When Will There Be Good News?

I'm a huge Kate Atkinson fan. At this point, I'll read anything she does, she's that good. I waited a long time for this one to come out in paperback, and it was well worth the wait. This is the kind of book you don't want to put down.

When Will There Be Good News is the third go round with Jackson Brodie, a private detective who seems dogged by tragedy. Brodie is a great character, kind of a man's man, which is quite the feat for a female author. Atkinson does a masterful job of moving between multiple story lines, expertly bringing them together in the end, to devastating effect. That's one of the best things about this series from Atkinson, seeing how she ties the seemingly disparate characters and stories together. Kind of reminds me of a Tarantino movie. In fact, that's a great idea, I'd love to see Tarantino do a Jackson Brodie movie.

I don't know what Atkinson's plans are for Jackson Brodie, but I hope she isn't done with him yet. I know she doesn't consider herself a crime writer, and she doesn't think the Jackson Brodie books are crime novels, they just happen to involve characters dealing with crimes. I agree, there's a lot more character development in these books than your typical crime novel. I have a feeling she's ready to move on. I actually thought the other detective, Louise Monroe, kind of took over as the central figure in this one. I wonder if Atkinson is going to shift focus to her in the future. That would actually be quite interesting, a few books with her, tie in Brodie now and again. If this does turn out to be the end of the line for Jackson Brodie, it sure was a great ride.

Do yourself a favor, make your next book Case Histories, the first Jackson Brodie book. I guarantee you'll be hooked, and you'll knock the next two out like a kid reading Harry Potter.