The sixth mystery in Atkinson's Jackson Brodie series feels a little slight and silly at times, but as always, there are true moments of emotional resonance. As always, sharp, funny, and eminently readable. Based on a blast-from-the-past encounter near the end of the book, I'm hoping Atkinson has at least one more Brodie book up her sleeve -- but she could write ten more, and I'd still happily read them all.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

I love how well Kate Atkinson draws these characters. The background stories and asides, relevant or not, simply make it all feel more real. I didn’t find this book especially fast paced, but it was super engaging and the way everything came together at the end was fabulous. Very enjoyable read.

An entertaining read… But while I enjoyed it, I felt that it fell short of its predecessors in the CASE HISTORIES series. It was surprisingly short, and it felt superficial by comparison, as it seemed Atkinson was simply playing with an Agatha Christie plot. It was still fun to read, and it was very nice to see Jackson Brodie and Reggie Chase team up again. But it felt like a lightweight entry in the series. I wouldn’t tell a fan of the series NOT to read it, but I was frankly a bit disappointed, and it made me wonder if Atkinson is losing her enthusiasm for the Jackson stories. I hope not, as I still hope to see at least one more great entry to finish up the series.

I've been a fan of Kate Atkinson for as long as she's been writing Jackson Brodie novels, so like, 20 years? This wasn't my favorite in the series, but I did like the premise a lot. Jackson Brodie is back, investigating a painting that seems to have been stolen by the carer of an elderly woman who has just passed away. Her children claim that the painting has only sentimental value for them, but they're awfully keen to have the painting found, and Brodie starts investigating them as much as he's looking for the painting. He discovers a string of several similar art thefts, separated by years and many miles, and it brings him to Burton Makepeace, a dilapidated country estate that runs murder mystery weekends promising a Downton Abbey-style experience. A painting was stolen from Burton Makepeace years earlier by a maid who, just like his clients' mother's carer, disappeared into thin air, and while Brodie is looking into it he comes across a figure from his past (and from the earlier book in the series When Will There Be Good News) Reggie Chase, now a police officer who is trying to keep Brodie from going too far in his investigations. The whole plot leads up to a closed door murder mystery situation (a la Agatha Christie) in the middle of a massive snowstorm, and the somewhat disparate threads of the story finally come together as Brodie and Reggie help untangle the case. I had a bit of trouble keeping up with the various storylines here for about half of the book - I was trying to figure out how they would all come together - but even that didn't really put me off of the story because I knew that it eventually would based on past experience with this author and this series. A solid take on the English Country House Murder trope, though not my favorite of the series.

Well loved character Jackson Brodie returns to become part of this homage to the cozy mystery! Atkinson has a wicked sense of humor, but never more clever than when it comes out of Brodie's mouth. Long convoluted scenes, and multi nefarious characters at the heart of this farce make it a romp through the genre of the murder mystery party combined with a Clue like setting of the old English manor. It is hilarious!

Glad that I got to read this early. I've read the others in the series. Well written, but i don't think it really needed the murder mystery. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

I received an ARC of this book from Doubleday via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. I have read previous Jackson Brodie novels, so I was excited to see this one offered. A lot of nuance and character relationships will go over your head if you have not read previous novels in t his series. I am pretty sure I have missed some and was wishing I were more up to date, particularly regarding Brodie's relationship with other characters.

The book references the game "Cluedo" (or Clue for us Americans), which made me laugh since portions of the book totally remind me of this game. Some ridiculous characters, farcical behavior, general hysteria. And I was also reminded of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" during the actors' portion.

Ms. Atkinson is hilarious. Not many books can make me literally laugh out loud, but she does.

One star off because I did get a bit confused among the many characters. But I will still eagerly await the next Brodie installment!

Death at the Sign of the Rook is another Jackson Brodie mystery written by Kate Atkinson, Thanks to Doubleday and Net Galley for the ARC copy. I’m a big fan of Atkinson and Life After Life is one of my all time favorite books. Her writing about the London Blitz is nothing less than spectacular. Death at the Sign of the Rookie revolves around the mysterious theft of three separate works of art one of which Jackson Brodie is hired to investigate. It all comes together at a murder mystery weekend in one of England’s historic stately homes. It’s an interesting premise and the characters especially Jackson Brodie are well drawn. Unfortunately the plot isn’t as crisp and riveting as an Agatha Christie. However DC Reggie Chase and Major Ben Jennings are characters I’d love to see more of… 2 Stars

Kate Atkinson is one of my favorite authors, but this one just didn’t cut it for me. Jackson Brodie is more annoying rather than endearing. The comic element was too farcical. My opinion might be negatively impacted due to reading the book on my phone instead of print, I admit. I am still going to read every novel Atkinson ever writes, don’t get me wrong. And I would love to see many more Brodie novels, this one just isn’t the top of my list. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

Death at the Sign of the Rook is Kate Atkinson’s sixth installment of her Jackson Brodie series and fans of her work will love it. I haven’t read all of them, but I did love Case Histories (the first), and now feel the need to catch up.

This one begins with a scheduled Murder Mystery dinner theater at a former estate-turned-inn where not all the family love having the public tromp through their dwindling heritage. (Several references to Downton Abbey for context.)

Meanwhile, Brodie has been brought by a couple of strange siblings to investigate a painting that has gone missing after the death of their mother. The main suspect is a caregiver who has disappeared and the whole thing reminds Brodie of another unsolved art theft. But is it possible this caregiver with a questionable identity was playing such a long game over a painting with more sentimental than real value?

Add in a faith-questioning vicar, an escaped murderer, a disabled army veteran, and a snowstorm – you get characters in a setting that form a story that you don’t want to put down. Who can resist trying to figure out who the fake murderer is when a real one enters the scene?

The general nod to Agatha Christie – the master dame of mystery – is notable and appreciated. Scheduled to be released in August of 2024, this will make for great reading over a long weekend.

My favorite Jackson Brodie yet!
Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for an ARC which I really enjoyed.
This seemed like many books all wrapped up into one - a story of art theft and a con with a twist, a murder mystery party and more. So much was going on. The author really brings it all together. She had me as captive audience with the art thefts.
In addition there is Jackson Brodie at his best with some favorite characters from his life. Really enjoyed the character Reggie Chase in this book!
I felt the ending was perfection!
I know fans of Jackson Brodie will love this book but it is also a great stand alone mystery story.
4.5 stars

It is lovely to meet up with Jackson Brodie again in ‘Death at the Sign of the Rook’. I always enjoy Kate Atkinson’s witty and intelligent writing and this new book didn’t disappoint.
The characters were all great and the stolen paintings and various deaths added some intrigue, but I felt that Mr Brodie nor Reggie were in the book hardly at all. The first part of the book is chock full of introductions and biographies of the characters but by the end it feels a bit rushed to come to the conclusion and wrap up all of the loose ends.
I did thoroughly enjoy the read and liked it’s cleverness and humor, I will not hesitate to recommend it to our Jackson Brodie reading patrons.

I have read all of the Jackson Brodie series, this one was not my favorite. There is a large cast of characters and maybe I wasn’t in the mood but it felt like everyone had way too much back-story. By the time the plot moved on, I had trouble keeping them all straight. The payoff comes in the final quarter of the book with more Jackson/Reggie and less about the others. The final ten percent moved along and wrapped everything up, I enjoyed the end. Still giving 4 stars for great writing and witty dialogue but I have enjoyed Jackson’s “simpler” crimes more. Kindle ARC received from Net Galley - thank you!

Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the chance to read this ARC. I'm a huge fan of Kate Atkinson and love the Jackson Brodie series, so I was so happy to read this latest book. Although the number of characters and their idiosyncrasies were a little hard to keep track of at times, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and all of the silliness. I felt like Brodie himself was sidelined a bit, but in the end the humor and appeal of the character was present and well done. I also loved all the Christie and Downton Abbey homage parts--a really fun novel!

Kate Atkinson has been one of my favorite authors since picking up Emotionally Weird twenty years ago, and while her standalone novels remain my favorite, the Jackson Brodie series is well done and this book is no exception. I really loved the homage to classic British mysteries. The relationship between Brodie and Reggie is wonderful, and all of the characters were vivid and lovable in their own ways, even Lady Milton.

I'm a huge fan of Kate Atkinson's novels, but the Jackson Brodie character was new to me. I thoroughly enjoyed this murder mystery with lively banter and solid plot twists. The beginning of the novel introduces a cast of charming, witty, and eccentric characters, each adding depth and intrigue to the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel by one of my favorite living authors. Along with great storytelling, wonderful new and returning characters, it is just a lot of fun to read. I laughed out loud. I love that Atkinson doesn’t take herself or the world too seriously while still dealing with some heavy social issues. I highly recommend it if you want a fun and fast read that has shades of Agatha Christie. Thanks for the ARC!

Like any cozy mystery, Kate Atkinson’s <i>Death at the Sign of the Rook</i> contains a surfeit of idiosyncratic characters, a puzzling crime or two, an aging rural manor house, a blizzard, and too many characters for all but the most orderly and committed readers to remember.

All in all, <i>Death at the Sign of the Rook</i> feels like a whole new Kate Atkinson revealing both herself and new sides of Jackson Browne and Reggie Chase. With a lesser author than Atkinson, another volume in the annals of Jackson and Reggie might feel shopworn. But Kate Atkinson remains top drawer and in <i>Death at the Sign of the Rook</i> she’s at the top of her formidable and often hilarious form. Ms. Atkinson, more Jackson and Reggie, please!

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy of this novel.

Thank heavens. When Kate Atkinson was asked if there were going to be any more novels featuring Jackson Brodie, she said that she was quitting at the four she'd written to that point. Saying she'd followed his story as much as she felt necessary. Since then, she has written two more, this being the latest. Something about writing with Brodie brings out the best in Atkinson including her wicked sense of humor that caused me to laugh out loud in places. Also, her character development. This one, with art theft as its theme, probes many of her favorite subjects.

I'm a huge fan of Kate Atkinson in general and the Jackson Brodie series in particular, and was very much looking forward to the latest entry in this series. An aging Brodie is tasked with investigating the apparent theft of a painting following the death of its elderly owner, and the case sends him down a rabbit hole peopled by a zany cast of characters. In true classic detective fashion, the book culminates in a snowstorm stranding our characters at an old country manor.

The book is a fun takeoff on the classic mystery genre. I found it a little slow-moving and there was a little too much wordplay for my liking. Definitely not my favorite entry in the series, but overall, an enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.