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Jackson Brodie #6
Death at the Sign of the Rook
The stage is set. Marooned overnight by a snowstorm in a grand country house are a cast of characters and a setting that even Agatha Christie might recognize – a vicar, an Army major, a Dowager, a sleuth and his sidekick - except that the sleuth is Jackson Brodie, and the ‘sidekick’ is DC Reggie Chase.
The crumbling house - Burton Makepeace and its chatelaine the Dowager Lady Milton - suffered the loss of their last remaining painting of any value, a Turner, some years ago. The housekeeper, Sophie, who disappeared the same night, is suspected of stealing it.
Jackson, a reluctant hostage to the snowstorm, has been investigating the theft of another The Woman with a Weasel, a portrait, taken from the house of an elderly widow, on the morning she died. The suspect this time is the widow’s carer, Melanie. Is this a coincidence or is there a connection? And what secrets does The Woman with a Weasel hold? The puzzle is Jackson’s to solve. And let’s not forget that a convicted murderer is on the run on the moors around Burton Makepeace.
All the while, in a bid to make money, Burton Makepeace is determined to keep hosting a shambolic Murder Mystery that acts as a backdrop while the real drama is being played out in the house.
A brilliantly plotted, supremely entertaining, and utterly compulsive tour de force from a great writer at the height of her powers.
The crumbling house - Burton Makepeace and its chatelaine the Dowager Lady Milton - suffered the loss of their last remaining painting of any value, a Turner, some years ago. The housekeeper, Sophie, who disappeared the same night, is suspected of stealing it.
Jackson, a reluctant hostage to the snowstorm, has been investigating the theft of another The Woman with a Weasel, a portrait, taken from the house of an elderly widow, on the morning she died. The suspect this time is the widow’s carer, Melanie. Is this a coincidence or is there a connection? And what secrets does The Woman with a Weasel hold? The puzzle is Jackson’s to solve. And let’s not forget that a convicted murderer is on the run on the moors around Burton Makepeace.
All the while, in a bid to make money, Burton Makepeace is determined to keep hosting a shambolic Murder Mystery that acts as a backdrop while the real drama is being played out in the house.
A brilliantly plotted, supremely entertaining, and utterly compulsive tour de force from a great writer at the height of her powers.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published August 17, 2024
3691 people are currently reading
32716 people want to read
About the author
Kate Atkinson
72 books12.2k 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 3,188 reviews
April 8, 2024
I’m torn on this one, and it gets an extra half star for the humor alone. There are lots of laugh-out-loud moments to be found here. However, I just could not get into this. It dragged on and on, and there was zero action for much of the book. There were so many characters that it was difficult to keep them straight. I’m sure that if you’re into meandering cozy mysteries, you’ll enjoy this, but I’m afraid it just wasn’t for me.
I did laugh a fair amount, though, at the thought processes of various characters. I wouldn’t mind hanging out with Ms. Atkinson every once in a while, as I’m sure my stomach would hurt from laughing so hard. I just wished I’d liked the book more!
My thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
I did laugh a fair amount, though, at the thought processes of various characters. I wouldn’t mind hanging out with Ms. Atkinson every once in a while, as I’m sure my stomach would hurt from laughing so hard. I just wished I’d liked the book more!
My thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
March 25, 2024
Jackson Brodie #6
A coincidence is just an explanation waiting to happen.
You are cordially invited to enjoy a lavish murder mystery weekend at Rook Hall, the east wing of Burton Makepeace, one of England’s finest stately homes, though it has to be said, it’s a tad down at heel. Only £1250 per person, including a sumptuous breakfast. The guests duly arrive, including Jackson and Reggie (DC Reggie Chase) . Wait, what? Our hero, at a murder mystery weekend with a vicar, an army major, a Countess, and the Dowager Lady Milton, and assembled crew which would have the Queen of Crime nodding with approval. Why are Jackson and Reggie there? Well, in a nutshell, theft of paintings. The first, a rather good Turner belonging to the cash-strapped owners of Burton Makepeace, the Dowager being the aforementioned Lady Milton. The suspect is the missing housekeeper, Sophie, of whom Lady Milton is rather fond, more so than her offsprings in all probability. The latest is one from the home of a recently deceased widow, a Renaissance painting entitled “The Woman with the Weasel” and the suspected weasel thief is Melanie, the old ladies carer. Jackson is on that case and Reggie is one of the detectives on the Turner investigation. Forces joined as it were, it’s not unusual. Oh and by the way, a convicted murderer is on the run, thought to be on Burton Makepeace’s surrounding moors. This could get messy so Jackson needs to stay sharp. It’s also worth mentioning that it’s snowing and there will soon be a white out.
Woo hoo, a new Kate Atkinson and a Jackson Brodie at that! It’s everything that I hope it will be, clever, lively, funny, colourful fast paced, and totally engaging. I love it! Full of wit, verve, and joi de vie - ok, maybe that’s pushing it considering the nature of some of the characters, not Jackson or Reggie obviously!
All the characters are exceptionally well portrayed with a few apt, well chosen phrases they spring to life in glorious technicolour. There’s accompanying terrific dialogue, that bats back-and-forth, some great in head thoughts from Jackson, with plenty of irony thrown in for good measure. Absolutely oodles of plot features from art theft, to insurance fraud, to characters questioning their place and purpose. Chuck in the dynamics of the owners of a crumbling stately home, a travelling band of murder mystery actors, the prisoner on the run and a few characters who succumb to the call of the Grim Reaper. The end result of what could be chaos (well, there is but in the best possible comedic way) is some fantastical and vivid scenes that put you in mind of murder farce if there is such a thing or a snowy Bedlam. It’s highly entertaining in its outlandishness. Towards the end, there’s quite a dastardly rampage as all the plot elements come together in a Hollywood worthy climax, with plenty of nods to the Queen of Crime. Maybe in this case I should say the ”doyen” of cosy crime “ Nancy Styles” who pops up appropriately on numerous occasions.
It’s fantastic. What a hilarious romp through the Yorkshire countryside, which entertains from beginning to end.
PS Has Cupid drawn his bow for Reggie?? I do hope so.
Five stars all the way.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to. Random House UK, Transworld for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Expected publication in the U.K. 29/8/24
A coincidence is just an explanation waiting to happen.
You are cordially invited to enjoy a lavish murder mystery weekend at Rook Hall, the east wing of Burton Makepeace, one of England’s finest stately homes, though it has to be said, it’s a tad down at heel. Only £1250 per person, including a sumptuous breakfast. The guests duly arrive, including Jackson and Reggie (DC Reggie Chase) . Wait, what? Our hero, at a murder mystery weekend with a vicar, an army major, a Countess, and the Dowager Lady Milton, and assembled crew which would have the Queen of Crime nodding with approval. Why are Jackson and Reggie there? Well, in a nutshell, theft of paintings. The first, a rather good Turner belonging to the cash-strapped owners of Burton Makepeace, the Dowager being the aforementioned Lady Milton. The suspect is the missing housekeeper, Sophie, of whom Lady Milton is rather fond, more so than her offsprings in all probability. The latest is one from the home of a recently deceased widow, a Renaissance painting entitled “The Woman with the Weasel” and the suspected weasel thief is Melanie, the old ladies carer. Jackson is on that case and Reggie is one of the detectives on the Turner investigation. Forces joined as it were, it’s not unusual. Oh and by the way, a convicted murderer is on the run, thought to be on Burton Makepeace’s surrounding moors. This could get messy so Jackson needs to stay sharp. It’s also worth mentioning that it’s snowing and there will soon be a white out.
Woo hoo, a new Kate Atkinson and a Jackson Brodie at that! It’s everything that I hope it will be, clever, lively, funny, colourful fast paced, and totally engaging. I love it! Full of wit, verve, and joi de vie - ok, maybe that’s pushing it considering the nature of some of the characters, not Jackson or Reggie obviously!
All the characters are exceptionally well portrayed with a few apt, well chosen phrases they spring to life in glorious technicolour. There’s accompanying terrific dialogue, that bats back-and-forth, some great in head thoughts from Jackson, with plenty of irony thrown in for good measure. Absolutely oodles of plot features from art theft, to insurance fraud, to characters questioning their place and purpose. Chuck in the dynamics of the owners of a crumbling stately home, a travelling band of murder mystery actors, the prisoner on the run and a few characters who succumb to the call of the Grim Reaper. The end result of what could be chaos (well, there is but in the best possible comedic way) is some fantastical and vivid scenes that put you in mind of murder farce if there is such a thing or a snowy Bedlam. It’s highly entertaining in its outlandishness. Towards the end, there’s quite a dastardly rampage as all the plot elements come together in a Hollywood worthy climax, with plenty of nods to the Queen of Crime. Maybe in this case I should say the ”doyen” of cosy crime “ Nancy Styles” who pops up appropriately on numerous occasions.
It’s fantastic. What a hilarious romp through the Yorkshire countryside, which entertains from beginning to end.
PS Has Cupid drawn his bow for Reggie?? I do hope so.
Five stars all the way.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to. Random House UK, Transworld for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Expected publication in the U.K. 29/8/24
October 23, 2024
I love Kate Atkinson’s sense of humor. And Death at the Sign of the Rook is full of it. I spent the entire time I listened to this book chuckling. It’s a good thing there’s so much humor, because Atkinson takes her own sweet time setting up the premise of this book. This is a book much more devoted to humor and characters than a strong plot.
A diverse group have gathered at Burton Makepeace, a crumbling manor house, for a murder mystery weekend. We are introduced one at a time to those that eventually will be trapped together. Atkinson excels at crafting characters that come to life.
Jackson Brodie is investigating the theft of a renaissance painting from the home of a recently deceased old woman. During that investigation, he discovers similar thefts. In each case, the housekeeper/caregiver was the primary suspect but neither woman or art was ever found.
Don’t go into this expecting a straightforward mystery. It has a farcical feel to it.
I listened to this and Jason Isaacs did a great job.
A diverse group have gathered at Burton Makepeace, a crumbling manor house, for a murder mystery weekend. We are introduced one at a time to those that eventually will be trapped together. Atkinson excels at crafting characters that come to life.
Jackson Brodie is investigating the theft of a renaissance painting from the home of a recently deceased old woman. During that investigation, he discovers similar thefts. In each case, the housekeeper/caregiver was the primary suspect but neither woman or art was ever found.
Don’t go into this expecting a straightforward mystery. It has a farcical feel to it.
I listened to this and Jason Isaacs did a great job.
June 9, 2024
Kate Atkinson is a great writer ofhigh quality literary fiction.
Jackson Brodie is a wonderful sleuth.
But...sadly, this book just didn't work for me and I was really disappointed.
I think it was just too much detail and too little plot. I was over half-way through before I'd actually got my head around the unnecessarily complex set of characters, none of whom I really cared about. Too many characters with too little character, if you see what I mean.
And when things finally started to hot up, she throws in some bad weather to force these disparate characters into the same place, and then adds in a man with a shotgun who didn't seem to have actually had much to do with all that went before.
I'm still not sure why 'Nanny' was dead at the bottom of the stairs.
But, I don't care enough to try to re-read and work it out.
So, much to my amazement as I didn't think Atkinson was capable of a bad book, this one might just have proved me wrong.
A big thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for my copy.
Jackson Brodie is a wonderful sleuth.
But...sadly, this book just didn't work for me and I was really disappointed.
I think it was just too much detail and too little plot. I was over half-way through before I'd actually got my head around the unnecessarily complex set of characters, none of whom I really cared about. Too many characters with too little character, if you see what I mean.
And when things finally started to hot up, she throws in some bad weather to force these disparate characters into the same place, and then adds in a man with a shotgun who didn't seem to have actually had much to do with all that went before.
I'm still not sure why 'Nanny' was dead at the bottom of the stairs.
But, I don't care enough to try to re-read and work it out.
So, much to my amazement as I didn't think Atkinson was capable of a bad book, this one might just have proved me wrong.
A big thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for my copy.
August 3, 2024
A couple Jackson Brodie books ago, I wrote in my review, "Is it selfish of me to want Kate Atkinson to go in a different direction? I think I know a bit too well what to expect from the Jackson Brodie books." Did she read my mind? Because she's certainly done that with our 6th entry in the series.
This book is part Jackson Brodie novel (often plodding, contemplative), part golden age mystery, part Downton Abbey-style British estate comedy of manners, and ultimately part farce with characters bumbling in and out of rooms and is that actually a prop gun gags. I know it sounds like these things wouldn't necessarily go together. And it is a bit jarring when the novel opens on a little murder mystery weekend then cuts to our usual Jackson slowly considering one small crime in a larger, bleaker world and his own place in it as he ages. But somehow, I don't know, it works.
It works, in part, because this book is so funny. Even when we are just hanging out in Jackson's head, Kate Atkinson's got jokes. I was being one of those very annoying readers who keeps chuckling at her book, I recommend not reading this with other people in the room. Lady Milton in particular is hilarious, every time we cut to her chapters I was delighted. There are a few perspectives that are less funny. The vicar who's lost his faith and his ability to speak, the veteran who's lost his leg and his interest in life, but somehow Jackson himself is able to bring it all together, as we look at the world through his eyes with both humor and philosophical musings.
While this wraps up much more neatly than the usual Jackson Brodie novel, it does have the usual untied strings, the unexplained motives, the whole things that must have been happening behind the scenes that we'll never be quite sure of.
My only complaint, really, is that I struggle to believe that men still exist in the world who are as gentle, thoughtful, and good as the men in this book. But then again, Jackson Brodie novels do like to balance in some hope with their customary despair.
The book feels kind of like a lark, a response to a challenge. I would love to hear Atkinson explain how she ended up with this. This is not a complaint! It's just such a weird little book, so determined to mashup things that don't particularly belong toegether.
This book is part Jackson Brodie novel (often plodding, contemplative), part golden age mystery, part Downton Abbey-style British estate comedy of manners, and ultimately part farce with characters bumbling in and out of rooms and is that actually a prop gun gags. I know it sounds like these things wouldn't necessarily go together. And it is a bit jarring when the novel opens on a little murder mystery weekend then cuts to our usual Jackson slowly considering one small crime in a larger, bleaker world and his own place in it as he ages. But somehow, I don't know, it works.
It works, in part, because this book is so funny. Even when we are just hanging out in Jackson's head, Kate Atkinson's got jokes. I was being one of those very annoying readers who keeps chuckling at her book, I recommend not reading this with other people in the room. Lady Milton in particular is hilarious, every time we cut to her chapters I was delighted. There are a few perspectives that are less funny. The vicar who's lost his faith and his ability to speak, the veteran who's lost his leg and his interest in life, but somehow Jackson himself is able to bring it all together, as we look at the world through his eyes with both humor and philosophical musings.
While this wraps up much more neatly than the usual Jackson Brodie novel, it does have the usual untied strings, the unexplained motives, the whole things that must have been happening behind the scenes that we'll never be quite sure of.
My only complaint, really, is that I struggle to believe that men still exist in the world who are as gentle, thoughtful, and good as the men in this book. But then again, Jackson Brodie novels do like to balance in some hope with their customary despair.
The book feels kind of like a lark, a response to a challenge. I would love to hear Atkinson explain how she ended up with this. This is not a complaint! It's just such a weird little book, so determined to mashup things that don't particularly belong toegether.
November 30, 2024
A whole lot of characters!
A slower paced mystery with some well developed characters and their backgrounds (lots of exposition). I had my favorites, but some of them were quite boring and had me wanting to "move on" to the next chapter. Just too many characters to keep the story moving at a pace I enjoy!
I did like the writing, the humor, and the cozy feel of the mysteries.
Read if you enjoy cozies, Agatha Christie novels, or mysteries with some complicated side stories and don't mind plenty of characters to meet along the way! For me, it just lost steam and I was a bit disappointed by the end.
A slower paced mystery with some well developed characters and their backgrounds (lots of exposition). I had my favorites, but some of them were quite boring and had me wanting to "move on" to the next chapter. Just too many characters to keep the story moving at a pace I enjoy!
I did like the writing, the humor, and the cozy feel of the mysteries.
Read if you enjoy cozies, Agatha Christie novels, or mysteries with some complicated side stories and don't mind plenty of characters to meet along the way! For me, it just lost steam and I was a bit disappointed by the end.
September 24, 2024
This is the sixth book in the Jackson Brodie series. I have been reading this series for many years now, and Kate Atkinson and Jackson Brodie have never let me down!
In Death at the Sign of the Rook the author gives us an Agatha Christie type murder mystery complete with a country house, a snowstorm, and a mixed bag of characters marooned in the house along with a corpse. Chapters are devoted to different characters and there is more than one theme and lots of backstory. Readers need to concentrate but it is all interesting and very good fun.
As usual in a series it is good to have been in it since book one. Many major players from previous books pop up somewhere, even Louise Monro. DC Reggie Chase has a very big role and actually manages to steal all the glory away from Jackson. I loved it all. Atkinson is a very talented writer and a pleasure to read, both with this series and her standalones. An easy five stars from me.
In Death at the Sign of the Rook the author gives us an Agatha Christie type murder mystery complete with a country house, a snowstorm, and a mixed bag of characters marooned in the house along with a corpse. Chapters are devoted to different characters and there is more than one theme and lots of backstory. Readers need to concentrate but it is all interesting and very good fun.
As usual in a series it is good to have been in it since book one. Many major players from previous books pop up somewhere, even Louise Monro. DC Reggie Chase has a very big role and actually manages to steal all the glory away from Jackson. I loved it all. Atkinson is a very talented writer and a pleasure to read, both with this series and her standalones. An easy five stars from me.
September 3, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC Of
Death at the Sign of the Rook.
I've been reading this series for years and since I can't remember the last book Jackson Brodie was in, I know it was quite a while ago.
I also can't believe the character is 70! Wow, time flies when you're having fun.
I really like Jackson Brodie and the author is such a talented writer so I was eager to dive into Death at the Sign of the Rook.
Also, great title!
I had forgotten how funny and sarcastic Brodie is and it was fun being back in his world.
Sadly, the narrative was disappointing because there wasn't enough Brodie and too much exposition on minor and supporting characters.
I quickly lost track of who was who and doing what and what their place in the narrative was.
The mystery wasn't that compelling or interesting and the narrative was slow and bogged down with the filler details on the numerous characters.
Was this mystery series always this cozy or is it just because it's been a long gap between Jackson Brodie's adventures?
I love Jackson and his small social circle but I wished the narrative had focused more on him.
In the novel, Jackson's trying to keep busy and use his skills and talents, doing what he does best.
He's bored with the case.
I sympathized with him. I felt the same way reading this.
I've been reading this series for years and since I can't remember the last book Jackson Brodie was in, I know it was quite a while ago.
I also can't believe the character is 70! Wow, time flies when you're having fun.
I really like Jackson Brodie and the author is such a talented writer so I was eager to dive into Death at the Sign of the Rook.
Also, great title!
I had forgotten how funny and sarcastic Brodie is and it was fun being back in his world.
Sadly, the narrative was disappointing because there wasn't enough Brodie and too much exposition on minor and supporting characters.
I quickly lost track of who was who and doing what and what their place in the narrative was.
The mystery wasn't that compelling or interesting and the narrative was slow and bogged down with the filler details on the numerous characters.
Was this mystery series always this cozy or is it just because it's been a long gap between Jackson Brodie's adventures?
I love Jackson and his small social circle but I wished the narrative had focused more on him.
In the novel, Jackson's trying to keep busy and use his skills and talents, doing what he does best.
He's bored with the case.
I sympathized with him. I felt the same way reading this.
October 6, 2025
The story starts with an invitation to a Murder Mystery Weekend at Rook Hall. How engaging is this beginning for readers? Does it give us a hint of what we might be in for as we peruse the pages? Well, off we go as readers bearing witness to a curious amount of eccentric characters (should we start our list now to keep track?) and another Jackson Brodie story.
It has been forever since I read a Jackson Brodie centered story from this author, having enjoyed some of the made-for-television versions of her books. But I felt with this one, why not dive in again?
For those not familiar with the Jackson Brodie series by this author, he is a private investigator, originally from Yorkshire. As a former policeman he brings his own set of skills to his job as a P.I.
With this story, after receiving that wonderful invitation, we now go back one week in time to see Brodie accepting a case from twin adults to look for their recently deceased mother’s missing Renaissance painting. What is it about these clients that has Brodie concerned? And how, will this case relate to his appearance at a Murder Mystery Weekend?
Moving on…
Guests at the Murder Mystery Weekend engage in a game clearly reminiscent of the actual board game, Clue. Will a fake murder game end up in a real murder? And, how will this all relate to the missing painting? Could the painting be at Rook Hall? And, why? As readers are we suddenly participating in a golden-age cozy mystery sans Agatha Christie?
Is the author having fun making fun of the classic murder mystery here with a crazy plot and neat solution? And, will it be enough to keep us satisfied up to the very end when readers hope the mystery will be solved?
“Why couldn’t they have a different ending? Perhaps one day someone else would be the murderer, but they were powerless to change anything. They were trapped in their own drama. There was no way out. The curtain fell.”
It has been forever since I read a Jackson Brodie centered story from this author, having enjoyed some of the made-for-television versions of her books. But I felt with this one, why not dive in again?
For those not familiar with the Jackson Brodie series by this author, he is a private investigator, originally from Yorkshire. As a former policeman he brings his own set of skills to his job as a P.I.
With this story, after receiving that wonderful invitation, we now go back one week in time to see Brodie accepting a case from twin adults to look for their recently deceased mother’s missing Renaissance painting. What is it about these clients that has Brodie concerned? And how, will this case relate to his appearance at a Murder Mystery Weekend?
Moving on…
Guests at the Murder Mystery Weekend engage in a game clearly reminiscent of the actual board game, Clue. Will a fake murder game end up in a real murder? And, how will this all relate to the missing painting? Could the painting be at Rook Hall? And, why? As readers are we suddenly participating in a golden-age cozy mystery sans Agatha Christie?
Is the author having fun making fun of the classic murder mystery here with a crazy plot and neat solution? And, will it be enough to keep us satisfied up to the very end when readers hope the mystery will be solved?
“Why couldn’t they have a different ending? Perhaps one day someone else would be the murderer, but they were powerless to change anything. They were trapped in their own drama. There was no way out. The curtain fell.”
September 26, 2024
Thank heavens. When Kate Atkinson was asked if there were going to be any more novels featuring Jackson Brodie, she said that she was quitting at the four she'd written to that point. Saying she'd followed his story as much as she felt necessary. Since then, she has written two more, this being the latest. Something about writing Brodie brings out the best in Atkinson including her wicked sense of humor that caused me to laugh out loud in places. Also, her character development. This one, with art theft as its theme, probes many of her favorite subjects.
March 6, 2025
3.5★
“The most congregants he ever managed was for his annual service on St Francis’s Day, when he held a service to bless people’s pets. It was always lovely. He wished the pets would just come on their own every Sunday.”
I’m sure there are congregants who would love to sleep in on a Sunday morning and send their dogs to church in their stead. Simon is a forlorn vicar who has lost whatever faith he has and is not a people-person to begin with. He had even toyed with the idea of becoming a monk, but if he had, he would never have been thrust into the middle of quite such an unusual, dangerous affair, and found a new interest in life.
This is the sixth, the latest (the last?) of one of my favourite mystery series, Jackson Brodie, and I’ve been looking forward to how Atkinson would work with a mixed group of snowbound people in an old English Manor House. I was disappointed that the focus was more on other, less interesting people, so that Jackson and Reggie were centre-stage only at the end.
Burton Makepeace (the name of the house and property) is a financial hole into which the titled owners have been pouring whatever money they can scrounge to keep barely habitable and mostly unheated.
Much is made of Lady Milton’s position as someone who feels she has somehow been robbed of the life that was meant to be hers. Why is so much of her rightful home open to the public now? Who are all these people?
“The ballroom in Burton Makepeace housed the café now. A whale of a chandelier still hung there because there was no one left who knew how to get it down.”
Then, she is really robbed. Not only has one of the few remaining paintings of any value (and her personal favourite) been stolen, but it seems as if the wonderful, caring young woman of whom Lady Milton has become very fond is the likely culprit.
“From an upstairs window Lady Milton had watched the police cars leaving. They had arrived several hours earlier with their blue lights blazing, sirens wailing – the hunt in full halloo – but now they were traipsing back down the drive, tails between their legs, with no quarry on show. Lady Milton wasn’t sure which loss was the worse – the Turner or Sophie. Or whatever her real name was. It seemed unlikely that her father really was a vicar.”
[Right, Lady Milton. You’re getting the picture now. No, not ‘the’ picture - just a childish play on words.]
Jackson Brodie, now a private investigator, has been looking ‘privately’ into a similar painting theft that the owners don’t want reported to the police (there are a lot of dodgy ‘owners’ of art, it seems), and suspicion has fallen on a similar young woman.
His young friend Reggie (Regina) is now a police constable connected to Lady Milton’s robbery case, and when Brodie’s investigation leads him to this one, they meet again. Reggie bristles, because Brodie gets all fatherly-bossy, and she’s no longer the girl he rescued once (and rescued again today in the snow) and who also saved his life. She is no side-kick.
She is on her way to Burton Makepeace and gets an alert.
“Reggie stopped to fill up at a petrol station. She realized her phone was still on airplane mode after the funeral and when she switched it back on she found the airwaves alive with drama. ‘Two-Cop Killer Carl Carter’ was loose and on the rampage on the moors.
She had heard of Carl Carter, of course. Also known as ‘Mad Dog Carter’ by the tabloids, but if he’d been a dog you would have put him down. He was a legend – a bad one...”
[Back to the Cases of the Stolen Paintings] When Reggie notices a common clue in the two crime scenes, she decides to keep it to herself.
“She was ‘not’ going to tell him about the Nancy Styles novel left behind by Sophie Greenway. He would come out with his usual catchphrase. ‘A coincidence is just an explanation waiting to happen.’ And, infuriatingly, he might be right. She was not going to give him the satisfaction. ‘She’ was police, not him, not any more. If there was a connection, ‘she’ would be the one to find it, she thought grimly.”
There are a lot of characters, many of them less than memorable, although I was very taken with Ben, the soldier who returned from Afghanistan minus the Leg, as his family always referred to it. He’s depressed and stays depressed and does not find it as uproariously funny as his family and friends do when they say things like, pull up your socks (sock, he thinks), best foot forward, one foot in the grave.
His fiancée had given up on him before the last tour of duty and now he’s home with no future. But he comes into his own during the snowstorm that leaves all these disparate people (plus a group of inept actors putting on a Murder Mystery Weekend) stuck in Burton Makepeace.
There is, of course, some of Atkinson’s humour (the Leg) and some good characters I enjoyed reading about (the vicar and Ben), but the whole group of actors and that scenario was wasted on me. Others may love it.
I still love Atkinson’s writing and her books. This one is just a little further down my list.
“The most congregants he ever managed was for his annual service on St Francis’s Day, when he held a service to bless people’s pets. It was always lovely. He wished the pets would just come on their own every Sunday.”
I’m sure there are congregants who would love to sleep in on a Sunday morning and send their dogs to church in their stead. Simon is a forlorn vicar who has lost whatever faith he has and is not a people-person to begin with. He had even toyed with the idea of becoming a monk, but if he had, he would never have been thrust into the middle of quite such an unusual, dangerous affair, and found a new interest in life.
This is the sixth, the latest (the last?) of one of my favourite mystery series, Jackson Brodie, and I’ve been looking forward to how Atkinson would work with a mixed group of snowbound people in an old English Manor House. I was disappointed that the focus was more on other, less interesting people, so that Jackson and Reggie were centre-stage only at the end.
Burton Makepeace (the name of the house and property) is a financial hole into which the titled owners have been pouring whatever money they can scrounge to keep barely habitable and mostly unheated.
Much is made of Lady Milton’s position as someone who feels she has somehow been robbed of the life that was meant to be hers. Why is so much of her rightful home open to the public now? Who are all these people?
“The ballroom in Burton Makepeace housed the café now. A whale of a chandelier still hung there because there was no one left who knew how to get it down.”
Then, she is really robbed. Not only has one of the few remaining paintings of any value (and her personal favourite) been stolen, but it seems as if the wonderful, caring young woman of whom Lady Milton has become very fond is the likely culprit.
“From an upstairs window Lady Milton had watched the police cars leaving. They had arrived several hours earlier with their blue lights blazing, sirens wailing – the hunt in full halloo – but now they were traipsing back down the drive, tails between their legs, with no quarry on show. Lady Milton wasn’t sure which loss was the worse – the Turner or Sophie. Or whatever her real name was. It seemed unlikely that her father really was a vicar.”
[Right, Lady Milton. You’re getting the picture now. No, not ‘the’ picture - just a childish play on words.]
Jackson Brodie, now a private investigator, has been looking ‘privately’ into a similar painting theft that the owners don’t want reported to the police (there are a lot of dodgy ‘owners’ of art, it seems), and suspicion has fallen on a similar young woman.
His young friend Reggie (Regina) is now a police constable connected to Lady Milton’s robbery case, and when Brodie’s investigation leads him to this one, they meet again. Reggie bristles, because Brodie gets all fatherly-bossy, and she’s no longer the girl he rescued once (and rescued again today in the snow) and who also saved his life. She is no side-kick.
She is on her way to Burton Makepeace and gets an alert.
“Reggie stopped to fill up at a petrol station. She realized her phone was still on airplane mode after the funeral and when she switched it back on she found the airwaves alive with drama. ‘Two-Cop Killer Carl Carter’ was loose and on the rampage on the moors.
She had heard of Carl Carter, of course. Also known as ‘Mad Dog Carter’ by the tabloids, but if he’d been a dog you would have put him down. He was a legend – a bad one...”
[Back to the Cases of the Stolen Paintings] When Reggie notices a common clue in the two crime scenes, she decides to keep it to herself.
“She was ‘not’ going to tell him about the Nancy Styles novel left behind by Sophie Greenway. He would come out with his usual catchphrase. ‘A coincidence is just an explanation waiting to happen.’ And, infuriatingly, he might be right. She was not going to give him the satisfaction. ‘She’ was police, not him, not any more. If there was a connection, ‘she’ would be the one to find it, she thought grimly.”
There are a lot of characters, many of them less than memorable, although I was very taken with Ben, the soldier who returned from Afghanistan minus the Leg, as his family always referred to it. He’s depressed and stays depressed and does not find it as uproariously funny as his family and friends do when they say things like, pull up your socks (sock, he thinks), best foot forward, one foot in the grave.
His fiancée had given up on him before the last tour of duty and now he’s home with no future. But he comes into his own during the snowstorm that leaves all these disparate people (plus a group of inept actors putting on a Murder Mystery Weekend) stuck in Burton Makepeace.
There is, of course, some of Atkinson’s humour (the Leg) and some good characters I enjoyed reading about (the vicar and Ben), but the whole group of actors and that scenario was wasted on me. Others may love it.
I still love Atkinson’s writing and her books. This one is just a little further down my list.
November 20, 2025
RATING BREAKDOWN
Characters: 3⭐️
Setting: 4⭐️
Plot: 4⭐️
Themes: 3⭐️
Emotional Impact: 3⭐️
Personal Enjoyment: 3⭐️
Total Rounded Average: 3.5⭐️
I had a good time with this cozy mystery. I enjoyed that everything centered around stolen art, and the characters were engaging and clever. Overall, the setting is what stands out as a good time about this one, which is why I think it would make a fun screen adaptation. The comedic aspect was also well-executed, since the ultimate scenes take place at a mystery theatrical dinner where the actual mystery culminates.
Thematically, there is moral ambiguity, a stoic but compassionate look at mental health, classism, spirituality, and even the prejudice against the elderly. I enjoyed that the book's characters felt grounded in real human experiences and dilemmas. I was emotionally satisfied but not incredibly invested. I think if I'd read more of the books in the interconnected series, I may have felt more connected to the protagonist. On its own, the characters were solid but nothing exceptional.
The plot was unpredictable, which is all you can really ask for in a mystery, but ultimately, I expect a mystery or thriller to move at a quick pace, and this one had its slower moments. The end was terrific, and it sticking the landing pulled the overall rating up for me.
I think this one was fun, but nothing super memorable, so it gets a fairly middle-of-the-road rating.
Characters: 3⭐️
Setting: 4⭐️
Plot: 4⭐️
Themes: 3⭐️
Emotional Impact: 3⭐️
Personal Enjoyment: 3⭐️
Total Rounded Average: 3.5⭐️
I had a good time with this cozy mystery. I enjoyed that everything centered around stolen art, and the characters were engaging and clever. Overall, the setting is what stands out as a good time about this one, which is why I think it would make a fun screen adaptation. The comedic aspect was also well-executed, since the ultimate scenes take place at a mystery theatrical dinner where the actual mystery culminates.
Thematically, there is moral ambiguity, a stoic but compassionate look at mental health, classism, spirituality, and even the prejudice against the elderly. I enjoyed that the book's characters felt grounded in real human experiences and dilemmas. I was emotionally satisfied but not incredibly invested. I think if I'd read more of the books in the interconnected series, I may have felt more connected to the protagonist. On its own, the characters were solid but nothing exceptional.
The plot was unpredictable, which is all you can really ask for in a mystery, but ultimately, I expect a mystery or thriller to move at a quick pace, and this one had its slower moments. The end was terrific, and it sticking the landing pulled the overall rating up for me.
I think this one was fun, but nothing super memorable, so it gets a fairly middle-of-the-road rating.
February 18, 2025
EXCERPT: As requested, they had all assembled in the library before dinner. There were not enough seats for everyone, and someone wondered jokingly if they were going to play musical chairs.
'Do you think we will?' Major Liversedge asked, perking up a little at the idea. The Major and Sir Lancelot Hardwick had done the gentlemanly thing and elected to stand.
'What on earth is this about, do you suppose?' the Reverend Smallbones asked. 'I hope there's going to be a good dinner to make up for all the waiting,' he added querulously.
'And where are those drinks?' Guy Burroughs wondered out loud.
'Dreadful man,' Countess Voranskaya murmured, unable to conceal her dislike of the brash American film star.
'Yes, where is Addison with the sherry?' Sir Lancelot said. He rang the bell again. Catching sight of the expression of distaste on the face of the fastidious little Swiss detective, René Armand, he laughed and said, 'Don't worry, Monsieur, I have some excellent cognac.'
'I fear we must make the best of things,' the Reverend Smallbones said. 'This snowstorm means we're all going to be stuck here together for quite some time.'
'Trapped!' Countess Voranskaya declared in gloomy Slavic tones.
The company fell into a rather awkward silence. There was an audible sigh of relief when Addison entered and said to Sir Lancelot, 'You rang, sir?'
'Yes, Addison. we would like -'
'I'm sorry to be so dim,' Lady Milton whispered, 'but I'm rather confused. Who is Addison?'
'He's the butler,' Reggie whispered back.
'It's confusing. There are so very many of them.'
'I know, Lady M, but I expect they're going to get picked off one by one. That's what usually happens.'
'Is it?'
'Dear God Almighty,' Jackson Brodie muttered. 'If this goes on much longer, I think I'll kill them all myself.'
'It hasn't even begun properly yet,' Reggie said.
ABOUT 'DEATH AT THE SIGN OF THE ROOK': The stage is set. Marooned overnight by a snowstorm in a grand country house are a cast of characters and a setting that even Agatha Christie might recognize – a vicar, an Army major, a Dowager, a sleuth and his sidekick - except that the sleuth is Jackson Brodie, and the ‘sidekick’ is DC Reggie Chase.
The crumbling house - Burton Makepeace and its chatelaine the Dowager Lady Milton - suffered the loss of their last remaining painting of any value, a Turner, some years ago. The housekeeper, Sophie, who disappeared the same night, is suspected of stealing it.
Jackson, a reluctant hostage to the snowstorm, has been investigating the theft of another The Woman with a Weasel, a portrait, taken from the house of an elderly widow, on the morning she died. The suspect this time is the widow’s carer, Melanie. Is this a coincidence or is there a connection? And what secrets does The Woman with a Weasel hold? The puzzle is Jackson’s to solve. And let’s not forget that a convicted murderer is on the run on the moors around Burton Makepeace.
All the while, in a bid to make money, Burton Makepeace is determined to keep hosting a shambolic Murder Mystery that acts as a backdrop while the real drama is being played out in the house.
MY THOUGHTS: An extremely entertaining read! The final chapter - Curtain Call - had me burst out with laughter at the end. Just perfect!
Death at the Sign of the Rook is a tongue-in-cheek take-off of the quintessential English country house murder. It is sublime! The narrative is filled with dry British humor (often black) that had me snorting and cackling with glee.
Although Jackson Brodie and Reggie Chase are the main characters, they are not the characters we spend most time with on the page. The 'supporting' characters are absolutely delightful, especially Lady Milton. In my mind, she was being played by Dame Maggie Smith, whose voice I could hear throughout. Other standout characters include Ben, an Afghan war vet with PTSD, and Simon Cate, a vicar with a crisis of faith who may be slightly in love (he certainly admires her) with Sophie Greenway whom, it is surmised, has stolen a valuable painting from her employer.
Be prepared for Atkinson's narrative to meander. There is no fast and furious here; think of it as a pleasant ramble through a very interesting garden where there are a multitude of paths to take. But believe me, when they merge and you get to see the full vista, is absolutely magnificent!
Although this is #6 in the series, it is easily read as a stand-alone.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#DeathattheSignoftheRook
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: The daughter of a shopkeeper, Atkinson was born in York, the setting for several of her books. She was an only child and often had to finds ways to amuse herself. She describes herself as an anxious child, something she believes had to do with being illegitimate. Her parents lived together but were not married, because her mother could not divorce her first husband. At the time, that was considered scandalous.
Atkinson was in her thirties when she began writing short stories. One of her stories won a prize in a Woman's Own writing contest in 1986, which encouraged her to continue writing, and she published stories in several magazines and newspapers. She has said that writing short stories was a good learning experience because she was forced to tell her story as efficiently as possible. She published her first novel in 1995.
In Kate Atkinson's novels and stories, much is not what it seems at first glance. She combines the conventional forms of the historical novel, detective novel and family novel with postmodern or magical realist elements. Atkinson is fascinated by the role of chance in life, and this is a recurring theme in her stories. Her books present a succession of (unexpected) events and extraordinary characters. Main characters sometimes face periods of mental confusion or amnesia. Atkinson also plays with the chronology of events, both within one book and between different books. Some characters return as older or younger versions of themselves. Problems experienced in the present are often caused by painful past events, that sometimes have been concealed for generations.[1]
Atkinson herself has said that it is not possible to write a novel about happy people, who are just busy being happy. In her work, especially in the Brodie cycle, she also refers to current events. The theme of justice plays an important role in her stories.
She currently lives in Edinburgh. (Source: Wikipedia - abridged)
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
'Do you think we will?' Major Liversedge asked, perking up a little at the idea. The Major and Sir Lancelot Hardwick had done the gentlemanly thing and elected to stand.
'What on earth is this about, do you suppose?' the Reverend Smallbones asked. 'I hope there's going to be a good dinner to make up for all the waiting,' he added querulously.
'And where are those drinks?' Guy Burroughs wondered out loud.
'Dreadful man,' Countess Voranskaya murmured, unable to conceal her dislike of the brash American film star.
'Yes, where is Addison with the sherry?' Sir Lancelot said. He rang the bell again. Catching sight of the expression of distaste on the face of the fastidious little Swiss detective, René Armand, he laughed and said, 'Don't worry, Monsieur, I have some excellent cognac.'
'I fear we must make the best of things,' the Reverend Smallbones said. 'This snowstorm means we're all going to be stuck here together for quite some time.'
'Trapped!' Countess Voranskaya declared in gloomy Slavic tones.
The company fell into a rather awkward silence. There was an audible sigh of relief when Addison entered and said to Sir Lancelot, 'You rang, sir?'
'Yes, Addison. we would like -'
'I'm sorry to be so dim,' Lady Milton whispered, 'but I'm rather confused. Who is Addison?'
'He's the butler,' Reggie whispered back.
'It's confusing. There are so very many of them.'
'I know, Lady M, but I expect they're going to get picked off one by one. That's what usually happens.'
'Is it?'
'Dear God Almighty,' Jackson Brodie muttered. 'If this goes on much longer, I think I'll kill them all myself.'
'It hasn't even begun properly yet,' Reggie said.
ABOUT 'DEATH AT THE SIGN OF THE ROOK': The stage is set. Marooned overnight by a snowstorm in a grand country house are a cast of characters and a setting that even Agatha Christie might recognize – a vicar, an Army major, a Dowager, a sleuth and his sidekick - except that the sleuth is Jackson Brodie, and the ‘sidekick’ is DC Reggie Chase.
The crumbling house - Burton Makepeace and its chatelaine the Dowager Lady Milton - suffered the loss of their last remaining painting of any value, a Turner, some years ago. The housekeeper, Sophie, who disappeared the same night, is suspected of stealing it.
Jackson, a reluctant hostage to the snowstorm, has been investigating the theft of another The Woman with a Weasel, a portrait, taken from the house of an elderly widow, on the morning she died. The suspect this time is the widow’s carer, Melanie. Is this a coincidence or is there a connection? And what secrets does The Woman with a Weasel hold? The puzzle is Jackson’s to solve. And let’s not forget that a convicted murderer is on the run on the moors around Burton Makepeace.
All the while, in a bid to make money, Burton Makepeace is determined to keep hosting a shambolic Murder Mystery that acts as a backdrop while the real drama is being played out in the house.
MY THOUGHTS: An extremely entertaining read! The final chapter - Curtain Call - had me burst out with laughter at the end. Just perfect!
Death at the Sign of the Rook is a tongue-in-cheek take-off of the quintessential English country house murder. It is sublime! The narrative is filled with dry British humor (often black) that had me snorting and cackling with glee.
Although Jackson Brodie and Reggie Chase are the main characters, they are not the characters we spend most time with on the page. The 'supporting' characters are absolutely delightful, especially Lady Milton. In my mind, she was being played by Dame Maggie Smith, whose voice I could hear throughout. Other standout characters include Ben, an Afghan war vet with PTSD, and Simon Cate, a vicar with a crisis of faith who may be slightly in love (he certainly admires her) with Sophie Greenway whom, it is surmised, has stolen a valuable painting from her employer.
Be prepared for Atkinson's narrative to meander. There is no fast and furious here; think of it as a pleasant ramble through a very interesting garden where there are a multitude of paths to take. But believe me, when they merge and you get to see the full vista, is absolutely magnificent!
Although this is #6 in the series, it is easily read as a stand-alone.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#DeathattheSignoftheRook
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: The daughter of a shopkeeper, Atkinson was born in York, the setting for several of her books. She was an only child and often had to finds ways to amuse herself. She describes herself as an anxious child, something she believes had to do with being illegitimate. Her parents lived together but were not married, because her mother could not divorce her first husband. At the time, that was considered scandalous.
Atkinson was in her thirties when she began writing short stories. One of her stories won a prize in a Woman's Own writing contest in 1986, which encouraged her to continue writing, and she published stories in several magazines and newspapers. She has said that writing short stories was a good learning experience because she was forced to tell her story as efficiently as possible. She published her first novel in 1995.
In Kate Atkinson's novels and stories, much is not what it seems at first glance. She combines the conventional forms of the historical novel, detective novel and family novel with postmodern or magical realist elements. Atkinson is fascinated by the role of chance in life, and this is a recurring theme in her stories. Her books present a succession of (unexpected) events and extraordinary characters. Main characters sometimes face periods of mental confusion or amnesia. Atkinson also plays with the chronology of events, both within one book and between different books. Some characters return as older or younger versions of themselves. Problems experienced in the present are often caused by painful past events, that sometimes have been concealed for generations.[1]
Atkinson herself has said that it is not possible to write a novel about happy people, who are just busy being happy. In her work, especially in the Brodie cycle, she also refers to current events. The theme of justice plays an important role in her stories.
She currently lives in Edinburgh. (Source: Wikipedia - abridged)
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
July 10, 2024
Not to be taken as a serious who-done-it, this novel instead delivers lots of funny moments, great one-liners, and way too many characters, none of which are memorable. The plot does drag and, by the end, I was still somewhat confused by who did what to whom and why some characters were even in the story.
Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for the ARC to read and review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for the ARC to read and review.
August 9, 2024
Death At The Sign Of The Rook is the sixth book in the popular Jackson Brodie series by award-winning best-selling British author, Kate Atkinson. When Dorothy Padgett dies, Jackson is asked by her twins, Hazel and Ian, to look for a painting missing from her bedroom.
It’s a Renaissance-era portrait and they claim not to know if it’s worth anything, but want it back for sentimental reasons. They believe that Dorothy’s carer, Melanie Hope took it when she left but they don’t want to involve the police, and Jackson feels there’s something decidedly shifty about the pair.
He quickly deduces Melanie’s phone is a burner, checks out the address (fake), chases the painting’s provenance (something dodgy there too) and then does a little research into art theft. A couple of interesting items online have him wondering if the same woman is posing in roles that virtually guarantee her invisibility (cleaner, carer, housekeeper) and then making off with valuable artwork.
One of the thefts was from Burton Makepeace House, the home of the Marquess and Marchioness Milton, and DC Reggie Chase investigated without success. A call from Jackson Brodie, about this, or anything, isn’t really welcome: “Jackson Brodie’s MO was disruption. His attitude to the law was like that of a Wild West sheriff. All that coincidence-being-an-explanation-waiting-to-happen baloney was just a cover for not following procedure.”
“She was reluctant to let him back into her life. He constituted part of the mess out there on the mean streets. Whenever she saw him, he brought a tsunami of it in his wake that would have defeated Marie Kondo.” But what he tells her is certainly intriguing…
Atkinson’s plot is interesting and topical, and before Reggie and Jackson find themselves in the midst of a Murder Mystery Weekend where not all the corpses are actors, and not all the guns are props, there is a visit to a funeral parlour and a crusty old neighbour, and Nancy Styles novels left behind. Atkinson throws a snowstorm and a murderous prison escapee into the mix just to add a bit more excitement. By the time DCS Louise Monroe and her team turn up, Reggie has been reminded that Jackson “was always making the distinction between justice and the law. She was always trying not to.”
But Atkinson’s strength is her characters and some of their inner monologues are an absolute joy, filled with dry British (and often very black) humour and understatement. Jackson’s narrative is peppered with Julia’s (previously delivered or else anticipated, but inevitably critical) comments, or those of what he calls his “pop-up Court of Women” any time female issues come up, while Reggie is often plagued by Jackson Brodie comments.
Atkinson carefully builds up her characters until the reader is invested in them and really cares about their fate. Of those characters, Honoria Milton delights while Ben and Simon pull at the heartstrings. There is humour, too, in certain situations and the snappy dialogue, with its tangents and asides, including many laugh-out-loud moments.
Atkinson has a wonderful way with words and some of her passages are superbly evocative and vividly descriptive. While it is not essential to have read the earlier books of this series, denying yourself that pleasure is surely cruel. This is another Atkinson masterpiece.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Random House UK Transworld.
It’s a Renaissance-era portrait and they claim not to know if it’s worth anything, but want it back for sentimental reasons. They believe that Dorothy’s carer, Melanie Hope took it when she left but they don’t want to involve the police, and Jackson feels there’s something decidedly shifty about the pair.
He quickly deduces Melanie’s phone is a burner, checks out the address (fake), chases the painting’s provenance (something dodgy there too) and then does a little research into art theft. A couple of interesting items online have him wondering if the same woman is posing in roles that virtually guarantee her invisibility (cleaner, carer, housekeeper) and then making off with valuable artwork.
One of the thefts was from Burton Makepeace House, the home of the Marquess and Marchioness Milton, and DC Reggie Chase investigated without success. A call from Jackson Brodie, about this, or anything, isn’t really welcome: “Jackson Brodie’s MO was disruption. His attitude to the law was like that of a Wild West sheriff. All that coincidence-being-an-explanation-waiting-to-happen baloney was just a cover for not following procedure.”
“She was reluctant to let him back into her life. He constituted part of the mess out there on the mean streets. Whenever she saw him, he brought a tsunami of it in his wake that would have defeated Marie Kondo.” But what he tells her is certainly intriguing…
Atkinson’s plot is interesting and topical, and before Reggie and Jackson find themselves in the midst of a Murder Mystery Weekend where not all the corpses are actors, and not all the guns are props, there is a visit to a funeral parlour and a crusty old neighbour, and Nancy Styles novels left behind. Atkinson throws a snowstorm and a murderous prison escapee into the mix just to add a bit more excitement. By the time DCS Louise Monroe and her team turn up, Reggie has been reminded that Jackson “was always making the distinction between justice and the law. She was always trying not to.”
But Atkinson’s strength is her characters and some of their inner monologues are an absolute joy, filled with dry British (and often very black) humour and understatement. Jackson’s narrative is peppered with Julia’s (previously delivered or else anticipated, but inevitably critical) comments, or those of what he calls his “pop-up Court of Women” any time female issues come up, while Reggie is often plagued by Jackson Brodie comments.
Atkinson carefully builds up her characters until the reader is invested in them and really cares about their fate. Of those characters, Honoria Milton delights while Ben and Simon pull at the heartstrings. There is humour, too, in certain situations and the snappy dialogue, with its tangents and asides, including many laugh-out-loud moments.
Atkinson has a wonderful way with words and some of her passages are superbly evocative and vividly descriptive. While it is not essential to have read the earlier books of this series, denying yourself that pleasure is surely cruel. This is another Atkinson masterpiece.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Random House UK Transworld.
February 16, 2025
A new Kate Atkinson book is always an event- the last two years we've had the Shrines of Gaiety ( Period 1920s Drama) and Normal Rule Don't Apply ( Short Stories) - both superb.
Now is the return of Jackson Brodie- the sixth in the private investigator/crime series - Death at the Sign of the Rook- always a delight!
From start to finish, this is a wonderfully fast paced, comedic, thought-provoking, eclectic crime read.
Jackson Brodie- "a mess, a tsunami that would have defeated Marie Kondo" - returns in his own inimitable style - his world weary cynicism as sharp as a knife and humour that is so, so wry. This is crime fiction but not in the traditional sense- this is a literary novel that just happens to feature a crime/s within the plot. Jackson is reunited with DC Reggie Chase - the counterplay between them is wonderful but done with a hidden respect.
Kate Atkinson's fantastical imagination is second to none and the descriptions of the minutiae within people's lives is what makes her books pure joy. Every foible or eccentricity is laid bare ( from prayer groups, to the world of white sofas,, undertakers, confused vicars, a truly quirky Lady of the manor and drama groups- nothing is safe from her exacting eye for details) The inner thoughts of characters- major and minor- are exposed with such vividness that it's impossible not to laugh out loud on occasions.
The plot evolves around the theft of two stolen works of art and the inhabitants and locals of the Burton make peace estate. the dying aristocracy is lampooned beautifully. There is also a clear nod to the cosy crime world of fiction and this also comes under the microscope/dissection of Kate Atkinson with a clear sense of irony.
A cast of unforgettable characters and the actions/interactions of Brodie and Chase make for Death at he Sign of the Rook an unforgettable read.
A triumph from start to finish-once started I couldn't put it down - thank you Kate Atkinson- an absolute winner .
Now is the return of Jackson Brodie- the sixth in the private investigator/crime series - Death at the Sign of the Rook- always a delight!
From start to finish, this is a wonderfully fast paced, comedic, thought-provoking, eclectic crime read.
Jackson Brodie- "a mess, a tsunami that would have defeated Marie Kondo" - returns in his own inimitable style - his world weary cynicism as sharp as a knife and humour that is so, so wry. This is crime fiction but not in the traditional sense- this is a literary novel that just happens to feature a crime/s within the plot. Jackson is reunited with DC Reggie Chase - the counterplay between them is wonderful but done with a hidden respect.
Kate Atkinson's fantastical imagination is second to none and the descriptions of the minutiae within people's lives is what makes her books pure joy. Every foible or eccentricity is laid bare ( from prayer groups, to the world of white sofas,, undertakers, confused vicars, a truly quirky Lady of the manor and drama groups- nothing is safe from her exacting eye for details) The inner thoughts of characters- major and minor- are exposed with such vividness that it's impossible not to laugh out loud on occasions.
The plot evolves around the theft of two stolen works of art and the inhabitants and locals of the Burton make peace estate. the dying aristocracy is lampooned beautifully. There is also a clear nod to the cosy crime world of fiction and this also comes under the microscope/dissection of Kate Atkinson with a clear sense of irony.
A cast of unforgettable characters and the actions/interactions of Brodie and Chase make for Death at he Sign of the Rook an unforgettable read.
A triumph from start to finish-once started I couldn't put it down - thank you Kate Atkinson- an absolute winner .
January 30, 2025
Death at the Sign of the Rook is the sixth book featuring Jackson Brodie, a retired policeman and now a private investigator by one of my favorite English writers, Kate Atkinson. As the story begins, Jackson Brodie finds himself attending a murder-mystery weekend in one of England’s premiere stately homes likened to Downton Abbey. Lady Milton, the doyenne of Burton Makepeace House, is confused by the large cast of characters to be in the play and the waitstaff in place for the mystery weekend. And there is an escaped convicted killer on the loose as well. But alas, the stage is set with a treacherous snowstorm keeping everyone at the aging Burton Makepeace House, and as the murder mystery is the backdrop,there is a true life mystery and drama unfolding in Burton Makepeace House. With Kate Atkinson’s signature humor, literary references, and the brilliant plotting, I loved it.
There is a history of two fine art thefts but there are similarities between the two cases. The first involves an elderly woman, the late Dorothy Padgett, whose children have hired Brodie to look into the theft of a Renaissance painting that hung on her bedroom wall, but after her death, it was discovered that the painting had been stolen in its gold frame as well as the mysterious disappearance of her caretaker. In the Makepeace House, a valuable painting by Turner, Sunset Over Fountains Abbey, was mysteriously cut from its frame after being in the family for a lifetime. These two seemingly unrelated art thefts begin to have similarities as Jackson Brodie and Detective Constable Regina Chase are involved in different capacities. Brodie is delighted to be reunited with Reggie, the orphan that saved his life in When Will There Be Good News? At the heart of the mystery may be cozy-mystery book by English mystery writer, Nancy Styles, The Secret of the Clock Cabinet, and many of her other books. Death at the Sign of the Rook in a style perfected by Kate Atkinson tweaks the Golden-Age mysteries like that of Agatha Christie.
There is a history of two fine art thefts but there are similarities between the two cases. The first involves an elderly woman, the late Dorothy Padgett, whose children have hired Brodie to look into the theft of a Renaissance painting that hung on her bedroom wall, but after her death, it was discovered that the painting had been stolen in its gold frame as well as the mysterious disappearance of her caretaker. In the Makepeace House, a valuable painting by Turner, Sunset Over Fountains Abbey, was mysteriously cut from its frame after being in the family for a lifetime. These two seemingly unrelated art thefts begin to have similarities as Jackson Brodie and Detective Constable Regina Chase are involved in different capacities. Brodie is delighted to be reunited with Reggie, the orphan that saved his life in When Will There Be Good News? At the heart of the mystery may be cozy-mystery book by English mystery writer, Nancy Styles, The Secret of the Clock Cabinet, and many of her other books. Death at the Sign of the Rook in a style perfected by Kate Atkinson tweaks the Golden-Age mysteries like that of Agatha Christie.
“Against a dark-blue background with a darker pattern of leaves just visible sat a young woman, her red-gold hair covered by an almost translucent veil. There was a coral necklace around her pale throat and her ringless hands, folded neatly in front of her, held a little spray of pink flowers. She looked as though she might know something that you didn’t.”
“The theft seemed to engender despair in the Miltons: one more thing that had disappeared into the maw of oblivion. . . . The maw of oblivion was where all lost things were kept. It would be discovered at the end of time.”
September 24, 2024
Halloween Bingo 2024
I usually try not to start with the sixth volume of a series, but the rook on the cover of this novel overrode my good sense. As it turned out, I had no trouble figuring out what was going on. There were probably details that I didn't fully appreciate, but they weren't integral to this plot.
I do feel that reading the earlier books would have given me more perspective on Jackson Brodie, who seems to be rather a pain in the arse. Despite that, I couldn't help liking him. I also very much liked Reggie Chase and would like to know how Brodie made her acquaintance. Perhaps I will backtrack.
The book was complex enough to keep the little grey cells firing. It was like a Venn diagram, with three (four?) plots overlapping and interacting in interesting ways. Atkinson leads the reader on a merry chase, trying to keep up with her as she strews clues in her wake. The many characters are well realized, amusing, and varied. Two stolen paintings, two investigations, a soldier with PTSD, a vicar who has lost his faith, an upper-class family trying to hold their estate together, it all comes together. Really intricate, fast moving, and very well done.
I read this book to fill the Genre: Mystery square on my Bingo card.
I usually try not to start with the sixth volume of a series, but the rook on the cover of this novel overrode my good sense. As it turned out, I had no trouble figuring out what was going on. There were probably details that I didn't fully appreciate, but they weren't integral to this plot.
I do feel that reading the earlier books would have given me more perspective on Jackson Brodie, who seems to be rather a pain in the arse. Despite that, I couldn't help liking him. I also very much liked Reggie Chase and would like to know how Brodie made her acquaintance. Perhaps I will backtrack.
The book was complex enough to keep the little grey cells firing. It was like a Venn diagram, with three (four?) plots overlapping and interacting in interesting ways. Atkinson leads the reader on a merry chase, trying to keep up with her as she strews clues in her wake. The many characters are well realized, amusing, and varied. Two stolen paintings, two investigations, a soldier with PTSD, a vicar who has lost his faith, an upper-class family trying to hold their estate together, it all comes together. Really intricate, fast moving, and very well done.
I read this book to fill the Genre: Mystery square on my Bingo card.
November 5, 2024
If something lost might be something that is just waiting to be found
than
A mystery is a puzzle just waiting to be solved.
In Jackson Brodie's world it's figuring out what the mystery is first and that can take 50% of the story.
Brodie mystery by Kate Atkinson I think #6 and one of her better. Stolen art, dead bodies and so many great characters. Some returning, some not. Could be read as a stand alone or part of the Brodie series that starts with Case Histories. It is Atkinson's best humor writing. I listened to the audio narrated by Jason Isaacs who does a fabulous job.
I'm sure the people in my neighborhood though I lost a few of my marbles as I laughed out loud repeatedly during my daily walks. Dry humor at its best.
A heist of treasured art. A missing maid and a dead body or two. That's all you need to know going in, and its Jackson Brody.
4.5 stars
than
A mystery is a puzzle just waiting to be solved.
In Jackson Brodie's world it's figuring out what the mystery is first and that can take 50% of the story.
Brodie mystery by Kate Atkinson I think #6 and one of her better. Stolen art, dead bodies and so many great characters. Some returning, some not. Could be read as a stand alone or part of the Brodie series that starts with Case Histories. It is Atkinson's best humor writing. I listened to the audio narrated by Jason Isaacs who does a fabulous job.
I'm sure the people in my neighborhood though I lost a few of my marbles as I laughed out loud repeatedly during my daily walks. Dry humor at its best.
A heist of treasured art. A missing maid and a dead body or two. That's all you need to know going in, and its Jackson Brody.
4.5 stars
March 20, 2025
The astonishing thing about Kate Atkinson is her ability to inject tenderness, sorrow, and compassion into circumstances and stories that are nominally wrapped in black humor and warped by the inherent ridiculousness of humanity. Death at the Sign of the Rook, #6 in the beloved Jackson Brodie series, is heavy on the ridiculous but nearly devoid of tenderness and compassion (the character and circumstances of injured veteran Ben Jennings being the striking exception). It is hilarious in all its madcap send-up of British aristocracy, but the silliness veers too much toward easy mean-spiritedness. There are so many characters that those we really care about—particularly Jackson himself—get short shrift. A light, fun read, but nothing close to the caliber of thoughtful, thorough criminal investigation that we Atkinson devotees appreciate.
4 stars because even slightly-off Atkinson is better than most.
4 stars because even slightly-off Atkinson is better than most.
July 29, 2024
This was a bit disappointing. I used to read everything Atkinson published, generally pre-publication, but my attention started to wane. I was super excited to see a new Jackson Brodie - alas, maybe we spent a little bit too long away from him?
The first two thirds of the book felt like a lot of ancillary character's back stories - people who were in the story - but their histories weren't really relevant or particularly interesting. It felt like space filler. Jackson was hardly there at all.
The last third was good - and sorta fun - kind of a Noise's Off murder mystery farce thing with a lot going on and still just a sprinkle of Brodie. I don't know - it was not Atkinson's best for sure, but it's readable.
The first two thirds of the book felt like a lot of ancillary character's back stories - people who were in the story - but their histories weren't really relevant or particularly interesting. It felt like space filler. Jackson was hardly there at all.
The last third was good - and sorta fun - kind of a Noise's Off murder mystery farce thing with a lot going on and still just a sprinkle of Brodie. I don't know - it was not Atkinson's best for sure, but it's readable.
January 23, 2025
This was a fun read with a cast of many favorites, including previous favorites, wry humor and nods to Agatha Christie.
Favorite quote:
"Leave no book unread could have been Reggie's motto when younger." - DC Reggie Chase
Favorite quote:
"Leave no book unread could have been Reggie's motto when younger." - DC Reggie Chase
December 28, 2024
The perfect book for the week between Christmas and New Year’s! Lots of old friends. Atkinson is the queen of characterization. That means you get a lot of stories in one. My favorite part is all the nods to other mystery novels and British detective TV. So fun!!
After content this book last night I decided to give it five stars. ⭐️ Kate Atkinson put in the work for this novel and she made it delightful. You could pick it back up and read it immediately looking for all the nods to other books. She even has a Comoran Strike nod! Well done, Kate!
After content this book last night I decided to give it five stars. ⭐️ Kate Atkinson put in the work for this novel and she made it delightful. You could pick it back up and read it immediately looking for all the nods to other books. She even has a Comoran Strike nod! Well done, Kate!
September 13, 2024
I wanted to like this book but I’m honestly just bewildered. I was unfortunately duped by the “Christie-murder-mystery-country house” description. Christie books often make the house akin to an actual character which really enriches the book and the genre for me. This book constantly makes me feel like the characters and the author hate or at least constantly disappointed by Burton Makepeace. The first 2/3 of the book are pretty much character descriptions of really tedious people. The introduction of Hazel and Ian made me feel like I was reading a completely different story entirely. The long drawn out description of characters and their ramblings (I wanted to like the reverend but oh goodness, I couldn’t) are exhausting, and the few deaths that happen are “blink and you’ll miss them” characters that have zero bearing on the plot. And don’t get me started on introducing a whole new set of characters (the actors) when the home and the murder mystery plot begins to properly feature.
This is more of a beige art theft story than anything, and the murder mystery party itself feels like an afterthought to get all the characters in one place for the grand reveal. Yet even that was anti-climactic, especially since the hastily thrown in room descriptions so late in the story were too late for me to really get immersed in the madness of the climax.
The only semi-redeeming characters are Fran, Ben (when he’s drunk), Reggie, and the sparks of grouchy camaraderie between her and Brodie. I appreciated the few mystery Easter eggs (little Grey cells, Greenway, George (as in Fayne, or wishful thinking?)).
Some chapters made me feel like I was dropped into a conversation that had already been happening, and more than one time I had to flip back pages to make sure there wasn’t a misprint.
I’m sorry, I wanted to like the book, and maybe in another time, another frame of mind, another type of marketing I would have loved it. But unfortunately in this time, I didn’t.
This is more of a beige art theft story than anything, and the murder mystery party itself feels like an afterthought to get all the characters in one place for the grand reveal. Yet even that was anti-climactic, especially since the hastily thrown in room descriptions so late in the story were too late for me to really get immersed in the madness of the climax.
The only semi-redeeming characters are Fran, Ben (when he’s drunk), Reggie, and the sparks of grouchy camaraderie between her and Brodie. I appreciated the few mystery Easter eggs (little Grey cells, Greenway, George (as in Fayne, or wishful thinking?)).
Some chapters made me feel like I was dropped into a conversation that had already been happening, and more than one time I had to flip back pages to make sure there wasn’t a misprint.
I’m sorry, I wanted to like the book, and maybe in another time, another frame of mind, another type of marketing I would have loved it. But unfortunately in this time, I didn’t.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2024
Really didn’t like this book, but I feel it could be how the it was marketed. Its advertised as crime fiction, being the latest instalment in the authors private investigator series and the blurb on the book itself markets it as a country house murder mystery taking place on a murder mystery weekend.
However the murder mystery weekend doesn’t begin until 80% through and there isn’t even a murder which is investigated. This book is the equivalent of a Miss Marple novel in which the plot is just her eating a bowl full of crisps and knitting a jumper.
It does have positives, the characters are well developed, it’s very funny and can be moving at times, I’m just perplexed that it’s advertised as crime fiction, especially a murder mystery when it doesn’t contain anything you’d expect from that type of book, like a murder.
So I was very disappointed, I have read a lot of reviews in which it mentions the mystery portion of the book, so there must be something other people are getting out of this which constitutes as a mystery, It may just be because I read solidly crime fiction it doesn’t fulfil anything that I would expect in the genre.
However the murder mystery weekend doesn’t begin until 80% through and there isn’t even a murder which is investigated. This book is the equivalent of a Miss Marple novel in which the plot is just her eating a bowl full of crisps and knitting a jumper.
It does have positives, the characters are well developed, it’s very funny and can be moving at times, I’m just perplexed that it’s advertised as crime fiction, especially a murder mystery when it doesn’t contain anything you’d expect from that type of book, like a murder.
So I was very disappointed, I have read a lot of reviews in which it mentions the mystery portion of the book, so there must be something other people are getting out of this which constitutes as a mystery, It may just be because I read solidly crime fiction it doesn’t fulfil anything that I would expect in the genre.
April 26, 2024
2.5 stars.
At the start of this book, you get the inkling that it’s going to be a tongue-in-cheek homage to Agatha Christie. But it seems to be trying to include as many Agatha Christie plot lines as possible, with a generous sprinkling of Cluedo and farce.
It started quite interestingly, setting the scene - old Manor House, a Cleudo-esque cast of characters- there’s surely about to be a body discovered any second now….then it jumps to Jackson Brodie, now a Private Investigator, being asked to track down a missing item for a brother and sister….then jumps to character after character, introduced and in some cases frequently revisited. They are meant to be quirky, possibly amusing; but were so very stereotyped.
And for more than half the book this goes on. And on. Mystery woman. Disillusioned vicar ( oh boy, did we hear a lot about him). A Dowager duchess who had been plucked straight from Downton Abbey. And so on. And for about 70% of the book nothing happens. I was sorely tempted to give up a couple of times.
There’s some decent banter between Brodie and Reggie, a young detective, and some fairly amusing descriptive writing but it just went on and on (bit like myself, I know! I’ll get to the point).
When things finally start to happen it descends completely into farce. Intentionally, but for me it was just too silly. And messy. But at least the pace picked up.
At the start of this book, you get the inkling that it’s going to be a tongue-in-cheek homage to Agatha Christie. But it seems to be trying to include as many Agatha Christie plot lines as possible, with a generous sprinkling of Cluedo and farce.
It started quite interestingly, setting the scene - old Manor House, a Cleudo-esque cast of characters- there’s surely about to be a body discovered any second now….then it jumps to Jackson Brodie, now a Private Investigator, being asked to track down a missing item for a brother and sister….then jumps to character after character, introduced and in some cases frequently revisited. They are meant to be quirky, possibly amusing; but were so very stereotyped.
And for more than half the book this goes on. And on. Mystery woman. Disillusioned vicar ( oh boy, did we hear a lot about him). A Dowager duchess who had been plucked straight from Downton Abbey. And so on. And for about 70% of the book nothing happens. I was sorely tempted to give up a couple of times.
There’s some decent banter between Brodie and Reggie, a young detective, and some fairly amusing descriptive writing but it just went on and on (bit like myself, I know! I’ll get to the point).
When things finally start to happen it descends completely into farce. Intentionally, but for me it was just too silly. And messy. But at least the pace picked up.
July 3, 2024
Private investigator Jackson Brodie has been hired by a brother and sister to find a painting stolen from the home of their recently deceased mother.
DC Reggie Chase has been looking into an earlier theft of an another painting. Could the thefts be related? A murder mystery weekend has been planned at Rook Hall, a wing of the once majestic now a bit downtrodden Burton Makepeace. When a snowstorm ensues, these two detectives as well as others including the local vicar, a former major who has lost his leg in battle, an acting troupe and other invited and uninvited guests converge for a rollicking evening of mystery and crime.
This story is fast paced, entertaining, humorous, a bit farcical. I really enjoy Atkinson’s sharp wit and amusing characters. There are a few different storylines that come together and a large cast of players. This is a cozy mystery joyride with kind of a Knives Out vibe to it.
The sixth of the Jackson Brodie series, it is the second I have read. It works well as a standalone.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #DoubledayBooks for the DRC.
DC Reggie Chase has been looking into an earlier theft of an another painting. Could the thefts be related? A murder mystery weekend has been planned at Rook Hall, a wing of the once majestic now a bit downtrodden Burton Makepeace. When a snowstorm ensues, these two detectives as well as others including the local vicar, a former major who has lost his leg in battle, an acting troupe and other invited and uninvited guests converge for a rollicking evening of mystery and crime.
This story is fast paced, entertaining, humorous, a bit farcical. I really enjoy Atkinson’s sharp wit and amusing characters. There are a few different storylines that come together and a large cast of players. This is a cozy mystery joyride with kind of a Knives Out vibe to it.
The sixth of the Jackson Brodie series, it is the second I have read. It works well as a standalone.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #DoubledayBooks for the DRC.
September 24, 2024
I am always wildly excited when a new Jackson Brodie is published, as he is probably my favourite PI. Witty and deeply human, I love spending some time with him and the other interesting characters that fill these novels. This works especially well as the author allows us to live in the minds of these unique people. No-one writes like Kate Atkinson and I especially adore her wordplay and humour.
This should have received a 5 star rating, but unfortunately things have been hectic at work, so I read this in 5 minute intervals, which meant that by the end I felt a bit lost with the big cast of characters.
The Story: Once a magnificent country house, Burton Makepeace has now partially been converted into a hotel, hosting Murder Mystery weekends. The stage is set. The players are ready. By night’s end, a murderer will be revealed. Ex-detective Jackson Brodie is staving off a bad case of midlife malaise when he is called to a sleepy Yorkshire town, and the matter of a stolen painting.
This should have received a 5 star rating, but unfortunately things have been hectic at work, so I read this in 5 minute intervals, which meant that by the end I felt a bit lost with the big cast of characters.
The Story: Once a magnificent country house, Burton Makepeace has now partially been converted into a hotel, hosting Murder Mystery weekends. The stage is set. The players are ready. By night’s end, a murderer will be revealed. Ex-detective Jackson Brodie is staving off a bad case of midlife malaise when he is called to a sleepy Yorkshire town, and the matter of a stolen painting.
December 22, 2024
4.5★
Clever and very funny. When a series reaches its 20th year you kind of expect it to lose some steam, but that's not the case with Kate Atkinson's Jackson Brodie series. This 6th book feels just as fresh, and just as good, as the 1st. Jackson's getting older (he's a grandfather now!) but he's sharp and active and brimming with dry humour.
As we've come to expect with this series, there's a lot going on, and there are a lot of characters to keep up with. But as a reader who sometimes struggles to maintain focus with audiobooks, I've managed to read the entire series in that format and this instalment was no exception. Jason Isaacs has narrated the last few books and he brings something very special to the experience, being so intimately acquainted with Jackson as a character (he played Brodie in the TV series).
I won't try to explain the plot, suffice to say there's art theft, a snowstorm, murder, a mute vicar, fraud and a theatrical murder mystery night. Oh, and several very interesting returning characters from way back. I have a real soft spot for Reggie Chase, and one of the joys of this book was seeing Brodie and Chase back together again.
This was a delightful read and it includes lots of references to the previous books, that would help if you were to read it as a standalone. But why?? Every book has been a treat, so I'd recommend starting with Case Histories.
Clever and very funny. When a series reaches its 20th year you kind of expect it to lose some steam, but that's not the case with Kate Atkinson's Jackson Brodie series. This 6th book feels just as fresh, and just as good, as the 1st. Jackson's getting older (he's a grandfather now!) but he's sharp and active and brimming with dry humour.
As we've come to expect with this series, there's a lot going on, and there are a lot of characters to keep up with. But as a reader who sometimes struggles to maintain focus with audiobooks, I've managed to read the entire series in that format and this instalment was no exception. Jason Isaacs has narrated the last few books and he brings something very special to the experience, being so intimately acquainted with Jackson as a character (he played Brodie in the TV series).
I won't try to explain the plot, suffice to say there's art theft, a snowstorm, murder, a mute vicar, fraud and a theatrical murder mystery night. Oh, and several very interesting returning characters from way back. I have a real soft spot for Reggie Chase, and one of the joys of this book was seeing Brodie and Chase back together again.
This was a delightful read and it includes lots of references to the previous books, that would help if you were to read it as a standalone. But why?? Every book has been a treat, so I'd recommend starting with Case Histories.
April 25, 2024
OMG so snazzy, so hilarious. Every single paragraph has something snarky to make me laugh aloud.
In Death at the Sign of The Rook, Jackson Brodie returns to solving mysteries. In fact, Brodie finds himself in a actual murder mystery, both a theatrical production at a hotel as well as mystery and possible murder related to valuable art. Rook Hall is part of Burton Makepeace, a sprawling estate that is deteriorating with age. The incredibly tone death inhabitants are trying to stay financially afloat and have sanctioned off a wing of the estate for a hotel. On the night in question, a murder mystery is scheduled to take place. Due to the inclement weather only a few of the actors actually turn up. This makes for a confusing series of events and bring even more levels of hilarity to the story.
It's not long before Brodie needs to use his wits to catch the killer and solve the crime. This perfect story is filled with laughs in every paragraph, ironic sometimes blatant hilarity as well as utterly beautiful phrases. This is a novel that you can read again, and you will as you wait for the next installment in the Jackson Brodie series! #deathatthesignoftherook #kateatikinson #doubleday
In Death at the Sign of The Rook, Jackson Brodie returns to solving mysteries. In fact, Brodie finds himself in a actual murder mystery, both a theatrical production at a hotel as well as mystery and possible murder related to valuable art. Rook Hall is part of Burton Makepeace, a sprawling estate that is deteriorating with age. The incredibly tone death inhabitants are trying to stay financially afloat and have sanctioned off a wing of the estate for a hotel. On the night in question, a murder mystery is scheduled to take place. Due to the inclement weather only a few of the actors actually turn up. This makes for a confusing series of events and bring even more levels of hilarity to the story.
It's not long before Brodie needs to use his wits to catch the killer and solve the crime. This perfect story is filled with laughs in every paragraph, ironic sometimes blatant hilarity as well as utterly beautiful phrases. This is a novel that you can read again, and you will as you wait for the next installment in the Jackson Brodie series! #deathatthesignoftherook #kateatikinson #doubleday
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