And any mystery that not only tells a good story but has me consistently laughing deserves five stars. I found myself highlighting phrases, not because they were important to the plot, but just because I loved the turn of phrase. Too often, something is lacking or the story is just too unbelievable. It’s not often I award five stars to a mystery. It’s subtle here, but when a chapter changes from one character to another, you go back in time to get their perspective on events you just witnessed. “A coincidence is just an explanation waiting to happen.”Īs with all of Atkinson’s books, time is a variable. It takes awhile for it to become sorted as to how they will all come together. And there are lots of characters here, so be prepared to pay attention to who is whom.

Although Atkinson’s characters tend to be more fully formed than Coben’s. It reminded me of Harlan Coben in some ways, especially the humor. Once again, the dry humor shines through and I found myself sometimes chuckling out loud.

Not only did I love Jackson, but also Harry, the teenage stepson of the woman that becomes Jackson’s client. Oh, and his ex-partner’s voice rings in his head whenever his thoughts go on a wander. How could I not with comments like this “ he couldn’t get the knowledge to rise up from the seabed of his memory - a dismal place with the rusting wreckage and detritus of his brain cells.” He’s dealing with his cynical, hormonal son, who wants nothing to do with him, an aging Labrador with “rusty hips” and his private investigations business which is mostly tracking wandering spouses. I immediately felt a connection with him all over again. I was worried about the gap in time, but no worries. It’s been ages since she wrote a Jackson Brodie book. As a reader, you might come for the mystery, but you’ll return for the prose.Kate Atkinson is the complete package - engrossing storylines and fully formed characters. But they are primarily triumphs of tone: sardonic, faithless, and dark as the inside of a cow.

“Atkinson’s detective novels are masterworks of character-driven plots and leisurely observation. Now, with this four-volume eBook bundle, you can discover the novels that the New York Times has called “deliciously underhanded. He soon realizes, however, that in spite of apparent diversity, everything is connected. Surrounded by death, intrigue and misfortune, his own life haunted by a family tragedy, the Jackson Brodie series begins as the investigator attempts to unravel three disparate case histories. He's unable to resist coming to the rescue and increasingly he becomes a magnet for the bereaved, the lost and the dysfunctional. But Jackson's tough-guy exterior belies a deeply empathetic heart. A former soldier and policeman, he makes his money working from investigating infidelity and finding missing cats. Jackson Brodie is a private investigator in Cambridge.

Jackson brodie books