I always love a Kate Atkinson novel-her characters, her humor, her history, and her plots-they always engage and pull me in immediately. I did enjoy Death at the Sign of the Rook but it was rather slow moving for me and while I enjoyed the murder mystery aspect it also made it rather confusing when the actors were brought in-with both the actor's actual names and the characters they were playing-it all got pretty jumbled. But overall I absolutely recommend it.

The asides and side stories did make me think I'd gotten lost at times but, and it's a big but, the writing and story is thoroughly enjoyable. I love mysteries, I love Conan Doyle and Christie and Allingham and Sayers and Chesterton. No, this book isn't quite there, but it is very close. I found myself happily drifting into the imagery often evoked by the character development, quite content to let the story line evolve on its own, in its time.

When I first discovered Kate Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie murder mysteries a few months ago, I quickly read all five of them in rapid succession, so I was delighted to get an ARC of her latest installment in the series, “Death at the Sign of the Rook.” In this novel, Jackson Brodie, a former police officer turned private detective, is hired by a brother and sister to find a missing painting that disappeared the day their elderly mother died. They strongly suspect that their mother’s carer, Melanie Hope, stole the painting as she had not been seen since that day. Jackson is suspicious as it wasn’t clear why they were reluctant to turn the matter over to the police.

Remembering a recent similar case involving the theft of a painting by a housekeeper at Burton Makepeace House, a stately manor home owned by the Marquess and Marchioness of Milton, Jackson gets in touch with DC Reggie Chase, a young police woman with whom he had worked on previous cases. A reluctant Reggie meets with Jackson to discuss the particulars of both cases, becoming embroiled with Jackson in the search for the missing paintings and the identify of the thief.

Filled with her usual cast of quirky characters and witty dialog, this novel is a welcome addition to the Jackson Brodie series. Although her characters tend to ramble a bit with their inner musings, which in other authors I usually find annoying, Kate Atkinson pulls this off with her beguiling prose style and her characters’ witty observations. Jackson Brodie is a delightful character who is cynical but charming with a dry sense of humor.

I highly recommend this entire series to those who like murder mysteries full of colorful characters, witty dialog and stylish prose.

The latest Jackson Brodie novel continues Kate Atkinson's commitment to testing the form of the crime novel. In this case, she wryly examines the decay of the British aristocracy via a playful meander through an old school whodunit-in-the-manor... two, in fact. A bit leisurely in the early going, with Atkinson's usual flawless ear for dialogue and loving eye for character... and then it takes off, with some legitimate thrills culminating in a wonderfully metafictional climax set within an ill-conceived immersive mystery theatrical performance. If the conceit picks easy targets -- moribund Agatha Christie knockoffs and the sins of inherited wealth and status -- it never fails to entertain or commit to the full dimensions of its characters. A fantastic book.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw there was a chance to read another Jackson Brodie, and it's good, so, so good. I could not have enjoyed reading a book more. I would recommend the Jackson Brodie series to readers of Tana French, Maggie O'Farrell, and Lauren Groff. If you like your detectives to be philosophical and the mysteries to be beside the point, Kate Atkinson is there to quietly devastate you.

This book is packed with elements ensured to entertain and amuse start to finish. The list of interesting characters is long though the story begins more sedately with the introduction of a possible art thief and some who may have quietly rumbled onto the scheme. Before you know it a rather dangerous bunch of characters are stranded together in the snowy scape of a handsome country house.. There are numerous events and characters that are robustly hilarious.

Really excellent entry in the series, with laugh-out-loud moments, and poignant ones. New character Ben is a good addition, I hope he returns.

Fair warning: I love Kate Atkinson's novels, and I especially love the Jackson Brodie books. I'm so excited that she's brought him back in Death at the Sign of the Rook.

Brodie, working as a private detective, is called upon to investigate the theft of a painting. Then he becomes aware of another art theft. Are the heists related?

Atkinson has written this as an homage to classic English mysteries, and you'll recognize the staples: an old mansion, a snowstorm, a vicar, an aging countess, a British Army major.

Brodie is the sleuth who must solve the case, aided by his sidekick, DC Reggie Chase.

Atkinson's writing is, as always, discursive in a delightful way. The reader's job is simply to enjoy the ride, trusting that she'll tie it all together in the end.

This book is shorter than other Brodie outings, and some of the action toward the end may feel over-the-top to some. But the book is full of hilarious lines (I read SO MANY out loud to my spouse), and readers aren't likely to mind if it's a little lighter than earlier efforts.

Highly recommended for Agatha Christie fans.

*I received an early review copy from NetGalley.

Thrilled to have Jackson Brodie back. Kate Atkinson seems to be having a lot of fun with this one, making it an absolute delight for me to read. Narrowly missing the cosy mark (Reggie & Brodie are professional investigators), but otherwise luxuriating in cosy hallmarks with good humor.

I have read all the Jackson Brodie books and this one is quite different. Mainly because there are so many characters that he gets lost in the shuffle. The book resembles an Agatha Christie mystery albeit a lot more humorous. Atkinson is extremely clever and her mockery of British elitist society is so entertaining, but for me, not enough to warrant more than three stars.

"I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

Detective Brody is back in the delightful new story from Kate Atkinson A missing painting, a
number of sad or outlandish characters and a absolutely crazy murder mystery weekend
at the manor house make for a wonderful read.

It made my day when I saw Kate Atkinson had written a new Jackson Brodie mystery. I love this series! It’s quite different from the every day crime, mystery, or whodunnit we’ve all read before, and Jackson Brodie is definitely not your average ‘cop turned PI’. He's a somewhat quirky character, with a tough guy exterior, yet inside, he’s a humorous, compassionate soul.
What starts out as a humdrum case of a stolen painting, quickly escalates into a case of multiple art thefts, along with a dead body or three. (One of which may be a fake, a product of a Murder Mystery Weekend production held at a very large estate turned hotel). Definitely not lacking in offbeat, eccentric characters, reading these mysteries is like assembling a jigsaw puzzle; pieces scattered here and there, then as the story develops, these pieces seem to fall into place on their own. Well, maybe with a little help from a quirky P.I. who it’s always a delight to spend time with! Total fun!
Thanks to Doubleday publishers and NetGalley for early access to this book.

It has been such a long time. And totally worth the wait
I forgt how much I loved Jackson Brodie
Was excellent front to back.
And Lady Milton what a treat!

If you enjoy cozy mysteries, this is the book for you! There was lots of humor. For me personally, there was not enough action. It dragged at times especially in the middle of the book. But it was very well- written with wide range of characters.

Thank you to Net Galley and Doubleday books for the ARC to read and review.

This novel is delightfully funny. Kate Atkinson puts Jackson Brodie and DC Reggie Chase at a murder mystery weekend at a devolving estate with a vicar, an army major, a Countess, and the Dowager Lady Milton, and a crew of actors who manage this sort of entertainment. Oh! and a blizzard. Can't forget the blizzard. The result is hilarious, with people coming and going through doors and rooms with the verve and timing of a Feydeau farce.

And what brings these people together? Stolen art. It seems that a young woman has been taking jobs as companion to elderly women, making off with a piece of art when the woman dies or the situation shifts. What's so hard is that this (these) women were so kind and fun, definitely improving the lives of their employers, so caring until they just vanish. Brodie has been hired by the heirs of one women to find a painting now missing.

The first half of "Death at the Sign of the Rook" fights to keep your interest. There's a lot of introduction of characters who are not that compelling. There's not enough Brodie or Reggie. But stick with it, because the payoff is sublime.

Atkinson is such a gift. She can write period spy thrillers like "Transcription," extraordinary works like "Life after Life" and the Jackson Brodie series. She never disappoints--her use of language and creation of characters is marvelous, whole hearted and a little bit off, which keeps you paying attention.

Thanks to Knopf and Netgalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

OMG so snazzy, so hilarious. Every single paragraph has something snarky to make me laugh aloud.

In Death at the Sign of The Rook, Jackson Brodie returns to solving mysteries. In fact, Brodie finds himself in a actual murder mystery, both a theatrical production at a hotel as well as mystery and possible murder related to valuable art. Rook Hall is part of Burton Makepeace, a sprawling estate that is deteriorating with age. The incredibly tone death inhabitants are trying to stay financially afloat and have sanctioned off a wing of the estate for a hotel. On the night in question, a murder mystery is scheduled to take place. Due to the inclement weather only a few of the actors actually turn up. This makes for a confusing series of events and bring even more levels of hilarity to the story.

It's not long before Brodie needs to use his wits to catch the killer and solve the crime. This perfect story is filled with laughs in every paragraph, ironic sometimes blatant hilarity as well as utterly beautiful phrases. This is a novel that you can read again, and you will as you wait for the next installment in the Jackson Brodie series! #deathatthesignoftherook #kateatikinson #doubleday

Jackson Brodie at 70?! I guess we're all getting older. Which may explain why I had a little trouble following the multiple plotlines as they were introduced. Fortunately, Atkinson starts to bring them together rather quickly and we're off and running. Engaging characters and delightful hat tips to the masters of the mystery genre. It is more fun than I recall others in the series being, and works just fine as a standalone. Atkinson fans will not be disappointed.

I am going with 3.5 stars for this book which is my first Jackson Brodie book. This book had clever writing and lots of laughs, but it really dragged for me. After the first few chapters I found myself speed reading through a lot of characters and no interesting action. When I got to the last 40 or so pages, I thought I could’ve skipped the middle 150 pages and still been alright. Pretty satisfying ending but as others have remarked there are references to previous books and relationships that I was not privy to. The murder mystery play just added so much more confusion and characters that I wish it had been left out. It was just comic relief being added.
I can see why Kate Atkinson is a popular writer and I will probably try more of her books but this one, well not the best for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and Doubleday books for allowing me to read an ARC to review.

I’m a big fan of Kate Atkinson and a huge fan of her Jackson Brodie character, so I was eager to read an ARC copy of her upcoming novel (#6 in the Jackson Brodie series) Death At the Sign of the Rook, to be published in early September 2024.

I enjoyed reading this newest entry in the Jackson Brodie canon. I always love spending time with Jackson as he sleuths his way into explanations for all those coincidences (!), and all the supporting characters were interesting, quirky, and quite funny. (Lots of laughs in this one.) That said, I found this to be the weakest entry in the Jackson Brodie series. There was just . . . too little Jackson! And a rather convoluted storyline that did quite a bit of (maybe too much?) meandering. It did, of course, come together in the end of course (we are talking about Kate Atkinson, after all).

I recommend this novel for fans of the author – and for all the Jackson Brodie fans out there. (Even a “weaker” entry in the series is a blessing for Jackson’s fans). For readers who aren’t familiar with Jackson Brodie, I recommend starting back at the beginning (with Case Histories) and reading each installment before picking up this one, as it will help you understand Jackson’s character and operational style. While Death At the Sign of the Rook can certainly stand on its own, Atkinson is really depending on her earlier work for Jackson’s character development and backstory.

Thank you to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on September 10, 2024.

3.5 stars, rounding up to 4.