Life is imitating art….or rather, death is.

Jackson Brodie, formerly a member of law enforcement who of late is a private detective of sorts, is a bit bored. The bulk of his client base (Russians who probably weren’t doing anything too illegal) have moved on from British soil for friendlier soil, and he is reduced to investigating the seeming disappearance of a small Renaissance painting from the bedroom of the recently deceased Dorothy Padgett. Her (elderly and rather annoying) children, son Ian and daughter Hazel, are convinced that their late mother’s caregiver Melanie Hope walked away with it on the day Dorothy passed away. They insist that its not a valuable painting, just something with sentimental value, yet don’t want to involve the police. While the situation strikes Brodie as being off, he could use the money and agrees to try to track down Melanie and/or the painting. Armed with only a photo of the missing portrait and the home address (which turns out not to exist) and phone number (burner phone, as it happens) which Melanie had provided, Brodie sets off to find answers. His path will collide with that of DC Reggie Chase, who has worked quite reluctantly with Brodie (who to Reggie’s mind is the personification of disruption and lack of adherence to procedures, and who she suspects was at one time romantically involved with her mentor Chief Superintendent Louise Monroe) in the past. Reggie has an open case of her own that shares some striking similarities with that of the missing Padgett painting, in this case a painting by Turner that was cut from its frame and vanished from Burton Makepeace House (family home of the Marquess and Marchioness of Milton) the same day that the housekeeper there, Sophie Greenway, left without notice. Both cases will come to a head one weekend when a murder mystery weekend is to be performed at Rook Hall, the portion of Burton Makepeace House that has been turned into a hotel. A sudden blinding snowstorm, a troupe of visiting actors, and the Agatha Christie-like novels of a lesser known mystery writer collide with an escaped killer, Brodie and Reggie. The deaths in the mystery play being performed may not be the only ones that take place at Rook Hall.
This is the sixth in author Kate Atkinson’s series featuring Jackson Brodie, stories that weave irreverent humor with intriguing puzzles and offbeat characters. This installment could certainly be read as a standalone, but having read the preceding titles will certainly give the reader a fuller appreciation of who Brodie is and the escapades in which he regularly finds himself. An astute investigator whose life is generally a hop, skip and jump away from being a complete hot mess, Brodie is never dull and is in fine form here. Reggie, whose background has led her to value order and following rules, is regularly exasperated by and frequently scandalized at Brodie’s actions, but when (as happens here) she finds herself in a bind, she knows that Brodie is someone upon whom she can count for assistance. Her love life is non-existent these days….she looks for the type of guy who doesn’t seem to exist anymore….but she may unearth a likely candidate amongst the many quirky characters who pop up during the case. No one would confuse the denizens of Burton Makepeace House with the inhabitants of Downton Abbey (more than a few are quite possibly mad as hatters, as a character observes), but they make for a lively and often funny story. Fans of the Brodie series will certainly be engaged by this latest in the series, and readers of Anthony Horowitz, Mick Herron and Ann Cleeves should also treat themselves to this installment (and, trust me, the other five as well). Many thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for allowing me early access to a copy of Death at the Sign of the Rook. Reading Ms Atkinson’s books is always a pleasure, and this outing was as well.

I Felt as Trapped as Jackson Brodie

Despite the fact that Kate Atkinson is a clever murder mystery writer, reading about Jackson Brodie reading about art theft prompted me to work at keeping my eyes open. The setup was intelligent, a murder mystery weekend in a pompous English home. There is a too-large cast of characters at the introduction. And that’s before Atkinson jumps back to introduce the reader to Jackson’s latest clients, who happen to be the twins of the late Dorothy Padgett. They apparently believe that a Renaissance painting was stolen from their mother’s bedroom. Too many characters for me and none of them were interesting despite the long chapters devoted to them.

I ended up reading about Brodie reading about the nuances of art theft. I could not stick around for the probable good ending. Atkinson not at her best for me.

My thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for this pre-published book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Kate Atkinson never disappoints, and Death at the Sign of the Rook, her sixth in the Jackson Brodie series, is one of her best!

Departing in mood from the previous book in the series, Death at the Sign of the Rookie opens with Brodie at a murder mystery weekend. Brodie, nearing 60 and a now a recent grandpa has been enlisted by middle age twins Hazel and Ian to find a painting belonging to their recently deceased mother that they believe was stolen by her seemingly devoted caretaker.

In a different storyline, the house-poor Lady Milton, inadvertently hilarious at all times, bemoans the loss of both her housekeeper and her most valuable painting.

As the story lines converge, as they always do in the Jackson Brodie books, returning characters like Reggie Chase and Louise Monroe appear and many other well-rounded, quirky characters are introduced. The plot is fast-passed, clever, and witty. While some pieces seem to fall into place, as always, Atkinson has some twists and turns up her sleeve.

While this can be read as a stand alone, her series is so enjoyable that I recommend starting with book one and reading them all.

Even though I was not familiar with Atkinson's character, Jackson Brodie, I still found myself ensnared by the writing and the plot. Atkinson weaves together many different characters into a well-designed novel. Missing paintings and non-descript caretakers leave readers wondering about who the perpetrator really is and what could their motive possibly be.

Jackson Brodie teams up with Reggie again, much to her dismay. A down-on-on-its-luck country manor has taken to hosting a murder mystery weekend to make ends meet. A large cast of characters - beyond the actors in the play - make for a deliciously complex cozy worth the wait. Fans of humorous mysteries will enjoy it.

I am a die-hard Kate Atkinson fan, and I was so excited to get a copy of this new Jackson Brodie novel. It did not disappoint, and I loved the reappearance of familiar characters. It prompted me to reread the other in the series. Charming, well-written and enjoyable as ever.

Kate Atkinson writes books I know I'll love, even when it takes me a bit to get lost in it. Her sense of humor, her quirky people, and her inventive plot lines always make it a fun read.

Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson

After 8 years, Jackson Brodie is back! This series are my favorites of Atkinson’s novels so I was happy to have received an ARC in exchange for my feedback.
The story has a slow start, little action – setting up the story – which made it easy to put down. On the other hand, about halfway through the book, a snowstorm hits during the Murder Mystery weekend and the pace – and humor - picks up. During the storm, a prisoner escapee, townspeople lost in the snowstorm who find their way to Rook Hall, some no-shows to the event made it was hard to put down – along with the action, I had several laugh out loud moments – quite the madcap mystery. This led to my 4 star rating - average of 3 (first half) and 5 (second half).

Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Atkinson and Doubleday for an advanced copy of this book. Review posted on Goodreads (link below) and on Amazon (reviewer name Springfever).

Jackson Brodie is a grandfather now but is still defending justice - not necessarily in a legal manner. This story plays with the trope of a huge moth-eaten Northern manor that’s home to a murder mystery. Atkinson introduces us to a gallery of characters, starting with unlikeable middle aged twins whose mother has just died. They think her carer has departed the house with a painting of ‘sentimental’ value (really a Raphael?) so they hire Jackson to find it and her. Why not just go to the police? Ah well …
The variety of endearing characters come together when, during a blizzard, the Milton family try to run a murder mystery weekend to fill the coffers. But there’s an escaped killer on the loose. Mayhem ensues. Written with Atkinson’s trademark wit and polish, this is a totally enjoyable book. You should read it.

I was so delighted to find out that a new Jackson Brodie book was on its way--and with Reggie at that! I love everything Kate Atkinson writes, and I only hope there will be more Jackson Brodie/Reggie books.

Kate Atkinson never disappoints me. After an interval of five years, Jackson Brodie--ex-serviceman, ex-policeman, and once-in-awhile private detective--is back. It’s been twenty years since we first met, and in the interim, we have aged, mellowed, succumbed to aches and pains, and become grandparents. Now in our sixties, I can tell you that if anything ever happens to him, I will be devastated.

Atkinson’s novels are rich in diverse characters that circle around several plots, and each other. In Death at the Sign of the Rook, our hero, Jackson Brodie, is contacted by Ian and Hazel, the middle-aged children of the recently departed Dorothy Pagett. As they pillage their mother’s estate, they find a painting has been cut out of its frame. Has it been stolen, and is Dorothy’s missing caretaker, Melanie Hope, responsible? Meanwhile, DC Reggie Chase is investigating a similar case at Burton Makepeace, the crumbling manor of Lady Milton. A painting and Lady Milton’s personal assistant, Sophie, have disappeared. Is Sophie responsible, or is it one of her greedy children pilfering her possessions? Are the missing paintings our plot? Is there a connection between the two sets of rapacious offspring? Or is it something else? Like the escaped murderer on the loose?

You can’t help being pulled into the lives of the characters. There is Simon, the atheistic vicar of a dying church. Realizing he has nothing left to say, and no one to say it to, he loses his voice. Then there is Ben, an ex-serviceman living with his sister and her wife in a converted dairy cottage at the Burton Makepeace estate. Suffering from PTSD and depression, he finds he connects best with the bees in his apiary (people suck). Lady Milton is a snobbish relic of the landed gentry who must sell off parts of her estate (Burton Makepeace) to stay afloat.

And then, there are DC Reggie Chase and Jackson Brodie. Reggie—despite referring to Brodie as her “bête noire” (a person that one particularly dreads)-- who never ignores Brodie’s call. However, when he pretends to be her dad, she finds herself deeply moved. This is a complex relationship that started when, as a teen, she saved his life (book three). Brodie is a magnet to people who are grieving or lost (Reggie being one). He is eternally optimistic and empathetic, where justice overrides law: a canon that often puts him—and Reggie—at odds (and in danger).

I have learned that I don’t care that much about finding the plot because I know that it will all coalesce...eventually. I want the very, human characters. I want them to get what they deserve. That could be love, comeuppance, a blind-eye, murder, or the arm-of-the-law. In this latest of the Jackson Brodie series, we get it all.

Like any worthy mystery, the denouement occurs on a dark, and stormy night (Snoopy) when...

I would like to thank Doubleday and NetGalley for the opportunity to read, enjoy, and review this novel.

“Death at the Sign of the Rook,” by Kate Atkinson, Doubleday, 320 pages, September 3, 2024.

People sign up for a murder mystery weekend at a country house in England. The play’s characters include Major Liversedge, Sir Lancelot Hardwick, the Rev. St. John Smallbones, Guy Burrows, Countess Irina Voranskaya and Detective Rene Armand.

What the others don’t know is that among them are private detective Jackson Brodie and Detective Constable Reggie Chase. Two weeks earlier, Brodie got two new clients, twins Ian Padgett and Hazel Sanderson. They hired Brodie because a painting is missing from their late mother’s home. Their mother, Dorothy, had a caregiver, Melanie Hope. Melanie was to return to help with funeral arrangements and getting the house ready for sale, but didn’t come back.

The murder mystery weekend is being held at Burton Makepiece House, headed by Lady Milton. Two years ago, a valuable painting by Joseph Mallord William Turner was stolen. The housekeeper, Sophie Greenway, who disappeared the same night, is suspected of stealing it.

Chase is one of the officers who responded after the theft. She and Brodie are stranded at Makepiece because of a snowstorm. The Rev. Simon Cate also ends up stranded there. Chase has a constant nagging voice in her head, that of know-it-all Brodie, who himself has “A Chorus of Women” in his head.

This is like Agatha Christie meets a game of Clue. It is humorous as Kate Atkinson pokes fun at the cozy mystery genre. It does have a lot of characters, but several are wonderful, especially Lady Milton and Ben Jennings, a neighbor who is an amputee from his service in Afghanistan. This is book six in the Jackson Brodie series.

I rate it four out of five stars.

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.

I was excited my request to read Death at the Sign of the Rook was approved.

I've been reading this series for years and since I can't remember the last book Jackson Brodie was in, I know it was quite a while ago.

I also can't believe the character is 70! Wow, time flies when you're having fun.

I really like Jackson Brodie and the author is such a talented writer so I was eager to dive into Death at the Sign of the Rook.

Also, great title!

I had forgotten how funny and sarcastic Brodie is and it was fun being back in his world.

I was disappointed mostly because there wasn't enough Brodie and too much exposition on minor and supporting characters. I quickly lost track of who was who and doing what and what their place in the narrative was.

The mystery wasn't that compelling or interesting and the narrative was slow and bogged down with the filler details on the numerous characters.

Was this mystery series always this cozy or is it just because it's been a long gap between Jackson Brodie's adventures?

I love Jackson and his small social circle but I wished the narrative had focused more on him.

In the novel, Jackson's trying to keep busy and use his skills and talents, doing what he does best. He's bored with the case.

I sympathized with him. I felt the same way reading this.

Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson is the next in a series featuring Jackson Brodie, an ex-policeman who is now a private detective. I am not in love with this book. It is the first of hers I’ve read and it was a decent mystery, but there were too many side stories and it got way too convoluted for my taste. I understand she is very popular and to give her her due, she wrote a good story, if messy. Her characters were also good, divergent and interesting. Not all her characters were quite all there, I didn’t think. At the root of the story is a crumbling mansion, like many in England, struggling to remain relevant and solvent. To that end, most of the works of art had been sold off, under the table to avoid taxes, even some theft by owner. One of the paintings had been stolen several years earlier by a housekeeper. Jackson had been called in about the theft of another painting; one which disappeared at the hands of a carer immediately following the death of the patient. Where it lead him was down the rabbit hole.

This story touched on mania, dementia, domestic abuse, PTSD, and journeys into the past. It was cleverly put together but hard to read. It was difficult to get into, but things became clearer for anyone who chooses to venture on. The outcome was odd; actually there were several outcomes, as far as the characters were concerned. All good, really. It was an interesting experience; not one I care to repeat.

I was invited to read Death at the Sign of the Rook by Doubleday. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Doubleday #KateAtkinson #DeathAtTheSignOfTheRook

Thanks to Kate Atkinson, Doubleday Books, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This latest book in the Jackson Brodie series spends a lot of time early on building background of many of the main characters and setting the stage. That made the middle third of the book drag for me a little bit. The final third of the novel was a lot of fun and included many farcical elements as it drove to the conclusion.

Well written with a fast paced, fun ending. Interesting characters with mysteries to solve. Recommended.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Doubleday Books. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, British Literature, Art
Spice Level: Nothing sexy on the page
Language: Some swearing
Readability: This was the first in the series that I've read, and everything was clear.

DEATH AT THE SIGN OF THE ROOK is a lot of fun! It's got elements like a solid Agatha Christie, but it breaks from the mold and offers more.

The characters are interesting, and I kept wondering who was lying and why. What's a detective to do? Jackson Brodie, along with DC Reggie Chase join forces to solve the mystery.

Favorite moments:

- The painting!
- More paintings!
- A faith-doubter
- An ex-detective
- Smarminess
- Twins
- Stories to cover the truth
- The intent of Melanie
- Decaying opulence
- The morgue

I hope you have as much fun as I did in this mystery.

Happy reading!

I absolutely adored Kate Atkinson’s latest book.
As usual, it’s a thrilling mystery brimming with Agatha Christie inspired moments that leave you laughing, crying and screaming out loud.
This is a must for all fans. A fun and exciting read!

I've read all the Jackson Brodie novels and loved each one. Death at the Sign of the Rook was definitely different than the others in this series, and while I loved the characters and their fully flushed back stories and personalities, the pacing of this novel seemed a bit off.

The plays the thing!

I found this title hard to follow in the beginning. It was a complete mystery as to where it was going. It slowly wound around to a being a complicated, well populated novel, with some great lines. “Hugh Grant has a lot to answer for.” The dwindling upper class is benignly pillaged.
Brodie Jackson ex cop turned Private Investigator is unusual and marches to the beat of his own drum. Reggie Chase, policewoman, obviously gets sucked in by Brodie, constantly.
Brodie has roped Reggie into some investigative work around two stolen paintings. The thief’s modus operandi seems to have similarities.
Their investigation reads like a play that melds into a real murder mystery play.
Strong secondary characters Simon Cate the unbelieving vicar, Sophie the carer, Ben Jennings ex army who’d lost a leg in Afghanistan (him I really liked), are a great support and well rounded adding to the mystery and the enjoyment.

A Doubleday ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

I haver such a bipolar relationship with Kate Atkinson. This series is a huge part of it. I lovecd it like I loved all of her books. And then I didn’t. This book fell somewhere inbetween. Which is right on brand. This book wandered through many plots that you knew were going to come together. Some I cared about and some I did not. I ended up enjoying this more than the last few installments, though. If I had been looking for action or intrigue I would have been terribly disappointed. Good story.