In Big Sky, Brodie is living and working as a PI in a small seaside village in order to be close to his teenage son. The flawed and brooding Jackson Brodie is one of my favorite characters. My thanks to netgalley and Little, Brown & Company for an advance copy of this book. And any mystery that not only tells a good story but has me consistently laughing deserves five stars. I found myself highlighting phrases, not because they were important to the plot, but just because I loved the turn of phrase. Too often, something is lacking or the story is just too unbelievable. It’s not often I award five stars to a mystery. It’s subtle here, but when a chapter changes from one character to another, you go back in time to get their perspective on events you just witnessed. “A coincidence is just an explanation waiting to happen.”Īs with all of Atkinson’s books, time is a variable.

It takes awhile for it to become sorted as to how they will all come together. And there are lots of characters here, so be prepared to pay attention to who is whom. Although Atkinson’s characters tend to be more fully formed than Coben’s. It reminded me of Harlan Coben in some ways, especially the humor. Once again, the dry humor shines through and I found myself sometimes chuckling out loud. Not only did I love Jackson, but also Harry, the teenage stepson of the woman that becomes Jackson’s client. Oh, and his ex-partner’s voice rings in his head whenever his thoughts go on a wander. How could I not with comments like this “ he couldn’t get the knowledge to rise up from the seabed of his memory - a dismal place with the rusting wreckage and detritus of his brain cells.” He’s dealing with his cynical, hormonal son, who wants nothing to do with him, an aging Labrador with “rusty hips” and his private investigations business which is mostly tracking wandering spouses. I immediately felt a connection with him all over again. I was worried about the gap in time, but no worries. It’s been ages since she wrote a Jackson Brodie book. Kate Atkinson is the complete package - engrossing storylines and fully formed characters.

Jackson brodie series