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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
As far as mysteries go, I thought this was very so-so. She has some pretty high-profile people reviewing her books, but...I don't know, aobut 100 pages of just character development before any of the action really starts? Not my idea of great. I'll still read her new one because she's a pretty decent writer, but I much prefer Tony Hillerman or Colin Cotteril.
adventurous
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
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death
I read Jackson Brodie 1 and 3 (3 first, i didn't realize it was a series, so I'm all out of order) in like a day each, seriously, I loved them. and I HATED this one. I did not get the mystery at all, and it never came together, and it just seemed so disjointed. Partly bc there just weren't enough ladies in the book for me (what can I say I look books that meet my POOR FEMALE BRAIN INTERESTS) but mostly something about this one just didn't work for me. I guess if you want to read these books in order read it, but obviously you don't have to read them in any kind of order, I guess, because I loved the other two.
Seemingly, Kate Atkinson is a popular writer. She's been writing books for something like 20 years, she's mentioned reverently in book circles, and she continues to publish books. Which is all my way of saying that while after reading this book she is definitely not for me, I know she is the right author for some or many.
I first heard of Atkinson and her mystery series centered around Jackson Brodie on What Should I Read Next, the podcast by Anne Bogel, aka Modern Mrs. Darcy. When I saw one of these books at a used book sale I scooped it up.
A few chapters in, I was not feeling it, and I should have called it in then. But I kept thinking it was bound to get better.
As mentioned, this is part of the Jackson Brodie series. So I was surprised when we don't even see Brodie on the page until Chapter 3. The book is told in alternating points of view and Brodie, our central protagonist, is absent for the whole first two chapters.
There are many points of view. At least half a dozen, maybe more. And beyond the POV characters, there are several more key characters - so many that it's hard to keep track especially when it might be numerous chapters before they figure into it again.
Brodie is a flawed protagonist but a good guy and you're supposed to like him. I wanted to but I'm not sure that I do. He keeps doing what I think are stupid things. He seems slow on the uptake. And I cannot for the life of me figure out why he's dating Julia, who screams 'not his type' even though they both share a difficult past. The fact that he stays with her makes me think less of him.
Then there's Martin Canning. I really loathed him. He needed to grow a backbone and never does, even despite saving Jackson. There are whole pages-long sections in his chapters about his fantasy life. One section like this might've been fine to show type, but after that, it was utterly painful to read.
All of the POV characters get extensive backstory spelled out for you in minutia. The book could've been half as long and done fine without all the excess backstory. For instance, with Martin there's a backstory vignette about this guy who knocks on his door then proceeds to follow him all day while Martin pretends to have an interview to lose him. We never see this character again (we are gold he dies). It's just fluff.
If the story had been really fantastic, maybe the fluff would've been worth it but there are plot holes you could hide an aircraft carrier in. So many pieces of the story that never went anywhere. I wanted a satisfying end that pulled it all together - not with a bow, but with some meaning and resolution. But I never got that. At least it's over.
Note to self: Quit while you're ahead.
I first heard of Atkinson and her mystery series centered around Jackson Brodie on What Should I Read Next, the podcast by Anne Bogel, aka Modern Mrs. Darcy. When I saw one of these books at a used book sale I scooped it up.
A few chapters in, I was not feeling it, and I should have called it in then. But I kept thinking it was bound to get better.
As mentioned, this is part of the Jackson Brodie series. So I was surprised when we don't even see Brodie on the page until Chapter 3. The book is told in alternating points of view and Brodie, our central protagonist, is absent for the whole first two chapters.
There are many points of view. At least half a dozen, maybe more. And beyond the POV characters, there are several more key characters - so many that it's hard to keep track especially when it might be numerous chapters before they figure into it again.
Brodie is a flawed protagonist but a good guy and you're supposed to like him. I wanted to but I'm not sure that I do. He keeps doing what I think are stupid things. He seems slow on the uptake. And I cannot for the life of me figure out why he's dating Julia, who screams 'not his type' even though they both share a difficult past. The fact that he stays with her makes me think less of him.
Then there's Martin Canning. I really loathed him. He needed to grow a backbone and never does, even despite saving Jackson. There are whole pages-long sections in his chapters about his fantasy life. One section like this might've been fine to show type, but after that, it was utterly painful to read.
All of the POV characters get extensive backstory spelled out for you in minutia. The book could've been half as long and done fine without all the excess backstory. For instance, with Martin there's a backstory vignette about this guy who knocks on his door then proceeds to follow him all day while Martin pretends to have an interview to lose him. We never see this character again (we are gold he dies). It's just fluff.
If the story had been really fantastic, maybe the fluff would've been worth it but there are plot holes you could hide an aircraft carrier in. So many pieces of the story that never went anywhere. I wanted a satisfying end that pulled it all together - not with a bow, but with some meaning and resolution. But I never got that. At least it's over.
Note to self: Quit while you're ahead.
A great read! Technically a crime novel, but really it is about people and the tangled web they weave etc. Jackson Brodie is such a great character. He's the stereotypical maverick (ex) private detective, studiously avoiding doing things by the book. At the same time, he's comically hapless with an uncanny ability to find himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. All of the characters are good - all feel believable.
I think I would definitely pick up another Brodie novel (I've already read Case Histories) -it will be fun to find what other mishaps Brodie finds himself in.
I think I would definitely pick up another Brodie novel (I've already read Case Histories) -it will be fun to find what other mishaps Brodie finds himself in.
3.5. These Jackson Brodie stories (the 2 I’ve read so far) seem to take forever to come together. I like the focus on character, as many detective stories have cliche characters, but the first half of this book introduces SO MANY characters & plot lines, when I wanted the story to get moving. I actually skipped passages here & there, which I rarely do. The threads only come together at the very end, but there was a lot left unexplained.
Spoilerish gripe, but nothing to do with the plot: Brodie talks about having sex with his girlfriend while she’s asleep...and she’s such a heavy sleeper she doesn’t notice??? And we’re supposed to like this guy? I almost bagged the whole thing right there.
Spoilerish gripe, but nothing to do with the plot: Brodie talks about having sex with his girlfriend while she’s asleep...and she’s such a heavy sleeper she doesn’t notice??? And we’re supposed to like this guy? I almost bagged the whole thing right there.
This is the second book I've read but sadly i jumped into this series in the wrong order as I started this one without realizing it was book two. Although it didn't say anything about it on the blurb of the book. It was an alright story, nothing really that I overlooked enjoyed reading about. Not sure of her books is for me but I'll maybe need to give her a third try, but not in this series
Struggled a bit with a rating for this one. Should perhaps have been 3.5 stars... Kate Atkinson is an awesome writer but I found this book to be full of coincidences. She's great at introducing to a number of characters and their back stories and eventually it all ties together neatly, but it all seems a little too random in the reading. Anyway, liked the characters, loved the ending (didn't see that last chapter coming), but found the overall experience a little too disjointed for my logical brain.
FYI, you don't need to have read any other of the Jackson Brodie books to read this one.
FYI, you don't need to have read any other of the Jackson Brodie books to read this one.
The author has an incredible mind for detail. So many characters, I felt I needed to take notes to remember who’s who. Sometimes the character details go off on tangents, and while they are often humorous, can detract from the plot. I did want to finish though to learn how all the details get tucked away in the end.
