Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
Meh. Too many extraneous characters and plot lines that didn’t do much and just cluttered the narrative.
I liked this Jackson Brodie a lot more than the first one. It follows a more traditional mystery format and thus is much faster paced and a lot less unnecessary detail.
Jackson's side story with Julia compliments rather than distracts from the main storyline. Although the plot is a tad convoluted, it's still manageable. I like Jackson a lot more here, but feel like his relationship issues are a bit feminine.
Jackson's side story with Julia compliments rather than distracts from the main storyline. Although the plot is a tad convoluted, it's still manageable. I like Jackson a lot more here, but feel like his relationship issues are a bit feminine.
This book was a good read. I liked that Julia was still in it. I find myself racing through it as you feel like you’re about to find something key to the story on the next page. I like the main character Jackson Brodie. It almost leaves a bit too much till the end which is a bit frustrating. You feel like you don’t know what’s going on for almost all of the book. But I will be reading the next one in the series.
(Probably more of a 3 and 1/2 stars rating)
Though I'm technically giving the two Brodie novels I've read the same amount of stars, I liked the first one ([b:Case Histories|16243|Case Histories (Jackson Brodie, #1)|Kate Atkinson|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1388801786s/16243.jpg|18001]) more, mostly (I think) for what seemed more like 'realism' than what's found in this sequel.
Atkinson's sly, ironic humor is still in full force, maybe even more so with her characters' commentaries on their own reality versus that of 'real' fiction. I was bothered by two events being concealed (perhaps this is one reason I don't generally read murder mysteries), though I thought the big, surprising reveal at the end was great. For me to disclose one of those two concealed events would be a spoiler, but the other (the existence of a third backed-up copy of a character's novel) seemed to serve no purpose.
The setting of Edinburgh in August was fun. I could envision my 1993 trip there -- unlike Brodie, I attended the Tattoo but none of the Fringe events; like Brodie, I felt I knew the Royal Mile after one day. The meandering, easygoing rendering of the characters' thoughts was extremely well-done; but the style of multiple, complete sentences being joined by just commas was distracting. For me, this novel could've been called the case of the missing semicolons.
Though I'm technically giving the two Brodie novels I've read the same amount of stars, I liked the first one ([b:Case Histories|16243|Case Histories (Jackson Brodie, #1)|Kate Atkinson|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1388801786s/16243.jpg|18001]) more, mostly (I think) for what seemed more like 'realism' than what's found in this sequel.
Atkinson's sly, ironic humor is still in full force, maybe even more so with her characters' commentaries on their own reality versus that of 'real' fiction. I was bothered by two events being concealed (perhaps this is one reason I don't generally read murder mysteries), though I thought the big, surprising reveal at the end was great. For me to disclose one of those two concealed events would be a spoiler, but the other (the existence of a third backed-up copy of a character's novel) seemed to serve no purpose.
The setting of Edinburgh in August was fun. I could envision my 1993 trip there -- unlike Brodie, I attended the Tattoo but none of the Fringe events; like Brodie, I felt I knew the Royal Mile after one day. The meandering, easygoing rendering of the characters' thoughts was extremely well-done; but the style of multiple, complete sentences being joined by just commas was distracting. For me, this novel could've been called the case of the missing semicolons.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The second Jackson Brodie novel. Jackson is living in France and dating Julia. They are in Scotland because Julia is in a play, and Jackson gets embroiled in a series of crimes and murders that are all intertwined. It’s clear that Jackson and Julia’s relationship is fraying. A very good read.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore, Gun violence, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Transphobia, Blood, Dementia, Pregnancy
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated