Published November 2004 by Little, Brown, and Company
Source: bought this one ??? years ago
Publisher's Summary:
Case One: Olivia Land, youngest and most beloved of the Land girls, goes missing in the night and is never seen again. Thirty years later, two of her surviving sisters unearth a shocking clue to Olivias disappearance among the clutter of their childhood home. . . Case Two: Theo delights in his daughter Lauras wit, effortless beauty, and selfless love. But her first day as an associate in his law firm is also the day when Theos world turns upside down. . . Case Three: Michelle looks around one day and finds herself trapped in a hell of her own making. A very needy baby and a very demanding husband make her every waking moment a reminder that somewhere, somehow, shed made a grave mistake and would spend the rest of her life paying for it--until a fit of rage creates a grisly, bloody escape.
As Private Detective Jackson Brodie investigates all three cases, startling connections and discoveries emerge. Inextricably caught up in his clients grief, joy, and desire, Jackson finds their unshakable need for resolution very much like his own.
My Thoughts:
As you can see above, I've had this one for a long time. I think I bought it at Borders so that tells you something about how long it's been languishing on my shelf. I finally picked it up as part of a readalong and I'm so glad to have had that push. How silly to have waited so long to find out about Jackson Brodie but how lucky I am to still have the rest of the books in this series to look forward to reading.
Stephen King called this book the "best mystery of the decade." I don't read that many mysteries so I can't laud it to that extent. I'm not sure I've ever read another mystery with so many threads, so many mysteries that Atkinson manages to interweave wonderfully along with Jackson's own personal life and another client who turns out to be pivotal in the book.
As paths begin to cross I started to think I was figuring things out. I wasn't wrong but that was only one of the many mysteries and it turned out to be a little tidbit that Atkinson threw out to us so that we got all cocky and thought we knew everything. We didn't.
One character literally drove off into the sunset and I have a feeling that she's going to show up again later in the series; Atkinson spent way too much time developing her for that to be the end of it. So, if I didn't already want to see what happens next for Jackson (surely he doesn't stay with the woman he was with at the end of this book!), I need to find out what becomes of her. And I can't wait to get to know Jackson's surrounding cast again as well!
I've not read this one which sounds like a good read. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteI quite enjoy her writing!
DeleteI did enjoy this series, although I do think that maybe I still have one book to read in the series.
ReplyDeleteI need to find the order they were written in so I can pick up the next one. Who knows, I might already have it on my shelves somewhere!
DeleteI've read all Kate Atkinson's entertaining and intricately plotted novels. I wish she would publish something new, but I might re-read Case Histories now you've mentioned it.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to seeing if one of the characters from this one reappears in another book - it certainly was set up that way - which I love to see within a book series.
DeleteI read this but I don't remember much. In fact, I had to go look to make sure I really did read this! But I do know I like this author!
ReplyDeleteI do that all of the time - it's the problem with reading a lot; it's hard to remember everything about every book.
DeleteWhen I read this, I had no idea it was going to be a series. I really enjoyed it, but have yet to read more by Atkinson. I'm not sure why. I am glad you liked it, Lisa!
ReplyDeleteI'm terrible with reading series - by the time I get around to the next book, I'll have forgotten this one!
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