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A review by wrentheblurry
One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson
4.0
This book takes place a couple of years after the end of Atkinson's Case Histories, though only a few characters are carried over. I did not realize this when I picked this book to read from my stash. In fact, I didn't even know I owned Case Histories until my sons coincidentally selected it as my book to read right after this one.
No matter, I am no worse for the wear for not having read them in the order they were written. I did like Case Histories more, though.
What makes a book for me is the quality of the character development. Atkinson shines here. Her writing is exemplary, and One Good Turn is filled with deep, rich character studies. I strongly liked Atkinson's writing style. The chapters rotate among the characters, weaving in and out of their lives. Many story lines and characters become entangled, though I only had a small bit of trouble remembering who was who and what relationship they had with what person. At the back of the book Atkinson responded to a question about "how much planning goes into your interlocking story lines?" She replied "I never plot or diagram anything and I never lose track." Amazing!
Of all the characters, Martin seems to get the most attention here. My favorite was Jackson, and that is one of the reasons I did not rate the title higher. Another is the subject matter. I used to say that mysteries were not my thing, but there are your standard, Agatha Christie style whodunits, and then there are mysteries like One Good Turn, where the reader ponders how characters and plots are interconnected, along with who did what and why. And that's the other reason it didn't score higher--I wasn't as pulled into the main mystery here as I wanted to be.
Still, I am now a fan. I highly look forward to reading more of Atkinson's work!
No matter, I am no worse for the wear for not having read them in the order they were written. I did like Case Histories more, though.
What makes a book for me is the quality of the character development. Atkinson shines here. Her writing is exemplary, and One Good Turn is filled with deep, rich character studies. I strongly liked Atkinson's writing style. The chapters rotate among the characters, weaving in and out of their lives. Many story lines and characters become entangled, though I only had a small bit of trouble remembering who was who and what relationship they had with what person. At the back of the book Atkinson responded to a question about "how much planning goes into your interlocking story lines?" She replied "I never plot or diagram anything and I never lose track." Amazing!
Of all the characters, Martin seems to get the most attention here. My favorite was Jackson, and that is one of the reasons I did not rate the title higher. Another is the subject matter. I used to say that mysteries were not my thing, but there are your standard, Agatha Christie style whodunits, and then there are mysteries like One Good Turn, where the reader ponders how characters and plots are interconnected, along with who did what and why. And that's the other reason it didn't score higher--I wasn't as pulled into the main mystery here as I wanted to be.
Still, I am now a fan. I highly look forward to reading more of Atkinson's work!