arms really. Not Billy’s obviously.”
And the pay is pretty good, so things are looking up. Until this.
“She’d identified a dead body, had her flat vandalized, been threatened by violent idiots and it wasn’t even lunchtime. Reggie hoped the rest of the day would be more uneventful.”
Of course, Atkinson’s back stories are always intriguing to the point that once I get caught up in one, it’s a shock to find myself back in the present and then, next thing I know, I’m deep into someone else’s history. Wonderful stuff!
Her style is her own, and I love it – the surprising juxtaposition of ideas, the everyday and the exceptional, all thrown in together.
“Everything about her life was just lovely. Apart from the whole family massacred in childhood thing.”
I don’t know how she combines affection with disdain, but while I’m snickering knowingly behind my hand at some dowdy character, I’m also kind of warming to them.
“The therapist, a hippyish, well-intentioned woman called Jenny who looked as if she’d knitted herself. . . ”
She’s quite a contrast to Ms MacDonald, an unwell lady who’s helping Reggie with her school studies.
“Ms MacDonald was in her fifties but she had never been young. When she was a teacher at the school she looked as if she ironed herself every morning.”
And then there’s a woman on the train “leafing indifferently through a celebrity magazine, was a fortyish blonde, buxom as an overstuffed turkey. She was wearing siren-red lipstick and a top to match that was half a size too tight and which burned like a signal fire in front of Jackson’s eyes. Jackson was surprised she didn’t have ‘Up for It’ tattooed on her forehead.”
Jackson’s love for his daughter Marlee and his affection for wives and women in his past all mingle together. Also mingled together are his memories of the army, the police force, and his private cases. Under it all is his sorrow.
“Not his real home, his real home, the one he never named any more, was the dark and sooty chamber in his heart that contained his sister and his brother and, because it was an accommodating kind of space, the entire filthy history of the industrial revolution. It was amazing how much dark matter you could crush inside the black hole of the heart.”
This current story touches on all of them and then some. I love it, but then I’m a pushover for everything she writes, I think. This was a re-read before I read the latest, #5, so thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Transworld/Black Swan for the copy for review. Even if I’d remembered critical plot points (which I admit I hadn’t), I’d have enjoyed it just as much for her writing alone.
P.S. I should add that I think you can enjoy this on its own without having read the previous books. Atkinson answers any questions you might have. Of course, I like to read them in order, but if this is the only one you can get your hands on - do so!
November 28, 2008
This book is grim, violent, sad (dead kids, dead moms, dead dogs), and also hilarious and uplifting (passionate cops, a ferociously maternal doctor, and a heroic dog who makes it all the way through -- sorry if that's a spoiler, but I would have wanted to know.) The character of 16-year-old Reggie should be given a special literary prize for Best Plucky Orphan Since Oliver Twist. Deeply satisfying and I can't wait for the next one.
July 24, 2019
I am steadily rereading my way through the Jackson Brodie novels to prepare myself for the latest release, Big Sky. And it is so much fun! Don't forget that I am one of Kate Atkinson's biggest fans so if I rave a bit, forgive me.
When Will There Be Good News?is Kate at her very best. The story is intriguing, beginning with a mass murder with one survivor, a small six year old girl called Joanna. Fast forward to thirty years later and Joanna is the well respected Dr.Hunter, living in an expensive house in a good area with a (rather dodgy) husband, a baby and a dog.
In typical fashion the author then introduces more lovely new characters, including the fabulous Reggie, and a couple more story lines, as well as bringing in Jackson Brodie and his love interest from the previous book, Chief Inspector Louise Monroe. You need to concentrate as there is layer upon layer upon layer and coincidences abound. Eventually we discover that some of the characters have hidden depths, several people suffer very unpleasant deaths and a lot of what happens is never discovered by the police! It is all wrapped up very nicely at the end.
It is all so much more than a simple murder mystery. Kate Atkinson gives us interesting and well rounded characters who we care about. She takes us on a journey which at first seems to be going in all directions but then little by little she draws everything together to an excellent conclusion, and if you are anything like me at all you sit back and say "Now that was a GOOD book!"
When Will There Be Good News?is Kate at her very best. The story is intriguing, beginning with a mass murder with one survivor, a small six year old girl called Joanna. Fast forward to thirty years later and Joanna is the well respected Dr.Hunter, living in an expensive house in a good area with a (rather dodgy) husband, a baby and a dog.
In typical fashion the author then introduces more lovely new characters, including the fabulous Reggie, and a couple more story lines, as well as bringing in Jackson Brodie and his love interest from the previous book, Chief Inspector Louise Monroe. You need to concentrate as there is layer upon layer upon layer and coincidences abound. Eventually we discover that some of the characters have hidden depths, several people suffer very unpleasant deaths and a lot of what happens is never discovered by the police! It is all wrapped up very nicely at the end.
It is all so much more than a simple murder mystery. Kate Atkinson gives us interesting and well rounded characters who we care about. She takes us on a journey which at first seems to be going in all directions but then little by little she draws everything together to an excellent conclusion, and if you are anything like me at all you sit back and say "Now that was a GOOD book!"
November 17, 2008
Here is a book which one reads paradoxically wishing it never ended- because it is so good- yet one races to finish- being compelled to- without skipping a word.
My heart was aching for the main characters to come through and survive; for the good to prevail; for some things to go right. This was so suspenseful, more so than anything I have read lately.
Never thought Loeb's green classics, which I can see sitting pretty on a shelf, would be referenced in a suspense novel. It is a part of the pleasure of reading this book that the hard-scrabble main characters are smart and well read; their thoughts have a cultural reference and they are not stick figures. Rather they are mordantly witty, interesting and good people, in spite of the burdens they carry.
Implicitly the author, Kate Atkinson is always thinking, asking hard questions, and giving unconventional answers. Very good company indeed.
The plot is intricate and cleverly spun and its great fun to see how the strands are woven together.
This is an excellent book.
My heart was aching for the main characters to come through and survive; for the good to prevail; for some things to go right. This was so suspenseful, more so than anything I have read lately.
Never thought Loeb's green classics, which I can see sitting pretty on a shelf, would be referenced in a suspense novel. It is a part of the pleasure of reading this book that the hard-scrabble main characters are smart and well read; their thoughts have a cultural reference and they are not stick figures. Rather they are mordantly witty, interesting and good people, in spite of the burdens they carry.
Implicitly the author, Kate Atkinson is always thinking, asking hard questions, and giving unconventional answers. Very good company indeed.
The plot is intricate and cleverly spun and its great fun to see how the strands are woven together.
This is an excellent book.
December 11, 2008
The whole time I was reading this book, I kept waiting for something to actually happen and make sense. There were so many characters and it took almost til the end of the book before they came together. Then she would have the characters make reference to so many different people and I could never remember who those people were or what role they had in the story (most of them didn't have a roll at all)
There were way too many useless words in the book. The author had every single character continuously quote old nursery rhymes, both in their head and out loud to people. It got very annoying. The only reason why I kept reading the book is because I didn't have anything else to read at the time, and I kept thinking that it had to get better.
There were way too many useless words in the book. The author had every single character continuously quote old nursery rhymes, both in their head and out loud to people. It got very annoying. The only reason why I kept reading the book is because I didn't have anything else to read at the time, and I kept thinking that it had to get better.
November 20, 2021
This third book in Kate Atkinson's Jackson Brodie series covers four days in the life of Jackson Brodie and what momentous days they are. With his new wife away at a conference, Jackson sneaks up to Scotland to obtain a DNA sample on a boy he thinks he may have fathered, gets on the wrong train back to London, is brought back from the brink of death, becomes reluctantly involved in looking for a missing woman, covers up a crime, and when he does finally get home finds a very big surprise waiting for him.
Jackson, ex soldier, ex police detective and ex PI, is at the heart of the story and it's only by coincidence that he meets up again with DCI Louise Monroe, with whom he shares a mutual attraction besides them both having recently married other people. There are various other characters who the story weaves into both Jackson's and Louise's lives including Dr Joanna Harper, whose mother and siblings was massacred when she was a young child and sixteen year old Reggie who works as a 'mother's helper' helping Joanna to care for her baby and is home schooling herself so that she can eventually go to university. Reggie's a wonderful character, tough and resilient despite all the bad stuff life keeps throwing at her, she also knows how to look out for her friends.
Although there is always an intriguing mystery at the centre of each book in this series, each book is about so much more. The characters, their relationships and their complicated lives are very much the main feature along with Atkinson's wonderful writing and understanding of human nature. I listened to the audiobook, superbly narrated by Stephen Crossley and can recommend it to those who enjoy audiobooks.
Jackson, ex soldier, ex police detective and ex PI, is at the heart of the story and it's only by coincidence that he meets up again with DCI Louise Monroe, with whom he shares a mutual attraction besides them both having recently married other people. There are various other characters who the story weaves into both Jackson's and Louise's lives including Dr Joanna Harper, whose mother and siblings was massacred when she was a young child and sixteen year old Reggie who works as a 'mother's helper' helping Joanna to care for her baby and is home schooling herself so that she can eventually go to university. Reggie's a wonderful character, tough and resilient despite all the bad stuff life keeps throwing at her, she also knows how to look out for her friends.
Although there is always an intriguing mystery at the centre of each book in this series, each book is about so much more. The characters, their relationships and their complicated lives are very much the main feature along with Atkinson's wonderful writing and understanding of human nature. I listened to the audiobook, superbly narrated by Stephen Crossley and can recommend it to those who enjoy audiobooks.
April 1, 2020
Book no 3 of the Jackson Brodie detectives series was such a wonderful read! I am giving this third Jackson Brodie one a 5* rating because it deserves it. Different story lines all meandering to a joint conclusion, great and touching characters, no unnecessary violence and all is wrapped up in the end in a very interesting and satisfying way. And, of course, don’t forget the witty remarks, sprinkled all around the pages! Kate Atkinson is such a terrific writer. I just love to read her books! On to the next Jackson Brodie!
November 12, 2022
Мир, целый мир и ничего кроме
Не было гвоздя - подкова пропала.
Тридцать лет назад. Мать, две дочери, малыш в коляске и собака идут от автобусной станции к своему дому в сельской глуши, куда папаша писатель завез их, а немного времени спустя смылся в Лондон к своей другой женщине. Этот человек появился неожиданно и собака зарычала. Он сопел и отдувался, а в руке у него был нож, собаку пнул, она отлетела в поле, ударил ножом старшую, матери, которая кинулась на защиту, нанес множество ран, младенца зарезал в коляске. Младшая побежала в пшеницу. Там ее и нашли,, выжила одна из всей семьи, в полицейских протоколах стала "той, что спаслась". Экспертиза признала убийцу вменяемым, на суде говорил: "Что-то на меня нашло". Получил тридцать лет
Сегодня. Реджи шестнадцать, но выглядит на четырнадцать, мелкая. Сирота, отца в ее жизни и не было, а мамуля погибла, поехала со своим Гэри в Испанию и утонула. Есть старший брат Билли, но он такой, что лучше бы никакого. И вот Реджи, даром, что имя королевское, оставляет престижную школу, где училась как одаренный ребенок из социальных низов на грант, и нанимается в услужение. Впрочем, нянчить детку доктора Траппер не такой уж тяжкий труд, Реджи любит детку и доктора Траппер. Мистера Траппера не очень, ну так ведь и не он ее наниматель.
"Ждать ли добрых вестей" , третья книга о Джейсоне Броуди, цикл которого устроен, антитезой классическому образу сыщика, неизменному в семейном (а чаще бессемейном) статусе. Шерлок Холмс всегда живет на Бейкер стрит, курит трубку. играет на скрипке. одинок; у Мегрэ всегда есть мадам Мегрэ и тоже трубка. мисс Марпл никогда не миссис и всегда с вязанием; Пуаро щеголеватый, лелеет свои усы, Хари Холе безуспешно борется с алкоголизмом и пытается вернуть единственную женщину..
Так вот, Джейсон Броуди, который по внутренней склонности самый семейный из сыщиков, всякую новую книгу начинает в новой локации, с новой женщиной и/или в процессе расставания с предыдущей, брошен всегда он. То гол как сокол, то наследник миллионов, то одарен, то обобран. Никакой семейной, финансовой, географической стабильности. Неизменна только священная рана - скорбь по сестре, которую насильник задушил и утопил в канаве, когда Джейсону было двенадцать.
На сей раз скоропалительно женат на прекрасной женщине Тессе, она специалист по истории Древнего Мира. Финансово стабилен, страдает из-за того, что предыдущая возлюбленная родила ребенка, а замуж вышла не за него. И воспользовавшись командировкой жены на конференцию, едет посмотреть на малыша Натана, в которого считает своим сыном. Он семьянин и нежный отец в душе, не забыли? А на обратном пути садится в поезд, идущий не в том направлении. Ну да, обычно такого не случается, но в этот раз вот как-то так. И поезд терпит крушение.
Да, совпадения у Кейт Аткинсон превосходят мыслимые, а порой и немыслимые пределы. Но поддавшийся обаянию ее книг меньше всего ищет правды жизни. Про правду все знают: подрались спьяну, один другого пырнул ножом или сбили машиной и скрылись с места происшествия. В детективах мы ищем сложности, с подоплекой и предысторией, даже если начинается с непонятного убийства целой семьи тридцатилетней давности.
А конкретно Аткинсо�� берем за тем, что у нее все восхитительно связано и переплетено, за бронебойную смесь цинизма и нежности, с какой пишет о своих любимых героях, за мрачноватый юмор - чертовски смешно бывает в самых неподходящих для смеха ситуациях, но как-то так. За то, что ее книги Клондайк цитат и отсылок к Шекспиру и англо-американской поэзии, опознавать которые отдельное удовольствие, хотя это конечно не для всех.
Для меня да, и третья книга Броуди, она же первая, переведенная Анастасией Грызуновой чистое читательское счастье.
Не было гвоздя - подкова пропала.
Тридцать лет назад. Мать, две дочери, малыш в коляске и собака идут от автобусной станции к своему дому в сельской глуши, куда папаша писатель завез их, а немного времени спустя смылся в Лондон к своей другой женщине. Этот человек появился неожиданно и собака зарычала. Он сопел и отдувался, а в руке у него был нож, собаку пнул, она отлетела в поле, ударил ножом старшую, матери, которая кинулась на защиту, нанес множество ран, младенца зарезал в коляске. Младшая побежала в пшеницу. Там ее и нашли,, выжила одна из всей семьи, в полицейских протоколах стала "той, что спаслась". Экспертиза признала убийцу вменяемым, на суде говорил: "Что-то на меня нашло". Получил тридцать лет
Сегодня. Реджи шестнадцать, но выглядит на четырнадцать, мелкая. Сирота, отца в ее жизни и не было, а мамуля погибла, поехала со своим Гэри в Испанию и утонула. Есть старший брат Билли, но он такой, что лучше бы никакого. И вот Реджи, даром, что имя королевское, оставляет престижную школу, где училась как одаренный ребенок из социальных низов на грант, и нанимается в услужение. Впрочем, нянчить детку доктора Траппер не такой уж тяжкий труд, Реджи любит детку и доктора Траппер. Мистера Траппера не очень, ну так ведь и не он ее наниматель.
"Ждать ли добрых вестей" , третья книга о Джейсоне Броуди, цикл которого устроен, антитезой классическому образу сыщика, неизменному в семейном (а чаще бессемейном) статусе. Шерлок Холмс всегда живет на Бейкер стрит, курит трубку. играет на скрипке. одинок; у Мегрэ всегда есть мадам Мегрэ и тоже трубка. мисс Марпл никогда не миссис и всегда с вязанием; Пуаро щеголеватый, лелеет свои усы, Хари Холе безуспешно борется с алкоголизмом и пытается вернуть единственную женщину..
Так вот, Джейсон Броуди, который по внутренней склонности самый семейный из сыщиков, всякую новую книгу начинает в новой локации, с новой женщиной и/или в процессе расставания с предыдущей, брошен всегда он. То гол как сокол, то наследник миллионов, то одарен, то обобран. Никакой семейной, финансовой, географической стабильности. Неизменна только священная рана - скорбь по сестре, которую насильник задушил и утопил в канаве, когда Джейсону было двенадцать.
На сей раз скоропалительно женат на прекрасной женщине Тессе, она специалист по истории Древнего Мира. Финансово стабилен, страдает из-за того, что предыдущая возлюбленная родила ребенка, а замуж вышла не за него. И воспользовавшись командировкой жены на конференцию, едет посмотреть на малыша Натана, в которого считает своим сыном. Он семьянин и нежный отец в душе, не забыли? А на обратном пути садится в поезд, идущий не в том направлении. Ну да, обычно такого не случается, но в этот раз вот как-то так. И поезд терпит крушение.
Да, совпадения у Кейт Аткинсон превосходят мыслимые, а порой и немыслимые пределы. Но поддавшийся обаянию ее книг меньше всего ищет правды жизни. Про правду все знают: подрались спьяну, один другого пырнул ножом или сбили машиной и скрылись с места происшествия. В детективах мы ищем сложности, с подоплекой и предысторией, даже если начинается с непонятного убийства целой семьи тридцатилетней давности.
А конкретно Аткинсо�� берем за тем, что у нее все восхитительно связано и переплетено, за бронебойную смесь цинизма и нежности, с какой пишет о своих любимых героях, за мрачноватый юмор - чертовски смешно бывает в самых неподходящих для смеха ситуациях, но как-то так. За то, что ее книги Клондайк цитат и отсылок к Шекспиру и англо-американской поэзии, опознавать которые отдельное удовольствие, хотя это конечно не для всех.
Для меня да, и третья книга Броуди, она же первая, переведенная Анастасией Грызуновой чистое читательское счастье.
February 17, 2024
I love Jackson Brodie (It doesn't hurt that I have Clive Owen's face in my head when I am reading). He has a quick wit and a superb sense of humor and he is very flawed and human. What I also love is that Kate Atkinson doesn’t make him the only focus of her books–they are even more about the lives of the other people involved in the crime, the mystery, the situation.
Louise Monroe was back in this one. I like her too. She’s a believable female detective.
Sometimes Louise hankered after the days when prisoners were made to walk endlessly on treadmills or turn crank handles. Pedophiles, murderers, rapists, should they really be making books? If it were up to Louise, she would put the lot of them down, though obviously this was not the kind of opinion she voiced at divisional meetings.
Some of her conversations with Brodie are so well done that they make me laugh aloud and feel I am on the scene witnessing a subtle flirtation.
It’s a detective novel, so not a place I expect to encounter endless wisdom, but Atkinson is quite capable of making me think about life or nod in agreement.
By the waters of Babylon we sat down and there we wept when we remembered Zion. Not a Boney M song but Psalm 137. We remembered Zion, we remembered our songs, for we could not sing here. The song of the exile. Wasn’t everyone an exile? In their hearts?
Or how much we all hope for the same things, because we all want to have the answers to the unanswered questions in the end.
He had always imagined that when you died, there was a last moment when everything was cleared up for you—the business finished, the questions answered, the lost things found—and you thought, “Oh, right, I understand,” and then you were free to go into the darkness, or the light.
If you only compare this book to others in its genre, you’d easily give it 5-stars.
Louise Monroe was back in this one. I like her too. She’s a believable female detective.
Sometimes Louise hankered after the days when prisoners were made to walk endlessly on treadmills or turn crank handles. Pedophiles, murderers, rapists, should they really be making books? If it were up to Louise, she would put the lot of them down, though obviously this was not the kind of opinion she voiced at divisional meetings.
Some of her conversations with Brodie are so well done that they make me laugh aloud and feel I am on the scene witnessing a subtle flirtation.
It’s a detective novel, so not a place I expect to encounter endless wisdom, but Atkinson is quite capable of making me think about life or nod in agreement.
By the waters of Babylon we sat down and there we wept when we remembered Zion. Not a Boney M song but Psalm 137. We remembered Zion, we remembered our songs, for we could not sing here. The song of the exile. Wasn’t everyone an exile? In their hearts?
Or how much we all hope for the same things, because we all want to have the answers to the unanswered questions in the end.
He had always imagined that when you died, there was a last moment when everything was cleared up for you—the business finished, the questions answered, the lost things found—and you thought, “Oh, right, I understand,” and then you were free to go into the darkness, or the light.
If you only compare this book to others in its genre, you’d easily give it 5-stars.
September 30, 2008
Kate Atkinson returns to form in the third book in her Jackson Brodie series. With her usual mix of strong mystery plot elements and finely drawn relationships, "When Will There Be Good News" fairly hums along, and it works even better in this case because Jackson Brodie, the former cop turned private eye turned rich pensioner, is not actually the centerpiece of this novel.
If there is a hero and fulcrum of this book, it is the wonderful new character of Reggie Chase, a 16-year-old who looks as though she's 13 and sounds as though she's 40. In fact, the only reason I didn't give this five stars is that Reggie almost seems too precocious at times, which didn't make me enjoy her any the less.
Reggie has lost her mother in an accident, her brother is a juvenile delinquent fast becoming a hardened criminal, and she is now fending for herself, spending much of her time with her new mother figure, Dr. Joanna Hunter, who has hired Reggie as a mother's helper for her new baby.
Dr. Hunter has a deep secret of her own, one that Reggie doesn't learn until near the end of the book, but one that shapes the young doctor's actions in ways that will forever alter the lives of all the book's characters.
Throw into the mix one of Jackson Brodie's past flames, detective Louise Monroe, and Jackson's new wife, about whom he really knows very little, and the doctor's husband's problems with the underworld, and a bizarre train crash, and you have a snorter of a novel: Fast paced, well told, and lifted into a delightful place by young Reggie.
As Reggie herself might say, if you asked her whether this was worth reading: "Och, yes: Sweartogod."
July 30, 2012
This book made me laugh and cry more than once, so it gets my vote. I felt the vividness of Atkinson's talent with the first in the series, Case Histories, but that one felt a bit contrived and manipulative to me. This one, the third, maybe does both, but it was a much more fun ride because of the emotional engagement it achieved for me. It plucks the heart strings with its 16 year-old heroine Reggie, whose love for the missing Dr. Hunter and the baby she serves as nanny moves her to many brave actions. The some-time detective Jackson Brodie and the Scottish Chief Inspector Louise Monroe are dragged into the case through Reggie's persistence, and their unrequited affection for each other makes a warm underground river of life against the cold forces of death. Atkinson is a master at rendering the stream of consciousness and emotional spheres of four characters who all orbit around the case and eventually converge. I was very engaged by the liveliness of these minds embedded in mundane activities and frequent tapping cultural reservoirs such as songs and literature. All have experienced past tragedies in the form violent deaths in their family in childhood Though persistently light and ironic in tone, the tale makes a realistic case for good people (and a good dog) making something real and strong in this perilous life.
May 2, 2016
My enjoyment of Kate Atkinson's Jackson Brodie novels increases with each book. You only have to look at my ratings: I gave the first one three stars, the second one four stars and now I find I can't not give this third volume five out of five.
This book begins with a horrific multiple murder and things go downhill from there. I kid, I kid... After the grisly opening, we jump forward thirty years to present day to see what the sole survivor of the initiating incident's life looks like now. While she has outwardly got her life together (far more than I have in fact) the news that the murderer she escaped three decades ago is being released from prison, having served his 'life' sentence, is sure to put the cat among even the most robust pigeons.
Atkinson's writing has got such a wonderful rhythm to it (it verges on poetry in places) that it's almost hypnotic. One must resist the temptation to drift off, though, as this book is definitely one which rewards careful reading. All the plot threads are resolved by the end of the book, some for the better, some not so much, but if you're not paying attention you might not realise it.
One of the themes of the book is the nature of our existence and what role coincidence and/or fate plays. Atkinson clearly delights in playing with the inter-connectedness of all things and obviously wants the reader to ponder how these things differ in fiction and 'real life'.
The characters in this novel live and breathe and squirm their way into your head. I really cared what happened to these people over the course of the story and there are a couple of new characters in this book that I'm really hoping will turn up in the next one. I found myself genuinely scared for them in places and mourned with them in others. I also laughed with them at times because, while these books aren't comedies (except perhaps in the Shakespearian sense), nobody could deny that the author has a wry sense of humour that permeates her work.
All in all, I'm now overjoyed I persevered with this series, which is not often the case when the first book is only a three star read. I'm very much looking forward to reading the fourth book in the series.
This book begins with a horrific multiple murder and things go downhill from there. I kid, I kid... After the grisly opening, we jump forward thirty years to present day to see what the sole survivor of the initiating incident's life looks like now. While she has outwardly got her life together (far more than I have in fact) the news that the murderer she escaped three decades ago is being released from prison, having served his 'life' sentence, is sure to put the cat among even the most robust pigeons.
Atkinson's writing has got such a wonderful rhythm to it (it verges on poetry in places) that it's almost hypnotic. One must resist the temptation to drift off, though, as this book is definitely one which rewards careful reading. All the plot threads are resolved by the end of the book, some for the better, some not so much, but if you're not paying attention you might not realise it.
One of the themes of the book is the nature of our existence and what role coincidence and/or fate plays. Atkinson clearly delights in playing with the inter-connectedness of all things and obviously wants the reader to ponder how these things differ in fiction and 'real life'.
The characters in this novel live and breathe and squirm their way into your head. I really cared what happened to these people over the course of the story and there are a couple of new characters in this book that I'm really hoping will turn up in the next one. I found myself genuinely scared for them in places and mourned with them in others. I also laughed with them at times because, while these books aren't comedies (except perhaps in the Shakespearian sense), nobody could deny that the author has a wry sense of humour that permeates her work.
All in all, I'm now overjoyed I persevered with this series, which is not often the case when the first book is only a three star read. I'm very much looking forward to reading the fourth book in the series.
March 31, 2019
It's hard to categorize a Kate Atkinson detective/mystery novel- they really are so much more. To me they are literary novels with some mysteries within their pages. Why I love this series- They are intricately plotted with interesting characters and storylines.
This is the third in the Jackson Brodie novels. I think it has been the best so far and I loved all three. He is definitely not the only person we encounter in this book. We meet Detective Chief Inspector Louise Monroe. She and Jackson used to work together before he left the police force. She is a driven and determined police officer, who worries about her cases and lives for her job. We also meet Reggie, a 16 yr old who is worried about her boss, Dr. Hunter, and does some sleuthing of her own. The author brings all these characters to life. She is such a clever writer!
I hated finishing this book as I wanted it to go on, but at the same time, I could not stop reading!!
I would highly recommend this book, but I would read them in sequence. It's better to get to know Jackson from book 1- Case Histories.
This is the third in the Jackson Brodie novels. I think it has been the best so far and I loved all three. He is definitely not the only person we encounter in this book. We meet Detective Chief Inspector Louise Monroe. She and Jackson used to work together before he left the police force. She is a driven and determined police officer, who worries about her cases and lives for her job. We also meet Reggie, a 16 yr old who is worried about her boss, Dr. Hunter, and does some sleuthing of her own. The author brings all these characters to life. She is such a clever writer!
I hated finishing this book as I wanted it to go on, but at the same time, I could not stop reading!!
I would highly recommend this book, but I would read them in sequence. It's better to get to know Jackson from book 1- Case Histories.
November 10, 2008
Oh, stab me in the heart some more, Kate. Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie novels (the trilogy that begins with Case Histories) just get more and more depressing. This latest is simply brutal. And yet…I loved reading it, in spite of how bleak it is, in spite of the fact that the plot relies on some rather ridiculous Dickensian coincidences, in spite of Atkinson’s apparent hatred of semi-colons and love of comma splices. I’m not sure what it is, exactly, but I just love the way Atkinson’s characters leap off the page, the way their voices crackle and spark and echo in my head. I love the way she writes. She remains one of those authors who can in effect do no wrong: I will read anything she puts to paper. (Got old grocery lists? Send ’em to me!) But, uh…try to write something a little lighter next time, Kate, okay? For my sake?
February 19, 2012
I often have problems with crime fiction series. I love the idea of returning to an interesting world in the company of a well-loved character, but often the expectation of enjoyment engendered by the previous books in a series doesn't continue to be met. Well, with this series it's a matter of so far, so good. In fact, maybe it's so far, so much better. Admittedly, this is only Atkinson's third novel to feature Jackson Brodie, but it is probably my favourite to date.
This is not traditional crime fiction. The action does not always focus on Jackson Brodie and he doesn't necessarily resolve all of the issues. In this novel, he shares the action with Reggie (a smart, resourceful teenager) and Joanna (the survivor of horrific childhood events). As with the earlier novels in the series, Atkinson moves the narrative along using shifting perspectives and overlapping time frames. The plot relies heavily on random connections and the layering of coincidences. In the hands of a less skilled writer, this could lead to some heavy eye-rolling. However, in my view, Atkinson makes it work. The sense of life being a puzzle, where the different pieces appear unconnected but are all required to complete the picture is a theme of Atkinson's writing; it's kind of like a literary six degrees of separation game. The fact the Atkinson writes clear, elegant prose and realistic (and often very witty) dialogue also contributes to the quality of the work.
Atkinson's style will not appeal to everyone. A reader whose taste runs to traditional police procedural style crime fiction may not like her books at all. A reader who struggles with random coincidences being an essential part of the narrative may dismiss the plot as completely implausible - which it is, on any close (or even not so close) analysis. But Atkinson's style appeals to me a lot. I like that even her most appealing characters are flawed. I like that she does not tie up everything in a neat bundle, but leaves some things unexplained. That can be unsettling in crime fiction, but it's the way it is in life.
It's going to take me a while to tire of this series. In fact, there's every chance I won't tire of Jackson Brodie and his world for as long as Atkinson chooses to keep creating it. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Started Early, Took My Dog.
This was a most enjoyable buddy read with my friends Jemidar and Anna.
July 23, 2020
I nearly didn’t read this! It’s the third book in the Brodie series and I thought the first book was just ok, I bailed on the second book but I really enjoyed this one! Full of mystery, great characters (I want to adopt Reggie!!) and lots of action. This was good fun!
February 23, 2013
This is a decidedly 4.5 stars (come on Goodreads, sometimes a girl needs a half!). The two words that come to mind with this book are "clever" and "unexpected". The characters in the book were incredibly different and flawed in such differing ways, but the tying together of them reminded me (well, loosely) of the movie Love Actually. I loved some (Dr. Hunter, Reggie) and vascilated loving and hating some (Jackson & Louise), and of course, straight up hated the some others. But the attention to the plot and characterization drew me in. There were many moments of casual reading where I thought, "Wait. WHAT?" and went back to re-read what I read because I was shocked. Very different from many books I've read, and thus, very enjoyable.
May 19, 2014
By some celestial alignment and confluence of book lists, I read two Kate Atkinson books in a row - Behind the Scenes at the Museum, which I've already reviewed and very much enjoyed, and this one. I don't like this one nearly as much.
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
October 4, 2016
“A coincidence is just an explanation waiting to happen”
Another great installment to this unique crime series. Honestly, how she puts together a story is absolutely stunning and refreshing. You get so much character depth from her books than in any other crime novel I have read (Apart from The Millennium Trilogy)
“Just because something bad had happened to her doesn't mean it won't happen again.”
In this installment we follow Jackson Brodie as he is yet shoved into another mystery that he wasn’t interested in and we spiral round as we connect the story as well as finding out the Who? What? Where? Why? ...
The way she manages to wove her story arc and get you into the characters head and also keep you thinking about the mystery is perplexing. I loved her writing style, it just added flesh to the story and I can’t wait for the next book :)
This the 3rd book in a crime series I would advice to start from book one, trust me you will get a lot out of it
Review for book 2
October 20, 2008
While walking home one day, six-year-old Joanna Mason's family is attacked and killed by a man wielding a butcher knife. Joanna escapes by fleeing into a cornfield and hiding. She's eventually found and the killer is caught and sent to jail.
Now before you get upset with me for revealing too much, let me just say that all of what I described above happens in the first twenty or so pages of Kate Atkinson's latest novel "When Will There Be Good News?" The death of Joanna's family is the catalyst for everything that happens for the rest of the story and the impact is felt on every single character we meet over the course of this story.
As usual, Atkinson's novel is one that defies easy description. It's one part a mystery, one part character study and one part suspense thriller. The story starts out on a deceptively slow note, allowing readers to get to know the various players in the events to come and slowly building to a train wreck (literally and figuratively) of a turning point that has a direct impact on each of the characters. Atkinson brings back Jackson Brodie, the private detective who featured in her previous novels "Case Histories" and "One Good Turn" as well as several other familiar faces.
As I read this story, comparions to Elizabeth George kept creeping up on me. (And that's a good thing as George is one of my favorite authors). Atkinson has a storytelling style that highlights characters, but continues to build the story with each page. She's subtle, working in details to the storyline naturally and rewarding readers when a payoff comes several pages later. Watching the story unfold, building up momentum until we finally see the bigger picture is fascinating. Several storylines cross over and we get to see events from several points of view.
The various elements will keep you guessing, keep you curious and keep the pages turning. I consumed this book eagerly, anxious to find out what happens next. It's one of those where once the final page is turned, you'll walk away satisfied but wishing there was more to savor.
Now before you get upset with me for revealing too much, let me just say that all of what I described above happens in the first twenty or so pages of Kate Atkinson's latest novel "When Will There Be Good News?" The death of Joanna's family is the catalyst for everything that happens for the rest of the story and the impact is felt on every single character we meet over the course of this story.
As usual, Atkinson's novel is one that defies easy description. It's one part a mystery, one part character study and one part suspense thriller. The story starts out on a deceptively slow note, allowing readers to get to know the various players in the events to come and slowly building to a train wreck (literally and figuratively) of a turning point that has a direct impact on each of the characters. Atkinson brings back Jackson Brodie, the private detective who featured in her previous novels "Case Histories" and "One Good Turn" as well as several other familiar faces.
As I read this story, comparions to Elizabeth George kept creeping up on me. (And that's a good thing as George is one of my favorite authors). Atkinson has a storytelling style that highlights characters, but continues to build the story with each page. She's subtle, working in details to the storyline naturally and rewarding readers when a payoff comes several pages later. Watching the story unfold, building up momentum until we finally see the bigger picture is fascinating. Several storylines cross over and we get to see events from several points of view.
The various elements will keep you guessing, keep you curious and keep the pages turning. I consumed this book eagerly, anxious to find out what happens next. It's one of those where once the final page is turned, you'll walk away satisfied but wishing there was more to savor.
May 23, 2019
Jackson Brodie #3
Six year old Joanna Mason was the only person to escape when a madman killed her mother, sister and baby brother. Now, thirty years later,Joanna is a successful Doctor with a baby of her own. The madman is being released from prison after serving his sentence. Jackson Brodie is an ex-policeman who is now retired but still does some investigative work. Louise is a stickler to the rules policewoman. There are three separate storylines in this book and in parts I found it confusing. There is also quite a few characters. The story starts off quite slow but picks up its pace just under half way through. I felt this was more about dysfunctional families rather than a detective story. I did like some of the characters who were true to life. There are a few twists to look out for. This is a decent enough read.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and the author Kate Atkinson for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Six year old Joanna Mason was the only person to escape when a madman killed her mother, sister and baby brother. Now, thirty years later,Joanna is a successful Doctor with a baby of her own. The madman is being released from prison after serving his sentence. Jackson Brodie is an ex-policeman who is now retired but still does some investigative work. Louise is a stickler to the rules policewoman. There are three separate storylines in this book and in parts I found it confusing. There is also quite a few characters. The story starts off quite slow but picks up its pace just under half way through. I felt this was more about dysfunctional families rather than a detective story. I did like some of the characters who were true to life. There are a few twists to look out for. This is a decent enough read.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and the author Kate Atkinson for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 7, 2021
Thirty years ago, six-year-old Joanna was able to run away and hide while a deranged man knifed her mother and her two siblings. Detective Chief Inspector Louise Monroe warns Joanna that the convict is going to be released from prison. Joanna is now a doctor, the mother of a baby boy, and the wife of a man who is involved in some questionable business dealings. She has hired a teenager, Reggie, to be a mother's helper. Reggie's mother had recently died, and Joanna helps fill the void with her warm, maternal personality.
Meanwhile, detective Jackson Brodie boarded the wrong train, and is traveling to Edinburgh instead of London. The lives of the characters intersect by the railroad tracks. Jackson and Louise were almost lovers years ago, still feel an attraction, but now are married to other people. When Joanna and the baby go away unexpectedly, Reggie is upset and contacts Louise. Why did Joanna leave her purse and phone behind? Several other plot lines also intertwine with the main story.
Kate Atkinson has created complex characters that the reader will care about. There's some wonderful humor about life, marriage, family, and class differences woven into the story. The author surprised me with and unexpected twist that I did not see coming. This entertaining crime read is the third book in the Jackson Brodie series, but can be enjoyed even if you have not read the previous two books.
Meanwhile, detective Jackson Brodie boarded the wrong train, and is traveling to Edinburgh instead of London. The lives of the characters intersect by the railroad tracks. Jackson and Louise were almost lovers years ago, still feel an attraction, but now are married to other people. When Joanna and the baby go away unexpectedly, Reggie is upset and contacts Louise. Why did Joanna leave her purse and phone behind? Several other plot lines also intertwine with the main story.
Kate Atkinson has created complex characters that the reader will care about. There's some wonderful humor about life, marriage, family, and class differences woven into the story. The author surprised me with and unexpected twist that I did not see coming. This entertaining crime read is the third book in the Jackson Brodie series, but can be enjoyed even if you have not read the previous two books.
January 31, 2021
The third instalment in Kate Atkinson's wildly beloved series of Jackson Brodie Mysteries: a complex tale of murder, coincidence, and connected lives. I absolutely adore everything about this series, especially the quirky but extremely human characters as well as the pitch perfect, intelligent, and humorous writing. As always Jackson’s internal though processes had me laughing out loud quite a few times, and he is fast becoming one of my all-time favorite fictional characters.
“A coincidence is just an explanation waiting to happen.”
This is literary crime fiction at its best and I cannot recommend this series enough!
“A coincidence is just an explanation waiting to happen.”
This is literary crime fiction at its best and I cannot recommend this series enough!
January 15, 2011
Joanna Mason, a six-year-old girl, was the only person to escape when a madman killed her mother, sister and baby brother. Thirty years later, Joanna is a successful doctor with a baby of her own when the madman is released from prison. Regina Chase is Joanna's precocious sixteen-year-old mother's assistant; Neil Hunter, Joanna's husband, is an entrepreneur with big troubles.
Police detective Louise Monroe, recently married herself, is attempting to protect a woman and her children from an abusive husband and is also participating in the investigation into a suspicious fire at one of Neil Hunter's properties. Ex-cop and P.I. Jackson Brodie who has always been enamored of Louise, has family difficulties of his own.
All of their lives intersect over a four-day period containing a number of near-cataclysmic events. Atkinson weaves the detailed story lines together in a very interesting book which is really more of a character study than it is a crime novel. All of these characters are interesting and their stories combine in a great climax. This is a very good read, but one should not be expecting to find here a very traditional crime novel.
Police detective Louise Monroe, recently married herself, is attempting to protect a woman and her children from an abusive husband and is also participating in the investigation into a suspicious fire at one of Neil Hunter's properties. Ex-cop and P.I. Jackson Brodie who has always been enamored of Louise, has family difficulties of his own.
All of their lives intersect over a four-day period containing a number of near-cataclysmic events. Atkinson weaves the detailed story lines together in a very interesting book which is really more of a character study than it is a crime novel. All of these characters are interesting and their stories combine in a great climax. This is a very good read, but one should not be expecting to find here a very traditional crime novel.
November 14, 2024
This is the third in the series of Jackson Brodie. Interesting characters my favourite being Reggie a tenacious 16 year old who looks much younger. There're different crime stories that are interlinked and magically woven together. A surviving child, a murderer being released from prison, a train crash that leaves Jackson with amnesia and DI Louise Monroe investigating the crime(s). A fantastic read, funny in parts giving light relief, a light tone with a darkening plot, a detective story but so much more. Brilliant.
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