I've very much enjoyed some of Atkinson's previous work, but this was a real slog for me. I got about 50% into it and felt like it was still table setting. Managed to power through, but hoping for better in her next novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book. I have previously read Kate Atkinson works and find that her characters are very vibrant. Her settings can sometimes be parts of the story that drive it along and ensure that the reader feels a tension of anticipated dangers to come.

I very much appreciate being gifted this copy of Death at the Sign of the Rook, and the opportunity to read & review it. Thanks to the publisher. I love Kate Atkinson's work, and it's wonderful to return to this series.

A whodunit with delightful twists. A captivating mystery that kept me guessing until the very end. The writing is witty and engaging which made a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Many thanks to Doubleday and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 stars, not rounded up
“Art, war, pillage, false identity, he certainly knew how to tell a good story. One designed to reel her in. And it worked.”

Death at the Sign of the Rook had some truly funny moments. I enjoyed the wry British humor very much. A few examples of some delicious and biting humor. “He had spent a good several weeks being sensible and mature and then he bought a Land Rover Defender instead.” Describing a painting, Atkinsons pens, “The artist had been good at women, not so good at small furry animals.” “’I’m sure you’re not the only cleric who finds himself an atheist,’ his bishop said gloomily when Simon went to him for pastoral advice. ‘Best just to carry on as if you still believed.’”

Atkinson uses an abundance of characters in this book, which at first do not seem connected. I am an avid reader, and I found it challenging to keep track of relationships. There was a murder mystery play within a murder mystery which also has a stolen painting. The experienced writer seems to gently poke fun at her own genre. Be patient, fellow reader. It all comes together.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Atkins’s latest Jackson Brody mystery is an homage to Agatha Christie’s quaint mysteries with a handful of characters that readers will quickly recognize: the Vicar, the Major, the dowager, etc. DC Reggie Chase returns with PI Jackson Brody to solve two cases of art theft. I love these mysteries so much that I had to buy the Audible edition read by the incomparable Jason Isaacs, who embodies the character of Jackson Brody to perfection. Highly recommended.

Well, as much as I love Atkinson's writing and the Brodie series, this one was slightly disappointing. It seemed a fun idea to have Brodie trying to solve a mystery while a murder mystery weekend was going on and there were some really funny parts and a few stand-out characters. However, the plot didn't make a whole lot of sense and there were just too many characters to keep straight.

I wanted to like this book more than I did because I do like Kate Atkinson's writing. The description also sounded very promising. The storyline was ok, it just plodded along and I had a hard time following it.

**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review an electronic ARC of this book.

I really loved this latest installment in the Jackson Brodie series.

This series is always smartly written with lots of humor tucked inside, but I thought this one was especially funny. I also LOVED that they are snowed in at an old country house during a murder mystery. That setting is total catnip for many mystery readers.

I always enjoy Kate Atkinson's books, but this series is truly a gem. I'm always surprised at how many mystery readers aren't (yet) familiar with them, and I LOVE handing a Jackson Brodie book to a mystery reader who hasn't read them yet. Can't wait to recommend this one.

An enjoyable read both for those who enjoy the Jackson Brodie series and those who like stories that are referential to the Golden Age of mysteries. Fans of Agatha Christie and similar authors will delight in the nods to that era of writing and the central mystery of the story is engaging without being overly dark or twisted in unbelievable ways.

Based on remembering a previous book by Atkinson that I enjoyed greatly, I plowed (ploughed ha ha) through this overly populated mystery novel. There are at least 4 plot points, each with its own characters, and. also a fake murder mystery which blends all previous characters, a new set of actors, and the fake characters they portray....it was just to much for me, unfortunately. The art theft plot line would have been enough for me and I wish I hadn't had to skim through to get to that denoument.

Author Kate Atkinson's popular private eye, Jackson Brodie, is back in Death at the Sign of the Rook, and mystery lovers are glad. In this adventure, Brodie, who is in Yorkshire to investigate a stolen painting, discovers a whole string of pilfered artworks. He winds up at a former estate that's been converted into a hotel that features Murder Mystery weekends.

This story has the flavor of an Agatha Christie tale, or even the movie, Knives Out. Readers can jump into the book as a standalone or dive into the Brodie series. The crime is a real puzzle, but it plays fair with the readers, and the characters and Brodie are witty and fun. Highly recommended.

I love Kate Atkinson's writing, but I was not aware she had a mystery series. I was excited to be selected to read the sixth addition to her mystery series, Death At The Sign of the Rook.

I was able to acquire an audiobook, and while it was excellent in presentation, I think this is one of those instances where I probably should have read the actual book. I kept getting hopelessly confused by the cast of characters. I also think this is one of the rare instances where it didn't help to jump into the middle of the series. I felt like someone watching from the outside: it looks fun and interesting, but I just don't get it.

While this particular book wasn't for me, I might be interested in starting at the beginning, and trying this series again.

Thank you to NETGALLEY, the author, and Doubleday Books for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this book based upon my love of the first Jackson Brodie book. I tried very hard, twice to get into it and can't. I cannot get invested and find myself very bored. There's nothing literarily wrong with the book, it's just not for me and I'm not going to force myself to read through something on which I cannot focus. It's simply a waste of time. I wish this wasn't the case.

Detective Jackson Brodie has retired from the police force and moved to a quiet town in Yorkshire, taking on the occasional private matter to keep things interesting. His current case is centered around a missing painting. "Woman with a Weasel," a valuable old portrait, hangs over the bed of the matriarch, but it disappears after she dies -- and the in-home carer has likewise dematerialized.[spacer height="20px"]

On his way out, he noticed something he hadn't seen on the way in -- a small patch of ground at the side that had been fenced off and contained headstones, all in different styles. It took Jackson a moment to realize this was a display rather than a graveyard -- Jessop's offered the full service, right down to the stonemason. It was rather like exiting through the gift shop. ~Loc. 1446

[spacer height="20px"]Meanwhile, at the local manorhouse of Burton Makepeace, the current inhabitants are struggling to keep the roof fixed and the heating bill paid. Despite the distaste the family has for rank commercialism, they recognize the necessity of allowing the public in for various events. Especially since their priceless Turner was stolen before they could sell it and raise any funds.[spacer height="20px"]

Lady Milton wasn't particularly fond of any of her children, preferring her dogs, two black Labradors, Tommy and Tuppence -- a brother and sister -- reasonable creatures compared to her own. ~ Loc. 359

[spacer height="20px"]Lady Milton and her family have been reduced to opening the stately home for a murder mystery weekend, complete with out-of-town guest players, community theatre actors, and an amateur script. Of course, just as the unsophisticated guests come tromping in, a massive blizzard traps them all inside, perhaps with a murderer.[spacer height="20px"]

'Lady Milton', who was herself probably one of the Murder Mystery company pretending to be the real Lady milton. Perhaps the entire house was just one big theatrical set. And here he was on stage, a solitary man with his prop, an empty wheelbarrow, like a character in a farce, or a play by Brecht -- both equally unappetizing theatrical experiences in Ben's view. ~Loc. 2856

Brodie's inner monologue is always cranky, sharp, and amusing, and this book is no different. He remains the reluctant hero, by dint of being the one who shows up, not because he has any magnificent altruism.

The novel itself takes on a "Noises Off" or "Murder by Death" slapstick quality once the murder mystery party gets into the swing. Random people answering the doorbell or being asked to show people to their rooms. A body (maybe?) appears then disappears. It's mayhem and no one knows who is in charge.

I really enjoyed Case Histories (and the TV adaptation with Jason Issacs) and I am excited to see the Jackson Brodie has returned.

My thanks to Doubleday for the review e-galley. Read via NetGalley.

A witty and fun Jackson Brodie mystery with a colorful cast of characters. The convoluted plot and laugh out loud moments are what I enjoyed most. I would have liked to have more Brodie, though overall an entertaining read.

Thank you NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Private investigator Jackson Brodie is asked to solve the mystery of a missing (and valuable) painting. His case gradually intersects with other, similar art thefts and a few dead bodies. The author has included a lot of character exposition and description, sometimes going on for pages. It can be difficult to determine what is important to know about the characters from their back stories, and the story dragged during those long descriptions. Jackson has appeared in a number of Kate Atkinson's novels, but he seems out of place in the setting of the art world and a murder mystery weekend. Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for the eARC.

It all starts (and ends) with a murder mystery dinner. Jackson Brodie is investigating a small painting that an old woman used to have in her bedroom and that mysteriously disappeared the day she died –along with her caregiver, and now prime suspect.
However, that’s not the only painting that has disappeared in similar circumstances in the last few years. And fortunately, our dear DC Reggie Chase was in that case, so she and Brodie start trying to solve the mystery.

I must say there were many parts in which I lost a bit of interest. There were just too many details in the lives of minor characters, and there were a few things that I truly did not understand why were there in the first place (i.e. ‘Nanny’ and the shooter). To me, they felt unnecessary and did not add anything to the plot.

That being said, I love Atkinson’s sense of humor, I love Jackson Brodie and I love Reggie Chase, so of course I will always continue with this series!

3,5 stars!

At this point, I am fully convinced that I will love anything that Kate Atkinson writes. I hadn’t read any of the Jackson Brodie novels up to this point, and I picked this up not knowing anything about the series or the characters, and I loved it! It was full of humor, wit, and fully realized, flawed characters. I fell in love with Jackson and the way his mind works. Even though I hadn’t read any of the other books, it was easy to see what makes him tick and what has drawn so many other readers to this character.

Although Atkinson’s books always tend to have a sad tone, they are also full of humor and hope - making them such a unique reading experience.

After finishing “Death at the Sign of the Rook,” I immediately started “Case Histories,” and I enjoyed it just as much.

Thank you to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for the eARC.