Case Histories
Atkinson, KatePrivate detective Jackson Brodie, ex-cop, ex-husband and weekend dad, takes on three seemingly unrelated cases: a toddler missing for thirty-four years; a young woman brutally killed while temping at her father's law firm, and an over-wrought mother driven to axe murder. Jackson's reluctant persistence heats up these cold cases, leading him to reassess his own painful history, and offer him a chance at happiness and some measure of reconciliation with the past.
Comments from Groups
All enjoyed it once we got into it and saw where things were connecting. Liked her sense of subtle humour. Amberley 002 Everyone loved this book. The characters and complex plot. One or two thought the author could have had only 2 case histories. All want to read more of Kate Atkinson's books. Havelock 005 A great discussion with divided opinions. Some thought that there were too many characters. But others thoroughly enjoyed the intriguing overlapping of stories (even though I had to refer back to earlier events). Some "laugh out loud" humour. Geraldine 002 Lively discussion mainly about the multi facet 'stories within stories' and how some stories appeared to be random inserts with little connection. Whangarei 018 Mixed reactions. Some enjoyed it very much. Others found it too bitsy, with too many loose ends. Good discussion though, especially about the characters. Ashburton 005 Much discussion. This author is well-known by several members who said the writing was up to her usual standard. Perhaps one too many case histories, but otherwise a recommended read. Auckland 100
Pages
410
410
Year
2004
2004
Reviews
05-10-2023
Considering the number of gruesome murders in the book we found it quite entertaining and readable, because of the characters and the surprising twists and coincidences.
29-05-2023
Varied opinions about the book and many found it confusing. One idea was to skim read the first time and then re-read. Excellent notes. A couple of opinions - "love how she keeps the thread going and all the side tracks she takes the reader up. Some 'laugh out loud' moments." "I always enjoy Kate Atkinson novels although seriously weird is seriously weird.Lots of odd plot holes, why would you leave your precious 8 year old with Russian Mafia types And Jackson seems to revive every time he was blown up, knocked out or inconvenienced but it rolled along, and was relatively light hearted".
05-09-2022
A very popular book - we loved the author's quirky style of writing. Some found the plot a little confusing at first.
05-09-2022
Enjoyed by some but not so much by others. Great characterisation.
05-09-2022
There were mixed reactions to this book. Most agreed it was very cleverly constructed and written. Some felt that very serious issues were touched on but dealt with too lightly. It resulted in an animated discussion!
05-09-2022
Most of us loved this book, although two didn't. Wonderful turn of phrase, so much humour, and we could relate to many of the characterisations.
05-09-2022
Interesting read - tied together with some surprises at the end.
05-09-2022
Great characters, intriguing plots. Unusual for a detective story. It required concentration but the characters reward the effort.
05-09-2022
While the writing and the humour of this book was appreciated, our group thought there were far too many characters and too many unbelievable coincidences, all contributing to a messy muddled story. Enough material for several books!
05-09-2022
There was a lively discussion of the book. Some found the storyline contrived but others enjoyed it.
05-09-2022
The group all liked the book - most had read it before. As a consequence, the discussion was fairly brief - we get a better discussion when there is disagreement.
05-09-2022
The book started well with 4 interesting case histories but lost its way in the middle - at times it seemed too wordy and it dragged. There were a few twists at the end. We had high hopes for this book as a group, but overall we were disappointed.
29-03-2019
We all agreed that Atkinson has a good writing style and this book is no exception. She has a wry sense of humour and her development of the characters is very realistic (we all found Amelia to be extremely irritating!) As for liking the book, we were divided. Many of us found it convoluted, some 'original' investigations seemed unrealistic and all agreed that too many 'cases' created incomplete strands making them unnecessary and hard to place the many characters. Our Atkinson fans enjoyed it but all agreed that it wasn't a compelling page turner.