Kate Atkinson is the complete package - engrossing storylines and fully formed characters. She is one of my favorite authors. It’s been ages since she wrote a Jackson Brodie book. I was worried about the gap in time, but no worries. I immediately felt a connection with him all over again. 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. Oh, and his ex-partner’s voice rings in his head whenever his thoughts go on a wander.

Not only did I love Jackson, but also Harry, the teenage stepson of the woman that becomes Jackson’s client. Once again, the dry humor shines through and I found myself sometimes chuckling out loud.

The book moves along at a good clip. It reminded me of Harlan Coben in some ways, especially the humor. Although Atkinson’s characters tend to be more fully formed than Coben’s. And there are lots of characters here, so be prepared to pay attention to who is whom. It takes awhile for it to become sorted as to how they will all come together. “A coincidence is just an explanation waiting to happen.”

As with all of Atkinson’s books, time is a variable. 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.

It’s not often I award five stars to a mystery. Too often, something is lacking or the story is just too unbelievable. Not here. The writing is just spot on. I found myself highlighting phrases, not because they were important to the plot, but just because I loved the turn of phrase. And any mystery that not only tells a good story but has me consistently laughing deserves five stars.

My thanks to netgalley and Little, Brown & Company for an advance copy of this book.

Welcome back Mr. Brodie! It's been a while, though you don't seem to have aged much. But your past is quite in evidence and the cast of characters from the backstory pop up regularly as this sordid, sweet tale wends its way to a satisfactory conclusion. Actually, Brodie -- for all his presence -- is almost incidental to the plot, watching events unfold around him. No, he's not the catalyst, more like a moderator who is following the line to see where it leads and giving the occasional shove when matters seem to have slowed to a crawl. Truth be told, there are some equally compelling characters (Crystal, ready for your spin off?). Very entertaining, no heavy lifting. A palate-cleansing sorbet after the protein-rich entrees of Life After Life and Transcription.

I have only ever read one other Kate Atkinson book and Big Sky is my first of her Brodie mysteries? How have I never heard of these mysteries before? This book was filled with intrigue and and twists I never saw coming and bits of humor sprinkled in. I will admit there were moments I had wished I had known this cast of characters before so I highly recommend with starting with the first of her Brodie mysteries and than moving onto this one. Overall however an enjoyable reading experience.

I’ve spent two weeks binging all the Jackson Brodie novels preparing for this latest installment, which I received from Netgalley through the publisher. This book is typical of the series, slow moving, with brilliant observations and an underlying dark humor. As usual, there are several storylines that eventually get woven together by the end. I enjoyed seeing some previous characters make an appearance and was disappointed that one previous character didn’t make it in. A solid read.

This very dark Fargo-like comedic fifth entry in Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie series is reminiscent at times of the classic Marx Brothers movie “A Night at the Opera.”

Brodie, ex-military police and ex-Cambridge Constabulary, is currently a private investigator working out of North Yorkshire. The majority of his work consists of either following spouses suspected of cheating, or being hired to try to to trap so-far-unsuspected fiancés and spouses to cheat as a “test.” This summer he has the occasional assistance of his son Nathan who stays with him when his mother Julia (and Brodie’s former girlfriend) is busy. Much of Jackson’s interactions with and observations of Nathan, aged 13, are quite humorous, and ring so true to anyone familiar with teenagers.

In other chapters we follow another family, Tommy Holyrod, his wife Chrystal, and their children Candy (3) and Harry (16), the latter being Tommy’s son from his first marriage. But Tommy is constantly busy with his company Holyrod Haulage, and Chrystal provides most of the parenting and companionship for both kids.

Yet another plot thread involves DC Reggie Chase and DC Ronnie Dibicki, who have been requested to conduct interviews in a cold case that just warmed up. The ten-year-old investigation - called “Operation Villette” - relates to two convicted sex traffickers, Bassani and Carmody.

There had been all kinds of accusations about the two men: about “parties” they sponsored, pornography purveyed, and trips abroad for assignations with underage children. Most of it hadn’t been proved, although rumors persisted of a black book with details, and even of a third man in the operation who had never been named.

As one of the characters who surreptitiously carries on the business mused: “[there were] limitless needs for sex in pop-up brothels, saunas and places that were even less legitimate, less salubrious. (You wouldn’t think that was possible, but it was.) Trade was good.”

And that ongoing business and those maintaining it are an additional plot strand. But of course all the subplots are connected. The story is all about coincidences and interconnections among the characters. As Jackson Brodie always maintained: “A coincidence is just an explanation waiting to happen.”

The connections form a malevolent network indeed, and a deadly one. As secrets come out, bodies begin to pile up, and time, for some of the characters, is running out quickly.

Discussion: If you have seen “A Night at the Opera” you will be familiar with the famous stateroom scene, which has been parodied numerous times in popular culture, by performers ranging from Cyndi Lauper to Seinfeld. Atkinson uses it several times in this book, so darkly funny and yet so deadly serious.

The book even ends operatically, with a scene from a famous opera, suggesting rather parodically that the story is over “when the fat lady sings.”

Evaluation: It has been a long time between Jackson Brodie books for Atkinson, and although I read the previous entries in the series, I pretty much didn’t remember a thing. It didn’t hurt my enjoyment of this book although I think I would have been happier if my memory served me better. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it even as a standalone to anyone who enjoys noir humor, clever dialogue, and/or well-constructed crime stories generally.

Jackson Brodie is back in all his cynical glory! It's been a while since Brodie last made an appearance and he's a little older, but essentially the same. In some ways, this felt like his swan song, with appearances from characters from his past (as an aside, you may want to re-read the previous books before picking this up to refresh your memory on his earlier cases), but if it is, it is a satisfying conclusion.

I am a huge fan of Kate Atkinson Jackson Brody series so I was excited for this one. Now this book deals with human trafficking and a pedophile ring. So with that being said this book was a wee hard to read. I found myself putting it down where images were getting to vivid but I always picked it back up. I credit that amazing writing by Atkinson for that!

I absolutely love the Jackson Brodie novels and this one was excellent. The story moved along at a fast pace and brought back a few old faces from previous novels. I am definitely looking forward to the next book.

3 stars--I liked the book. Trigger warnings for sexual abuse.

I have an enduring fondness for Jackson Brody (and his parenthetical conversations). The character never fails to charm, and this book is no exception. I also adored Crystal and Harry and Bunny--in fact, the range of side characters in this book was fabulous.

Like all Brody books, the main plot revolves around lost girls--in this case it takes a wide focus, as Brody gets enmeshed in human trafficking and a pedophile ring. As usual for Atkinson, all the loose ends get tied up and resolved. However, it almost seems like Brody was along for the ride in this book--he sort of stumbles into the crimes rather than actively investigating them, and isn't really the one who solves them.

I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!

A captivating story, full of interesting characters, with Atkinson's trademark humor shining through even in the midst of a serious plot line. My biggest disappointment: not enough Jackson Brodie. It was almost like he was only a minor character.

Kate Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie novels are among my favorite mysteries, with JB being an especially fun character. So, along with many others, my initial thought when I knew there was (FINALLY!) a new Jackson Brodie novel, was “how soon can I get my hands on it?” Thanks to Little, Brown & Company and NetGalley, I received a copy of Big Sky in exchange for my honest review a few months pre-publication. This gives me time to recommend it to all my mystery-loving friends! Yes, it really is good, and it was worth the wait!

Jackson has sort of retired and is living on the coast, in the same physical area as his sort of lover Julia (the actress, whose TV series provides some great counterpoint to the story), his uber-teenage son Nathan (whiny, snarky, etc) and his sort of aging Lab Dido. Jackson spends some of his time on things like tracking unfaithful spouses, but he isn’t really a full-on PI anymore – just as he is a former policeman, he is maybe a bit rusty but his instincts are all there, sharp as ever (along with his wit).

There are several main characters, with each chapter told from the point of view of one of them, which at first was a bit of a headscratcher (as in, “I KNOW that all these threads are going to come together, but WTF?”) but it all gets aligned in the end. That’s one thing I love about it, it is a bit disorganized and messy, just as life tends to be. There isn’t a nice linear plot for our lives, nor is there one for this novel.

TBH, I didn’t remember enough of the prior Brodie novels to recognize when references to earlier plotlines were made, other than in broad strokes (e.g. Julia and Jackson’s relationship), but it was fine. I would guess that even those who haven’t read earlier Brodie novels will enjoy this, and those who have read them and like them will LOVE it. Five stars.

Exceedingly compelling and unputdownable. Not only is Brodie back, but so is Reggie Chase, to my delight.

Loved this book! Was my first novel by Kate Atkinson and I loved it so much I want to go and read her others now! Definitely an awesome read!!

I found it a challenge to start with as I was not familiar with the characters from previous books, but the second half sped by!

Jackson Brodie has relocated to a quiet seaside village, in the occasional company of 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.
Jackson's current job, gathering proof of an unfaithful husband for his suspicious wife, is fairly standard-issue, but a chance encounter with a desperate man on a crumbling cliff leads him into a sinister network-and back across the path of his old friend Reggie. Old secrets and new lies intersect in this breathtaking novel by one of the most dazzling and surprising writers at work today.



Thank you to net galley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book first time reading anything from this author and look forward to more

I'm sorry to say this is my first exposure to Atkinson; where I have I been?? I recognize all the titles but I just haven't read one until now. I know this should be a stand-alone novel and it is, but I feel a little like I walked into a fancy dinner party with many guests who all knew each other and I was on the outskirts the entire time. Clearly not the author's fault! There were just so many characters that I had to make a list to keep all the relationships straight; that takes a little enjoyment away from just immersing myself in the book. Still it was a fascinating look at Jackson Brodie, a flawed but strong character. Murder, sex trafficking, adultery, families, relationships...this book has it all and clearly Atkinson is a brilliant writer! So I'll go back to the first and read in order. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 as it's my reading habits that are at fault here.

Jackson Brodie is back and it is a wonderful thing! Brodie is working as a private investigator, mostly of cheating husbands, until he is accidentally drawn into a case of kidnapping. This case ties into an old ring of child abusers, which then leads into a current even worse group of human traffickers. Atkinson is the master of coincidences not turning out to be coincidences, and of everything (and everyone) being somehow related. Fans of this series will be happy to see Brodie and his cast of misfit characters return in spectacular form.

I've waited 9 years for this book, and I had actually given up hope that it would ever happen. So imagine my surprise and excitement when I heard there was a new Jackson Brodie book coming! I wish I remembered the previous books better, but it didn't really affect my enjoyment of this one. Kate Atkinson, as always, wonderfully weaves together a number of disparate characters (all well-developed) and storylines in unexpected ways. It was such a delight to get back to Jackson Brodie after Life After Life, which I'll admit was... let's put it this way: not my favorite. Dear Kate, please do not make me wait 9 more years for the next one!

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the advanced copy!

I have treasured all of the previous Jackson Brodie novels and Big Sky did not disappoint. I'm a huge fan of Atkinson. Brodie is aging well and the writing when he is the focus has the wonderful counter-points of Julia's comments. He's an active parent to a sullen teenager and a loving caretaker of an aging labrador--Dido, Queen of Carthage. The initial scene involves his older daughter--this is Brodie in middle age. The tension between him and Julia persists and her television show provides a fascinating counter point to the actual drama that unfolds. The initial third of the book set up the back story of the investigation and at times felt less compelling, but mid-way Brodie was back and the book is wonderful. It's all nuance, humor, realism and reflection. There are wonderful characters of Crystal, Harry, Reggie, and references to past Brodie novels. Brodie never gets his full due, but as Reggie states, quoting Dr. Hunter: "What does justice have to do with the law?". Atkinson is a superb writer and I hope she continues to bring us Jackson Brodie. This is a book to read and re-read, as are all the Brodie novels.

Jackson Brodie, one of my favorite fictional characters, shines again in Kate Atkinson’s fifth crime novel, starring himself. Living in a quiet seaside cottage in Yorkshire, Jackson spends most of his professional time investigating infidelity. He temporarily branches out into bodyguarding and finds himself involved in helping to solve a human trafficking case, saving a few lives off the clock, all the while serving as part-time Dad to his son, Nathan. Atkinson gifts Jackson, and many of the other characters in the book, with an amazing sense of humor. I found myself often chuckling or laughing aloud at various observations and conversations. For example, Marlee, Jackson’s daughter deliberately misnames a “fascinator” worn by another character as a “fornicator.”