One Good Turn

As with the first Jackson Brodie book, One Good Turn features wonderfully drawn characters and an engaging, fast-moving plot. There was a clever playfulness in how Kate Atkinson brought all the plot threads together, like she was saying, "Look what I can do."

For about the first half, the book seems like short stories, because the characters are all separate. It takes a while to get interesting because you won't relate the characters and they're good but not fascinating until they all start to come together. Not fabulous, but a good read that won't make you overthink (great for the beach).

Kate Atkinson outdoes herself this time around. A riveting case from start to finish, and the fact that Jackson Brodie figures so prominently in it makes it even more delicious. I've heard that Ms. Atkinson is planning to take a break from Jackson Brodie for awhile, but I hope the hiatus doesn't last too long.....love that character!

Brilliant writer. Witty, clever plot, endearing characters. The entire Jackson Brodie series is awesome. It's really reading literature with a crime slant to the stories and psychological character studies. Not to be missed for picky readers.

What an extraordinary talent. Kate Atkinson definitely produced real breathing, thinking, and feeling characters. The book was dark yet hysterically funny. The author gave me such great characters that I didn't want them to end. I wanted them not to end with novel. I would like to see Reggie, Joanna, Jackson, and Louise again.

Kate Atkinson's Jackson Brodie novels (this is volume 2) are great fun with three-dimensional characters and a fast-moving choppy style which pulls together its various strands at the end. There is a subtle sense of humor which caused many chuckles despite the depressive nature of the main character and the author's world view.

"Six degrees of separation" is the idea that comes to mind reading in Kate Atkinson's universe. Another thought is that, while the bookshelves these days are filled with dysfunctional families, Atkinson shines a light on resilient individuals. The Jackson Brodie mysteries are touching in so many ways, not the least of which is the open-heartedness of this bruised ex-soldier and ex-cop (not to mention ex-husband) and most of all to children.
This particular story links past tragedies and survivors in a northern England and southern Scotland -- aka "The Borders" -- that has moved on. It borrows enough of the slow moving countryside that dominates Atkinson's family history novels set through the two European wars to make you forget briefly about contemporary brutality, greed and poverty, which so often perpetuate one another, and then you are slammed with the confusion of crime after computer technology and cell phones.
But you also are left with some fragments of mythology -- and I hope I can find the book in which she follows up with the story of the mysterious woman walker Brodie passed in the Yorkshire sheep hills.
Brodie's equal in detecting this time is an orphaned teenager with a brain for Latin classics. I hope we will be seeing her again. And again Atkinson populates the story with lovable dogs.

I was really intrigued with the way all the various threads of the story come together. There are so many seemingly diverse aspects, but finally they all are related and make sense. It certainly made me keep reading to find out how they were going to come out. I have found it difficult recently to find a mystery/police plot that makes sense and doesn't involve a smart-talking detective. This was it. I loved it as I have her other three ":Jackson Brodie" books.

Exceptional writing. Great character development. Don't be put off by the seemingly fragmented story line; all the characters do come together and it all makes sense. I prefer reading the Jackson Brodie books in order so his personal life makes sense, but this stands alone very well.

I found it interesting--sometimes annoying because of all the jumping around from one person and situation to another. I loved the character Reggie--and all the characters were well-developed and mostly believable. Too many coincidences made it implausible and contrived, but that's often the way it is in novels.

This was my first Kate Atkinson book so I started in the middle of series. The book took a while to get into as characters are introduced separately . It feels like it is jumping around then it all starts to tie together . Once she introduced Reggie , I was hooked though. I liked the book,

This author really appeals - she's clever & amusing in a brilliant understated way. There's no "in your face" humour, just quiet observations of human nature that are poignant, touching, hilarious... I loved how she wove all the threads together - again not being obvious or heavy handed. It's a book that leaves you feeling uplifted in a believable way - not that Disney "we need to point out why you should be feeling happy" kind of manner.... She's funny, clever, writes beautifully with great observation & sympathy. Highly recommend it!

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. Complex and often fascinating characters inhabit a detailed and complex world. More than a mystery. This story is insightful and thoughtful. The working out of the story kept me turning pages and I was not disappointed. Although the details of the tale are often grim, the author writes with wit and often humor. I look forward to reading more novels by Kate Atkinson.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. Complex and often fascinating characters inhabit a detailed and complex world. More than a mystery. This story is insightful and thoughtful. The working out of the story kept me turning pages and I was not disappointed. Although the details of the tale are often grim, the author writes with wit and often humor. I look forward to reading more novels by Kate Atkinson.

several stories from several characters, (some have more than one). at first glance they don't seem to be connected but then they are and they get more and more connected as the story progresses to a wild and crazy ending. beautifully written and hard to put down.

Another home run for Kate Atkinson. Despite some "coincidences" that made little sense and had to be overlooked, this was a wonderful book. Recommend it for anyone who enjoys a multi-plotted and multi-characters well developed in a book filled with surprises.

Awesome writing the intricate parts of the story that all meld together, tricky parts that just seem to jell as the author weaves them together and the prose for the dark side of humor is stunning...definitely a page-turner. thanks for the great read Kate. marie

The characters are very well defined. Sometimes they go a bit too on and on in their thoughts. The plot is very complicated and well constructed. Also surprising. There is a lot of action to go with the interior-ish monologues. Blood is spilled, bones crushed, bodies turn up. And good parodies of Edinburgh, its annual Festival and detective novels written in a poor Agatha Christie imitation or like Enid Blyton.
I have not finished the book. Still making my way to Rome with roads going every which way. I can recommend the trip highly.

Jackson Brodie is one of my all time favorite characters. Started to like him in "Case Histories" set in Cambridge, England and I just like him more and more. Kate Atkinson certainly puts together a mighty fine story.

Kate Atkinson provides a story that begins with terror for all of her adult and child characters. What unfolds through a miryad of separate yet interrelated stories provides the novel with her characteristic style of 'saving the best till last' and like the 'Marriage feast at Canna' she delivers the best of possible endings.

I am always surprised, yet never suprised by the twists Atkinson can conjure from the most obvious of possibilities. Jackson Brodie was my hero in this story until the enigmatic Doctor Hunter played her final card.

Fabulous book. Kate Atkinson is an excellent author. Interested in plot, of course. Interest in character, absolutely. The best of Jackson Brodie series, although Brodie doesn't play a significant role in the story.

I loved the characters and the twists and turns. This is my 3rd book by Kate Atkinson. I have enjoyed them all but so far this is my favorite. I thoroughly enjoy her writing style. The book has many characters and a lot going on but it all fits. Very satisfying.

I have loved all of the Jackson Brodie books that I've read. There are still a couple that I have on my to-read list. My husband tried it but didn't like it, though. I like the way she tells different people's stories and then ties them all together eventually but he didn't.

When Will There Be Good News?: A Novel

Kate Atkinson writes again! This is another page turner. The intricate plot and subtle suspense surprise with the ease with which they read. The plot is somewhat simpler than in ONE GOOD TURN, but spins us onward into the Atkinson world. Easily as good as CASE HISTORIES.

Continuing to blur the line between great crime fiction and just great fiction period, Kate Atkinson has delivered, once again, a terrific can't-put-it-down read that is as human and as it is suspenseful. If you don't know her, check out CASE HISTORIES, the first in this series, and catch up!

This book starts out fast and strong and then jumps all over the place. I found myself spending more time trying to remember who the characters were from the last tidbit of storyline they had than I did listening to the story itself for the most part. It picks back up again about midway through as the author seems to spend a little more time with each character and their stories begin to actually develop.

This book leaves the reader/listener with too may unanswered questions and too many lose ends to each character's story. For instance, why did Joanna feign amnesia to protect her husband? And, why did the police just let the original case of kidnapping and extortion just drop when the husband recanted? How/why would they press charges against her husband for fire-starting/insurance fraud when they already had evidence of extortion with 3 men in jail? How is it that Broady gets away with a crime as big as arson with 2 bodies...really, NO evidence? He got rid of the blood that Joanna MUST have left while wandering in the woods and wiped out all tire tracks and no DNA was recovered from the pulp of the teeth of the dead bodies in the house...?

In the end, the plot of the book was very good and held much promise, it just fizzled out far too often for me and had an anticlimactic ending to say the least.

The Brodie saga continues, and Kate Atkinson doesn't disappoint. This is one of the best mystery series going in the literary world because of just that--she raises the genre to a higher literary level. She manages multiple, seemingly unrelated characters and plot lines with precision weaving them forward and ever closer th their respective meeting points and conclusions.. Yet she always leaves us wanting more.

Yet another page turner by Kate Atkinson. I highly recommend her Jackson Brodie series. Always plenty of twists and turns for the myriad of interesting characters she creates. This one even had a big surprise in the last two sentences of the book.

Such a page turner. From the beginning to end, it was a book that made me keep reading. It had lots of twists and turns and one wondered how it would all tie together. It did tie together and was so well written.

BBC produced three Kate Atkinson films in their Case Histories series starring Jason Isaacs as Scottish PI Jackson Brodie. "When Will There be Good News" is the third in the series. I recommend viewing these films. PI Brodie is a flawed but very interesting persistent sleuth who gets results. Each film has several cases in which Brodie is involved. I enjoyed the films so much that I purchased the books.

I liked this detective story; Jackson Brodie is very low key but he gets the job done. I read it because I read Atkinson's books Behind the Scenes at the Museum and Life after Life which I would rate at 5 stars each. Her mystery genre is lighter and fun.

This was my first Kate Atkinson. I like mysteries
in the vein of Michael Connelly or James Burke,
but found I also enjoyed the sensibility of Jackson
Brodie. I Will read more of these.

Sam Lusk

It was an exciting and convoluted book. The characters were difficult to follow. Some were well fleshed out, others barely sketched in. It was a thoughtful and provocative read, and the ending was totally unexpected. Kate Atkinson is a talented writer who understands human interactions; however, it stopped short of ringing true.

At least by comparison to all the action. Chats tests are strong despite their apparent weaknesses
A bit too many catastrophes at once to believe but a good web of lives lived in fiction. Want to read more by Kate Atkinson.

It was an exciting and convoluted book. The characters were difficult to follow. Some were well fleshed out, others barely sketched in. It was a thoughtful and provocative read, and the ending was totally unexpected. Kate Atkinson is a talented writer who understands human interactions; however, it stopped short of ringing true.

At least by comparison to all the action. Chats tests are strong despite their apparent weaknesses
A bit too many catastrophes at once to believe but a good web of lives lived in fiction. Want to read more by Kate Atkinson.

All the intertwined stories are interesting, as usual with Atkinson. Not a book to keep putting down and coming back to, unless you write down the names of the characters as you go. Lots of bad news before there is anything in the other direction. The good news is that the reader gets good stories and good characters to care about. Scotland itself plays a large role: the diff between the English and the Scots.

My book club picked this novel at our last meeting. I have been having trouble getting through the last few books chosen but I definitely did not have that problem this time. In fact I finished it within a week. It's a perfect summertime read.

I found Kate Atkinson after seeing the BBC series, Case Histories and looked up the author. This is book three of a terrific series featuring Jackson Brodie. I recommend reading them in order, although it's not a must.

A wonderful diversion, and a nice follow-up on two of the characters from Case Histories. A stranger in a dark alley, a doppleganger, and a circus tent--what more could you want? Not quite the depth or weighty subject matter of Behind the Scenes at the Museum or Case Histories, but the world could use a bit more plain old suspenseful fun in equal turn.