In Jackson Brodie novel #5, he tackles the world of sex trafficking in a small English community outside London. Crystal, once a runaway scooped up in the sex trade, has remade herself and married wealthy Tommy Holroyd. Crystal's past resurfaces and Brodie is asked to investigate several local cases. Ronnie and Reggie, two petite female detectives are major characters, returning to an old case where they cross paths with Brodie. The shine of this novel is Harry, Crystal's teenage stepson, who works two part-time jobs: one at a house of horror and the other at the Palace, a drag queen variety show. Harry's humor, along with Brodie's on-going song lyric quotes, are worth the good read.

The fifth installment of the Jackson Brodie mysteries, Big Sky, did not disappoint. Jackson is older now and not much wiser, but still his endearing self as he takes on an apathetic, teenage son, a self-involved ex-girlfriend, and a series of odd events.

Jackson is a dear soul. He wants to save the children and women of the world from those who seek to harm them. He does a pretty good job of it. Those in peril who come into his orbit are bound to be better off in the end and that's what I love about his character. He's not too particular about following the law strictly, but his heart is always in the right place.

This is a must read! I think I am going to start the television series again this book was so good!! The premise never feels too dark and then as the story moves you discover - aha there is much more to this care than originally thought! Love Jayne Atkinson!!
And I LOVE the dog!!!

Big Sky, the first I have read from this author is about Jackson Brodie. He has relocated to a quiet seaside village with his recalcitrant teenage son and an aging Labrador, both at the discretion of his ex-partner Julia. It's picturesque, but there's something darker lurking behind the scenes.

The story was fascinating and compelling. A must-read!

This is the first book I’ve read in the Jackson Brodie series. I didn’t feel lost for not having read the first four books in the series, but I plan on reading them because I enjoyed this book. Jackson is a private investigator who is moving through life with an ex-partner who has moved on in life, a daughter who considers him a Luddite, and a recalcitrant son. Jackson is a brooding and flawed character that pulls at your heart strings.

Even though Brodie has moved to a quiet seaside village, he finds himself investigating and uncovering an abhorrent crime. The author tackled a tough subject, sex trafficking, and did so well. This story had a quite a few characters and changes in time period to tell things from a different POV. It requires the reader to invest time and thought into the mystery, but isn’t that the best kind? Atkinson brought all the pieces to a great and satisfying end. The character development is stellar. This is a series that a reader that can sink their teeth into and enjoy on all multiple levels.

Thank you to Net Galley and Little Brown and Company for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

By the way, I should have read this a year ago, and I apologize for my delinquency. I’m so happy I felt an obligation to read a book I requested because I found a new mystery series.

#bigsky
#kateatkinson
#jacksonbrodie
#littlebrownandcompany
#netgalley

Excellent audio performance by Jason Isaacs (the TV portrayer of Jackson Brodie) of Kate Atkinson's latest. There were a ton of threads to be woven together by the end, and I wasn't sure how much of a mystery it was. Two of the big bits, who committed the murder at the beginning, and who was in a silver BMW, were revealed quickly at the end in a somewhat less than satisfying way. But Jackson is such an appealing character.

I love Kate Atkinson and I especially love her Jackson Brodie mysteries. I was especially pleased to see Reggie, a newly minted police detective reunited with Jackson again.
Highly recommended for all mystery readers.

I requested this book from Netgalley as a fan of Kate Atkinson's literary fiction. While I enjoyed the humor and Atkinson's always-solid writing, the story and characters felt somewhat formulaic and did not really grab me. I suspect Big Sky's combination of dark reality and playfulness will appeal to any mystery readers who appreciate a nod-and-wink from the author about their pet genre. As for me, I couldn't quite get into it and did not make it past the third chapter.

Past, present, future. One fast paced detective novel. Novelist Kate Atkinson delves into her Jackson Brodie character with enthusiasm, making it stylish, equal parts character and plot.

Jackson Brodie, living in Yorkshire, by the sea, is the laconic main character, trying to raise his son as a co-parent separately with Nathan’s mother, Julia. Nathan is a typical thirteen-year-old obsessed with his iPhone and bored with anything his father finds interesting.

In the meantime, we are introduced to Crystal, a new character—mother, stepmother, and wife, who you cheer for, secrets and all. A few other characters, and by characters, I mean characters! , keep you glued to the pages.

Big Sky by Kate Atkinson
Sex trafficking is worldwide & there are estimated 24.9 million people trapped in forced labor according to the humantraffickinghotline.org website as of September,2017. The author, Kate Atkinson tackles a volatile subject using one of her favorite characters from her other books, “Detective retired “ Private Eye, Reggie Jackson. .
At first the book was hard to follow because there were so many different chat introduced. They all had intriguing backgrounds, but trying to figure out how they fit in and with whom was even harder!
I’m sure the author has a loyal following and that there is those who love Private Eye Jackson, but I had a hard time relating to the character. The author never gave him a likable personality. He came across as a “me” person and he didn’t want to make commitment and that women were the ones who should be doing the things to make him feel better!
Private eye Jackson has a daughter who stood up her fiancée just as they were walking down the aisle, she turned around and walked away. No explanation and never said a word to the groom and the father whisked her away in his car. This was selfish because someone should have said something to the groom and guests.
She also knew she was pregnant but never told the groom yet and thought she would tell him much later if even then. The dad at least disagreed with that because he had a son which he found out about just a few years ago, but the first 3 years of his life he was oblivious because the mother just didn’t tell him.
This book reflects on Greed, human rights, loneliness, and finding yourself. It depicts how the decisions you make carry over to your family and your children suffer at these times.
The result of a parents greed, sexual liaisons and so much more some people as a result have been forced to change their identity and go to other countries lives of the children have been uprooted because of their fathers drug business and trafficking in women.
This book contained Murders, sexual trafficking, drugs, marital infidelity, assassins, and even police lying about what transpired during a murder. Granted what they turned a blind eye to was in the best interest of the people involved, but if you do this once will you do it again and what else are you willing to compromise your values for?
This book has so much going on within in it that I had to go back and reread a section because I missed a bit piece that tied something in and in order for it to make that haha moment, I had to go back!
I would recommend this book for serious mystery aficionados who will take the time to ferret every single piece of information like a maze or cross word puzzle!
I received a advanced copy from netgally! This is my opinion!

To be honest, Kate Atkinson is always hit or miss with me. Some of her writing, I absolutely love, and some of it...I don't hate it, but I'm very meh about it. However, this one was definitely a hit. I enjoyed it a lot!

I have had Big Sky on my tbr stack for a while partly, I think, because I've been in a bit of a reading slump. I gotta say, this helped me to snap out of it. This is the fifth book in the Jackson Brodie series but the first I have read - it will definitely not be my last. I really liked the Brodie character. There's a bit of angst & a little incompetence but it only made him more relatable & sympathetic. There are also a ton of other characters & the story switches between them but, somehow, Atkinson made them unique enough that it was easy to distinguish between them. The story touches on some rather controversial subjects but the author treats them with respect and empathy. I also liked how she deals with the often contrasting objectives of justice and law. Big Sky is well-written, compelling, and with a nice touch of humour. Definitely a high recommendation from me.

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown, & Company for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review</i>

Another fabulous Jackson Brodie adventure! I loved it! Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2020 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2020/01/2020-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

I was really glad to see another book in this series! While I liked the book overall, it didn't hold my interest as most of the others in the series. I think the others had more compelling plots and characters.

Jackson Brodie returns! A wonderul read for fans of the series. The book was a bit slow at the start, but quickly drew me in and I enjoyed it immensely.

Wonderful to be in Atkinson's capable hands (and in the world of Jackson Brodie, who remains as compelling and engaging as ever). Her capacity to create fully realized characters is extraordinary, and the book is a compelling look into both a series of individuals and the social spaces/issues they represent, but for which they are never reduced to stereotypes. The plot is well crafted. And the novel a total pleasure.

In this fifth Jackson Brodie novel, Jackson has moved up north and lives in a small fishing village. His days as a policeman are over and he makes his living as a private detective these days, finding proof of cheating spouses his mainstay. He isn't quite alone as his teenage son lives with him part-time as does the dog that comes with him. Jackson didn't know about Nathan for several years as his partner, Julia, decided she wanted to keep him to herself for his baby years and its a challenge to raise someone of the new generation whose desires and expectations are so different from when Jackson was a boy. Still, he loves Nathan and since he's on the outs with his daughter, it's his only chance at fatherhood.

As Jackson goes through his days, he encounters a new woman. Crystal is drop dead gorgeous and has used her looks and intelligence to claw her way up from a horrid childhood full of abuse. She's married to Tommy, whose first wife died in an accident. Crystal has an adored little girl and a stepson, Harry, who she can't help but love. Tommy is another matter. He seems to have lots of secret business calls and trips and she isn't really sure what he does. Tommy is part of a group of men who have solidified their friendship by going into business. Steve is the boss, a lawyer who knows everyone and what is legal and what's not. Andy is a charming man who can make anyone feel comfortable. Vince is the odd man out; an ex-soldier with IT skills but going through a divorce in which he will lose everything. Then Vince's soon to be ex wife is found murdered and things start to come apart.

It seems that there is a human trafficking circle in the area and all the men except Vince are involved. In fact, that's the source of the money that keeps their willingly blind wives in luxury. Jackson brushes up against the edges of the group as he goes about his investigations and soon becomes an ally of Crystal's.

Kate Atkinson has created an endearing character in Jackson. He has a clear moral compass, although it might not keep him on the legal side of the ledger at times. He is determined to protect those around him but they often see him as failing at this job. Yet Brodie manages to come through time after time, handing out justice and help evenhandedly. This book is recommended for readers of mysteries.

Jackson Brodie is back! And once again, Kate Atkinson proves there is nothing she can't do. Obviously, this book has been praised and praised again but it deserves every bit of that praise and then some! This is more than just a mystery or thriller, this is a book that has a lot to say about who we are and why we do the things we do. Very highly recommended.

Delightful addition to the Jackson Brodie series. Atkinson is a master at writing, every phrase is deliberate and although the storylines of this book don't seem to be at all related at first, they come together in a gorgeously told way by the end. And the tongue-in-cheek statement about there being way too many coincidences just adds to the reading experience, rather than leaving it to the reader to grumble about it.
This book easily stands alone, although it would be helpful to read the other books in order to get the background of Jackson's life and relationships. What a treat, I hope the author doesn't wait as long to write another book with him as a character.