Jackson Brodie, private investigator, is back. This time he’s searching for two works of art and the woman who most likely has stolen them. On his search Jackson, along with the reader, encounter many characters who lead him eventually to an English country house which is hosting a dramatic “ murder mystery.” Kate Atkinson’s humor is sprinkled throughout Brodie’s thoughts and actions and, even more so in the quirky village people. Unfortunately, for this reader the cast of characters amidst the detailed exposition made me occasionally have to stop and regroup, slowing down the storyline progression. The closing chapters seem to suggest a sequel. I have no interest in pursuing it.

This is book 6 in the Jackson Brodie series, and once again, Atkinson, gives us a resounding winner of a read! In his latest case (all books can be read as stand alones), Brodie wonders why his client does not want to get the police involved, and he surmised that there might be something not quite right with the painting's provenance, or with the story of the theft as it is being told to him. But as he starts digging, he realizes something is very off. His theft case seems familiar to another one that has recently occurred, only on a much bigger scale. Can they be related? Has he uncovered Pandora's box when it comes to art thievery? Every new chapter offers a new twist to the case and leaves the reader wondering if the solution isn't quite what Brodie is thinking. A definite page turner, Atkinson gives us another sound mystery not to be missed!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC: Jackson Brodie is always a treat--the wit and throwaway humor is pervasive. As much as I adore Kate Atkinson's Jackson Brody series, this wasn't my favorite. I am not sure if you haven't read the previous novels that you would follow this one--and it was hard to follow--myriad characters with little to no explanation or development. Jackson is hired to find a missing painting and in the process he meets up with people from his past--notably Reggie (who I want to remember more about.) He deals with class hierarchy, and notably the mansion owned by Lady Milton where he son has created a hotel to try and prop up their finances and is staging a murder mystery. There is a classic mystery, art theft, mistaken identity, a blizzard, a vicar who's lost his faith and delicious humor. It took a while to get going and there was some confusion with the many characters. Even a not my favorite Jackson Brodie is still a book to be savored and re-read. Thank you Kate Atkinson for writing another.

A fun, light romp with Jackson Brodie. Drank it down in a day. More of an amuse bouche than some of her longer books, but satisfying and clever and beautifully written, as always.

I received a temporary digital copy of Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson from NetGalley, Doubleday and the author in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Two paintings have gone missing along with their owners' caretaker. Coincidence? Probably not, so when Jackson Brodie begins investigating, he is determined to find the connection.

I have not previously read a Jackson Brodie novel prior to reading Death at the Sign of the Rook and did not need to to understand the characters and the story, which was a relief. The book's synopsis gives the reader the impression that the plot is set within a murder mystery party, but that doesn't actually happen until 79% of the way into the book. I found that some characters, such as the Vicar, had little to no purpose within the story and their backstories were just page-fillers. The one redeeming quality of Death at the Sign of the Rook was the humor, which was at a few points laugh-out-loud funny. Okay read, but unless you are a Jackson Brodie series fan, I would skip this one.

Kate Atkinson's Death at the Sign of the Rook is the sort of steadily paced mystery that gradually builds in complexity and cleverly develops characters, making it a hard-to-put-down read, even if the pace never rally races (and who says a pace has to race?).

This novel is part of a series, and there were moments when I had to suss out ongoing relationshipst. Several of the central characters are not who they first appear to be, which makes issues of character—whether or not one is new to the series—interesting throughout.

This plot revolves around the disappearance of two art works—probably stolen, but not necessarily by those suspected and not necessarily for the reasons assumed. We also get a decaying manor house whose owners are rather ineptly trying to make ends meet by offering mystery weekends, so there's an element of comedy that works well with the more mysterious elements.

If you like "golden age" mysteries with limited bloodshed and generous complications, you'll enjoy this title—and may find yourself wanting to go back and read previous volumes. I'm thinking I'm headed in that direction.

I received a free electronic review cpy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

I love the Jackson Brodie books! I really enjoy Atkinson's characters, her descriptive passages about the British countryside and culture, and I never know where a book is headed. This one is no different. It did seem, however, very different from the other Jackson Brodie books. For one thing, Brodie is almost a secondary character in this mystery of missing paintings and family conflict. The real strength is in all the other characters and their stories and their connections. There were plenty of twists to keep me guessing until the very end. (Although I admit I did figure out the culprit(s) before the big reveal.)

Brodie is called in to find a missing painting that disappeared when an elderly lady died and her caregiver disappeared. At the same time a police officer is called to a manor house to investigate a missing painting that disappeared when a housekeeper disappeared. Yes, there are connections, and they are revealed slowly as the stories of the many characters are told. The biggest issue for readers is the sheer number of characters. There are the two families who are missing the paintings, the local vicar, local vet and her partner and brother, and the cast of a "murder mystery" who was hired to entertain the tourist guests. Since the chapters switch among all these storylines, it is sometimes confusing. Each story, though, is so well written and so engaging that it didn't really matter. Of course, the reader knows it will all be tied up by the end, and it is!

Although there's no murder in this book, it's definitely for fans of Agatha Christie and the recent films of her work or the "Benoit Blanc" movies - Knives Out and Glass Onion.

I was so excited to read another Jackson Brodie novel, no relation! However it wasn’t one of my favorites. Kate’s writing is always wonderful. I enjoyed the story line about the stolen paintings. Brodie was up to the investigation figuring out all the nuances to create a well thought out mystery. My disappointment came with the escaped convict. I felt like I was watching an old black and white horror movie with the monster lumbering around. It gave me a chuckle but the picture I drew in my mind took away some of the enjoyment I experienced the rest of the book. I will still read whatever she writes!

Thank you NetGalley and Doubleday for this advance copy.

Big sigh. I love Kate Atkinson. I love Jackson Brodie. I was so excited for this book. And I just couldn’t get into it. I spent weeks and only made it 40 pages. I kept thinking maybe it was just bad timing but it’s feeling like a total slog for me. Thank you to Doubleday for the free book to review.

I've never read a Jackson Brodie novel before (and didn't realize this was the sixth installment in a well loved series) but I enjoyed this one enough to be interested in reading the others. It was charming and quirky with some truly laugh out loud moments and a delightful cast. As other reviewers have mentioned, I definitely got some Knives Out vibes and felt the spirit of Agatha Christie.

Kate Atkinson returns to the Jackson Brodie saga in high spirits and a distinctively playful touch, revisiting the British country house murder trope. Jackson, now a nebulously credentialled private investigator, is well into his sixties here; he's sort of teamed with an unwilling mentee, a millenial DS who wants nothing to do with him as a partner. Atkinson writes, as usual of late, with flawless control and measured humor. She handles the murder mystery aspects of her tale with a knowing knack for plotting and suspense and handles the whole climactic--and knockabout-- manor house sequence as if it's been sketched out by P..G. Wodehouse. All in all a delightful romp that doesn't forget its hero's admirably naive sense of justice.

Death at the Sign of the Rook is a mystery surrounding a family whose painting has gone missing. While the description talks about a murder mystery, this really doesn't come into play until well into the middle of book. We first meet a huge cast of characters within the town and learn about who they are. I had a hard time keeping track of everyone. My favorite part of this book is the humor incorporated throughout. Ultimately the plot just didn't do it for me. Thank you NetGalley and Doubleday for an ARC of this book.

Jackson Brodie, former cop turned private investigator is back in a wonderfully funny new book. Jackson has been hired to find a valuable painting that was stolen from a house of an elderly widow on the day she died. Her companion also disappeared the same day. Meanwhile, at Burton Makepeace, a stately home that has fallen on hard times, a painting by Turner has been cut from it's frame. Family members have motives in both thefts. Burton Makepeace has been turned into a hotel and a Murder Mystery Night is planned. Despite a major snow storm the actors turn up to play to a handful of guests. Add to that, the fact that an escaped killer is on the loose. Hilarity abounds!
This is a character driven novel in which the mystery plays second fiddle. The characters each have their own stories. There's Simon, the vicar, a sad lost soul who has lost his faith and his ability to speak. Ben, who lost a leg in a Middle Eastern war and is severely depressed, Lady Milton whose husband dropped dead landing face first in a bowl of mushroom soup and a pair of aging twins with a vested interest in finding one of the paintings. The charcacters are marvelously done and Reggie, Julia and Louise appear from earlier titles.
Jackson is now over 60 and a grandfather so it behooves readers new to the series to read the books in order because the back story is sketchy.
Thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday for the ARC. It was a fun read and it's nice to catch up with Jackson.

I love Atkinson's books. They are so much more than just the story. There is so much character development. And, I feel like I have known Jackson and Reggie since forever. This book was a bit too convoluted for me, though. When everyone converged up on the estate for the Murder Mystery evening, there was just too much going on. I am not quite sure how to explain it but I just got confused, and felt the stories all wrapped up a bit too nicely.

I will still read anything Kate Atkinson offers up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying this free advanced copy!

This was a bit disappointing. I used to read everything Atkinson published, generally pre-publication, but my attention started to wane. I was super excited to see a new Jackson Brodie - alas, maybe we spent a little bit too long away from him?

The first two thirds of the book felt like a lot of ancillary character's back stories - people who were in the story - but their histories weren't really relevant or particularly interesting. It felt like space filler. Jackson was hardly there at all.

The last third was good - and sorta fun - kind of a Noise's Off murder mystery farce thing with a lot going on and still just a sprinkle of Brodie. I don't know - it was not Atkinson's best for sure, but it's readable.

I have read two novels by Kate Atkinson and when I was offered one of her Jackson Brodie novels I was eager to read it. I knew she had a series of these books and was concerned about jumping in late to the game, but I enjoyed Death at the Sign of the Rook as a stand alone novel.

Jackson Brodie is asked to investigate a Renaissance painting that went missing after its owner died. The children who hired him note that their mother’s hired companion also disappeared at the same time.

When he looks at the dining room he recalls his own formica kitchen table, thinking of his family and how “one by one, his family members had disappeared, lost to murder, suicide, cancer, a trifecta of bereavement…”. The scene suggests a legacy of loss, and I don’t have to know the details to understand Brodie. (It DOES make me want to read the rest of the series!)

Brodie connects the theft with other cases where hired help went missing at the same time as valuable paintings. Some years back, at Burton Makepeace, a Turner had gone missing.

Brodie makes a visit to Burton Makepeace. He finds that the Lady Milton has been reduced to selling off art, renting rooms, and is presently hosting a Mystery Murder Weekend.

A snowstorm traps the characters at Burton Makepeace, including Brodie and Reggie, the police woman he enlisted to help with the case. They have a history from before Brodie left the police force.

Stragglers come in from the storm, including a vicar and a stranger. People die–of natural and unnatural causes. In the end, the mystery is solved, but without a full closure.

What I most loved about the novel is the dry humor. A character has lost his leg in a war, and asked “what will you do with only one leg,” he replies, “Limp, I expect.” Lady Milton did not marry for love. She only saw her husband at meals. “Absence was the foundation of a good marriage,” she believes. When the vicar tells the bishop that he has lost his faith, he is told to just carry on–it doesn’t make much difference, in the end. I could quote dozens of such scenes.

I look forward to reading more in this series.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.

A hilarious and wonderfully plotted mystery finds PI Jackson Brodie and sidekick/nemesis, DC Reggie Chase investigating stolen artwork from a crumbling country manor which is also hosting a ‘murder mystery’ night, resulting in delightful complicaitons and mistaken identities. The satirical use of many ‘stock’ characters from Agatha Christie-style period mysteries is here very deftly handled by author Atkinson.

A new Jackson Brodie mystery is always welcome. Here there's a large cast of characters whose lives we learn about - failing aristocrats, a vicar without faith, a war hero, a mysterious care-giver - and there are several mysteries - stolen works of fine art, murders, a murder weekend, and more. It did seem to slide into farce towards the end, hurrying along like one of those sitting-room drama/comedies where people are going in and out of doors at a tremendous pace, and, for me, Brodie lacked a little ummph, but it's still a fun read. This is definitely a series to start with the first book, because Brodie is better in those.

Thanks to Doubleday Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

I love these Jackson Brodie mysteries; they always start as your garden variety mystery and then gathers speed (and depth) as it goes. By the end, I’m always caught up in the world of Jackson and those around him. All the disparate pieces slot together in a fully realized story of life and all of its complexities…but also a solution to a well-crafted mystery.

In Kate Atkinson's latest novel, poor ex-detective Jackson Brodie is trying to keep from being bored to death by taking on a little case of a missing painting. Thus, begins the latest Brodie mystery, this time set in a little Yorkshire village. At times it feels like Brodie is caught in an Agatha Christie mystery as we slide lightly into this humorously quaint novel.
Unlike the other five Brodie mysteries by Atkinson, this time in "Death at the Sign of the Rook," a light touch is used in the writing to pay homage to the mystery writers of old like Christie and Dorothy Sayers. Snowstorms which trap everyone in a mansion, dead bodies found in the hall, guns gone missing, a murder mystery dinner, and a cast of characters of every stereotype known -- just don't expect anything like Case Histories, the first of Brodie's cases. This is definitely not an Atkinson's usual Brodie novel.
While I loved the fun of this mystery, I did find it that it drug sometimes with perhaps too many characters with quaint characteristics. But the plot was solid and the humor was subtly British. All in all a fun read. Not a who-dunit or a how-dunit or even a why-dunit. More of a Isn't This a Fun-dunit!
My rating 4 of 5 stars.

This ARC title was provided by Netgalley.com at no cost, and I am providing an unbiased review. Death at the Sign of the Rook will be published on Sept. 3, 2024.