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Jackson Brodie #4
Started Early, Took My Dog
The fourth novel featuring Jackson Brodie from the No.1 bestselling author of When Will There Be Good News?, winner of Richard & Judy Best Read of the Year
A day like any other for security chief Tracy Waterhouse, until she makes a purchase she hadn't bargained for. One moment of madness is all it takes for Tracy's humdrum world to be turned upside down, the tedium of everyday life replaced by fear and danger at every turn.
Witnesses to Tracy's Faustian exchange in the Merrion Centre in Leeds are Tilly, an elderly actress teetering on the brink of her own disaster, and Jackson Brodie who has returned to his home county in search of someone else's roots. All three characters learn that the past is never history and that no good deed goes unpunished.
Kate Atkinson dovetails and counterpoints her plots with Dickensian brilliance in a tale peopled with unlikely heroes and villains. Started Early, Took My Dog is freighted with wit, wisdom and a fierce moral intelligence. It confirms Kate Atkinson's position as one of the great writers of our time.
496 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2010
2868 people are currently reading
15796 people want to read
About the author
Kate Atkinson
78 books12.2k followersKate Atkinson was born in York and now lives in Edinburgh. Her first novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum, won the Whitbread Book of the Year Award and she has been a critically acclaimed international bestselling author ever since.
She is the author of a collection of short stories, Not the End of the World, and of the critically acclaimed novels Human Croquet, Emotionally Weird, Case Histories, and One Good Turn.
Case Histories introduced her readers to Jackson Brodie, former police inspector turned private investigator, and won the Saltire Book of the Year Award and the Prix Westminster.
When Will There Be Good News? was voted Richard & Judy Book Best Read of the Year. After Case Histories and One Good Turn, it was her third novel to feature the former private detective Jackson Brodie, who makes a welcome return in Started Early, Took My Dog.
She is the author of a collection of short stories, Not the End of the World, and of the critically acclaimed novels Human Croquet, Emotionally Weird, Case Histories, and One Good Turn.
Case Histories introduced her readers to Jackson Brodie, former police inspector turned private investigator, and won the Saltire Book of the Year Award and the Prix Westminster.
When Will There Be Good News? was voted Richard & Judy Book Best Read of the Year. After Case Histories and One Good Turn, it was her third novel to feature the former private detective Jackson Brodie, who makes a welcome return in Started Early, Took My Dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,092 reviews
June 7, 2019
This novel is a great example of why I love Kate Atkinson’s writing so much. It is witty with surprise literary flourishes. It is authentic – I believe in the reality of all the characters and what they are experiencing. She masterfully deploys her plots in such a way that fascination is enhanced.
In this novel, the plot and sub-plots move between the mid-1970’s and roughly 30 years later. There are tie-ins with previous novels in this series. There are perfectly dropped tiny references to literary pieces, to music (both lyrics and titles), to current world events and historical ones. It is virtually impossible to be bored with one of these novels as they keep you on your toes and checking (or guessing at) the mentions that add spice and texture to the plots and the characters.
Briefly, the plots in this 4th novel of the series revolve around missing children from 1975. For Jackson Brodie it starts in the present day with an email from a woman in New Zealand asking for his help to find out who she was when she was born in England thirty years before. From her toddler years onward, she had adoptive parents and now that they are gone, she wants to find her roots.
Although he doesn’t really want another client, Jackson’s family history impels him to agree. He is then propelled into situations that are funny, dangerous, illuminating in some respects, and mystifying in others.
As we are led through the stories, past and present, connections begin to appear. Again, this is Kate Atkinson’s trademark: her complete control over the direction(s) the plots travel and the oblique, yet carefully crafted interactions between characters – both past and present – until it all comes together in a crescendo.
Jackson Brodie is a hero of sorts. He goes into a situation and stirs things up, often endangering himself in the process, and – much later – after resolutions come together in quick succession, he moves off into the sunset, talking to himself about plans that may or may not be what he wants to do next.
The sweet part in this novel is he has company on the next leg of his journey.
In this novel, the plot and sub-plots move between the mid-1970’s and roughly 30 years later. There are tie-ins with previous novels in this series. There are perfectly dropped tiny references to literary pieces, to music (both lyrics and titles), to current world events and historical ones. It is virtually impossible to be bored with one of these novels as they keep you on your toes and checking (or guessing at) the mentions that add spice and texture to the plots and the characters.
Briefly, the plots in this 4th novel of the series revolve around missing children from 1975. For Jackson Brodie it starts in the present day with an email from a woman in New Zealand asking for his help to find out who she was when she was born in England thirty years before. From her toddler years onward, she had adoptive parents and now that they are gone, she wants to find her roots.
Although he doesn’t really want another client, Jackson’s family history impels him to agree. He is then propelled into situations that are funny, dangerous, illuminating in some respects, and mystifying in others.
As we are led through the stories, past and present, connections begin to appear. Again, this is Kate Atkinson’s trademark: her complete control over the direction(s) the plots travel and the oblique, yet carefully crafted interactions between characters – both past and present – until it all comes together in a crescendo.
Jackson Brodie is a hero of sorts. He goes into a situation and stirs things up, often endangering himself in the process, and – much later – after resolutions come together in quick succession, he moves off into the sunset, talking to himself about plans that may or may not be what he wants to do next.
The sweet part in this novel is he has company on the next leg of his journey.
February 3, 2022
March 2021 review:
Jackson Brodie Book 4: In West Yorkshire, across the same towns and cities the Yorkshire Ripper terrorised, our non-hero Jackson Brodie is searching for two people, his ex-wife who fleeced him, and the origins of an adopted New Zealander seeking her real parents story. Along the way we get in the heads of a likeable child kidnapper (I kid you not), an elderly thespian living in the past, a police chief who can't forget or forgive the past, and a social worker connected to all three - as ever in a Brodie read we have a cast of characters with a common thread of a crime committed in the past. Another refreshing look at the North of England through the eyes of her cast with some great cynical and/or dark humour under-laying it all. 7.5 out of 12. The truth of the matter is, I just can't stop reading this series, it's addictive!
January 2012 review:
Jackson Brodie mystery No. 4:Intricately plotted, an eclectic selection of believable characters, with some wonderful wit and satire centred around TV crime serials; this book sees Atkinson tell the story of the past catching up with a number of people in Yorkshire, as Jackson Brodie is sent to look for the birth parents of a New Zealand located Yorkshire born woman. A wonderful read, really nicely balanced and with arcs, that make you not want to put this down. Every time I read an Atkinson, I'm like... why don't I read more of her work! 9 out of 12!
2021 read; 2012 read
Jackson Brodie Book 4: In West Yorkshire, across the same towns and cities the Yorkshire Ripper terrorised, our non-hero Jackson Brodie is searching for two people, his ex-wife who fleeced him, and the origins of an adopted New Zealander seeking her real parents story. Along the way we get in the heads of a likeable child kidnapper (I kid you not), an elderly thespian living in the past, a police chief who can't forget or forgive the past, and a social worker connected to all three - as ever in a Brodie read we have a cast of characters with a common thread of a crime committed in the past. Another refreshing look at the North of England through the eyes of her cast with some great cynical and/or dark humour under-laying it all. 7.5 out of 12. The truth of the matter is, I just can't stop reading this series, it's addictive!
January 2012 review:
Jackson Brodie mystery No. 4:Intricately plotted, an eclectic selection of believable characters, with some wonderful wit and satire centred around TV crime serials; this book sees Atkinson tell the story of the past catching up with a number of people in Yorkshire, as Jackson Brodie is sent to look for the birth parents of a New Zealand located Yorkshire born woman. A wonderful read, really nicely balanced and with arcs, that make you not want to put this down. Every time I read an Atkinson, I'm like... why don't I read more of her work! 9 out of 12!
2021 read; 2012 read
June 1, 2019
Always a joy to return to Kate Atkinson's brand of offbeat literary crime fiction, the in depth case studies of complex characters and their interior lives, of past tragedies and murder, the repercussions and the weaving of coincidences and connections into the narrative set here in Leeds and Whitby in Yorkshire. The retired police officer, Tracy Waterhouse, lives a quiet ordinary life of routines, and working security in a mall. Upon seeing a child being abused by a known offender, the courageous Tracy steps out of her well ordered life into the extraordinary and morally ambiguous territory as she tries to do the right thing. She purchases the child in an act loaded with good intentions after a life of the horrors she has seen, an act that brings complications and repercussions.
An elderly actress, Tilly Squires, is fighting the growing grip of dementia, haunted by past errors and loss. The lonely and flawed Jackson Brodie is bedevilled by his messy and chaotic personal life, and looking into a past life of a New Zealand woman to identify her birth mother. Jackson does a good thing when, without thinking twice, he takes an abused dog from his thuggish owner. There is much to love about this addition to the series, the dark humour, the cultural references, the way Atkinson deftly weaves in the connections between the characters, and in her stellar writing skills. I particularly loved the relationship between Tracy and Courtney. Many thanks to Random House Transworld for a copy.
An elderly actress, Tilly Squires, is fighting the growing grip of dementia, haunted by past errors and loss. The lonely and flawed Jackson Brodie is bedevilled by his messy and chaotic personal life, and looking into a past life of a New Zealand woman to identify her birth mother. Jackson does a good thing when, without thinking twice, he takes an abused dog from his thuggish owner. There is much to love about this addition to the series, the dark humour, the cultural references, the way Atkinson deftly weaves in the connections between the characters, and in her stellar writing skills. I particularly loved the relationship between Tracy and Courtney. Many thanks to Random House Transworld for a copy.
April 15, 2020
The last time I read this I gave it 4 stars. I am upping it to five. I think reading the series straight through, instead of having gaps of years between books, has made it more familiar and I am more involved in the characters and their lives.
I know some readers do not like Atkinson's style and I can understand why. Each of her books begins the same way - jumping all over the place and introducing heaps of characters each of them with a detailed back story. I love it although I always read her books in paperback format so I can easily pop back to confirm bits I might have missed.
Started Early, Took My Dog is probably my personal favourite out of the four books so far. Jackson makes many appearances, gains a new friend and has another near death experience. Somewhere between the last book and this one he has discovered the truth about Nathan's parentage and has searched for but not found Tess. There are some great new characters too especially Tracey and Courtney who provide most of the entertainment.
I loved the setting. The book opens "1975: 9 April. Leeds: Motorway City of the Seventies". I was living in Leeds in 1975 so I enjoyed every reference to every place in and around it enormously!
Altogether a really good book and now I am going to spend a little time anticipating #5 Big Sky before I actually read it. After all it may be years before we get another Jackson Brodie book if ever.
I know some readers do not like Atkinson's style and I can understand why. Each of her books begins the same way - jumping all over the place and introducing heaps of characters each of them with a detailed back story. I love it although I always read her books in paperback format so I can easily pop back to confirm bits I might have missed.
Started Early, Took My Dog is probably my personal favourite out of the four books so far. Jackson makes many appearances, gains a new friend and has another near death experience. Somewhere between the last book and this one he has discovered the truth about Nathan's parentage and has searched for but not found Tess. There are some great new characters too especially Tracey and Courtney who provide most of the entertainment.
I loved the setting. The book opens "1975: 9 April. Leeds: Motorway City of the Seventies". I was living in Leeds in 1975 so I enjoyed every reference to every place in and around it enormously!
Altogether a really good book and now I am going to spend a little time anticipating #5 Big Sky before I actually read it. After all it may be years before we get another Jackson Brodie book if ever.
December 19, 2019
5★
“He supposed he would end up having to put himself down. He planned to go out on the ice (I may be some time), lie down with a bottle of something as old as himself and drift off into the big sleep. He hoped global warming didn’t scupper this plan.”
Black thoughts, funny, human, but pretty much what you might expect from a lonely Yorkshire man “a West Riding man himself, made from soot and rugby league and beef dripping. . . ” who’s ended up on his own somehow, with an ex-wife and teenaged daughter, an ex-almost-wife and newly discovered little son, a lost love married to someone else and with a new baby, and now with someone else’s dog.
He’s a retired detective who can’t seem to say no to people asking for help, and he can’t stand by and watch anyone mistreated, which is how he finds himself with a dog that was being bashed up. It’s a bright, perky little thing, probably not what he would choose, and it does cramp his lifestyle a bit.
“He couldn’t believe the number of places that dogs weren’t allowed. Kids – not that he had anything against kids obviously – kids were allowed everywhere and dogs were much better behaved on the whole.”
He stopped to help a ditzy old lady, obviously suffering from dementia, which is what prompted his thoughts of going out on the ice like the old First Peoples of Canada when they’re too old to chew the fat.
He’s had some cards printed up to show he’s a private investigator, although it’s not what he intended to do – it’s just that he’s good at it. He does worry that his memory is not functioning quite as quickly as it did.
“Jackson tried to remember why but the tiny people who resentfully ran his memory these days (fetching and carrying folders, checking the contents against index cards, filing them away in boxes that were then placed on endless rows of grey metal Dexion shelving never to be found again) had, in an all too frequent occurrence, mislaid that particular piece of information. This sketchy blueprint for the neurological workings of his brain had been laid down in Jackson’s childhood by the Numskulls in his Beezer comic and he had never really developed a more sophisticated model.”
I like to say my auto-pilot needs recalibrating. I’d never considered little people flitting around in my brain searching through filing cabinets, but who knows?
Silly Tilly, the elderly, absent-minded actress whom Jackson helped and who turns out to be appearing in a TV show with Julia (his ex-not-wife) plays a rather major role in a few places in this book – all of them pretty unexpected. But that’s an Atkinson story for you. You never know who’s going to pop up connected to whom. We always know before Jackson does.
This one is about stolen, missing, or misplaced children – more than one – and it’s something I don’t think I ever realised was as common as it may well be. We had livestock for many years, and while we like to think that animal mothers know their own (and they usually do), they will often foster odd-bods who’ve been left out for some reason.
In the interests of brevity (not something I'm known for), I’ll tuck an extra remark under here, not a spoiler though.
I love all of Atkinson’s work, and this is fun because it refers back to people and events from past books. You can enjoy it as a stand-alone, because she’s very good at giving enough background to fill you in, but it is a much more satisfying affair when you really understand who Julia is, how he feels about his ex and his daughter.
I won’t even touch on the plot. Bad guys, punch-ups, chases, and a wonderful, single, built-like-a-brick-privy retired cop Tracy Waterhouse, who “adopts” a wee girl. Such a great relationship there.
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview and Random House / Transworld for re-releasing the first four Jackson Brodie books before the fifth was released. I’ve loved the others and look forward to the new one now!
p.s. My original brief review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
“He supposed he would end up having to put himself down. He planned to go out on the ice (I may be some time), lie down with a bottle of something as old as himself and drift off into the big sleep. He hoped global warming didn’t scupper this plan.”
Black thoughts, funny, human, but pretty much what you might expect from a lonely Yorkshire man “a West Riding man himself, made from soot and rugby league and beef dripping. . . ” who’s ended up on his own somehow, with an ex-wife and teenaged daughter, an ex-almost-wife and newly discovered little son, a lost love married to someone else and with a new baby, and now with someone else’s dog.
He’s a retired detective who can’t seem to say no to people asking for help, and he can’t stand by and watch anyone mistreated, which is how he finds himself with a dog that was being bashed up. It’s a bright, perky little thing, probably not what he would choose, and it does cramp his lifestyle a bit.
“He couldn’t believe the number of places that dogs weren’t allowed. Kids – not that he had anything against kids obviously – kids were allowed everywhere and dogs were much better behaved on the whole.”
He stopped to help a ditzy old lady, obviously suffering from dementia, which is what prompted his thoughts of going out on the ice like the old First Peoples of Canada when they’re too old to chew the fat.
He’s had some cards printed up to show he’s a private investigator, although it’s not what he intended to do – it’s just that he’s good at it. He does worry that his memory is not functioning quite as quickly as it did.
“Jackson tried to remember why but the tiny people who resentfully ran his memory these days (fetching and carrying folders, checking the contents against index cards, filing them away in boxes that were then placed on endless rows of grey metal Dexion shelving never to be found again) had, in an all too frequent occurrence, mislaid that particular piece of information. This sketchy blueprint for the neurological workings of his brain had been laid down in Jackson’s childhood by the Numskulls in his Beezer comic and he had never really developed a more sophisticated model.”
I like to say my auto-pilot needs recalibrating. I’d never considered little people flitting around in my brain searching through filing cabinets, but who knows?
Silly Tilly, the elderly, absent-minded actress whom Jackson helped and who turns out to be appearing in a TV show with Julia (his ex-not-wife) plays a rather major role in a few places in this book – all of them pretty unexpected. But that’s an Atkinson story for you. You never know who’s going to pop up connected to whom. We always know before Jackson does.
This one is about stolen, missing, or misplaced children – more than one – and it’s something I don’t think I ever realised was as common as it may well be. We had livestock for many years, and while we like to think that animal mothers know their own (and they usually do), they will often foster odd-bods who’ve been left out for some reason.
In the interests of brevity (not something I'm known for), I’ll tuck an extra remark under here, not a spoiler though.
I love all of Atkinson’s work, and this is fun because it refers back to people and events from past books. You can enjoy it as a stand-alone, because she’s very good at giving enough background to fill you in, but it is a much more satisfying affair when you really understand who Julia is, how he feels about his ex and his daughter.
I won’t even touch on the plot. Bad guys, punch-ups, chases, and a wonderful, single, built-like-a-brick-privy retired cop Tracy Waterhouse, who “adopts” a wee girl. Such a great relationship there.
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview and Random House / Transworld for re-releasing the first four Jackson Brodie books before the fifth was released. I’ve loved the others and look forward to the new one now!
p.s. My original brief review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
November 14, 2011
Definitely my least favorite Jackson Brodie novel.
I've seen others rate this book very highly, and to each their own -- but I thought it pretty much sucked. I usually like Atkinson's typical method of having multiple storylines going on at once, and true to form, they did manage to blend together about 3/4 of the way through the book ... but I got extremely irritated with all of the pointless internal dialogue that did nothing to contribute to the story. Having multiple characters is only good if the characters and their stories are actually interesting -- and I could've done without most of the extra backstory junk. Also, I think every page in which the character Tilly appeared could've been deleted altogether, as she served no purpose whatsoever and was an absolute bore.
I realize that the entire story couldn't have been about Jackson -- but this book would've been a lot better if it focused more on him, and him solving the 'mystery'.
Oh, and also -- storylines that don't get resolved irritate me. Others may be fine with it, but I think it's annoying. How hard would it have been to tell us who Courtney's Mom really was? And maybe a bit of resolution from Hope's end (i.e., what did she do with the information, how did she take it?), and not just Michael's, would've been nice.
I've seen others rate this book very highly, and to each their own -- but I thought it pretty much sucked. I usually like Atkinson's typical method of having multiple storylines going on at once, and true to form, they did manage to blend together about 3/4 of the way through the book ... but I got extremely irritated with all of the pointless internal dialogue that did nothing to contribute to the story. Having multiple characters is only good if the characters and their stories are actually interesting -- and I could've done without most of the extra backstory junk. Also, I think every page in which the character Tilly appeared could've been deleted altogether, as she served no purpose whatsoever and was an absolute bore.
I realize that the entire story couldn't have been about Jackson -- but this book would've been a lot better if it focused more on him, and him solving the 'mystery'.
Oh, and also -- storylines that don't get resolved irritate me. Others may be fine with it, but I think it's annoying. How hard would it have been to tell us who Courtney's Mom really was? And maybe a bit of resolution from Hope's end (i.e., what did she do with the information, how did she take it?), and not just Michael's, would've been nice.
July 29, 2020
Interference
Kate Atkinson’s fourth book in the Jackson Brodie series, Started Early, Took My Dog is another intriguing crime mystery novel that illustrates just how wonderful her characterisations and plotting are. What I appreciate Kate for is that while Jackson Brodie is the series protagonist, she will place other characters at the heart of a new plot. This provides a fascinating character Jackson Brodie, who we watch negotiate the disorder and struggle with life as he travels through the series. In addition, new characters come into focus that bring a unique blend of personality and background to a specific story. The strategy is brilliant!
Ex-police officer, current security officer, Tracy Waterhouse, steps into a scene at a Shopping Centre in Leeds to rescue a young child, Courtney, from a nasty abusive woman. In a step aimed at helping a child from a dreadful situation, she buys the child and opens up issues that her settled life maybe wasn’t ready for. I found this element too far-fetched, but putting it aside, the relationship between Tracy and Courtney is very engaging as it develops. The realisation of just having bought a child and its ramifications bring a completely different life to Tracy and Courtney, especially as Courtney grows in confidence. The dialogue is masterful, drawing on the humour and crazy situations they find themselves in and learning so much about each other.
Witnessing the infraction in the Shopping Centre, is Tilly, a retired actress, an elderly lady experiencing the onset of dementia. She has an episode at the Shopping Centre where her confusion leaves her feeling frightened and unsettled. I had a real soft spot for Tilly and felt for her during her states of confusion, where the public can be either understanding or impatient.
At the same time, Jackson engages with Tilly and shortly after rescues a dog from a brutal bully that has the dog cowering after being beaten. Ex-cop and current PI, Jackson is now working for a New Zealander to help her find her estranged mother in Britain.
Three threads that weave imperceptibly through each other at different energies and timings. This is something Kate does really well as each POV comes into focus the others are not entirely dropped. That little touch of connection keeps everything alive and spinning.
The characters in a Kate Atkinson novel and the clever way she brings about their connection with each other are just wonderful. She is a very talented writer but there is something that holds me back giving 5 stars to her books and I think it’s because there’s always a bit too much coincidence and some steps of believability that don't sit well with me.
I would recommend reading this book and I’d like to thank Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Black Swan and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy in return for an honest review.
Kate Atkinson’s fourth book in the Jackson Brodie series, Started Early, Took My Dog is another intriguing crime mystery novel that illustrates just how wonderful her characterisations and plotting are. What I appreciate Kate for is that while Jackson Brodie is the series protagonist, she will place other characters at the heart of a new plot. This provides a fascinating character Jackson Brodie, who we watch negotiate the disorder and struggle with life as he travels through the series. In addition, new characters come into focus that bring a unique blend of personality and background to a specific story. The strategy is brilliant!
Ex-police officer, current security officer, Tracy Waterhouse, steps into a scene at a Shopping Centre in Leeds to rescue a young child, Courtney, from a nasty abusive woman. In a step aimed at helping a child from a dreadful situation, she buys the child and opens up issues that her settled life maybe wasn’t ready for. I found this element too far-fetched, but putting it aside, the relationship between Tracy and Courtney is very engaging as it develops. The realisation of just having bought a child and its ramifications bring a completely different life to Tracy and Courtney, especially as Courtney grows in confidence. The dialogue is masterful, drawing on the humour and crazy situations they find themselves in and learning so much about each other.
Witnessing the infraction in the Shopping Centre, is Tilly, a retired actress, an elderly lady experiencing the onset of dementia. She has an episode at the Shopping Centre where her confusion leaves her feeling frightened and unsettled. I had a real soft spot for Tilly and felt for her during her states of confusion, where the public can be either understanding or impatient.
At the same time, Jackson engages with Tilly and shortly after rescues a dog from a brutal bully that has the dog cowering after being beaten. Ex-cop and current PI, Jackson is now working for a New Zealander to help her find her estranged mother in Britain.
Three threads that weave imperceptibly through each other at different energies and timings. This is something Kate does really well as each POV comes into focus the others are not entirely dropped. That little touch of connection keeps everything alive and spinning.
The characters in a Kate Atkinson novel and the clever way she brings about their connection with each other are just wonderful. She is a very talented writer but there is something that holds me back giving 5 stars to her books and I think it’s because there’s always a bit too much coincidence and some steps of believability that don't sit well with me.
I would recommend reading this book and I’d like to thank Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Black Swan and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy in return for an honest review.
March 29, 2011
Another Kate Atkinson arrived at our library, and lived up to my sky-high expectations.
Here's the thing: if you want everything tied up in a neat package: no. If you want a linear narrative: no. "Easy read": no.
But if you love interesting, complex characters, complex stories and delightful writing: yes. Part-time private-eye and semi-successful womanizer Jackson Brodie, and cranky retired cop Tracy Waterhouse are the centerpieces of this book. Jackson spends the book confused, chasing several people that he believes may have the answers for an adopted client. Tracy also spends the book confused, running away from people she thinks are chasing her after she "purchases" an abused-looking child from an angry petty criminal. Atkinson tackles the themes of identity, confusion, and family while following these two constantly-moving characters.
My only complaint is about the amount of time that Jackson spends brooding about his ex-wives/girlfriends. Also, there are some loose ends (Atkinson tends to tie up her convergent stories by the last page). This leads me to the happy conclusion, though, that we haven't seen the last of either Jackson or Tracy.
Here's the thing: if you want everything tied up in a neat package: no. If you want a linear narrative: no. "Easy read": no.
But if you love interesting, complex characters, complex stories and delightful writing: yes. Part-time private-eye and semi-successful womanizer Jackson Brodie, and cranky retired cop Tracy Waterhouse are the centerpieces of this book. Jackson spends the book confused, chasing several people that he believes may have the answers for an adopted client. Tracy also spends the book confused, running away from people she thinks are chasing her after she "purchases" an abused-looking child from an angry petty criminal. Atkinson tackles the themes of identity, confusion, and family while following these two constantly-moving characters.
My only complaint is about the amount of time that Jackson spends brooding about his ex-wives/girlfriends. Also, there are some loose ends (Atkinson tends to tie up her convergent stories by the last page). This leads me to the happy conclusion, though, that we haven't seen the last of either Jackson or Tracy.
August 25, 2024
3.5 stars. Sad to say I didn't like this book as much as the three previous Jackson Brodie novels. The writing felt looser, not as polished. There was lots of rambling and reminiscing, and the narrative flicked between the past and the present without always signposting it.
I also feel like this wasn't as substantial in terms of plot? I'm used to Kate Atkinson masterfully weaving together multiple strands, and interlinking characters in wonderfully inventive ways, but the Carol Braithwaite murder overshadowed everything else. There was nice symmetry in discovering there were two Jacksons and two Braithwaite children, but it didn't exactly make for a satisfying twist.
I also wanted answers at the end, which I didn't get. Courtney's identity and Kelly Cross's murder -- two major threads of the plot -- were left unresolved, which was frustrating. Jackson's unexplained ~revelation~ at the end was clearly that Courtney's birthmark matched the list of distinguishing signs in Mitch's missing children folder, but that only confirms she was a missing child and not Kelly's daughter.
But I did like Tracy Waterhouse, and Courtney's papal gestures with her silver fairy wand. Their story carried the whole book along and I couldn't help hoping for them to overcome the odds and get their happy ending.
I also feel like this wasn't as substantial in terms of plot? I'm used to Kate Atkinson masterfully weaving together multiple strands, and interlinking characters in wonderfully inventive ways, but the Carol Braithwaite murder overshadowed everything else. There was nice symmetry in discovering there were two Jacksons and two Braithwaite children, but it didn't exactly make for a satisfying twist.
I also wanted answers at the end, which I didn't get. Courtney's identity and Kelly Cross's murder -- two major threads of the plot -- were left unresolved, which was frustrating. Jackson's unexplained ~revelation~ at the end was clearly that Courtney's birthmark matched the list of distinguishing signs in Mitch's missing children folder, but that only confirms she was a missing child and not Kelly's daughter.
But I did like Tracy Waterhouse, and Courtney's papal gestures with her silver fairy wand. Their story carried the whole book along and I couldn't help hoping for them to overcome the odds and get their happy ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2013
My friend Jemidar and I put off reading this, the fourth of Kate Atkinson’s novels featuring former police officer and former private detective Jackson Brodie, because we heard it ended in a cliffhanger. We don’t like hanging from cliffs and thought we’d wait until the next Jackson Brodie novel was published before putting ourselves in that situation. Turns out that Atkinson is not planning to write any more books in the series in the foreseeable future, so we decided to delay no longer. As it happens, we were also wrong in thinking that this novel ends in a cliffhanger. Although the ending’s not tied up in a neat bow, it does have a sense of completeness to it, all the while leaving open the possibility that Atkinson could change her mind and return to writing about Jackson Brodie at some point in the future.
This installment in the series is set in and around Leeds and in Whitby in Northern Yorkshire. Jackson is trying to track down the birth mother of a woman in New Zealand. His investigation leads him to chance encounters with a retired policewoman working as a security officer, a small child, an elderly actress in the early stages of dementia and an abused dog. From those encounters spins the story of a murder which occurred in 1975, police corruption and child abduction. However, the crimes are not the point of the novel. As she does in the earlier Jackson Brodie novels – and, for that matter, in her standalone works - Atkinson uses the plot to explore themes of grief, loss, loneliness, dysfunctional family relationships and mortality.
Atkinson’s characters are not happy, or if they are happy it’s unlikely to last. They are vulnerable, damaged and lost, looking for connection and only sometimes finding it. For them, loving is fraught with danger, being loved is temporary at best, but they still strive for both. This sounds grim, and it is. And yet, Atkinson’s elegant, ironic prose, her deft characterization and the intelligence, compassion and humour of her writing make her novels a joy to read. The most poignant and haunting scenes in this novel involve the secondary characters: little Courtney with her collection of belongings, her magic wand and her fingers forming stars; Tilly as she slowly sinks into dementia, the loyal Yorkshire terrier rescuing its new master.
A reader who expects a simple mystery or detective story from the Jackson Brodie novels will probably be disappointed. Atkinson eschews a conventional linear narrative. Instead, she jumps around in time and uses interior monologues that at times border on stream of consciousness to advance the narrative. In addition, the work is full of literary allusions (the title is a line from an Emily Dickinson poem) and allusions to quantum mechanics (Shrödinger’s cat appears more than once). Atkinson is not afraid to use improbable coincidences in the plot, a technique that has the potential to annoy fans of more traditional crime fiction. However, the effect of chance encounters and the seemingly random choices people make are themes that run all through Atkinson’s writing and reinforce the sense she gives of the unpredictability of life.
If this is indeed the last Jackson Brodie novel, then it is a fitting end to his career. While I’d like to see him return, I completely understand if Atkinson decides to retire him permanently. At least he’ll have that lovely dog to keep him company on his travels and to stop him from feeling too sorry for himself.
I love Kate Atkinson’s writing and it has been a joy to read this particular novel with Jemidar.
November 14, 2022
Jason returns to work as a private detective, combining work on client assignments with the search for his second wife, the archaeologist Tessa, who, as it turned out in the finale of the third book, was neither a wife nor an archaeologist, but was a con artist at all, robbed his bank account and disappeared in an unknown direction. Not that he was left naked as a falcon, the money for the sold French house was delayed and came right after the pseudo-Tessa's flight. And it's not that Brody was so mercantile - as it came, so it went. But for form's sake, he's looking.
The case of a client who was adopted in early childhood and wants to find his real parents leads him to Leeds. And here begins a leapfrog with the rescue of a Jack Russell terrier dog from a cruel owner Almost simultaneously with the transition of Jason to the status of a dog owner, a female security guard from a supermarket, a former policeman, rescues a little girl, buying her from her mother, a descended drug addict prostitute. She knew this aunt from her previous work, she had bred a bunch of children, all now attached to guardianship. Yes, it's unethical to buy children, but when a good single woman does it, then it's kind of possible.
Каждый мечтает о собаке
Чуть свет, с собакою вдвоем
По берегу гулять
Русалкам, в темной глубине
Приветливо кивать.
I started early, took my dog,
And visited the sea;
The mermaids in the basement
Came out to look at me.
By The Sea by Emili Dickinson
Четвертый роман Кейт Аткинсон о Джейсоне Броуди и наверно время сделать паузу в чтении книг этой серии. Немного жаль, потому что осталась единственная, пятая, начало которой уже успела послушать. С нее, подаренной хитрым Литресом, умеющим заманить читателя, начался мой интерес к писательнице. Едва начав читать. поняла - классная же книга и значит надо с начала.
И да, с этими книгами провела упоительную неделю, даже новостей не читала, а по нынешнему времени то. что отвлекает от новостей - уже действенный инструмент гармонизации. Но "Чуть свет с собакою вдвоем" воспринимается уже не как восторг-восторг, а просто как "очень хорошо", значит надо прерваться на время и продолжить как мысли черные придут.
Джейсон возвращается к работе частного детектива, совмещая работу по заданиям клиентов с поисками своей второй жены, археологини Тессы, которая, как выяснилось в финале третьей книги, не была ни женой, ни археологом, а была вовсе аферисткой, обнесла его банковский счет и скрылась в неизвестном направлении. Не то, чтобы остался гол как сокол, деньги за проданный французский дом задержались и пришли аккурат после бегства псевдо-Тессы. И не то, чтобы Броуди был так уж меркантилен - как пришло, так и ушло. Но для проформы ищет.
Дело клиентки, удочеренной в раннем детстве и желающей разыскать настоящих родителей, приводит его в Лидс. И вот тут начинается чехарда со спасением песика джек-рассел терьера от жестокого владельца Практически одновременно с переходом Джейсона в статус собаковладельца, женщина-охранник из супермаркета, бывшая полицейская, спасает маленькую девочку, выкупая ее у матери, опустившейся проститутки-наркоманки. Эту тетку она знала по прошлой своей работе, та наплодила кучу детей все теперь пристроены опекой. Да, покупать детей неэтично, но когда это делает хорошая одинокая женщина, то как бы можно.
Одновременно очень старая женщина Тилли бьется в тисках сенильной деменции, она актриса и - редкая удача, даже полу��ает роль матери главного героя в нескольких эпизодах криминального сериала. Но жизнь и рассудок утекают из нее уже даже не по капле, а ручейком. Значительная часть линии Тилли - воспоминания о подруге юности, сегодняшней примадонне Фиби, которая в далеких семидесятых увела у Тилли любовника, модного режиссера. Еще она все время думает о грустном романе с сотрудником зимбабвийского посольства в юности, они тогда потеряли друг друга по нелепой случайности, Фиби устроила ей неудачный аборт на большом сроке. После убийства черного младенца детей у Тилли быть не могло.
Имеющие детей страдают от их грубости, равнодушия, непонимания, не имеющие желают обзавестись всем этим. Броуди с собакой влипает в разные неприятности, на реминисценциях разворачивается история тридцатилетней давности, когда полиция, вызванная соседями из-за смрада, обнаружила в квартире убитой наркоманки-проститутки еле живого от истощения маленького мальчика.
В финале писательница все изящно сведет воедино, раздаст сестрам по серьгам, накажет плохих, наградит хороших, но роль Тилли в повествовании мне откровенно неясна. Да и женщина-полицейский Трикси, готовая на все, чтобы сохранить у себя купленную девочку, тоже не вполне убедительна. А в сухом остатке от чтения: полицейские мало чем отличаются от тех, от кого призваны ограждать обывателя - те и другие волки.
Как по мне, не самая жизнеутверждающая. В общем - ставлю на паузу.
The case of a client who was adopted in early childhood and wants to find his real parents leads him to Leeds. And here begins a leapfrog with the rescue of a Jack Russell terrier dog from a cruel owner Almost simultaneously with the transition of Jason to the status of a dog owner, a female security guard from a supermarket, a former policeman, rescues a little girl, buying her from her mother, a descended drug addict prostitute. She knew this aunt from her previous work, she had bred a bunch of children, all now attached to guardianship. Yes, it's unethical to buy children, but when a good single woman does it, then it's kind of possible.
Каждый мечтает о собаке
Чуть свет, с собакою вдвоем
По берегу гулять
Русалкам, в темной глубине
Приветливо кивать.
I started early, took my dog,
And visited the sea;
The mermaids in the basement
Came out to look at me.
By The Sea by Emili Dickinson
Четвертый роман Кейт Аткинсон о Джейсоне Броуди и наверно время сделать паузу в чтении книг этой серии. Немного жаль, потому что осталась единственная, пятая, начало которой уже успела послушать. С нее, подаренной хитрым Литресом, умеющим заманить читателя, начался мой интерес к писательнице. Едва начав читать. поняла - классная же книга и значит надо с начала.
И да, с этими книгами провела упоительную неделю, даже новостей не читала, а по нынешнему времени то. что отвлекает от новостей - уже действенный инструмент гармонизации. Но "Чуть свет с собакою вдвоем" воспринимается уже не как восторг-восторг, а просто как "очень хорошо", значит надо прерваться на время и продолжить как мысли черные придут.
Джейсон возвращается к работе частного детектива, совмещая работу по заданиям клиентов с поисками своей второй жены, археологини Тессы, которая, как выяснилось в финале третьей книги, не была ни женой, ни археологом, а была вовсе аферисткой, обнесла его банковский счет и скрылась в неизвестном направлении. Не то, чтобы остался гол как сокол, деньги за проданный французский дом задержались и пришли аккурат после бегства псевдо-Тессы. И не то, чтобы Броуди был так уж меркантилен - как пришло, так и ушло. Но для проформы ищет.
Дело клиентки, удочеренной в раннем детстве и желающей разыскать настоящих родителей, приводит его в Лидс. И вот тут начинается чехарда со спасением песика джек-рассел терьера от жестокого владельца Практически одновременно с переходом Джейсона в статус собаковладельца, женщина-охранник из супермаркета, бывшая полицейская, спасает маленькую девочку, выкупая ее у матери, опустившейся проститутки-наркоманки. Эту тетку она знала по прошлой своей работе, та наплодила кучу детей все теперь пристроены опекой. Да, покупать детей неэтично, но когда это делает хорошая одинокая женщина, то как бы можно.
Одновременно очень старая женщина Тилли бьется в тисках сенильной деменции, она актриса и - редкая удача, даже полу��ает роль матери главного героя в нескольких эпизодах криминального сериала. Но жизнь и рассудок утекают из нее уже даже не по капле, а ручейком. Значительная часть линии Тилли - воспоминания о подруге юности, сегодняшней примадонне Фиби, которая в далеких семидесятых увела у Тилли любовника, модного режиссера. Еще она все время думает о грустном романе с сотрудником зимбабвийского посольства в юности, они тогда потеряли друг друга по нелепой случайности, Фиби устроила ей неудачный аборт на большом сроке. После убийства черного младенца детей у Тилли быть не могло.
Имеющие детей страдают от их грубости, равнодушия, непонимания, не имеющие желают обзавестись всем этим. Броуди с собакой влипает в разные неприятности, на реминисценциях разворачивается история тридцатилетней давности, когда полиция, вызванная соседями из-за смрада, обнаружила в квартире убитой наркоманки-проститутки еле живого от истощения маленького мальчика.
В финале писательница все изящно сведет воедино, раздаст сестрам по серьгам, накажет плохих, наградит хороших, но роль Тилли в повествовании мне откровенно неясна. Да и женщина-полицейский Трикси, готовая на все, чтобы сохранить у себя купленную девочку, тоже не вполне убедительна. А в сухом остатке от чтения: полицейские мало чем отличаются от тех, от кого призваны ограждать обывателя - те и другие волки.
Как по мне, не самая жизнеутверждающая. В общем - ставлю на паузу.
December 27, 2019
Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson is part of the mystery series featuring Jackson Brodie, former policeman turned private investigator, that has grabbed my heart. Opening with the epigraph below, these lines are echoed throughout this engrossing book as many disparate characters all come together as their lives intersect in very interesting ways. Jackson Brodie is working in northern England for a client in Australia, attempting to resolve the mystery of her birth and subsequent adoption. Another key character is Tracy Waterhouse, a former police detective, now a mall security guard, and her little charge, Courtney. This delightful child will capture your heart in so many endearing ways. The title of the novel is taken from a poem by Emily Dickinson beginning with the line, "Started early, took my dog. . . " with literary references throughout this many-layered novel, as Jackson Brodie has just discovered the writings of Emily Dickinson. Brodie takes in abandoned dog that has clearly adopted him, hence the title of the book. It is a wonderful read, one of my favorite so far of the series. Enjoy!
For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
---- Traditional
January 20, 2020
I'm sure there was a good detective novel trying to emerge from this morass, somewhere...
But it was hidden between too many unnecessary characters, too many unfinished tales, too many completely pointless streams of consciousness, too many attempts at being a South American "magic" novel of the 1970's/ 1980's, too much cataloguing of "nasty murders that happened up north", and too many ridiculous coincidences - just too much fog and unfinished waffle in general.
Cut it down by 100 pages or so and tidy it up, cut a lot of the sylphs out and it might have been a decent read. As it was, it rambled too much, it had far too many superfluous characters and just more words than it needed.
Parts of it were written really well though;some of the action was taut, some of the characterization believable and attractive, and there really was a decent story hidden in here somewhere. It just had the feeling that it lacked a really good editor who would have cut away a lot of the chaffe that sadly ruined what might have been a good yarn. Shame.
But it was hidden between too many unnecessary characters, too many unfinished tales, too many completely pointless streams of consciousness, too many attempts at being a South American "magic" novel of the 1970's/ 1980's, too much cataloguing of "nasty murders that happened up north", and too many ridiculous coincidences - just too much fog and unfinished waffle in general.
Cut it down by 100 pages or so and tidy it up, cut a lot of the sylphs out and it might have been a decent read. As it was, it rambled too much, it had far too many superfluous characters and just more words than it needed.
Parts of it were written really well though;some of the action was taut, some of the characterization believable and attractive, and there really was a decent story hidden in here somewhere. It just had the feeling that it lacked a really good editor who would have cut away a lot of the chaffe that sadly ruined what might have been a good yarn. Shame.
April 12, 2011
Love her writing and her characters. I think she is as literary as a mystery can get and still be exceptional.
April 13, 2011
Kate Atkinson outdoes herself in this new novel featuring Jackson Brodie, private detective. He's back in England, doing some desultory checking on the parentage of a woman living overseas who had been orphaned in the 1970s. The story is braided with several threads, i.e., an aging actress suffering from dementia, a young child so heavy as to seem "dense as a small planet," and several other retired police. Atkinson handles it masterfully, bringing it all to a neat knot in a train station. This is bad news for Brodie, as he has a nasty history with trains.
The trenchant sense of humor for which Atkinson is known is on display and she describes with clear-eyed compassion and humor our ridiculous, and sometimes hideous human condition. Motives and choices, the bobs and weaves of persons doing wrong, all have the ring of truth, as do the intentions and interventions of well-meaning, over-worked coppers on the beat. Set in Leeds, the story gives one a distinct sense of cold, cruel, rough, and distrusting. One wonders how anyone gets out of there with their psyche intact. Perhaps they don't, the author seems to say.
The trenchant sense of humor for which Atkinson is known is on display and she describes with clear-eyed compassion and humor our ridiculous, and sometimes hideous human condition. Motives and choices, the bobs and weaves of persons doing wrong, all have the ring of truth, as do the intentions and interventions of well-meaning, over-worked coppers on the beat. Set in Leeds, the story gives one a distinct sense of cold, cruel, rough, and distrusting. One wonders how anyone gets out of there with their psyche intact. Perhaps they don't, the author seems to say.
May 13, 2016
Nnnnnnnnnngh... GAH!
OK, OK... Let me gather myself...
This, the fourth book in the Jackson Brodie series, delivers what you'd expect from the earlier books in the series: an extremely clever jigsaw of interlocking plots, some brilliantly well-developed characters, moments of horror, happiness, misery and hope... Everything that makes Atkinson such a brilliant writer.
It's a very moving book, dealing as it does with murder, kidnapping and child abuse. I admit to having shed a couple of tears while reading it.
BUT... am I going insane or does Atkinson leave a few major plot points completely unresolved? Spoilers for specifics:
I initially thought I was being thick but I've spent the last hour trawling the Internet trying to find answers to these questions and all I've managed to find is a host of bewildered readers with the same questions I have and no answers.
I'm now really, really hoping these questions will be answered in the next book in the series. My concern is that they won't be, as Atkinson has never left unanswered questions dangling at the end of the previous three books. I now have an image in my head of the author banging her head against her writing desk shouting 'The answers are all there but you can't find them because you're all SO STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!'
OK, OK... Let me gather myself...
This, the fourth book in the Jackson Brodie series, delivers what you'd expect from the earlier books in the series: an extremely clever jigsaw of interlocking plots, some brilliantly well-developed characters, moments of horror, happiness, misery and hope... Everything that makes Atkinson such a brilliant writer.
It's a very moving book, dealing as it does with murder, kidnapping and child abuse. I admit to having shed a couple of tears while reading it.
BUT... am I going insane or does Atkinson leave a few major plot points completely unresolved? Spoilers for specifics:
I initially thought I was being thick but I've spent the last hour trawling the Internet trying to find answers to these questions and all I've managed to find is a host of bewildered readers with the same questions I have and no answers.
I'm now really, really hoping these questions will be answered in the next book in the series. My concern is that they won't be, as Atkinson has never left unanswered questions dangling at the end of the previous three books. I now have an image in my head of the author banging her head against her writing desk shouting 'The answers are all there but you can't find them because you're all SO STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!'
March 1, 2015
Okay, so this isn't Atkinson's best, or strongest Jackson Brodie novel. Still, it was a pleasure to live with her writing for the week or so it took me to read Started Early, Took My Dog, and I was sad to finish it. I never did connect with her main character, Tracey, and am not certain what motivated her; I was puzzled that Tracey and Courtney didn't ever seem to really relate to one another emotionally. These are small quibbles, though. One of the things Kate Atkinson does best is draw characters whose introspection seems to fit their experience, their decades on the planet, their fears. It's a low-key, peaceful effort. Read Case Histories for a stronger novel, but, if you've read it, don't miss this work as your second choice.
August 1, 2012
As elegant as a Bach fugue and wise and fun at the same time. The lives of three strangers intersect briefly in Leeds in Yorkshire and then wander down separate but converging trajectories as tragic events from their lives 35 years ago drive propel them on paths of attempted resolution of their losses.
The three main characters are a retired woman cop working in mall security, an elderly actress with growing dementia, and a detective looking for the birth mother of a woman in New Zealand. Luckily, the latter is Jackson Brodie, the hero of the series, this being the fourth. He is licking his wounds from a former wife who fleeced him and disappeared, and his loneliness is manifest by continually hearing two previous wives talking in his head and by boldly taking a dog from an abusive owner.
When his apparently simple case stimulates a number of people to devious and violent reactions, he is not in any mood to quit until he gets to the bottom of it. Lots of great dialog, interior monologue, and zinging cultural references make for a lively narrative. Recurring metaphors from Emily Dickenson, the Schroedinger’s Cat paradox from quantum physics, and the message of delayed consequences in the ditty beginning “For the want of a nail the shoe was lost, …” helps keeps the reader engaged with the illusion that some deeper meaning is at play. Or maybe they helps reveal that the illusion of connections of past and present is something this delightful author likes to play with.
The three main characters are a retired woman cop working in mall security, an elderly actress with growing dementia, and a detective looking for the birth mother of a woman in New Zealand. Luckily, the latter is Jackson Brodie, the hero of the series, this being the fourth. He is licking his wounds from a former wife who fleeced him and disappeared, and his loneliness is manifest by continually hearing two previous wives talking in his head and by boldly taking a dog from an abusive owner.
When his apparently simple case stimulates a number of people to devious and violent reactions, he is not in any mood to quit until he gets to the bottom of it. Lots of great dialog, interior monologue, and zinging cultural references make for a lively narrative. Recurring metaphors from Emily Dickenson, the Schroedinger’s Cat paradox from quantum physics, and the message of delayed consequences in the ditty beginning “For the want of a nail the shoe was lost, …” helps keeps the reader engaged with the illusion that some deeper meaning is at play. Or maybe they helps reveal that the illusion of connections of past and present is something this delightful author likes to play with.
November 11, 2011
I don't think it's possible for me to love Kate Atkinson books more than I do. I want to go to Edinburgh and hang out with her (and when I said this on Twitter, some inn owner in that lovely,gloomy city said I should stop on by; they have a shelf full of Atkinson books in their cottage!). Anyway, this is Atkinson's fourth Jackson Brodie mystery, and I read this book as I was also watching the PBS Masterpiece Mystery series, Case Histories,in which a very watchable Jason Isaacs brings Brodie to life. TV hasn't done this latest, and good thing so far because I think I need to read it again first, and really digest the way Atkinson deftly draws characters and layers on their history and weaves stories from past and present together. All these books, as well as her first novel (not a Brodie mystery) are at their heart about lost little girls. If you like mysteries that have as their central feature not the mystery but the people, their motivations, their histories -- you have to read these books. She's also hilariously funny.
January 1, 2016
Read for a reading challenge, and that’s the only reason I stuck with it. At all. The prompt for this one was “set in your hometown”, and Leeds was the closest I found. So I knew the Merrion Centre, where part of it was set, etc. I wasn’t impressed, though; the narration was really meandering, not always on point at all, and it takes ages to really get started. I kind of have difficulty with the idea of Tracy buying a prostitute’s daughter in this casual way, and I roooooolled my eyes at all the stereotypes about her being fat, a battle-axe, looks like a lesbian, etc, etc. And the stereotypical elderly lady, starting to succumb to dementia.
So I started off on a bad foot with this book, and stayed on it. I didn’t settle into the style at all — the book nearly hit the wall at some points, I found it so frustrating.
Very much not for me, in any sense. I hesitate to say it’s a bad book, because there’s no accounting for taste and all that, but it really wasn’t something I’d recommend.
Originally posted here.
So I started off on a bad foot with this book, and stayed on it. I didn’t settle into the style at all — the book nearly hit the wall at some points, I found it so frustrating.
Very much not for me, in any sense. I hesitate to say it’s a bad book, because there’s no accounting for taste and all that, but it really wasn’t something I’d recommend.
Originally posted here.
February 19, 2024
I have a lot to say about this book but I'm having to do on my phone, so not as much. I've read quite a few books by this author and enjoyed them. I particularly like the ones with her character Jackson Brodie. He was in this book, him and a policewoman named Tracy. They were involved in a lot of intrigue. There were lots of characters and the story went back and forth in time and place. And this author doesn't use chapters, she uses sections. There was one other main character involved in the story but somehow she got run over by a train. Help! The ending was good and thanks to the author, she ended the story with my favorite poem. Will definitely keep reading but it does take time.
July 22, 2019
I think every intelligent, fiction-loving person should read Kate Atkinson's excellent books.
Just follow me. Like this.
This is book #4 for investigator Jackson Brodie, so you really shouldn't start the series here. That said, Jackson, as ever, is a man whose head is improbably full of women's voices. Mostly voices of his exes, who ironically judge, sass, and mock him as always. It's a chorus I've always enjoyed.
Someone's got to keep him in line.
But it's still something of a relief that his Watson this time around is a very intelligent (and FWIW, male) border terrier. Jackson is, of course, at his best around children and animals.
The mysteries are as absorbing as ever: lost identities, murdered women, and mislaid waifs. A brand new character, a sort of younger doppelgänger to Brodie, is introduced. This stoic, thoroughly likable, recently retired police supervisor Tracy Waterhouse is given mysteries and problems of her own to solve, including a waif problem of her very own. One who sings "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" with starfish hand moves.
It would be nice to see Took My Dog's cliffhanger ending resolved in the next book, but I won't hold my breath. Atkinson hasn't been afraid to leave us hanging for the past three novels. There's a big finish coming one of these days, but I'm in no hurry to see the conclusion of my favorite series.
Just follow me. Like this.
This is book #4 for investigator Jackson Brodie, so you really shouldn't start the series here. That said, Jackson, as ever, is a man whose head is improbably full of women's voices. Mostly voices of his exes, who ironically judge, sass, and mock him as always. It's a chorus I've always enjoyed.
Someone's got to keep him in line.But it's still something of a relief that his Watson this time around is a very intelligent (and FWIW, male) border terrier. Jackson is, of course, at his best around children and animals.
The mysteries are as absorbing as ever: lost identities, murdered women, and mislaid waifs. A brand new character, a sort of younger doppelgänger to Brodie, is introduced. This stoic, thoroughly likable, recently retired police supervisor Tracy Waterhouse is given mysteries and problems of her own to solve, including a waif problem of her very own. One who sings "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" with starfish hand moves.
It would be nice to see Took My Dog's cliffhanger ending resolved in the next book, but I won't hold my breath. Atkinson hasn't been afraid to leave us hanging for the past three novels. There's a big finish coming one of these days, but I'm in no hurry to see the conclusion of my favorite series.
March 13, 2022
"His specialist subject on Mastermind would be looking for people. Not necessarily finding them, but half the equation was better than none."
I adore Kate Atkinson, no-one can write literary suspense like her. Her characters are all wonderfully nuanced, and I love the glimpses into their inner thoughts. I've always been a fan of Jackson, and also enjoyed getting to know Tracy and Tilly in this installment. Even though the story is quite dark the author infuses it with her unique humor. This series definitely won't be for everyone as the suspense element plays second fiddle to the characters, and the author also does not overexplain anything, so you need to keep your wits about you to ensure that you don't get left behind. I only wish there were many more books in this series, so I don't have to ration my reading of them to one a year.
The Story: Jackson, retired from the police force, has gone into private detective work. He’s been asked by one Hope McMaster to locate her birth family. His digging upsets several uneasy consciences, many of them current and retired members of the police force.
April 19, 2011
I liked this book. I like Kate Atkinson. I like how characters are introduced slowly, and I don't always know instantly whose point of view I'm reading. Sometimes, I recognize connections between characters in the later books and characters or actions happening in current books. And I like how some mysteries are left unsolved at the end of the book.
I am starting to have difficulties with Jackson Brodie. I can believe in improbable things happening....a little bit of chaos theory in action. That's probably why I'm able to read so much romance and mystery. But Jackson Brodie is starting to stretch the limits of my belief.
I am starting to have difficulties with Jackson Brodie. I can believe in improbable things happening....a little bit of chaos theory in action. That's probably why I'm able to read so much romance and mystery. But Jackson Brodie is starting to stretch the limits of my belief.
March 2, 2025
Always fun to spend a little time with Jackson Brodie. These books are strictly entertainment, but Kate Atkinson does them so well that it doesn't feel like wasted time at all.
This one starts off by introducing Tracy Waterhouse, a former cop, who is about to get herself embroiled in a very sticky situation. Of course, she will cross paths with Jackson and his hands will end up in the goo as well. When we pick Jackson up, he has just left a shopping center where he promptly decks a large man who is mistreating a small dog. After rescuing the dog, he must take the dog with him, and thus the intriguing name of this volume. The dog adds another interesting element to the story.
I enjoy the mysteries, but what brings me back to these books is the character of Jackson Brodie. I like his very human, very flawed, but sometimes sweet personality; and I like the way he gets himself behind the eight-ball in just the way you would expect to happen.
Got a little teaser at the end, so looking forward to the next installment, Big Sky.
This one starts off by introducing Tracy Waterhouse, a former cop, who is about to get herself embroiled in a very sticky situation. Of course, she will cross paths with Jackson and his hands will end up in the goo as well. When we pick Jackson up, he has just left a shopping center where he promptly decks a large man who is mistreating a small dog. After rescuing the dog, he must take the dog with him, and thus the intriguing name of this volume. The dog adds another interesting element to the story.
I enjoy the mysteries, but what brings me back to these books is the character of Jackson Brodie. I like his very human, very flawed, but sometimes sweet personality; and I like the way he gets himself behind the eight-ball in just the way you would expect to happen.
Got a little teaser at the end, so looking forward to the next installment, Big Sky.
June 29, 2015
This is a series I quite enjoy, although peppered with unlikely coincidences and an excess of characters that really do make it hard to follow in the beginning. As usual, though, once Jackson Brodie arrives on the scene, it's an instant improvement. In England, Jackson is hired long distance by a New Zealander to find her birth parents. It proves to be not an easy task and downright dangerous when he starts asking around about the past. What exactly happened all those years ago, when a prostitute was murdered and she and her son were not found for three weeks? What does this have to do with Jackson's case? Is it tied to ex-cop Tracy who just purchased a little girl in a shopping mall for 3000 pounds?
Right after Jackson makes an appearance, he beats up a thug who is abusing a dog and threatening to kill it. Jackson takes the dog, and the little fella becomes his constant companion and proves to be his salvation many times over. A nice touch.
I listened to this in my car and walking around the neighborhood, and had to laugh out loud many times. The neighbors likely think I'm daft. There were some things left unanswered in the end, but I still liked it.
Right after Jackson makes an appearance, he beats up a thug who is abusing a dog and threatening to kill it. Jackson takes the dog, and the little fella becomes his constant companion and proves to be his salvation many times over. A nice touch.
I listened to this in my car and walking around the neighborhood, and had to laugh out loud many times. The neighbors likely think I'm daft. There were some things left unanswered in the end, but I still liked it.
October 4, 2016
“Fiction had never been Jackson's thing. Facts seemed challenging enough without making stuff up. What he discovered was that the great novels of the world were about three things - death, money and sex. Occasionally a whale.”
I can’t believe it's the last in the installment
Utterly stunning, totally beautiful, I love this series so much and I cannot believe it’s over at least I hope Kate Atkinson is writing another installment...
“He wondered what a visitor from the past would make of it. It used to be the poor who were thin and the rich who were fat, now it seemed to be the other way round.”
If you have been following me in the past
"She registered the look of alarm on his face and laughed. "God created Man," she repeated. " And then he had a better idea."
The 4th installment got crazier and juicer than the previous ones and added a glimpse of a horrible crime that took place in the past and how it’s catching up with the present. From kidnapping, death of prostitutes and shocking moments that just happens to involve our lovable Jackson Brodie. This was my favorite in the series because the mystery aspect was a lot more complex and it had at the edge of my seat.
I don’t know how to sell this to you but if you haven’t picked this up
Literary Crime fiction at its peak
January 12, 2021
Another really enjoyable instalment in the Jackson Brodie series. Actually, it was a pleasant surprise, because I devoured the TV series after reading #1, and on screen this was the storyline that least appealed. However, as written, I found it to be up to the same high standard as the preceding books. I think the difference is that in the book the characters have so much internal stuff happening - thoughts and recollections - that enhances the story and endears them or makes them more relatable, which is just really difficult to convey on screen. This book was narrated by Nicholas Bell, who was well-suited to most of the accents required for this story, set mainly in and around Leeds. The only exception being the NZ accent that sounded like it might have been diverted through a repeater station in Jo'burg at times, haha.
Another 2 years have passed and Jackson is doing a lot of travelling in his reliable Saab. He's trying to track down his absconded wife, but he's also working on a rare case. Rare, because he's no longer a private detective. But for various reasons he's agreed to help an adult adoptee living in NZ try to find her birth parents in the UK. He's got a lead that's brought him to an adoption counsellor in Leeds. Meanwhile, recently retired police Superintendent Tracey Waterhouse, now head of security at a Leeds shopping centre, has suffered a moment of madness and found herself caring for 4yo Courtney, who may or may not be the daughter of a local prostitute.
The story hops between the present and the mid-70s, when Tracey was a fairly green WPC, to a case that made a significant impression on her. Not surprisingly, it also involved a small child. Because this is Atkinson, you just know these different threads are going to come together somehow, and the enjoyment is in watching it all fall into place. Apart from her trademark warmth and gentle humour (with just the right amount of laugh out loud moments for what is a fairly grim story), this story is notable for including quite a bit of real life local context around the 1970s/80s Yorkshire Ripper case.
I'm sure any reader who has enjoyed the earlier books in this series will also enjoy this one.
Another 2 years have passed and Jackson is doing a lot of travelling in his reliable Saab. He's trying to track down his absconded wife, but he's also working on a rare case. Rare, because he's no longer a private detective. But for various reasons he's agreed to help an adult adoptee living in NZ try to find her birth parents in the UK. He's got a lead that's brought him to an adoption counsellor in Leeds. Meanwhile, recently retired police Superintendent Tracey Waterhouse, now head of security at a Leeds shopping centre, has suffered a moment of madness and found herself caring for 4yo Courtney, who may or may not be the daughter of a local prostitute.
The story hops between the present and the mid-70s, when Tracey was a fairly green WPC, to a case that made a significant impression on her. Not surprisingly, it also involved a small child. Because this is Atkinson, you just know these different threads are going to come together somehow, and the enjoyment is in watching it all fall into place. Apart from her trademark warmth and gentle humour (with just the right amount of laugh out loud moments for what is a fairly grim story), this story is notable for including quite a bit of real life local context around the 1970s/80s Yorkshire Ripper case.
I'm sure any reader who has enjoyed the earlier books in this series will also enjoy this one.
February 8, 2017
Rating: 4.5 stars
This fourth (and possibly final) outing in the Jackson Brodie series is my favourite. Jackson shares his tale with lonely retired Superintendent Tracy, dotty old actress Tilly, an adorable little girl, an equally adorable little dog, and a motley crew of retired coppers who graduated from police school with Gene Hunt, but who shirked the classes that gave Gene his gruff charm. They're all linked by an event that happened in the 1970s, and as Jackson searches for the truth, so the past comes together to keep it hidden.
The plotting of this event is intriguing, making this the most mystery-based book of the series, but as with the other Brodie books, characterisation is key. As ever, the magnetic Jackson pulled me in, forever destined to take one step forward and two steps back. But it was little Courtney and The Ambassador who stole my heart, so beautifully drawn with their against-the-odds resilience and loyalty. This continuing theme of loss and identity is reflected in all the threads of the story, giving it a haunting poignancy. As ever, I loved the way Atkinson captured the human soul in all its complexities - heartbreaking and gorgeous, all rolled into one.
If this is indeed the final Brodie book, I'll really miss him and his assorted associates - a wonderful, touching, quirky series, one of the best I've ever had the pleasure of reading.
This fourth (and possibly final) outing in the Jackson Brodie series is my favourite. Jackson shares his tale with lonely retired Superintendent Tracy, dotty old actress Tilly, an adorable little girl, an equally adorable little dog, and a motley crew of retired coppers who graduated from police school with Gene Hunt, but who shirked the classes that gave Gene his gruff charm. They're all linked by an event that happened in the 1970s, and as Jackson searches for the truth, so the past comes together to keep it hidden.
The plotting of this event is intriguing, making this the most mystery-based book of the series, but as with the other Brodie books, characterisation is key. As ever, the magnetic Jackson pulled me in, forever destined to take one step forward and two steps back. But it was little Courtney and The Ambassador who stole my heart, so beautifully drawn with their against-the-odds resilience and loyalty. This continuing theme of loss and identity is reflected in all the threads of the story, giving it a haunting poignancy. As ever, I loved the way Atkinson captured the human soul in all its complexities - heartbreaking and gorgeous, all rolled into one.
If this is indeed the final Brodie book, I'll really miss him and his assorted associates - a wonderful, touching, quirky series, one of the best I've ever had the pleasure of reading.
May 8, 2021
I started reading and found a series of unconnected, incoherent, not very interesting plunges into several different characters. About to quit, I read the reviews of other GR readers and decided to keep going. More later. ... IMO, it got worse, a mishmash of stories about different people, none of which I found at all gripping. Enough. ... BTW, I thoroughly enjoyed other Jackson Brodie novels
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