It’s been a long time since the last Jackson Brodie novel. Jackson has aged. His daughter, Marlee, is grown, and his son, Nathan, has turned into a surly teenager. Jackson currently lives near the Yorkshire coast to be within a reasonable distance of his ex, Julia, with whom he shares custody of Nathan and Julia’s elderly dog, Dido. Jackson gets caught up in an investigation of a decades-old human trafficking operation involving rich and powerful people. In the process, he meets with someone from his past – my favorite character from the previous Jackson Brodie novels.

Atkinson seems to have based characters in this novel on Jimmy Savile, the disgraced British entertainer who was never called to account for sexual abuse and child molestation. Atkinson has a gift for creating quirky but sympathetic characters, especially children and teenagers. Although they’re presently down on their luck, readers know that, with the right breaks, these characters can make something of their lives. Crystal Holroyd and her stepson, Harry, are standouts in this series installment. Jackson Brodie’s many fans will be happy to find that he hasn’t lost his touch. Nor has Atkinson!

This review is based on an electronic advance reading copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Kate Atkinson does a great job of starting a novel by throwing the reader off kilter and the rest of the book the reader is trying to right themselves. Great story, tight writing, fast paced.

“Big Sky,” by Kate Atkinson, Little, Brown and Company, 400 pages, June 25, 2019.

Jackson Brodie is a former policeman turned private investigator. He lives in North Yorkshire, a seaside region, to be near his son, Nathan, 13. His former partner, Julia Land, is an actress filming a crime series there.

Most of Jackson’s work involves catching cheating spouses. While on an outing, Jackson and his son witness what appears to be the abduction of a young teen. Jackson is involved with Nathan, so he is distracted and doesn’t report it until later.

This is told from the perspective of multiple characters. Nadja Wilk, 23, and Katja, 21, are sisters who live in Poland. Katja has a degree in hospitality management. Both work at a hotel. They have connected with a placement agency to get jobs in London.

Vince Ives’ golf buddies are Steve Mellors, Tommy Holroyd and Andy Bragg. Vince’s estranged wife, Wendy, is murdered and he is the main suspect. Tommy is married to Crystal. While Crystal is driving with their little girl one day, she thinks a car is following them. She has seen this same car following her several times before. She hires Jackson to find out what is going on.

Two female police officers, Detective Constables Reggie Chase and Ronnie Dibicki, have been sent to the coast to look into a child abuse and pornography ring case that had been closed 10 years earlier because new accusations have come up.

There are numerous threads to this novel, which tie together in the end. While the topic is grim, Kate Atkinson’s writing is excellent. This is another outstanding installment in this series. This is Atkinson’s fifth Jackson Brodie novel. She has also written seven stand-alone novels.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Big Sky, Kate Atkinson's latest entry into her Jackson Brodie series, feels sprawling and meandering - in the very best of ways. Encompassing a wide cast of characters, nearly all of whom have some sort of checkered past, she tells the story of several crimes, and some possible crimes. These include the uncovering of a sex trafficking ring, a mysterious fall from a cliff, the murder of one of the key character's ex-wife, and an old Jimmy Savile-esque abuse scandal that continues to rear it's ugly head throughout the novel.

While I was a bit anxious during the first twenty-five percent of the book (when, I kept asking myself, are we going to get to the crime solving here?), Atkinson's masterful ability to make even the most unsympathetic characters interesting makes the whole journey worthwhile. Jackson Brodie, is, of course, older, more grizzled, but has just as excellent taste in country music as always, and other characters from his previous adventures feature in this book as well. But it's the new characters - particularly secretly clever trophy wife Crystal and her sweet, cheese joke making teenage stepson Harry - who shine in this mystery.

This book is perfect for a seaside vacation - just the kind of novel that should be slipped into a tote bag, coated with a light residue of sand and sunscreen, and enjoyed between dips in the ocean (it's even set near a seaside resort!). Just try to avoid staying at a dodgy B&B like the one featured in the book.

Overall: 4 plus Sherlocks. Takes a little while to get going, but also so good that it deserves re-reading(s).

I want to like this book as I've enjoyed other Kate Atkinson books. It seems like it has all the elements for a good mystery such as a flawed detective, complicated family relationships, and oh so many secrets. (I could do without the parenthetical comments every other sentence in this book.)

I've heard good things about this series. (Book reviews from The BookBully, Ellison Weist, are usually spot on.)

So I'm hoping all these disparate characters and crazy parenthesis will come together soon.

*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.*

Admittedly, it does seem strange to me that I count Atkinson within my top handful of favourite authors, and yet I haven't yet read her last two, A God in Ruins (Todd Family, #2) by Kate Atkinson and Transcription by Kate Atkinson. I already own and will read them (and suspect I will adore them, at least A God for certain), but somehow I just haven't managed them after loving Life After Life (Todd Family, #1) by Kate Atkinson. I chalk this up to bad timing, primarily, but it may also be due to having initially been ensnared by Atkinson via Jackson Brodie.

Our polarizing differences in musical tastes aside, Brodie has always been one of my favourite fictional characters. After almost a decade without him, it can be difficult to remember details but if you're a fan, you'll know that Brodie (and Atkinson's writing of him), leaves you with a strong sense of dry and devastating humor entwined with an equally gray and devastating melancholy.

And Brodie has returned. It's all here; same heavy and funny with strained but dependent relationships. Atkinson does an awfully skillful job of illustrating both Brodie's internal struggles and private relationships and also those of the other characters in this story.

Little, Brown, & Company provided an ARC for one of my few guaranteed reads this year (and this has been - and looks like will continue to be - a great publishing year, at least in my areas of interest). Because I was provided this advanced read, I must qualify the following concern with the grain of salt that it's entirely possible that edits and changes were made before the final publication (June 25, 2019) of Big Sky that smoothed things out a bit. My primary drawback was that I was sometimes confused by the timeline/scene jumping. I'd read a brief scene that had clearly jumped forward in time, and then the next would be a jump back to the night before. But most of the scenes in general were jump-into-the-fire starts and could be disorienting for several sentences, if not paragraphs. This felt stylistic on Atkinson's part and was generally fine, but then to also jumble up the scenes themselves was... dispiriting feels like kind of the right word, here? I know it took me out of the story more than once.

However, again, these jumps may be altered in the final publication. And a tiny fly in the ointment when you consider that we've been gifted a new Brodie! Although the plot wasn't likely the most intriguing to me of what I remember of the previous ones in the series, I feel this was a personal choice, and it didn't really much matter.

Brodie novels, for me, are loved for the immersion in the characters, the setting, and Atkinson's luminous and insightful writing. Brodie novels are always richly populated with nuanced characters (though in Brodie's case often dubious attraction to those characters - not ill-advised necessarily, just not... understandable, given the way those characters are often drawn).

The ending is - somewhat efficiently - wrapped up in such a way to leave room for either closure or continuation, which I gather is intentional, but felt weighted towards tidying things away. I have a tendency, with favourite authors who have substantial backlists, to prefer either their stand-alones (or shorter series) or their longer series, often the character(s) who reeled me in. Atkinson doesn't really fall on either side of the fence for me, since I've loved most everything she's done since the beginning, so while I was very happy with this installment of Brodie, I'll still be happy to pick up A God and Transcription and eagerly welcome whatever turn she takes next.

Big Sky is another smart and highly enjoyable mystery from Kate Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie series. Highly recommend, especially to fans of Tana French

I enjoy Kate Atkinson's ability to develop a character and use the English language. This book is the fifth in her Jackson Brodie series, and Big Sky is on par with the other four books in the collection. The book has good pacing and the mystery will keep the reader engaged throughout.

I hadn't realized that Atkinson also wrote mysteries. I don't often pick up mystery novels, but the author's name sold me on this one. It was a delight to note the differences between her style in the mystery genre and her more literary prose. The story was gripping and substantive. I love how it played out. Not sorry I picked up this mystery.

Another title in Kate Atkinson’s series of Jackson Brodie mysteries, this one didn’t quite hit the mark for this American reader. Be warned that a knowledge of British slang, culture and geography are really required to enhance your understanding and enjoyment of this story. There was too much of the “inside joke” style to suit me.
I have read several In this series, but clearly I must have missed one with events that Atkinson alludes to multiple times. This added to the frustration of not feeling fully engaged.
The actual mystery does not really get revealed til almost a third of the way into the book. Instead we are treated to the unpleasant relationship between a shrewish wife and a totally milk toast husband. (There are much more vivid adjectives to describe these two but this is a family review.) Apparently Atkinson is intrigued by the dynamics of such a relationship because she introduces several other similar characters., including Brodie himself. A number of times, I felt like telling him to shape up, but that was clearly not what the author had in mind.
In reflecting on the work of Kate Atkinson, I know I have delighted in several of her books. This, however, was not one of them.

I loved this new Jackson Brodie mystery! I say mystery, but it's more like a puzzle with a handful of different character's pieces slowly coalescing into a complete picture.
It was great getting time with Jackson again, but let's face it: he's kind of depressing and has terrible romantic inclinations. That's his thing. But his sleuthing instincts are remarkable and make the book most interesting. I did love the strong women in this, Crystal and Reggie, and Crystal's story arc especially. Bunny was also a memorable character, especially with the final scene.
I think it's masterful the way Ms Atkinson manages the coincidences and the merge of everything coming together. It never feels contrived, it feels more like synchronicity and it is so good, I'm mourning the fact that I'm finished. Highly recommended!

This book includes the return of Jackson Brodie, now a private detective in a small seaside town in England. He is following the husband of a suspicious wife when he meets a man on a cliff, Andy, who looks like he might be considering suicide. From there he becomes involved with a group who are importing women as sex slaves. He runs into a prior friend, Reggie, with her new partner, Ronnie, who are interviewing people about an old case, and are the first on the case of the murder of Andy's wife (who is divorcing him). They also find themselves getting involved in the sex case.

There are many well developed characters who are leading interesting and entwined lives. There are also many little plots, all intertwined, with some really bad people making lots of money on sex. In another of the smaller cases, Jackson watches a young girl with a unicorn backpack thumbing a ride. He gets a picture of the car, and when the backpack floats up on the beach, Jackson tries to get the police to look into the girl's disappearance, but the police ignore him. In spite of the awfulness of the crimes, there is a certain amount of humor in the book which, for me made it more fun to read.

Reggie and Jackson actually fall into the solving of the sex trafficking and the really guilty people have well deserved endings. After solving the big racket, Jackson goes on to t solve the case of the girl with the unicorn backpack.

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC of this book! I am a huge fan of Jackson Brodie, and it has been over eight years since readers last saw him.

Life has changed in some ways for Jackson. He now has a virtual office, which allowed him to buy a cottage near his son, thirteen-year old Nathan. Julia's voice lives in his head, making comments when Jackson says or does something that she would normally find irritating or typical to his behavior. Anyone who has spent extended time around teens knows that they have developed great skills in being bored, eye rolling, and ignoring the "wisdom" of adults. Nathan is feeling his oats, but still has moments where the future Nathan shines through.

To me, Jackson didn't seem to play as active a role in this book. There were many characters, but it was not difficult to remember who was who. The initial case involved Jackson trying to discover who was following his client, Crystal Holroyd. While trying to follow the mystery car following Crystal, Jackson, with Nathan along for the ride, spies a young girl with a backpack. Something doesn't sit well with Jackson when he sees the young girl get into a stranger's car. However, events in his case soon push this incident to the back of his mind.

The initial case, that of Crystal wondering if her husband was having her followed, turns into quite a menacing and dark series of events. Human trafficking, sex slavery, kidnapping, and men with no moral compass, play large parts in "Big Sky."

DC Reggie Chase and her partner, DC Ronnie Dibicki, are following leads on another case when they encounter Jackson. Reggie and Jackson have a profession past, and it continues once their investigations dovetail.

Atkinson has again produced a book that is difficult to put down. Her character development, use of language, and intricate, realistic plots make this a book that is easy to recommend!

Fans of Atkinson's Jackson Brodie series will be delighted to learn about this release. Atkinson writes mysteries exploring the human condition with trademark wit balancing out the devastation. You'll fly through the pages until justice is served.

"A coincidence is just an explanation waiting to happen"

I re-read the entire Jackson Brodie series before I started Big Sky. While I of course enjoyed the re-read, it was not entirely necessary to enjoy this book. We do see a few character's from other books, but not remembering exactly who they are will not hinder any understanding of the story. Reggie is back! I don't know about you, but Reggie is probably my favorite character in this series, and I was extremely worried about her after When Will There Be Good News. It was great to see her again! I won't spoil an other revisits with old characters, but they were pretty fun to pick out.

Jackson now lives a fairly quiet life on the coast of England. He remains close to his son Nathan and Ex Julia. Through a series of coincidences Jackson once again finds himself embroiled in a larger crime.

When I first heard that Atkinson was writing a new Jackson Brodie book, I was worried that the quality would dwindle after so many years away from the character. I needn't have worried. There are of course many moving parts that are all tied together by the end of the book. The central story is particularly grim, and this book is just as heartbreaking as the others in the series. I enjoyed the new characters as always, and this book has some great ones, especially Crystal and Harry. But most of all it was great to see Jackson come to terms with the horrible losses he's suffered and accepts his isolation as well as his version of family.

Jackson Brodie is back! This crime novel is the 5th in the series. This time Jackson stumbles onto a sex trafficking ring. The book has many wonderful characters and is told from multiple points of view. and comes complete with a satisfying ending. While not always an easy read, it is a worthwhile one.

Another great Jackson Brodie novel from Kate Atkinson. She handles multiple characters' POVs better than almost any other author out there, and my only complaint is that there wasn't actually much time spent with Brodie. But I hope she writes another one soon, or anything else, really.

Thanks to Little, Brown and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for a Kindle ARC of Big Sky.

I was super excited when my request was granted. I'm a big fan of Jackson Brodie and Ms. Atkinson.

It's been nine years since we last saw Jackson Brodie and he has relocated to a seaside town to be close to his son and baby mama.

His bread and butter, gathering information on cheating spouses, is slogging along but eventually, Jackson is caught in the middle of a high profile case that dates back to a shocking crime from decades ago.

Big Sky was an unusual book in that Jackson isn't the main focus here.

In fact, he's caught in the middle as the players involved in a heinous crime continue to move around him and when the case is solved, he's left standing (amongst others), but he's not the one who solved the case.

One of Ms. Atkinson's many talents is weaving what feels like disparate plots and characters and bringing them all together in the end. This is what she does in Big Sky.

A soap opera cast consisting of good people; a pair of female detectives, a teenager, innocent young women, a drag queen, Jackson Brodie and vile scumbags are brought together in a shocking tale of sex trafficking, pedophilia, sexual violence and abuse.

Actually, I found most of the secondary characters were more interesting than the main characters!

There is excellent character development, a staple of Ms. Atkinson's great writing, on nearly all the characters so that not only do you understand them better, you know almost instantly if you sympathize or empathize with them, setting the tone of the story early on.

There are many character POV shifts, which may come off as distracting but I never felt that. Ms. Atkinson clearly delineates who is talking and what time period. Each character's voice is distinct and clear.

I also enjoyed the character recaps at the end of the book and what happened to all the players in this grisly crime. It made them more real to me.

My only caveat is that I wanted more Jackson Brodie. He wasn't in this enough!

A new addition to the Jackson Brodie series though in some ways in this book it feels like he is a more secondary character. The plot gets a bit convoluted and takes awhile to develop as there are many characters and she builds them up some before going anywhere with the plot. But it is well written and enjoyable overall.

I was excited to read the next Jackson Brody novel. I felt like it started off a little slow, and there were so many characters that I had a hard time remembering who everyone was. But ultimately it was a great book and I enjoyed it very much. I was great catching up with Brody again.