Kate Atkinson's very serious and very funny book is also, intermittently, a detective novel, her sixth about private investigator Jackson Brodie, who inspires as much irritation as affection among the rotating cast of women in his personal and professional lives.

The novel opens at a murder mystery weekend and then jumps back--for most of the novel--to explore the circumstances that brought together an improbable Golden Era mystery-style cast in a decaying manor house that has been repurposed to house a hotel and stave off the Inland Revenue's demands.

Jackson is called in to assist a brother and sister who are only lightly grieving the death of their elderly mother; they are, however, keen for Jackson to identify the whereabouts of the valuable painting she kept in her bedroom. Jackson quickly links the missing painting to a woman who absconded with one art work from each of the households where she provided housekeeping or care services under multiple aliases. Interspersed with Jackson's investigation are chapters that delve into the lives and perspectives of a vicar with a dwindling congregation, a former army major who lost a limb, and a dowager struggling to adapt to her family's decline in fortunes.

The novel moves at a stately pace, but Atkinson's wit makes this densely allusive and knowing book a pleasure.

I have found that there is a vein of absurdity running through Jackson Brodie's cases, along with interesting characters, and author Kate Atkinson doesn't disappoint here.

Retired police officer and private detective Jackson Brodie has a new case. Brodie has been hired to find a missing Renaissance painting owned by a now deceased woman. Her adult children are convinced that Dorothy's former carer, who left suddenly, made off with the item. Brodie agrees to take the case, even though he has his suspicions about his employers.

Brodie's former contact on the police force, Reggie Chase, is called to Burton Makepeace, an estate on shaky ground financially, to investigate the theft of artwork, believed to have been taken by Lady Milton's companion, who is now missing. Lady Milton misses her companion, and it's clear that she was fonder of this woman than her adult children.

Brodie feels that the similarities between his and Reggie's cases are too coincidental, and he feels they are likely related, with possibly the same culprit at work. Though Reggie feels Brodie is a pain in the ass, and a little too easygoing about rules, he looks at her like she's family, and brings what he knows to her.

Burton Makepeace and the characteristics of the case all echo Golden Age mysteries set in manor homes. There is a big cast of characters involved with the estate, including the horrid children of Lady Milton, a former soldier, Major Ben Jennings, suffering from PTSD and depression after losing his leg in Afghanistan, the currently mute vicar Simon Cate, who's also suffering a loss of faith, a cop killer, and a variety of guests who will be attending a murder mystery weekend.

There is much chaos, and fascinating backstories provided for Ben and Simon, a glimpse into Brodie's life (he's with Tatiana, but she seems tepid about him), and a sense of Reggie's life.

During the murder mystery, mayhem ensues, and both cases connect, with both Brodie and Reggie being on scene when things are revealed.

I was frequently amused by all the little details Atkinson provided in this novel about the characters and their foibles and concerns. I have always found the Brodie stories to be a little lighter on the mysteries and heavier on the character explorations, which, if you're intent on solving a puzzle, you'll find the Brodie stories perhaps a little frustrating. I love Jackson Brodie, so I enjoyed this book a lot. Also, I wasn't terribly surprised by the reveal about the thefts, but I had had an amusing time getting there. Atkinson brings wonderful insight into the prominent characters, and if you enjoyed the previous Jackson Brodie stories, you'll likely enjoy this one, too.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Penguin Random House Canada for this ARC in exchange for my review.

This book was all over the place, in the best way.

You know those videos where toddler brother slide down a snowy hill on a toboggan, and it's all going well until the last second, when they take out two adults, get chased by a dog, cross a busy road, and plow into a tree?

Like that.

It's got all your classic characters (a private detective and sidekick, an art thief, twins, several old ladies in various stages of alive-ed-ness, a vicar, a troupe of mediocre actors, and deranged killer) and my favourite trope - forced proximity.

I enjoyed the snark, the inner dialogue (the mute vicar, most of all) and the fact that it didn't take itself too seriously.

It's my first Jackson Brodie, if not my first Kate Atkinson, and I'll enjoy tracking down a few more.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this madcap ARC.

Burton Makepeace is hosting a murder mystery party when the snowstorm hits and everyone attending is snowed in. This includes Jackson Brodie and his sidekick DC Reggie Chase. He has been retained to investigate the theft of a painting but so much more is going on. Good character and a lot of humor follow as the the mystery progresses. Well written and engaging characters but just not my cup of tea, Perhaps it was the number of characters the slowed me down but I found things moved quite slowly and I kept losing interest. Well written and would be a good read for the right kind of reader.
Thanks to #NetGalley#DeathAtTheSignOfTheRook#PenguinRandomHouse for the EARC

As usual, I found Atkinson’s latest novel/mystery a delight. Jackson Brodie is hired to locate a missing painting from a grand estate. He discovers that there are other paintings missing from other estates. There is also a young woman posing as a caregiver, maid, etc. who keeps popping up in various places. There is also a Murder Mystery scheduled at one of the mansions. Lots of characters, humour and surprises.

My apologies for being late. I moved and had to wait to have WiFi connected, including my Kindle.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC of this highly entertaining book. I have enjoyed all six books in the Jackson Brodie series, primarily focusing on art theft and the illegal sale of stolen masterpieces. There are a few injuries and deaths along the way.

The characters are vividly drawn, with their flaws, quirks, and eccentricities. As more characters enter the story, concentration is necessary to keep them sorted. I have always regarded Kate Atkinson as a brilliant writer. The plot is complex, but what truly stands out is the witty dialogue that keeps the readers entertained. The narration is rich with laugh-out-loud, sardonic and snide humour, adding a layer of entertainment to the story.

Jackson Brodie is a former cop and now a private investigator. His clients are Hazel and Ian Padgett, a brother and sister. He has been hired to find a painting showing a woman holding a weasel. It is likely a Renaissance portrait, but the artist or its value has not been determined. The day their elderly mother died, the painting disappeared, along with their mother's caretaker, Melanie. Hazel and Ian seem suspicious to Brodie, insisting they don't care whether the painting is valuable. They want it found for sentimental reasons.

DC Reggie Chase is investigating another art theft: a Turner painting taken from Lady Milton's crumbling, huge, imposing Burton Makepiece mansion. One of the Milton sons has been secretly selling the most valuable art and is turning the manor and outbuildings into a hotel and guest houses, much to Lady Milton's dismay. The Turner painting went missing, and so did her housekeeper, Sophie, whom Lady Milton preferred to her own children.

Reggie and Brodie reluctantly join forces to determine if there is a connection between the two stolen items and if the two missing workers were part of a crime ring. Among the prominent characters is Major Ben Jennings. He lost a leg when he was injured serving in Afghanistan. He has PTSD, suffers from depression, and has no interest in life. The vicar, Simon Cate, has lost his religious beliefs but continues with a small elderly congregation. He loses his ability to speak but carries on with gestures and pantomime, which people prefer to his bland spoken utterances.

The two detectives are working in Rook Hall, a section of the manor. Complications are increasing at a furious pace. To raise funds, a group of travelling actors has been hired to perform a Murder Mystery. Invitations have been sent to community members to attend the actor's presentation, which includes a lavish breakfast. A heavy blizzard has started outside, causing traffic to be at a standstill, and some people heading to Rook Hall become lost, injured, or starting to suffer from hypothermia while wandering in the storm but stumble towards the lights of the manor. The Murder Mystery play is based on clues from an old cozy mystery series and present happenings. Some actors are incompetent or didn't show up. The performance is a mess and boring.

A dangerous killer who has escaped from prison and is wandering the moors outside. With so many gathered and some imposters with false identities, chaos will surely result. There will be severe injuries, unexpected bravery and redemption, and a pleasing conclusion. Despite the crimes, this was fun to read. Publication was September 3rd.

What a fun read this was. While I've read many of Kate Atkinson's non-mystery novels, this was my first of her Jackson Brodie mysteries. Luckily I've seen the Case Histories adaptation so I was familiar with him. This book was oddly many books in one - a pastiche of a cozy, manor house mystery combined with moody monologues by Brodie, a really interesting adversary and so much humour, ending in farce, I imagine Atkinson had as much fun writing it as I had reading it. Thanks to Net Galley and Penguin Random House Canada for the ARC.

I’ve been wanting to try a second book by this author although the first one I read was just ok , but this was def not the book for me . At 33% in nothing has happened really and there are so many characters with so much back story that I just can’t keep going 😕

So this one is unfortunately a DNf

Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson is set in beautiful Yorkshire and is the sixth in the Jackson Brodie series. This quirky mystery is jam-packed with clever word plays and zany wit which had me laughing out loud. The characters and situations are non-stop fun. To me the mystery itself is secondary to the heart of this delicious slow burn.

Ex-detective Jackson Brodie and DC Reggie Chase team up to investigate art theft. Though polar opposites, their methods are complementary. Jackson pores over books about lost, missing and stolen art to get a better grasp on the subject. Burton Makepeace Estate is the ideal location for murder mystery weekends. But this is no ordinary murder mystery game. Murder becomes reality and the investigators inveigle and ingratiate with locals.

My favourite aspect (there are many!) is the crazy wit which held my mind captive. If you seek something slightly over the top in the best way, this may be your wheelhouse. The People's Friend magazine is mentioned which holds special nostalgia for me.

My sincere thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this beguiling novel.

I was so excited to receive an advance copy of the newest Jackson Brodie book, but maybe I was too excited as the book fell a little flat for me. Jackson seemed more like a secondary or tertiary character- he was there, but not a lot. All this being said, I did enjoy it. It's classic Kate Atkinson with all her quirky characters and humour.

This was my first book by this author. This book I found the main storyline intriguing and I was able to keep track of the goal but there were way too many characters for me to keep track of and I began to become confused by who did what — and I felt like I was being given a discrattionary tactic to increase the story line . The book does have a Christie feel to it , and there was some comedy scattered throughout but for me this book just didn’t land well as a who-done -it. I did like the main character of Jackson Brodie but couldn`t get invested in anyone else. This book could be read as a stand alone or with the series.

Thank you t o Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada | Bond Street Books for this ARC. This is my honest review.

I usually really enjoy Kate Atkinson's writing and am a big Jackson Brodie fan! He's a fabulous character. Unfortunately this book didn't meet my expectations this go 'round. I found Jackson lacking in his usual dark complexities and the storyline dragged a bit for me. Had big hopes for this book and sadly they weren't met. That said - I really enjoy Kate Atkinson books so will be excited to read her next offering. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book!

I have read quite a few books from this author, this was my first Jackson Brodie, this book is the sixth in the series, I think you could read it as a stand alone, I think there may be some history of the characters that I may have missed but for the most part I was able to read without issue. The story is told from various views, and there are several views, the history of some characters goes into some depth at times which slowed the momentum, though the history was interesting. Not much really happens until a good deal into the story, that's when Jackson finds himself at Burton Makepeace, an old, crumbling manor in the country side that is hosting a murder mystery weekend where guests are invited to view a theatre group acting out a murder then have to guess who done it. Jackson is investigating the theft of a painting, that may or may not be valuable, and another has gone missing in similar circumstances. His sidekick whom he has worked with previously is DC Reggie Chase and together they arrive at the manor during an epic snowstorm. There are a lot of laugh out loud moments in this story and overall I really enjoyed it, I just found it slow at times. I would recommend and I will be looking for the next book from this author. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Doubleday for the ARC.

I’ve read all the Jackson Brodie books and I’m a huge fan but I did not enjoy this one. It seemed very slow with little action. There were far too many characters; it was hard to keep track of all of them.

I did enjoy the humorous banter between Jackson Brodie and Reggie Chase.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Death at the Sign of the Rook is an entertaining fast paced read that brings Jackson Brodie back

Jackson is definitely his own person: he is cynical, his wry sense of humour has me laughing out loud.

He is once again paired with DC Reggie Chase and they play off each other very well and the respect for each other is present but perhaps not spoken out loud.

Jackson has been hired to find a stolen painting at the same time Reggie is looking into another stolen one.

Coincidence , I think not.

Guests are invited to a murder mystery night at the crumbling house of Burton Makepeace.

The snow is raging, the characters are quirky and the bodies are piling up.

Kate Atkinson is at the top of her game with Death at the Sign of the Rook and I was hooked from the first to the very last page.

Jackson and Reggie are two of my all time favourite characters that you just cant help but love.

Highly recommend Death at the Sign of the Rook , clear your schedule and be prepared to get binge read this highly entertaining novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada/Bond Street Books for the opportunity to read and review Death at the Sign of the Rook.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an ARC of this book.

Kate Atkinson has an illustrious reputation in the sort of literary fiction, like the Life After Life trilogy, that immerses readers in the Big Questions. She performs something similar in the very different genre of detective fiction, in her stories about the escapades of former military man/cop/PI Jackson Brodie.

This is Atkinson’s sixth Brodie novel. Like the others, it can stand alone. She is adept at filling in just enough background to ensure this. But be warned: those who have never read a Brodie novel will find it hard to resist running out to gather the previous five if you start here.

In this outing, an older, sort—of wiser Brodie is still as quick-witted, warm-hearted, and prickly about regulations, in life as in detective work, as he has ever been. His MO, we are reminded, ‘is disruption. His attitude to the law was like that of a Wild West sheriff.’ At 70, he is ´getting on’—as he often acknowledges—a doting grandfather, but not yet in his dotage. He has a catalogue of ex wives and girlfriends, testifying to his propensity to ´disappear’ when domestication threatens to trap him. Individually and together, they perform as a Greek chorus in his imagination, correcting and cajoling him for all his patriarchal or otherwise impolitic thoughts. He remains vaguely involved with the seriously scary Tatiana, Russian emigre and former dominatrix, now studying for a Master’s degree in toxicology because she likes poisons. Her sardonic, cold-blooded, sometimes alarming quips, are mixed in with the Greek chorus, all to hilarious effect.

The author is really good at drawing characters, central and peripheral, in a few sharp strokes. This is especially important in a book that has multiple storylines, involving many different characters, with some considerable intersection. And in the middle is Brodie, soon assisted, if reluctantly, by his young sidekick DC Regina (Reggie), called in on the case he was hired to investigate. They have worked together before. She doesn’t like his fast and loose approach to regulations,feels he takes advantage of her police resources. She doesn’t trust him, but ultimately trusts him more than anyone. It’s complicated, like all Brodie’s relationships with women. He does shamelessly use her, but he genuinely cares about her too. In fact, he takes on a surprisingly paternal tone, and not only to con others into believing she is his daughter to facilitate the case resolution.

The story, involving a stolen painting and another that has gone missing, takes place mostly at Burton Makepeace House, known as Rook House. It is a crumbling Yorkshire estate still inhabited by the shady remnants of the aristocratic Milton family, presided over by the elderly and slightly demented Lady Milton. Like many of the landed nobility, they have fallen on hard times, which Lady Milton laments constantly, especially concerning the cook and few servants left to meet her needs. The three middle-aged children have no affection for each other or their parents; Lady Milton confesses she has never found them interesting. The eldest son, Lord Piers, with multiple marriages and much debt behind him, inherits the property. He is uninhibited in selling off most of the land, and much of the art collection and jewelry. He lets out the tenant cottages and outbuildings as Airbnbs, sells tours of the house, and turns much of it into what sounds like a third-rate hotel, Rook Hotel. He also hires a really bad acting troupe to stage murder mysteries on weekends. Jackson, Reggie, family members, the suspects and the actual perpetrators, all get swept up into the play.

Just to add to the mystery-within-a-mystery setting, the plot—of both the true mystery and the staged one—is influenced by a fictional 1930s writer, Nancy Styles, who produced a series of bestsellers in pale imitation of the period’s star, Agatha Christie. The larger story is itself very Christie-esque, with its real and faked ´locked room’ elements. The whole scenario, in and outside of the true theatrics, is farcical on several levels.

Atkinson writes with great wit and skill and throws in a twist or two just when things are getting quite cozy. Once the unusually severe snowstorm blows in, all will be uncovered…

Jackson Brody is back in Death At The Sign of the Rook. This one is less murder/mystery and more general/humorous fiction. Lady Milton is one of my favorite characters ever, she needs to make an appearance in a future book and Simon was cluelessly sweet. Kate Atkinson's sense of humor must be just diabolical. There were some screwball comedy moments that didn't go well for me and Ben feeling sorry for himself got old very quick but overall it was a lighthearted quick read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a fun read. Lots of introductory chapters, where we meet at the various characters and learn about the history of several families. Jackson Brodie is hired to find a painting that went missing the day an elderly woman died. Similar incidences have occured in the past - a trusted household employee made friends with the elderly scion of a family and then disappeared with a valuable painting. He meets up with Reggie Chase, now a police detective and also looking for a thief of art. Eventually they and several other characters from the village end up at a Murder Mystery at a huge and falling down house. The family is trying to make some money to make repairs to the home, but their show is put on the day of a blizzard and all of trapped by the snow and a killer. Lots of running around trying to stop the killer, while a very bad troop of actors is performing in the main part of the house. Really nice to meet up with Reggie and Jackson again.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this wonderful story.

Peppered with the author's signature dry (and often laugh-out-loud) humour, this is PI Jackson Brodie, former cop and always wise guy, at his most unflappable. Hired to track a stolen painting, lifted from a country estate by a mysterious woman who just may have many more crimes up her sleeve, Brodie is hot on the trail and not above calling in a favor or two from his not-really-so-unwilling and sometimes unofficial partner DC Reggie Chase.

The petite Reggie loves words, order, and following rules - all of which fall by the wayside as Jackson’s hands-on approach takes the pair into this swirling, complex, and yes, zany, cast of characters (as crazily textured as the best you will find in PG Wodehouse). Here we will meet, to name but a few: the Reverend Simon Cate, a long-time atheist hiding under his dog-collar, “almost handsome” with his “leonine hair” and love for furry animals; Major Ben Jennings, a sweetly vulnerable war-ravaged combat veteran suffering from PTSD, doing his best to keep a stiff upper lip, as per his savagely stoic mom, who is both hearty and heartless; and Lady Honoria Milton, lover of jigsaws, afternoon tea, and decorum, who remains surprisingly clear-eyed about her eccentric and (likely sociopathic) closest family members.

As the plot escalates, murder and mayhem (times two) are not far behind, as Jackson and Reggie work their way to closure on the actual crimes at hand, and also unexpectedly find themselves participating in a (fictional) murder-mystery weekend in Lady Milton’s stately manor.

A terrific read, which represents a more-than-welcome revisit with PI Jackson Brodie and DC Reggie Case, from an author, and a series, that absolutely never disappoints.

A great big thank you to the publishers, the author, and #Netgalley for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.
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I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

This was a very funny book, opening with Jackson and Reggie apparently participating in a murder mystery dinner party at a stately home, and then going back in time to recount how they got to this point. Jackson has been employed to recover a missing painting presumed stolen by its owner's carer and which is allegedly only of sentimental value. In his head Jackson refers to this painting as Woman with Weasel. Other chapters are from the perspective of Lady Milton, whose housekeeper has recently absconded with a valuable painting, and who can't understand why her son has insisted in turning most of their home into a hotel which hosts murder mysteries.

Lady Milton was a fabulous character, and then there was Simon, the vicar who no longer believes in God and who develops hysterical mutism, and Ben who is staying with his sister while he recovers from injuries sustained in the army. There were plenty of farcical scenes (in a good way) towards the end: Lady Milton treating Ben as her butler and him going along with it as it is easier was a particular favourite.

Highly recommended.