THE #1
SUNDAY TIMES
BESTSELLER
THE NEW JACKSON BRODIE NOVEL, FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SHRINES OF GAIETY
'How
delicious
to have Jackson Brodie back, this time in a story that starts off in Agatha Christie's world but soon becomes a landscape that
could only have been crafted from the pen of the incomparable Kate Atkinson'
Ian Rankin
'Christie would be proud . . . I defy you not to snort with laughter as the novel progresses to its farcical denouement. Atkinson is
brilliant
'
Observer
*****
Welcome to Rook Hall.
The stage is set. The players are ready. By night's end, a murderer will be revealed.
Ex-detective Jackson Brodie is staving off a bad case of midlife malaise when he is called to a sleepy Yorkshire town, and the seemingly tedious matter of a stolen painting.
But one theft leads to another, including the disappearance of a valuable Turner from Burton Makepeace, home to Lady Milton and her family.
Once a magnificent country house, Burton Makepeace has now partially been converted into a hotel, hosting Murder Mystery weekends.
As paying guests, a vicar, an ex-army officer, impecunious aristocrats, and old friends converge, we are treated a fiendishly clever mystery; one that pays homage to the masters of the genre-from Agatha Christie to Dorothy Sayers.
Brilliantly inventive, with all of Atkinson's signature wit, wordplay and narrative brio, Death at the Sign of the Rook may be Jackson Brodie's most outrageous and memorable case yet.
****
'
Sharp, droll
and
knowing
as ever, Atkinson has
huge fun
with the set-up; the supporting cast is terrific, and the rueful Brodie, ever more mindful of the passing years, feels like an old friend.'
Guardian
'
Delicious
character studies...
fine writing, wit, originality
and eccentricity - even as it induces a warm glow'
Telegraph
'
Another
brilliant addition
to her impressive oeuvre, Atkinson masterfully blends intricate plotting with rich character development, delivering a mystery that is
both intellectually stimulating and emotionally engaging
.'
Glamour
'The set-up is a delight, paying homage to traditional
Agatha Christie-style
murder mysteries - the characters are well-drawn, their stories unfolding alongside each other until gradually the strands unite, keeping the reader guessing how they will ultimately tie together. A
great read
.'
PA Media
'
Superior writing
...a
highly entertaining
read'
Grazia
Kate Atkinson,
Sunday Times
bestseller, August 2024