Where's My Bookmark: Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

As promised last week, I've jumped into Kate Atkinson's first Jackson Brodie mystery (finally!) so that I'm totally prepared when the show comes to the US (and based on the episode list available, it does look as though the series covers the first three books). I spent the weekend on a review book and then a book that my sister loaned me (Iron Queen), so it wasn't until last night that I was able to dive into Case Histories. I realized that I'd actually started the book before -- probably abandoned because of a review stack, I'm sure. This time I'm ready, though!

And you know, within just a few lines of introducing Brodie, I had a hard time NOT seeing him as Jason Isaacs. I'm a big fan, by the way. I know he's super creepy as Malfoy's dad in Harry Potter, but I think he's just fantastic! He's to star in a new network series this fall, Awake. My impression is that the concept might be quite complicated, but I'll be tuning in for sure.

Back to the book.

Case Histories was released in 2004, earning fantastic reviews. Even Stephen King said it was "Not just the best novel I read this year, but the best mystery of the decade..." in Entertainment Weekly (also the blurb on the cover of my edition). I mentioned I'd done some out of order reading with this series. My introduction was the 2008 release of When Will There Be Good News?, which I thought was fantastic. It read like a stand-alone, so there was no confusion in having not read the first two.

To date, there are four Jackson Brodie mysteries:

Case Histories

One Good Turn

When Will There Be Good News?

Started Early, Took My Dog

And now, the tv show as well! And since I'm just getting started and there are literally TONS of review of Case Histories floating around out there, I will leave you with a little description from the publisher's page to whet your appetite.

Case one: A little girl goes missing in the night.

Case two: A beautiful young office worker falls victim to a maniac's apparently random attack.

Case three: A new mother finds herself trapped in a hell of her own making - with a very needy baby and a very demanding husband - until a fit of rage creates a grisly, bloody escape.

Thirty years after the first incident, as private investigator Jackson Brodie begins investigating all three cases, startling connections and discoveries emerge . . .